WATERFOWL HUNTING
Duck and goose hunting has a rich and storied history in North America, a continent ideally suited to water-loving birds. You don’t hear stories about ducks and geese blotting out the sun in Africa or Europe. But from the prairie pothole wetlands of Manitoba to the coastal marshes of Texas, from Chesapeake Bay to central California, 39 species of duck and 11 of geese and swans nest and dive and dabble and crisscross this great land in astonishing numbers. Flocks really do darken skies. Hunters have long keyed on this abundance of protein and adventure, often risking life and limb in bitter weather to experience the thrill of waterfowling. When normal people head indoors to wait out the storm, waterfowlers race gleefully to fields, lakes and sloughs to indulge in some of the most exciting hunting action in the world.Art, too, has been inspired by waterfowling. Hand-carved decoys, handcrafted calls, homemade boats and detailed paintings of waterfowl sustain a mall industry. Duck and goose hunters are a dedicated bunch that has led the charge for wetland conservation. They continue to funnel money and energy into protecting and restoring our essential wetlands, habitats most citizens don’t even recognize. Here we celebrate waterfowl and the men and women who defend them.
