SHOT Show and Ducks

[Swamp Rat]

I had a unique opportunity at the SHOT Show...

While wandering the halls aimlessly, I noticed a booth for the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) - in particular, they had their aerial waterfowl survey (duck count) pilot/biologists on hand (well, not all of them) and some literature on duck counts and how it's done... etc. etc.... Behind this booth was a nice gentleman that it turns out was like a public information officer. I was talking to him about waterfowling stuff, and then got around to the issue of the Mallard Release Program. He was very interested in what I thought of this, the cross-breeding concerns, etc., and suggested I attend a press conference set for a little while later that afternoon. So I did.

The press conference consisted of the Director of the USFWS, plus most of the ram-rods for the duck count program. In attendence were several others, including I think the Executive Vice President of DU and the CEO of Bass Pro Shops. And the media.

There was a nice and very interesting presentation about the conducting of aerial surveys and just what it consisted of. It was enlightening, and very good info.

The whole time I sat there, I was wondering what to ask about tamies... in the interest of being polite and civil, I didn't want to ambush them with some off-the-topic question when the opportunity arose (stuff like, "don't you consider it to be shooting over live decoys?" - although I DID bring that up with the PIO). Then they started talking about the taking of mid-winter aerial surveys to establish estimated duck numbers -

- so, when the question and answers opportunity came, I asked:

"Are you concerned that the prevalence of released mallards in some areas, especially the southeast like South and North Carolina, will adversely affect the accuracy of the mid-winter duck counts?"

They said that, YES , they were concerned, and that it may be an issue, but that they tried to fight that by getting information from states about how many ducks were being distributed by licensed brooders in that state.

I thought that was enlightening, and informative.

I would also like to thank the USFWS for listening to my concerns (there, but more so in the booth - their biologists know EXACTLY where we are coming from on these issues).

[Duck Nitz]

Great job, Swamp Rat. That would not be an easy thing to just open up a conversation to.