Waterfowl & Wetlands Spring 2012

w w ww w w.. s c was c wa .. o r go r g

FEATURES :- 2011/2012 WaterfoWl SeaSon reSultS- raymond e. leWiS tribute- SportSmanS ball update

FEATURES :- 2011/2012 WaterfoWl SeaSon reSultS- raymond e. leWiS tribute- SportSmanS ball update

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Spring iSSueDEParTMENTs

the Sporting chefROAD SNACKS

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the director’S deSkRaymond E. Lewis Tribute

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in the neWS

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on the cover:Wildlife photographer ben cleWiS capturedthiS Shot of a beautiful drake blue-Wing teal;it WaS one of over 500 that bombarded hiSdecoyS.

chapter developmentBANQUETS FINISH WELL DESPITE THE ECONOMYSPORTSMANS BALL A HUGE SUCCESSDUCK SHUCK 2012

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camp Woodie update22

Special featureS

drought monitorsNorth America & Canada

product & outfitter revieWSHEVI-Metal Shot & Agri Drain

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Wood duck neSting programStudents of F.E. Dubose Help Build Nest Boxes

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2011/2012 Waterfowl Season Results6

corporate SponSorS35

E-Duck Stamps28Hunting DNR WMAsNative American Artifact Show

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dog trainingHUNT EM UP PUP - PART 2

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by D

oug G

ardn

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SCWA Hosts SCDNR Technicians MeetingSCDNR, John Frampton Retires

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WaterfoWl ScienceSRING-NECKED DUCKS

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Board of DirectorsPresident

James H. WalkerSenior Vice President

Philip L. Horn, Jr.Secretary/Treasurer

A. Carrol Josey

Queries for story and photo submissions shouldbe sent directly to the editor. Photos must bereleased by the pho tog ra pher prior to publication.SCWA assumes no re spon si bil i ty for unsolicitedmaterial.

Gary W. DietrichDelbert E. EggertMarshall J. Collins, JrStan LuthiJohn N. McCarter

Charles C. Rountree IIIO. Johnson Small, IIJohn StroudRichard M. UngerJohn W. Williamson, III

SOUTH CAROLINAWATERFOWLASSOCIATION

Direct all SCWA and magazine inquiries to:9833 Old River RoadPinewood, S.C. 29125

(803) 452-6001 Fax: (803) 452-6032www.scwa.org

Waterfowl & Wetlands Magazine is the of fi cialquar ter ly publication of the South Carolina Wa ter fowlAssociation. SCWA is a state-wide, non-profit, wa ter -fowl and wet land con ser va tion or ga ni za tion based inRimini, SC. All money raised by SCWA is spent withinSouth Carolina on wa ter fowl and wetland ed u ca tion,man age ment and research pro grams, and leg is la tiveed u ca tion. All donations to SCWA beyond the retailvalue of the mer chan dise acquired are fully taxdeductible un der section 501 (c) (3) of the InternalRevenue Service Code.

Executive DirectorDavid J. Wielicki

Chapter DevelopmentMac Bagnal

ControllerTom Ratkovsky

Data EntryThomasyne Hipp

Fundraising CoordinatorJennifer McNeely

Senior Waterfowl BiologistStuart Cochran

Camp DirectorEd Paul

Camp Leopold Charging Forward!

Camp Leopold is off to a great start! The SCWA team, along withJim Koenig of Kingfish Environmental, has worked hard on the launch ofour school year program. Through August and September 2011, we spentmost of our time investigating every inch of our 410-acre facility. With theSCWA team’s knowledge of the property and Jim’s keen eye, the vision ofeducational activities was not only possible, but limitless. Jim used hismany years of outdoor education experience in application with AldoLeopold’s writings and discoveries to develop a curriculum which we areexcited to share with future Leopold campers. This curriculum containsmany youth outdoor education activities that meet South Carolina edu-cational standard requirements. Also, with today’s society thriving ontechnology and youth benefiting from it in so many ways, our curricu-lum has the ability to incorporate all of the modern possibilities.

The Wildlife Education Center hosted 26 educators from acrossthe state of South Carolina in October and November 2011. We have alsoscheduled 27 more workshops for educators from February through May2012 and currently have 62 educators signed up to attend. In earlyOctober 2011, Camp Leopold hosted Buist Academy, Mt. Pleasant, SC, forour pilot camp. The pilot camp was a huge success! We were able to viewour plans in action. Most things starting out take time, but with ouralready fine-tuned facility and support from key SCWA supporters, wehave charged forward with Camp Leopold. If you would like to viewdetails on our pilot camp with Buist Academy, go to our websitewww.wildlifeedcenter.org and click on Camp Leopold to watch thevideo.

If you would like to sign your school up for a 2-1/2 day session atCamp Leopold, attend an educator workshop, or make a donationtowards a school's attendance please contact me!

Ed PaulSouth Carolina Waterfowl Association

Director of Camp Woodie "Summer Program" & Camp Leopold "School Year Program"

Office: 803-452-6001 ext 106 Cell: 803-600-8977

t was the summer of 1983 when I first met RayLewis. I was a graduate student working on mymasters degree at the Delta Waterfowl and

Wetland Research Station in Delta, Manitoba. Nowknown as the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. The sta-tion was duck heaven for a young waterfowl biologist.On any given day there would be 10 to 20 waterfowlresearchers working at the facility and its surroundingwetlands. There was always an exciting new water-fowl or wetland discovery or hypothesis to discuss.On a regular basis wealthy waterfowl enthusiasts fromacross North America and Europe would visit thefacility to spend time with researchers to learn aboutnew waterfowl and wetland discoveries and futureresearch projects. These concerned waterfowl hunterswere and still are the backbone of Delta's financialsupport.

In thesummer of1983, RayLewis andStarkerLeopold visitedDelta. Ray wasa successfulCalifornia busi-nessman with apassion for

waterfowl hunting and conservation. For year's Rayhad volunteered his time and resources to help developthe California Waterfowl Association (CWA) into oneof the leading waterfowl conservation organizations inthe country. Starker was Ray's wildlife conservationmentor. Starker was a wildlife professor andresearcher at the University of California in Berkeleyand was the son of the Father of Wildlife Management,Aldo Leopold. Starker's father was a cofounder ofthe Delta program. Starker had brought Ray to Deltato learn about its programs and to seek waterfowl biol-ogist advice and staff members to help CWA improvewaterfowl and wetlands in California. During theirvisit both of these men made a lasting impression onme. Despite their busy schedules they took the time tolearn about my mallard research and to encourage mein my career as a waterfowl biologist.

After leaving Delta in 1985, I went to work forTed Turner managing thousands of acres of waterfowlhabitat at Hope Plantation near Jacksonboro, SC.

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THE DIrEcTor’s DEsK BY DaVID J. wIELIcKI, scwa EXEcUTIVE DIrEcTor

A tribute to my Mentor - Raymond E. Lewis - 1926 - 2011I During that time I stayed

in touch with Ray to learnmore about the progressof CWA. I asked Ray tohelp me develop a similarprogram in SouthCarolina. Over a periodof 10 months in 1986 Rayworked with me to devel-op a business plan toform the South CarolinaWaterfowl Association. Imade several trips toCalifornia that year withRay's financial support to learn more about CWA. Rayset up a special trip for Ted Turner and I to tourCalifornia wetlands and CWA projects. This tourencouraged Mr. Turner to lend his support to help startSCWA. Without Ray's advice, encouragement andfinancial support SCWA would not exist.

Everyone in California, new Ray by his nick-name, The Duck Guru. Ray new more about water-fowl and wetland management than most waterfowlbiologists. Over the year's he had owned and devel-oped some of the most impressive duck clubs in theCentral Valley of California. He had a scientific mindand was always learning and trying new managementtechniques. Ray new everyone and everyone went toRay for waterfowl and wetland advice including me.He was a major fund raiser for waterfowl conservationusing his own financial resources and his extensivenetwork of friends to build support for CWA, DeltaWaterfowl and SCWA.

Since SCWA's founding in December of 1986Ray Lewis was there every step of the way to help meand the Association grow. He loved to mentor othersand treated me like his own son. He especially lovedSCWA's Wildlife Education Center and our CampWoodie and new Camp Leopold program. Ray knewthat the future of our waterfowl and wildlife resourcesdepended most on mentoring the next generation ofwildlife conservationists. I know that Ray is now in abetter place and I know that with every child whoattends Camp Woodie or Camp Leopold we will honorthe memory of Ray Lewis by passing on our wildlifelegacy to the next generation. Ray Lewis made a dif-ference during his life and his legacy will live on fromsea to shining sea.

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2011/2012 Waterfowl Season ResultsWaterfowl Update By DAvID WIELICKI, SCWA ExECuTIvE DIRECTOR

his year's waterfowl season failed to meet the expecta-tions of most South Carolina duck hunters. Despite anexcellent nesting season and a large fall flight of water-fowl, duck and goose hunting on public and private

lands in many parts of the state did not meetexpectations. Waterfowl numbers at SCWA's Wildlife EducationCenter (WEC) were an exception. The WEC held several thou-sand ring-necked ducks and teal throughout the season thanks toan abundance of irrigated corn and chufa planted at the WECimpoundments.

The slower than expected South Carolina waterfowl sea-son can be attributed to several factors:Warm Winter

Talk about extremes, we went from one of the coldestwinters on record during the 2010/2011 waterfowl season to oneof the warmest this season. Warm temperatures in South Carolinaand across the Central and Eastern US delayed and limited water-fowl migrations, especially for mallards and Canada geese. Therewas very little snow cover in the Plains, Midwestern andNortheastern states. The lack of snow cover on waste grain fieldsallowed ducks and geese to continue to feed in these fieldsthroughout the winter months.

Mallards and Canada geese tend to delay southwardmigrations as long as they have open water and food. Evidence ofthis can be found in the January 2012 mid winter waterfowl countin North Dakota which surveyed a record 279,000 ducks andgeese! The lack of cold weather and ice also delayed the migra-tion of many other species such as Ring-necked ducks and green-winged teal which are so important to South Carolina duckhunters. The bottom line is that wintering ducks and geese weredistributed over a much larger area than in a normal winter.Seasoned duck hunters also know the best days to hunt are duringcold and windy days. The cold weather makes ducks and geesemore active as they seek food to meet increased energy require-ments. The wind also makes them easier to decoy. We had very

few good "duck weather days" for hunting this past season. Thefew cold spells we had during duck season were short lived andwere not intense enough to force northern ducks and geese tomigrate south.Drought and Poor Habitat Conditions

A hot and dry summer across most of South Carolinadried up many of our beaver ponds and small wetlands, loweredour reservoirs and greatly reduced crop production for winteringwaterfowl on state, federal and privately owned waterfowlimpoundments. These areas are critical to attracting and holdinglarge numbers of wintering waterfowl. Many coastal impound-ments could not be flooded in November due to high salinity lev-els in our rivers as a result of drought. Lake Marion was so lowthe Santee National Wildlife Refuge was unable to flood most ofits impoundments until lake levels rose in January. The HickoryTop Waterfowl Management area also remained dry through theseason due to low water levels. To attract and hold large numbersof wintering waterfowl you need cold weather up north to movethe birds south and an abundance of quality wetland habitat tohold them when they get here. Both of these factors were lackingthis year.

The dry conditions in the state greatly reduced the abun-dance of our number one duck, the wood duck. Many woodducks left the state in search of better water conditions in the rainsoaked Mississippi valley region. Low water levels greatlyreduced wood duck habitat and hunting opportunity in SouthCarolina.South Carolina was not alone as hunting reports from up anddown the Atlantic Flyway and many parts of the MississippiFlyway were also poor. The good news is that waterfowl popula-tions across North America are at high levels and we should havean abundant and healthy breeding population returning for thisyear's nesting season. Now all we need is water and good nestingcover on the breeding grounds. Once again, hope springs eternalfrom the duck blind.

T

Doug Gardner.com

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$10 Woodie Membership(up to 16 years of age) Pin & decal

$25 Regular Membership SCWA magazine & decal

$50 Contributing MembershipSCWA magazine, decal & hat pin.

$100 Donor MembershipSCWA magazine, donor decal, hat & hat pin$250 Sponsor MembershipSCWA sponsor gift, hat, hat pin, magazine, sponsor decal, local chapter banquets couples ticket, &invitation to local sponsor events.

Amount Enclosed: $__________________ __visa __ MasterCard __American Express__Discover(#____________________________________) Expiration Date____

________________________________________________________________Name________________________________________________________________Address

________________________________________________________________City, State, Zip

________________________________________________________________County Telephone (Home) (Work)

$10 Woodie Membership$25 Regular Membership $50 Contributing Membership

Please sign me up as a member!it’s easy to join!

for more information call us at (803) 452-6001 or check out our website at www.scwa.org.

$100 Donor Membership$250 Sponsor Membership

You are a member of SCWA, but how about some of your buddies?

You know SCWA is a quality organization, your recommendation is the best advertisingwe have. So, pass this membership application to a buddy and help grow SCWA along

with perpetuating our waterfowl heritage.Just fill out the membership form below and mail it to: SCWA, 9833 Old River Rd. Pinewood, SC 29125

Now Hiring!We are currently recruiting new volunteers for our local chapter

committees to serve in various positions including the following:Chapter ChairmanBanquet ChairmanSponsor ChairmanTicket/Membership ChairmanWood Duck ChairmanYouth Chairman

If you are interested in participating on your local SCWA commit-tee please contact the local chairman or me. If you would likestart

a new chapter please feel free to contact me as well.Mac Bagnal803-452-6001803-938-3145

[email protected]

ur Fundraisers have been successful and havemade budget because of the hard work and ded-icated time of our volunteers, sponsors, and

everyone that took part in our events. Donated itemsthat come from you, the Sponsors and members of thisassociation, have played a huge role in the success ofthe past banquet season! The evidence has been atevery fundraiser we have had this Banquet season. Allof these proceeds go directly to support our educationand wildlife programs. Some of the items that weredonated this banquet season were custom oyster tables,season tickets to football, baseball, and hockey games,Bud Light neon signs and bicycles, vacation rentals,original art, framed prints, wildlife hunts includingduck, quail, turkey and deer, and gift certificates formany local services; just to name a few.

We are always interested in your ideas for othertypes of donations that can be used for our fundraisingefforts. Please email your ideas to

[email protected]. Remember, all donations are taxdeductible, so let’s dig deep and help raise money forthe wonderful programs that will not only benefit peo-ple today, but for generations to come!

We are entering the “Down Time” for our chapters,but we are going to need everyone’s help to make thenext banquet season the best it can be starting in Augustwith the Midlands event in Columbia. Please feel freeto get involved in your local chapter and help us perpet-uate our waterfowl heritage. If you are interested,please call me at 803-452-6001. Thanks again for all ofthe hard work of our committee members, sponsors,donors and everyone who helps us here at SCWA.


SCWA Chapter News

For further information, please cal l Mac Bagnal , Chapter Developement Director at (803) 452-6001 ext .108 or Jennifer McNeely, Coordinator ext .109 or vis i t our web s ite at www.scwa.org

SCWA Industry Sponsors

Agridrain www.agridrain.com 800-232-4742Cypress Knee Chufa www.cypruskneechufa.com 252-539-4434Proline www.prolineboots.com 800-334-4612Remington www.remington.com 336-548-8560Shady Grove Kennels www.shadygrovekennels.com 803-892-5797Sportsman’s Warehouse www.sportmanswarehouse.com 803-731-3000Hevi-Shot www.hevishot.com 541- 367-3522Columbia Sportswear www.columbia.comFederal Premium www.federalpremium.com

2012 – 2013 Chapter EventsAs of April 1st, 2012

4/14/12 Four Holes/Edisto Conservation Dinner - utopia Club06/8-9/12 Leadership Meeting at Camp Woodie8/10/12 Midlands Conservation Dinner - The Millennium Center8/11/12 Berkeley Kick Off Event - Moncks Corner Railroad Depot8/25/12 Summerville Conservation Dinner - Dorchester Senior Center9/15/12 Doe Tournament at Camp Woodie9/21/12 Spartanburg Conservation Dinner - CCC Family Room9/27/12 Greater Piedmont Conservation Dinner - Baxter Hood Center10/06/12 Kingstree Conservation Dinner - Recreational Department10/11/12 Greater Wateree Conservation Dinner - Camden Shrine Club10/13/12 Clarendon Conservation Dinner - The Cypress Center10/18/12 Laurens Conservation Dinner - Lakeside Country Club10/20/12 Berkeley Conservation Dinner - Shrine Club10/26/12 Charleston Conservation Dinner - The Lighthouse on the Creek11/03/12 Francis Marion Conservation Dinner - SiMT Building11/08/12 Sumter Conservation Dinner - Sumter County American Legion11/15/12 Georgetown Conservation Dinner - National Guard Armory11/16/12 “Fowl” 1st Season Kick Off Dinner & Auction - SCWA Ed. Center11/29/12 Greenville Conservation Dinner - St. George Greek Orthodox 11/30/12 Horry Conservation Dinner – The Boathouse12/07/12 “Fowl” 2nd Season Kick Off Dinner & Auction - SCWA Ed Center12/08/12 Barnwell Conservation Dinner - National Guard Armory01/19/13 Walterboro Conservation Dinner - National Guard Armory01/25/13 Black Creek Conservation Dinner - Prestwood Country Club01/26/13 Orangeburg Conservation Dinner - The Garden Room02/01/13 Newberry Conservation Dinner - Newberry Shrine Club02/15-16 Sportsman’s Ball - Duck Shuck - Omar Shrine Ctr in Mt Pleasant02/21/13 CSRA Conservation Dinner - N. Augusta Community Center03/01/13 Pee Dee / Marlboro Conservation Dinner - Community Center

CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT BY DIRECTOR MAC BAGNAL

O

Chapter Chairperson ListChapter Chairman Name Business Phone Home/Cell. PhoneAnderson Dean Harbert 864-314-5205Barnwell Carlton Wall 803-266-4254 803-541-4371Beaufort Mike Fowlkes 843-252-7933Berkeley Amanda Dalton 843-709-4176Black Creek Cal Wheeler 843-858-0766Charleston Will Brown 843-343-4045 843-577-6450Clemson Contact SCWA 803-452-6001Clarendon Charlie Brunson 803-473-8302CSRA Ned Manor 803-640-5007Four Holes Kevin Weatherford 803-492-8280Francis Marion Brad Marlowe 843-566-3622Georgetown Jonathon Agner 843-241-7752 Greater Piedmont Del Eggert 803-324-9781Greater Wateree Matt McCaskill 803-729-0672Greenville Emory Hendrix 864-941-7167Greenwood Bud Thomas 864-941-7299Horry Jon Elvis 843-254-2896Kingstree Kevin Mouzon 843-319-1937 843-201-5876Laurens Jim Watson 864-543-3717 864-420-7170Midlands David Stanley 803-781-8765Newberry Blair Long 803-321-6276 803-924-8743Orangeburg George Wells 843-810-2453Pee Dee Jimmy JonesSpartanburg James Owens 864-809-7911Summerville Larry Wells 843-873-0047 843-709-3175Sumter Buddy Wescott 803-469-0717 803-773-8134Walterboro Allen Bell 843-893-2230 843-908-1234Walterboro Jim Minor 843-846-6346 843-812-8023

Banquets Finish Well Despite the Economy!


CHAPTER EVENTS

Banquets

Greenville Chapter Horry Banquet Newberry Banquet

2011 Corporate Conservator Of The year 2011 Camper Of The year SCWA Board Member AwardBlanchard Machinary Jake Goodwin Carrol Josey

2012 Sportsman's Ball A Huge SuccessOn Friday, February 17 at the Omar Shrine Club in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, 850

waterfowl conservationists gathered to participate in the state's largest conservation fundrais-er, The Sportsman's Ball. The event featured spectacular food prepared by Charleston BayGourmet, and an exciting array of outfitters from across North America. The auction and raf-fle featured top quality guns along with donated hunting and fishing trips from around theworld and luxury home rentals. SCWA would like to thank all of our donors and everyonewho attended the this exciting event. We are already planning next year's event which isalways held at the Omar Shrine Temple on Friday night of the Southeastern WildlifeExposition.

During the event SCWA was also privileged to be able to present a number of awards tooutstanding chapters, volunteers and supporters from around the state. Congratulations toour award recipients:

Division III Chapter Of The year Division I Chapter Of The year 2011 Wildlife Education CenterClarendon Chapter Midlands Chapter Corporate Sponsor Of The year

Ferguson Enterprises


Horry Wood Duck Project Award Members Of The year Award Shot Show 2012Johnny & Kaki Williamson Federal Ammunition Award

Shot Show 2012 Shot Show 2012 Sportsman’s Ball Hevi-Metal Award ProLine Award $1000 Cash Raffle Winner

2011 SCWA Chapter Of The year Sportsman’s Ball PatronsBarnwell Chapter

OPERATIONGAME THIEF

DO YOUR PART TO PROTECT SOUTH CAROLINA’S NATURAL RESOURCES.

Report Violators . . .

1-800-922-5431OR DIAL* OR # OGT


2012 Duck ShuckBy Mike Stritch

(meaning dry and warm) gear for water-fowl hunting (meaning excellent pock-ets and accessory holders) I’ve had thepleasure to use. As I told him, I’m evenwilling to pay retail for it when I haveto. He lives in Memphis but noted hisson has attended Camp Woodie so whenhe had the opportunity to come to theDuck Shuck he took it and enjoyed itthoroughly. Once again 4 Holes Chapterand friends supported the food end ofthe event and did an even better job thisyear than last. They save and make us aton of money and did an absolutelysuperb job with the food and support.Kudoes to them and their significant dri-ving companions particularly for mak-ing my wife and her friend happy.

reat Raffle prizes. Good out-fitters on hand with great tripsavailable. Plenty of the most

excellent grilled duck. very tasty ‘stersand lots of them. Most excellent buffet.Good band, always glad to see themcome back. Good looking girls withassault rifles. Good to see Joette again.Excellent silent auction items. Excellentattendance. Wife and her friend thor-oughly enjoyed themselves. (We allknow if wife is happy home is happyand we also know the opposite. Add inher best friend having a good time and itcan’t get much better.) Among the atten-dees was Tate Wood, the owner of Drake

Waterfowl. Hiscompanymakes some ofthe very best

G

Saw five bucks today over 180″, 2 pushing 200″, two stalks made but got busted. Unbelievable country and mammoth mule deer, I’m in Heaven!

– John N., Montana

My first hunt with Jim Riley was an elk/mule deer hunt and besides filling my tags, I had a great time and made great friends. Since booking more hunts through Into the Wild I have the utmost confidence that he can help me make the right choice saving time and money by making one phone call to Jim, trusting his vast experience and knowledge.

– Tom C., Kentucky

ITWA is my go to source for my next hunting adventure! Jim knows the latest hotspots. I have hunted from Argentina to Africa using his knowledge as my guide!

– Ryan M., Iowa

ITW-1-Page-Flyer.indd 1 2/7/12 4:09 PM


Wood Duck Nesting Program

ecently I have relied heavily on volunteers anddonors to help continue our wood duck conser-vation program. Donations from businessesand volunteers helping to check boxes make itpossible for this program to continue. As I

wrote in the last magazine companies such as Marshall AirSystems in Charlotte have donated both the metal to makeguards and the machines to cut them out. Other people likeJimmy Witherspoon with A&K Mulch, in Alcolu SC, donate

or discountcypress sothat we cancontinuemakingboxesaffordableto landown-ers. Themost recentestablish-ment tohelp in our

conservation efforts is F.E. DuBose career center in Alcolu,SC. They have built about 30 wood duck boxes thus far andhave the materials to build an additional 40 to 50.

F.E. DuBose is a part of Central Carolina TechnicalCollege and offers Clarendon county high school students theopportunity to earn college credits. Students can do this bytaking advanced course work in several different fields ofstudy and in doing so find out what jobs may interest them inthe future. Sports Medicine, Cosmetology, Forestry, Weldingand Carpentry are just some of the courses that they offerthere. Mr. Mike Griffin is in charge of the carpentry class andhe along with about 20 students have worked together tobuild these boxes. Mr. Griffin has three classes per day withthe morning class doing most of the material cutting with themidday and afternoon classes assembling the boxes. The

midday class in which I interacted with consisted of 9 stu-dents with four of them assembling the boxes, two measuringand marking the boxes, two cutting and screwing door latch-es and one cutting the holes in the front of the boxes.

South Carolina Waterfowl Association would like tothank F.E. DuBose Career Center and specifically the carpen-try class for their hard work not only in building wood duckboxes but in educating the youth of Clarendon County. If youare interested in learning more about F.E. Dubose CareerCenter visit their website at www.fedubose.org. The classesthat they offer will provide highly skilled workers not only inthis county but for the entire state of South Carolina. Keep upthe good work and we look forward to working with them inthe future. If anyone knows of any other career centers,schools or other workshop type classes that would be willingto build wood duck boxes have them contact me StuartCochran at 803-452-6001 ext 103.

F.E. DuBose Helps Build BoxesTeaching The youTh of ouR STaTe The SkillS They need

R

For over 30 years, Doug and Mary Sonnier have been helping huntersenjoy some of the nation’s finest waterfowling. From this experience hasgrown Doug’s Hunting Lodge, a full-service camp that’s sure to satisfyeven the most seasoned hunter. Spanning thousands of acres of primehabitat, Doug’s prairies and marshflats are strategically spread through-out the heart of America’s greatest wintering grounds. When the birdsmove, Doug’s hunters move with them, led by the best guide staff in theState of Louisiana. Whether it’s a fun hunt with family and friends or acorporate excursion with big business on the line, Doug’s Hunting Lodgecan make your next outing your most exciting and memorable. Hundredsof serious wingshooters throughout the nation make their annual pilgrim-ages here to experience some of the world’s best hunting and hospitality.We hope you’ll join us.

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• Dogs in training and dogs being tested at field trials and hunt tests.

• Private sittings at your place, at a hunt test, or in Edgefield, SC, (Birds provided)

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Ring-necked Ducks...Where do they come from?

WATERFOWL SCIENCE By STEWART COCHRAN, SENIOR WATERFOWL BIOLOGIST


o matter where you’re at in SouthCarolina Ring-necked ducks (akaringnecks) seem to be a staple forwaterfowl hunters. Here along

the shores of Lake Marion they are with-out doubt the most abundant duckbesides wood ducks. They inhabit largeopen water areas and prefer to feed ondeep flooded food such as corn or chufa.On the lakes they tend to congregate overlarge areas of eel grass, hydrilla, water-shield or other submerged aquatic vege-tation. They are extremely social ducksand congregate in large flocks or “rafts”but where do our ringnecks come from?In order to best answer this question weneed to look at banding data from theunited States Fish and WildlifeService (uSFWS).

Let’s first get some back-ground on both banding andon ringnecks themselvesin order to betterunderstand theirmigration pat-terns. Bandingwaterfowl inany numbersfirst began in1922 and wasused by biologists to better understandthe migration routes of waterfowl. Theearly data collected helped to establishthe four major flyways in North America(Pacific, Central, Mississippi andAtlantic). It was not until the mid 1940’sthat an international effort was made toaddress specific management efforts forwaterfowl. Since the early 1900’s over 13million ducks have been banded of whichover 7 million were mallards. Each yearbetween 85,000 and 90,000 bands arereported. Banding data also helps biolo-

gists to determine annual survival ratesof waterfowl species.

Ringnecks are a hard duck to bandbecause of the remote places in whichthey nest. They typically nest in the bore-al regions of Canada in boggy ponds ormarshes which make them very hard tocatch. unlike many puddle ducks whichnest in tall grasses around ponds or “pot-holes” that are easily accessible, ring-necks nest in very remote areas and typi-cally nest in thick vegetation over ordirectly adjacent to water. They lay

between6

and14 eggs

and afterhatching the duck-

lings can dive after 48 hours and fly with-in 7 to 8 weeks.

As I have already mentioned ring-necks are not one of the most commonlybanded ducks and therefore the amountof data on them is significantly less thansay Mallards, Teal or other “prairie pot-hole” ducks but there is still a goodamount data out there. Although they arefound across the continent they are mostprevalent in both the far western and fareastern parts of Canada during the breed-ing season. The ringnecks in our statecome almost exclusively from far eastern

N

Doug Gardner.com


Canada.This year we harvested 3 banded

ringnecks at our Wildlife EducationCenter here in Rimini, SC. The first onewas banded on 8-10-2009 in Carmanville,Newfoundland. The second was bandedon 8-11-2009 near Sackville, NewBrunswick and the third was banded on3-25-2010 in Erie, Pennsylvania. The firsttwo were obviously banded at or neartheir breeding grounds while the thirdwas banded on the way back north to the

breeding grounds. These are theonly banded birds shot out of

over 1400 ringnecks thatwere harvested at the

SCWA WildlifeEducationCenter thispast sea-son. I also

talked to aneighboring duck club that

harvested around 1000 ringnecks.They shot two banded ringneckswith one of them being from NovaScotia and the other from NewBrunswick. These banding reportsare similar to most banding data forSouth Carolina ringnecks showingthat most of the ringnecks in theAtlantic Flyway and specifically inSouth Carolina come from the bore-al forests of extreme easternCanada.

Through the banding effortsof the uSFWS and the CanadianWildlife Service (CWS) we are ableto see where and when ducksmigrate while also gaining insighton the annual survival rate ofwaterfowl species. The answers to

these questions are crucial in understand-ing the biology of waterfowl. This infor-mation allows biologists, conservationorganizations and state/provincial agen-cies to adjust their management tech-niques to best suit waterfowl needs andto adjust season dates and bag limits toensure that over harvest does not occur.It is important to remember that we needto do our part to help ensure that ourchildren and grandchildren are able toenjoy a healthy waterfowl resource bysupporting waterfowl conservationefforts such as state and federal waterfowl banding programs.

Doug Gardner.com

ost duck blindsrequire plenty of cam-ouflage to fool theducks into believing

there are no hunters waiting toambush them. It’s great to hideyou from the ducks but the prob-lem is, it also hides your retriever,making it impossible for him to seethe birds fall. This makes it essen-tial that your dog learns to takedirections to the bird unless youwant to carry a pocket full of rocksto guide the dog to your ducks.

Two primary drills will get youa long way to retrieving yourducks. The first is teaching pup toHunt Dead and the other is teach-ing the pup to go Back. I discussedthe Hunt Dead in the last SCWAissue, Fall 2011, so I will move onto teaching your pup to take a Backcast. Pup should Sit to the whistleand be steady, but if not, use a longcheck cord to keep him from break-ing before you send him. Sit thepup facing you and back up aboutten yards. Toss a bumper overpups’ head, reinforcing the Sit as

needed. Most likely, pup will belooking at the bumper behind himand may have moved and is nowfacing the bumper, not you. If thepup won’t turn back to you, go tohim and heel him around, sit himdown and back away. Tell the pupto ‘Look at me’ and when you havedirect eye contact, raise one armstraight up and tell the pup,“Back”. He may be confused soyou will need to step toward himand encourage him to turn and goBack. Repeat this exercise untilpup will sit facing you, let you tossa bumper over his head and waitfor you to cast him Back. Move thepup to different areas, most impor-tant new area is one where you sitthe dog with his back to a pondand teach him to take a Back intowater.

The next step is to teach thepup to take a line to the downedbird. To teach this, carry at leastfour bumpers with you and yourpup to an area with short cover sopup can see the bumpers. Sit pupand toss all bumpers a few yards infront of you, turn and heel pupabout ten yards, turn and face thepile of bumpers. Tell pup, “DeadBird” to cue him that there is a birddown that he did not see fall.When he is looking in the rightdirection, give him a “Back” com-mand. you can put your hand overhis head, between his eyes, toencourage him to take the rightline but it’s not a requirement. Ifpup goes straight to the pile, thenback up ten yards and send himagain. If he seems confused, repeatuntil he understands. Work yourway back until pup will go onehundred yards straight to the pile.Take your time, be patient, andgive the pup every opportunity tobe successful.

When pup will take a Back toan established pile, move the pileto a new place and repeat thedrills. So, pup will go out whenyou send him and will turn and goBack when you give him the castand responds to the command togo Back.

To transition this over to wateryou will need to find a pond that isabout fifty yards wide. Walkaround and place one or two bigwhite bumpers on the oppositeshore. If it’s a calm day, toss onemore bumper ten yards out intothe pond. Walk back around andtoss another white bumper in thesame line as the others, about thir-ty yards out. Let pup watch youplant all these bumpers. Heel puparound and walk about ten yardsbefore turning to face the pond.Line pup up with ‘dead bird’ andwhen he’s looking the right waysay, “Good” and “Back”. Whenpup comes back with the bumper,line him up again and send him forthe next bumper. Keep an extrabumper in your hand in case pupgets confused and you need to tossone over his head with the Backcommand. Repeat this exerciseuntil pup will swim across thepond and fetch the bumper on theopposite shore. you can break upthis drill by tossing a bumper onland between casts if pup seemsbored. Once pup is proficient inthis area, move to another area ofthe pond or reverse the drill fromthe other side. The more you cando this drill in as many differentplaces as possible the more confi-dent pup will become at going outwhen you send him.In combination with the HuntDead training, pup will now goBack on command and Hunt Dead,using his nose to find your ducks.

DOG TRAINING

Hunt Em Up, Pup! - Part 2

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amela

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adlec

BY PAMELA O. KADLEC

By Pamela O. Kadlec



ere at Camp Woodie, we are gearing up foranother great summer! Throughout the off-season, we enjoy hearing from and seeing our

campers. That simply means that our campers are outenjoying God’s creation and using their skills thathave been developed or greatly enriched at CampWoodie.

Camp Woodie has hosted record setting waterfowlhunting this fall and winter. Among some of these finewaterfowl hunts were incredible youth hunts held forour level 2 advanced campers from the 2011 summer.Stuart Cochran, our Head Biologist, and the SCWAteam worked really hard to insure that our 410-acrefacility was in tip-top shape for the many differentspecies of waterfowl to migrate and call home. Onour youth hunts, the campers and their chaperone-of-choice are invited to come out to Camp Woodie thenight before the hunt and enjoy a camp fire with hunt-ing stories from “Chief” Louie Chavis and otherguides. Included as well is a wonderful dinner pre-pared by Ms. Earnestine Moore. After our dinner, weresume with a hunt and safety talk to insure a safe andbountiful hunt. Each and every one of our guides aretrue professionals in the outdoors. They all have manyyears of experience and possess a passion for passingon the legacy of our waterfowl heritage.

On December 3rd, at approximately 5:15am, Iexpected to see crusty eyes and long faces from ananxious sleepless night dreaming about decoyingbirds, but was shocked to see all of the bright eyes andsmiling faces. Knowing that we are not only protect-ing the future of waterfowling, but also passing on anindescribable respect for the outdoors which buildscharacter and confidence within, really gets us here at

Camp Woodie excited!Fathers and mothers, men-tors, and outdoor enthusiastshave been given a gift as wellas an obligation. Our gift isthat we have the freedoms in lifeto pursue these wonderful animalswith compassion and knowledge. Our obligation is toprotect what we have today to benefit those who areinterested in it tomorrow. Twenty-seven campers wereable to attend this December hunt. It was very suc-cessful with every blind having an ample amount ofopportunities, and most blinds harvesting their fulllimits. Having experiences in nature such as this onebenefit their everyday lives tremendously. We hostedtwo more youth hunts scheduled in February withabout the same number of campers on each one. Eachhunt was just as successful as the first. Special thanksto Joe Blanchard for allowing us to take many of theyoung hunters to his property for a great hunt.

Campers and parents remember to sign up yourcamper as soon as possible so you get the dates youwant. If you have friends who are interested in Camp

GEARING UP FOR 2012 CAMPERSCAMP WOODIE

HOME VISIT SPECIALThe program works like this: a person

or family serves as a host to their friends andtheir kids that are interested in learning moreabout Camp Woodie. I will come to the hosthouse to explain the activities and goalsbehind Camp Woodie. All questions will beanswered and a slide show will be presented.Contact Camp Woodie.

803-452-6001

H

For more information on Camp Woodie call the office at (803) 452-6001 or visit our website at www.scwa.org.South Carolina Waterfowl Association please reserve space at Camp Woodie for:

Camper’s name __________________________________male _____female_____ age Birth date

Week of Choice ___________________________________ Parent’s Name

Address City

State/zip Phone EMail________________________________________Payment type (circle one):Check MC Visa Amex Discover Name on Card________________________________credit card # expiration date

Mail this form to: SCWA Camp Woodie, 9833 Old River Road, Pinewood, SC 29125 Fax: (803) 452-6032 PH: (803) 452-6001 web site: www.scwa.org


Woodie and would like to learn more about it, we willdo school visits as well as home visits. If there is any-thing we can do to further educate the next generationon the great outdoors, please contact us! We are veryexcited to see you all this summer! God has given eachand every one of us the ability to educate in some wayshape or form, so let’s educate the children of tomor-row on how great “outside” can be!From the woods and the water, we will be seeing yousoon!

Camp DirectorEd Paul


CAMP WOODIE

Walpole Island and Lake St. Clair10 Minutes from Oak's Inn Full Service MotelAt Oak's Inn all your necessary licenses and permits are available.

Located on the migratory bird flyway, one can expectsteady streams of new duckswhile hunting.

Hunt and FishWalpole Island:•Ducks •Bass •Divers •Perch •Geese •Walleye

Wallaceburg, OntarioN8A1R9

Phone 519-627-8651

Fax 519-627-6101

DUCK HUNTER'S SPECIALPackage includes:•Hot breakfast before your hunt•Heated indoor pool & sauna•Dining Room & LoungeOwned & Operated by the Childs family.

Week 1 - June 3 - June 7 - Level 1 - 8-11Week 2 - June 10 -June 14 - Level 1 - 8-11Week 3 - June 17 - June 21 - Level 2 - 12-16Week 4 - June 24 - June 28 - Level 1 - 8-11Week 5 - July 1 - July 5 - Level 1 - 12-16Week 6 - July 8 - July 12 - Level 2 - 12-16Week 7 - July 15 - July 19 - Level 1 - 8-11Week 8 - July 22 - July 26 - Level 1 - 8-11Week 9 - July 29 - August 2 - Level 2 - 12-16

level 1 - $420 - level 2 - $575 - all Weeks are co-ed!

CAMP DATES 2012

Word Find Game


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magine if you will. A turkey shell that will smoke a turkey at40 yards. A turkey shell that has HEvI-Shot® technologybehind it. A turkey shell at a price that you can afford. Theresearch and development team at HEvI-Shot® have been

burning the midnight oil to come up with a new turkey load. youcan’t improve on the pattern of the Magnum Blend™ or the HEvI-13® shells. But as we all know, those premium shells do come witha premium price. That’s when it came to them, a HEvI-Metal® styleturkey load using a newly developed pellet, at a price that won’tbreak your wallet. It’s a hunters dream come true and will be avail-able in 12 gauge3” and 3-1/2” and 20 gauge 3”. Keep watching forit, the HEvI-Metal® turkey load with a brand new pellet from themakers of HEvI-Shot® will be hitting shelves in January!

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Agri Drain ispleased to intro-duce our new prod-uct; the WaterQuality Inlet. This

exciting new product brings benefits to both Agand the environment.

The Water Quality Inlet is farmer friendly;as there is no need to plant around it. It resistsplugging due to multiple slots with a high vol-ume of inlet area. In addition, it improves waterquality by filtering debris prior to it enteringyour drainage system!

Agri Drain’s Water Quality Inlet is manu-factured of high-density polyethylene and thebase snaps into single wall corrugated plasticpipe or slides into Hickenbottom or Precisionunderground sections. Sizes available are 4”, 6”or 8” pipe diameters and 18” or 36” heights.Colors available are green and yellow. The 4”diameter contains 18 individual wicks; 6” diame-ter contains 54 individual wicks; 8” diameter con-tains 90 individual wicks.

The Water Quality Inlet is designed toimprove water quality by reducing the transportof sediment, phosphorus, and other waterborneconstituents to tile lines and surface waters andreduces the velocity and volume of drainage toreduce flooding and to reduce soil particles fromentering infield structures.

The Water Quality Inlet can achieve equalor greater flow and improved water qualityimpacts when replacing standard inlets in fieldswith drainage water management systems, bioreactors, saturated buffers, blind inlets and ter-

race channel inlets. It provides consistent filteredflow with ponds, catch basins, wetland lagoons,rain gardens and aquaculture impoundments.

This product can also be used in tall grassand high trash areas to eliminate pluggedintakes; may be used for outlet guards if thereare ditch cleaning activities, and lastly, for resi-dential settings to provide an inlet which can bemaintained, mowed and is aesthetically pleas-ing.

To learn more about the benefits of theWater Quality Inlet, or to place your order, call 1-800-232-4742 and ask for Customer Service.

Agri Drain’s New Water Quality Inlet

NEWS


North America and Canada Drought Monitors

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Analysts: Canada - Trevor Hadwen* Richard Rieger Mallory MacDonald Mexico - Reynaldo Pascual Adelina Albanil U.S.A. - Mark Svoboda

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/nadm.html

The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions. Local conditions may vary. See accompanying text for a general summary.

Released: March 13, 2012

North American Drought MonitorFebruary 29, 2012

Drought not analyzedin shaded areas

* Responsible for collecting analysts' input & assembling the NA-DM map

Regions in northern Canada maynot be as accurate as other regionsdue to limited information.

Intensity:D0 Abnormally DryD1 Drought - ModerateD2 Drought - SevereD3 Drought - ExtremeD4 Drought - Exceptional

S = Short-Term, typically <6 months(e.g. agriculture, grasslands)L = Long-Term, typically >6 months(e.g. hydrology, ecology)

Delineates dominant impactsDrought Impact Types:

Delta Waterfowl has long encouraged thenation's waterfowl hunters to purchase two federalduck stamps to increase funding for duck and goosehabitat, and a new bill could make such purchasesthat much easier.

The u.S. House of Representatives recentlypassed a measure that, if approved by the u.S. Senate,would allow waterfowlers and others to purchase fed-eral duck stamps online in all 50 states.

Started four years ago as a pilot program ineight states, the e-Duck Stamp program allowshunters 16 and older to purchase temporary stamps(good for 45 days) online until their actual stampsarrive in the mail. Waterfowlers now purchase duckstamps at post offices or sporting goods stores.However, stamp suppliers sometimes run out andsome rural post offices do not make the stamps avail-able. The new legislation would make it easier for

waterfowlers to purchasetheir duck stamps online.

The House voted373-1 to continue theonline stamp program. Ifthe Senate vote is success-ful, the u.S. Fish andWildlife Service wouldhave the authority to make the program permanentand extend it to all states.

Enacted in 1934, the federal duck stamp hasgenerated more than $800 million to protect waterfowlhabitat in the u.S. The stamps currently cost $15 for ayear, with 98 percent of the revenues going to pur-chase or lease wetland habitat as part of the NationalWildlife Refuge System.

article provided by delta Waterfowl http://www.deltawater-fowl.org/media/deltanews/120130-duckstamp.php

U.S. House Passes E-DuckStamp Bill

"As the North American and Canadian drought monitor maps demonstrate, the prairie pot-hole region of the US and Canada has received below normal precipitation over the wintermonths. Despite extremely wet conditions last year, abundant Spring snows and rain will be need-ed to ensure an excellent nesting season for waterfowl."


Duck hunters finished the season on S.C.Department of Natural Resources public hunting lands witha total harvest of 4080 birds, an average of 2.4 birds perhunter, the same average reported last year. A total of 1718hunters participated in these popular hunts at the 15Wildlife Management Areas that recorded individual huntdata. Total hunter participation and total harvest was downfrom last year as several management areas lacked waterdue to the ongoing drought. Hickory Top GreentreeReservoir and Sandy Beach on the Santee Cooper Lakeswere dramatically affected.

American green-winged teal accounted for 20 per-cent of the harvest, followed by Northern shoveler, Gadwall,wood ducks and American widgeon.

"Overall, the season for our waterfowl areas wasexcellent, given the warm dry winter we have been having,"said Dean Harrigal, Waterfowl Program Coordinator withthe S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR). "Mostareas that were able to flood attracted good numbers ofbirds and provided good hunting opportunities for oursportsmen."

Santee Coastal Reserve in Charleston andGeorgetown Counties had the highest hunter participationand harvest of all areas with 360 hunters reporting harvest-ing 1483 birds, predominately American green-winged teal.

On Category I Wildlife Management Areas (draw-ing only), 903 hunters (on 6 areas) harvested 3321 birds withan average of 3.7 birds per hunter. American green-wingedteal, Northern shoveler, Gadwall, and American widgeonwere top birds in the bag.

Santee Coastal Reserve in Charleston andGeorgetown Counties had the highest hunter average with4.1 birds per hunter, followed by Bear Island WMA inColleton County with 3.9 birds per hunter, Santee Delta inGeorgetown County with 3.6, and Broad River in FairfieldCounty with 2.9 birds per hunter.

"American Green winged teal are a mainstay of our

Category I Wildlife Management Areas, especially along thecoast," said Harrigal. "When teal are around we generallyhave good hunter success."

Top individual hunt units were Springfield/ TheCut of Bear Island (4.6 birds per hunter) Murphy Island ofSantee Coastal Reserve (4.5 birds per hunter), The Cape ofthe Santee Coastal Reserve (4.4 birds per hunter), BearIsland East (4.4 birds per hunter), and SanteeDelta West (4.2 birds per hunter).

Hunt data was collected on 6 of the 25 Category IIWildlife Management Areas (open to the public on specificdays). Hunters reported a harvest of 364 birds on theseareas, the majority coming from Enoree Waterfowl Area.The average for 657 hunters was 0.6 birds per hunter. Woodducks accounted for over 63 percent of the bag. The lowwater conditions on many Category II areas reduced thenumber of wintering birds and hunter participation, espe-cially on Hickory Top Greentree Reservoir.

Regular season adult-youth hunts were held on 3special adult -youth only areas. The reported harvest was395 birds by 158 hunters for an average of 2.5 birds perhunter. Wood ducks, Ring-necked ducks, and Americangreen-winged teal were the top birds in the bag. BonneauFerry WMA in Berkeley County was the top adult-youthwaterfowl hunting area during the recently completed sea-son.

DNR sponsored special hunts for youth duringState and Federal youth Hunting Days on Dec. 3 and Feb. 4.A total of 107 youth harvested 295 birds on the 6 Category Iareas that reported data. Top areas were Santee Coastal,Bear Island and Santee Delta Wildlife Management Areas."We were especially pleased that our youth-oriented huntsprovided quality waterfowl hunting opportunities foryoung men and women during the season," Harrigal said.

article Provided by: dnRhttp://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/yr2012/feb16/feb16_duck.html

Duck hunters finish the season on DNR WaterfowlManagement Areas

Native American Artifact ShowThe Piedmont Archeological Society and the South Carolina Waterfowl

Association will host a Native American artifact show at the SCWA Wildlife EducationCenter on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The show will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Hamburgers, fries and soft drinks will be available for purchase during the event.Admission is free. Display tables are $10 and dealer tables are $25.

Last year the show had 25 tables of South Carolina and Southeastern NativeAmerican artifacts on display. visitors are welcome to bring in their artifacts for identi-fication by experts. For information on display or dealer tables call David Wielicki atthe SCWA office at 803-452-6001.


NEWS

The SCWA Wildlife Education Center(WEC) hosted the annual South CarolinaDepartment of Natural Resources WildlifeTechnicians meeting February 13 through the15th. SCWA was happy to donate the use of thefacility to SCDNR.

The meeting was well attended by over 40wildlife technicians across the state. Wildlifemanagement experts from around the state pre-

sented excellent information on the latest wildlifemanagement techniques and wildlife conserva-tion issues important to South Carolina. SCWAbiologists gave a waterfowl habitat tour of theWEC and surrounding duck clubs. The meetingpresented an excellent opportunity for SCWA andSCDNR staff to get to know each other and sharewildlife management information.

SCWA Wildlife Education Center Hosts SCDNRWildlife Technicians Meeting

Retiring S.C. Department of Natural Resources director JohnFrampton was recognized for his 37-years of service to the state ofSouth Carolina by a resolution passed in the South Carolina Houseof Representatives on Feb. 9.

The resolution reads in part: "Whereas, the South CarolinaHouse of Representatives is grateful for the legacy of leadershipJohn Frampton has bestowed on this great State and appreciates thelong and enduring dedication he has exemplified in his service tothe people of South Carolina. The members trust he will find plea-sure in the more relaxed pace of the days ahead as he begins hisretirement."

Mr. Frampton joined the S.C. Department of NaturalResources (DNR) in 1974 as an Assistant District Biologist within theCentral Piedmont Hunt unit and was assigned to the union office.In 1976, he accepted the position of Regional Wildlife Biologist,which he held until 1985. In 1985, he was promoted to Chief ofWildlife and assigned to the Department’s Columbia office. InAugust 1999, Mr. Frampton accepted the position of AssistantDirector for Development and National Affairs directly under theagency director. Frampton was selected as agency director by theseven member South Carolina Natural Resources Board in 2003.

The Board named DNR Law Enforcement Col. Alvin Tayloras permanent director of the agency effective March 17, 2012 replac-ing Frampton.article provided by dnR http://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/yr2012/feb16/feb16_frampton.html

RETIRING DNR DIRECTOR RECOGNIzED

Word Find GameANSWERS


Path for Farm BillReauthorization Taking Shape

Late last year, the leadership of the House andSenate Agriculture Committees developed recommen-dations for the Joint Select Committee on DeficitReduction to reduce $23 billion in federal spending onagriculture programs. While the Select Committee wasunable to reach agreement on a deficit reduction pack-age, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition andForestry Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (MI) has indi-cated that she will use those recommendations as thestarting point for reauthorization of the next Farm Bill.According to the Wildlife Management Institute, it isexpected that the Senate will take the lead on the FarmBill reauthorization process with the House watchingfor progress in the Senate before initiating theireffort. The current legislation expires on September 30,2012.

While the Agriculture Committees’ final rec-ommendations to the Select Committee were notreleased publicly, some conservation partners receivedan earlier draft that is thought to be close to the finalversion. In it, the Conservation Title suffers a cut ofabout 10% or $6 billion dollars. The recommendationsreduce the Conservation Reserve Program from 32 to25 million acres, reauthorize and fund the voluntaryPublic Access Program, reauthorize the ConservationStewardship Program, consolidate the Wildlife HabitatIncentive Program with the Environmental QualityIncentives Program into one working lands programwith a wildlife focus, and consolidate the existing suiteof easement programs - the Wetland Reserve Program,the Grassland Reserve Program, and Farm and RanchLand Protection Program - into one umbrella easementprogram.

According to Jen Mock Schaeffer, AgricultureConservation Policy Analyst for the Association ofFish and Wildlife Agencies, “Two items of priority tothe conservation community that were not included inthe recommendations are the re-coupling of conserva-tion compliance to crop insurance and sodsaver lan-guage that would prevent landowners from participat-ing in uSDA programs if they choose to plow nativeprairie lands. To secure these important provisions andhold the funding line at a 10% cut to the ConservationTitle will require everyone in the conservation commu-nity to work together.”

Given the current emphasis for deficit reduc-tion on Capitol Hill, it appears that maintaining effec-tive conservation programs in the next Farm Bill willbe a difficult challenge in this reauthorizationprocess.(pmr)article provided by Wildlife Management institute

Twin Ponds Memberships for SaleIf you like dove, duck and goose hunt-

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Road SnacksRoad Snacks

Scott Leysath is The Sporting ChefAmerica’s Premier Wild Game Chef

THE SPORTING CHEF By SCOTT LEySATH

Scott's TV show, HuntFishCook can be seen on Comcast Sports Southeast(CSS) every Sunday AM andnationwide on The Sportsman Channel. He also appears each week on Ducks Unlimited TV on OLN.Check out his website, SportingChef.com, for more information and great fish and game recipes.

jerky that’s easier to chew. Next, submerge in marinade or rub with yourfavorite jerky seasoning. Allow the meat to marinate in the refrigeratorfor 24 hours or, if you’re going the dry rub route, wrap it in plastic wrapfor at least 12 hours and refrigerate as well.

Follow the directions on your dehydrator for making jerky.Typically, crank up the heat as high as it will go and allow about 4 hoursof dehydrating time. Warm your smoker up to about 200 degrees andplace the meat in a single layer on the racks. Smoke for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.Whether your smoker is fueled by electricity, gas, charcoal or woodchunks, maintain the heat until the meat is dried. If you’re making jerkyindoors in the oven, lay the meat in strips on racks or screens and place ina 200 degree oven with the door cracked open about 1/2 inch, allowingthe moisture to escape as the meat is dried. If your oven doesn’t have alittle doohickey to keep it from closing all the way, roll up a piece of foiland place it between the door and the frame.

Store your jerky in vacuum packaging bags or freezer-safe zipperlock bags in the freezer for a year or two or in the refrigerator for a fewweeks. Load your pack with frozen jerky that’ll last for several days asyou wander across theAppalachians or head to the coastto work on your tan while you waitfor a bent rod tip. With the moneyyou’ll save on making your ownjerky, you’ll not only make room inthe freezer for this season’s harvest,you might save enough to buyyourself a new duck call.Duck or Goose Jalapeno Lime JerkyAn easy marinade for jerky with a southwestern tang.2 lbs (about 4 cups) trimmed and thinly sliced boneless/skinless duck orgoose breast1/2 cup freshly squeezed (or bottled) lime juice1 1/2 cups soy sauce2/3 cup brown sugar1 tablespoon kosher salt1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper1 tablespoon garlic powder2 jalapeno peppersCombine all ingredients and toss with sliced meat in a non-reactive con-tainer. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.Dry-Rubbed JerkyMany prefer a dry-rubbed jerky with savory seasonings. The salt willhelp draw out the moisture from the meat.2 lbs (about 4 cups) trimmed and thinly sliced boneless/skinless duck orgoose breast1 cup coarse (not table grind) kosher or sea salt3/4 cup brown sugar (use molasses for a strong flavor)2 tablespoons granulated garlic1/4 cup dried rosemary leaves1 teaspoon dried sage3 tablespoons lemon pepperCombine dry rub ingredients in a container. Evenly season meat on allsides, but just a thin layer will do or your jerky will be too salty. Stackmeat together and wrap snugly with plastic wrap for 12 to 24 hours.Refrigerate. Pat dry before placing in dehydrator, smoker or oven.

As much as I like jerky, I always flinch when I take a look at the pricesticker on the package. At about twenty bucks a pound for the store-bought stuff, it makes sense to make your own jerky from the ducks andgeese in your freezer. Contrary to what you may think, making jerky athome doesn’t require any special equipment. A sharp knife and an ovenwill suffice. I know one guy who just hangs his venison jerky across a setof elk antlers mounted over his warm, dry fireplace. In a day or two, it’sready to eat.

Assuming that you’ll want to prepare jerky using more conventionalovens, smokers or dehydrators, keep in mind that the goal is to removemost, but not all, of the moisture from the meat. After the first batch, it’llbe obvious whether it will be necessary to “cook” future jerky less ormore. Jerky should not be so dry that it breaks apart like crispy bacon.Jerky that is still too “wet” will be chewy and, if not refrigerated or frozen,will eventually spoil. If you prefer to tote a bag of jerky with you in yourblind bag, backpack or tackle box, it needs to a little more on the dry side.

Making jerky with waterfowl meat is relatively simple. First,remove any gristle, skin and discolored areas from your breast fillets.Slice the meat about 1/4-inch thick. placing the meat in the freezer for anhour or so to firm it up will make it easier to slice thinly. If you prefer asofter, more malleable jerky, lightly pound it with a mallet or heavy skil-let. Cutting the meat across the “grain” of the meat will also produce a

scot

t Ley

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Experience the Best Duck Hunting in Louisiana,ÓPrivate Marsh Hunting, No Pressure, 2 per BlindÓ. Fees

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Office-910-423-8853 Home-910-486-0241Mobile-910-263-3499

Duck Hunt Central North Carolina


$21,000 - $30,000Defender Services, Inc.$10,000 - $20,999SCANABlanchard Machinery Co.C. N. Brown Plastics & Chemicals, Inc.Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.Sportsman’s WarehouseSuper Sod$5,000 - $9,999North Shore Condo’sRemington Arms Company, Inc.$2,500 - $4,999AAA Well Drilling, Inc.B. S. OutfittersCoastal Plains InsuranceEnterprise Car SalesFripp Island Golf & Beach ResortJarett M. HarrelsonNewkirk Environmental, Inc.Nucor Steel – DarlingtonNumzaan SafarisPelican CleanersPiggly Wiggly of SumterShi-Awela SafarisTideland Utilities, Inc.Tom AydletteWaste Management, Inc.$1,000 - $2,499A Sure Sign & Graphic Design Co.Alexander FarmsAmerican SportsmanAndrew GodownsBarry ColemanBill RobertsonBill’s Liquor & Fine WinesBoone Hall PlantationC & S ConstructionCarolina Fresh Farms - AikenCarolina Fresh Farms – Rock HillCarolina Fresh Farms - SummervilleCarolina Paint & BodyCarolina Pole, Inc.Carrol JoseyCarson’s Nut Bolt & ToolCharles R. SnowCharles WarringtonCharlie youngChris CogdillCJ’s Convenience StoreCMA Financial ServicesConstruct SouthD & S Heating & CoolingDorchester Logistics, Inc.Duraclean Systems, Inc.Eastman Chemical CompanyEnterprise Car Sales First Citizens Bank - SummertonHaier America Refrigerators Co., LTDHampton FarmHarold McHaffeyHarper CorporationHolly Hill Pawn ShopJ. C. Witherspoon, Jr., Inc.Jack Oliver Pools & SpasJoey MizellJordan Scrap MetalKenny CogdillKent Porth Nature PhotographyL & S FarmsLinda BushMarine Marketing GroupMartin MariettaMatthew K. StewartMazzanna's Lawn Service, Inc.McLain & Lee, LLCMichael LangehansMill Pond RestaurantMitch BaileyMSPS Steel FabricatorNBM Builders, LLCNo Worries ChartersNorth Quarter Bison FarmNucor Steel Cooper River PlantPort Royal Gun & PawnPort Royal Oral SurgeryPower SourcePrincipal Financial GroupProgress Energy - Robinson PlantQuality Electrical SystemsReal Art - Helen BoneRhodia, Inc.Robert AdamsRodney S. BurbageSchofield Ace HardwareSouthern Mechanic Inc.Sunrise International, Inc.Sutcliffe Golf Cars, Inc.The Alpine RestaurantThe Wm. Powell Co./Starflo Corp.Tyler BrothersUtility Sales, Inc.Washington K9

Weeks Department StoreWelby Walkup$500 - $999A & S Auto SalesAbsolute Home ServicesAction AbatementADSI MovingAdvanced Real EstateAg South Farm CreditAg South of SummervilleAllen PattersonAlpha Powder CoatingAmerican Forest ManagementAnderson Brothers BankAnn DedmanAtlantic Game & TackleATP Gun ShopB & B Body ShopBeaufort SurveyingBill Moody & Son Inc.Billy PlossBlankenship Electric, IncBo MitchellBobby MartinBrent and Carson CogdillC D Post ConstructionCallawassie Golf ClubCarlton WallCarolina Custom HomesCarolina Engineering ConsultantsCarolina Orthopedic SpecialistsCarter ConstructionCaswell Construction, LLCChad GaultChandler TraskCharles McFaddinCharles WrayChay CanningtonCoastal Electric CooperativeCoastal Green Building SolutionsCobalt SafesComplete Lawn ServiceConway National BankCooters Backyard GrillCorbett Building SupplyCountybankCowden PlantationCPCS- Concrete Products & ConstructionCrossroads ArcheryDangerfield ResourcesDarrell J. McAulyDavid HarrelsonDavid PolkDavid StanleyDick’s Sporting GoodsDixon ServicesDoc's Gun ExchangeDon CheeksDon DuncanDonald youngbloodDonnie DaughtryDoug TruslowEarthworx, Inc.Eastern ElectricEastern Sales Co.Easy Way InsulationEddie PolinEgan Brothers Inc.Elliot S. CloseEric RodgersExtreme Fitness of FlorenceFarmers & MerchantsFarmers & Merchants Bank of S.C.Farmers Telephone Coop.Ferguson WaterworksFirestone Building ProductsFirst Citizens Bank - BeaufortFirst Citizens Bank - GreenvilleFirst National Bank of S.C.Frank BoulineauFrank FelthamFranklin GandyFred HolsebergGene CraigGMC Mortage ServicesGreen Acres Turf Farm LLCGreg HousandGreg ZettGregg SennGuns-N-ThingsH & D SupplyH & H RepresentativesHarry’s Equipment CenterHenry Farms, Inc.Herbert VenningHill Plumbing & Electric Co., Inc.Holcim, Inc.Holly Hill ServicesHowell Construction, Inc.Indigo Gun ClubJ. M. LawhonJ.B. SchwiersJames H. MossJared NewmanJason DandridgeJeff Spencer

Jeffrey R. SmalleyJenks Inc. RealtyJenni CampbellJennifer MixonJesse & Jennifer WeeksJim Hudson LexusJohn L. StarnesJohn SmithKarson CorleyKing Feed LLCKoons Package StoreLaFarge CementLamar KennedyLand, Parker, and WelchLandscapes by MEWLarry AvinsLehigh OutfittersLimehouse & Sons, Inc.Linda BushLong Branch FarmLow Country Window TintingMaster Buick GMCMattress ExpressMcCutcheon's WeldingMedicine CenterMichael KnightMichael WiseMid Carolina Pipe & MaintenanceMillie LewisMitch Johnson Construction Co., Inc.Mossy Oaks PreschoolMy Tech Automotive, LLCNash Oil CompanyNucor Steel Cooper River PlantOates ConstructionOne Eleven PhotoP & H Mechanical Heating & AirPalmetto Rural Telephone Co-op, IncPalmetto Site PrepPigweed PlantationPinecrest MarinePlantation Marine, IncProspect Hill PlantationQuality Deer Management AssociationRance BoozerRandall HammondsRandall HillyerRandel’s LawnmowersRay Clepper BoatingRhett GalleryRichard M. UngerRichard NorrisRiverside HomesRivertown FurnitureRobert E. MeadRocks Pond, Inc.Rodney MuckenfussRodney WinninghamRussell BishopRussell HightowerRyan MartinSchmoyer & Co., LLC, CPA’sScott JenningsSea Island MarineShady Grove KennelsShane LatherSherwood FenderSilver Lakes PlantationSouthern AsphaltSouthern Flight RetrieversSouthern Palmetto Landscapes Inc.Southern Tree Services Of BeaufortSouthern Welders SupplySparrow & Kennedy TractorState Farm Companies FoundationSteelwater Gun SafesSteven C. GambleStill Hope’s FarmStokes Honda Cars of BeaufortSys ConstructorsTerry SchmoyerThe Animal Hospital Of BeaufortThe KuckeryTheresa A. KarlykTim SchartzTJ RobertsonTommy AddisonTony ColemanTony ConstantTony CrossTown & Country Golf CartsTriangle Construction Co.Triangle IceTripp KempTronco's Catering, Inc.Tuccio Real EstateTwicken Ham PlantationUnlimited Electric Co.Vaden of BeaufortW. P. Law, Inc.Waste-ProWells Fargo Home Mt.Wendy ShelleyWhitmore PlumbingWilliam KorbWindsor JewelersZippy Lube

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Waterfowl & Wetlands Spring 2012

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Transcript of Waterfowl & Wetlands Spring 2012