Delta Waterfowl Announces NEW Double-Reed Calling Contest Debuting at Duck Hunters Expo This July The Delta Grand National will bring the electricity to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, hosting many of the world’s most talented duck callers Introducing the “Delta Grand National”—Delta Waterfowl’s inaugural double-reed calling championship, presented by Drake Waterfowl and Mack’s Prairie Wings. Callers will take the stage at noon on Saturday, July 27, during the annual Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. onsite at Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge. Hosted ..read more

Delta Waterfowl Opposes Ballot Initiative to Ban Hunting and Fishing in Oregon; HunteR3 Efforts Create More Hunting Opportunities Across North America Including PEI, Ontario, and Delaware Don’t miss more Duck Production, HunteR3, and other Delta-supported efforts across the United States and Canada United States State/Local: Oregon Anti-Hunting Ballot Initiative: Earlier this month Delta’s policy team submitted an official comment letter to the Oregon Secretary of State expressing our deep concerns with the language of Proposed Initiative Petition 28(IP28)—a citizen-led effort to ban all hun ..read more

2024 Canadian Duck Stamp to Feature a Pair of Buffleheads Wildlife Habitat Canada announces Vancouver-based artist as winning entry © His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 2024 The 2024 Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp and Print will feature a pair of bufflehead ducks painted by DJ Cleland-Hura. A panel of expert judges selected Cleland-Hura’s painting titled, “Proud Pair – Buffleheads,” from dozens of entries. Cleland-Hura has won numerous wildlife stamp competitions that have raised funds for habitat conser ..read more

Delta Waterfowl and Copley Fine Art Auctions Announce the Sale of the George Secor Decoy Collection Proceeds from the auction to be donated to benefit Delta’s conservation programs For immediate release April 2, 2024 HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS – Copley Fine Art Auctions, the world’s leading Decoy and Sporting Art auction firm, is excited to announce the sale of The George Secor Decoy Collection to Benefit Delta Waterfowl to take place July 11-12, 2024. This important auction will present the Secor collection of premium Ontario carvings to the decoy collecting community and waterfowl enthusiasts ..read more

Delta Waterfowl Joins Alberta in Celebrating Proposed Investment in Wetland Conservation The Duck Hunters Organization applauds a proposal by Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas that promises to conserve, enhance, and restore wetlands—including those that make ducks. For immediate release March 20, 2024 WINNIPEG, MANITOBA — Delta Waterfowl recently offered remarks at a press conference hosted by the Alberta government in which a major initiative to enhance wetlands and watersheds in the face of ongoing drought was announced. Demonstrating a commitment to conservation, Albe ..read more

Delta Waterfowl Applauds Delaware General Assembly for Approving Legislation to Repeal Sunday Waterfowl Hunting Prohibition Lawmakers send Delta supported legislation to allow for Sunday waterfowl hunting to Governor Carney for signature On March 19, the Delaware Senate voted 20-0, with one absent, to pass House Bill 271, legislation that will finally end the antiquated prohibition against hunting game birds on Sundays in the state. Delta Waterfowl provided both written and oral testimony before both House and Senate committees prior to votes during the legislative process and were encourag ..read more

Delta Supports Expanded Hunting Opportunities in Maryland, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Quebec; Against Unjust Excise-Tax for California Hunters Many more Duck Production, HunteR3, and more Delta-supported policy efforts underway across the United States and Canada United States Federal: America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act: On Feb. 29, Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR) led efforts to introduce the America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act. The AWHCA will invest $320 million annually in grant funding to states for wildlife habitat conservation, providing additional r ..read more

Muscle Cramps In Canines Yes, our dogs can experience muscle cramps and for many of the same reasons we do. However, duck dogs tend to be a lot tougher than we are, so they generally don’t go hopping around crying like a baby! Most often cramps show up after strenuous exercise, typically during or following a nap. The signs usually include refusal to use a limb. When you examine the muscles gently with your fingers, the dog may yelp or even snap (you know how much a muscle cramp can hurt!) You may feel the knotted muscle. In such cases, dehydration is generally the primary cause, so make su ..read more

Bouncing Back from Retrieving’s Rigors Care before and after exercise speeds muscle recovery By Bill Miller If we’re being honest, when it comes to physical exertion, most of us are truly weekend warriors. Unlike professional athletes, we don’t follow daily workout regimens; we aren’t strictly following diets perfected by trained, experienced scientists. Heck, most of us don’t get enough quality sleep or even drink enough water every day. Then comes an event requiring extended physical exertion. Because we’re duck hunters, that might be building and brushing a blind. It might be packing in ..read more

Building a Better Brood Survey Delta Waterfowl researchers work to improve methods to estimate duck production Clutching a long-handled fishing net, Grant Rhodes strode forward, lunging through a thick mat of knee-high alfalfa toward an impossibly invisible orange marker stake that only a highly trained eye could ever spot on a green hillside sea of Saskatchewan grass. After five bounds, the Louisiana State University graduate student abruptly stopped his advance and slammed the net’s frame to the ground, trapping his intended quarry. “I got her,” he affirmed, raising the net while carefull ..read more