Final Exam Entry: Will Gilmer Lecture

On the eve of Thanksgiving break, Mr. Will Gilmer came to speak with our AIS 4203 class. He is a dairy farmer from Alabama who is operating the business that his grandfather founded. He talked about some really interesting things, and it was a real pleasure to listen to him.

My favorite thing from Mr. Gilmer's lecture was when he talked about the different techniques he had for making his videos. He shared with us that he usually makes them by himself and you rarely see any other employees in them. The videos are usually comical, but they always have a point, even if it is just to get people to keep watching his videos. Regardless, he makes an impact with them and it is a really good way to get your name out there.

I have really enjoyed this semester in AIS 4203, and Mr. Gilmer's lecture was just a small part of what made it enjoyable. I really appreciate everything that Mrs. Shaw did to make this course what it is!

Until Next Time,

Scott

DUCKS! DUCKS! DUCKS!

Hello everyone,

This week's post will not talk much about the news side of Ducks Unlimited, but more of the benefits of what they do. This past friday was the opening day of Mississippi duck season. It sure was a good one! Three of my close friends accompanied me on a trip to a public lake near my home. We arrived at the boat ramp early, because we knew there would be a crowd on opening morning. And boy were we right! We launched the boat and were able to get in a spot that we had scouted a couple of days before and waited for daylight. As shooting time approached, we could hear the sound of whistling wings above us and even had a rather large group of mallards land between us and our decoys. All we could do is watch. Finally when shooting time rolled around, there were ducks everywhere! We were able to complete our four man limit of 24 ducks by 8:30 a.m. Not too bad for public land!!

The next morning, I convinced my dad to come with us. That is an accomplishment in itself because he does not duck hunt very much nowadays. One of my close friends went with us Saturday morning and we were fortunate enough to get the same spot we hunted opening morning. It did not disappoint us. We had our three man limit of 18 ducks by 9:00. We would have had it a lot sooner if we could have shot a little better, but that's a story for another day.

Overall, the weekend was a huge success! We had two very successful hunts and I saw more ducks than I have ever seen this early in the year. The main point I wanted to get across with this blog post is that the number of ducks we saw and were able to harvest is a complement to all of DU's hard work. Without them, we would not have near the duck population we have today! I just want to take a second to thank them for all they do for the sport and conservation of Waterfowling!

Be safe and Good hunting!

3 DAYS!!!!!

Hey guys,

Did you read the post title? That's right, 3 DAYS til duck season is here!!! For me, it can't come fast enough! Just to back up what I posted last week, I did a little looking and it looks like the folks at DU are seeing the same thing I am- MORE DUCKS! According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), the first major cold front to move through Mississippi has brought some ducks with it, including teal, gadwalls, pintails, shovelors, and suprisingly, MALLARDS! Thats right, I said MALLARDS! For the first  time in a long time there is a substantial population of mallards that have migrated to Mississippi for the early part of duck season. I don't know about  ya'll, but it's got me pumped for Friday.

What it boils down to:

If you've got water, you've probably got ducks. With a drier than usual year, many places that usually hold water for migrating waterfowl are dry. So my advice to you is: SCOUT, SCOUT,  SCOUT! Go find them. Duck hunting isn't easy, but with a little time invested and a few gallons of gas burned, you should be able to locate some birds for opening day!

Good Luck and Safe Hunting!!!

Information for this post can be found HERE

Mississippi Duck Season Approaching!

It's that time of year again! The cold air has finally reached us here in the south, and it has brought some ducks with it. In a few short days (10 to be exact), opening day of Mississippi Duck season will be here. For some of us, the wait has been too long!

The season will officially start on November 23, 2012 at 6:05 a.m. On this morning, thousands of Mississippians will take to the field to try their luck. From my recent observations, there will be plenty of ducks to hunt. I have observed more ducks around this year than I ever have this early in the year. This could be due to a couple of things: 1. Record duck populations
                                                    2. Cold weather in the Northern States arriving early
Either way, I'm not complaining. I can't wait to see what this duck season holds in store.

SIDENOTE: Have you ever wondered where the ducks we harvest in MS come from? I have. I did a little research and this is what I found. The majority of the migrating ducks harvested in the state of Mississippi come from the Prarie Pothole Region a.k.a. "The Duck Factory." This region includes parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, and the Canadian provinces of Mannitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Some of our ducks also come from the Great Lakes region. Here is a map showing the distribution of ducks that migrate to MS. This information is based on the data gathered from ducks that were harvested that had a band.

That's all for this week, good luck to all who venture out for the season opener!

Information for this blog can be found HERE

Mississippi State Chapter Banquet This Week

It's that time again! The Mississippi State Chapter of Ducks Unlimited is holding their yearly banquet this week. The event will be held at Rick's Cafe this Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. Events of the night include: A pork Tenderloin Dinner, both silent and live auctions, and raffles. Some of the prizes being raffled/auctioned include: Yeti Coolers, RNT Duck Calls, and many other hunting items. Tickets are $35 if you buy them early and $45 at the door. Your ticket also gets you a year long membership to Ducks Unlimited!

Information about the banquet can be found HERE.

Low Water Concerning Mid-South Waterfowlers

The summer of 2012 was one of the driest on record for much of the mid-south. The lack of rainfall has resulted in very low water levels across the region. One of the areas that has suffered the most is Northwest Arkansas. This area has traditionally been considered as one of the premier duck hunting destinations in the country. Local lakes, rivers, and sloughs are all at historically low levels, meaning less habitat will be available for migrating waterfowl. In addition to the low water levels, the dry weather has resulted in below average production of the plants that waterfowl feed on, including moist soil plants and acorns. To make matters worse, we have just experienced the first cold front of the season, which brought the first wave of migrating waterfowl with it. Noticeable numbers of Green Wing Teal, Pintails, Gadwalls, and Northern Shovelors have shown up across the mid-south. With no water for them to utilize, they won't stick around long. The only thing that  fellow  waterfowlers can do: Pray for rain.

Information used in this blog can be found: HERE

Waterfowlers to benefit from NWR Expansion

Our National Wildlife Refuges play a major part in providing essential habitat for migrating waterfowl. There are over 300 NWR's in the United States that offer waterfowling opportunities and several in our part of the country. These areas provide hunting, fishing, camping, and all sorts of other outdoor activities for the general public to enjoy.

Here is a map showing the NWR's in the United States:

DU announced in mid-September that the federal government is planning on investing nearly $30,000,000 to improve and expand wetlands and hunting opportunities on some of the nation's NWR's. According to the proposal, the feds will add over 10,000 wetland acres to seven NWR's under the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. Also, the funding will allow for an additional 95,000 acres of wetlands to be added under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. They will also expand hunting opportunities on 16 NWR's in 14 states, with several new hunting opportunities included.

What this boils down to:

Sportsmen and hunters across the country will benefit from this increase in federal funding to the NWR's. By increasing wetland areas, they are providing more habitat for waterfowl. This has a direct effect on the waterfowl population and will help out in the long run. As an added bonus, they are also increasing hunting opportunities, which is always a plus for hunters. There are several refuges in our general area that will benefit from this investment, including areas in Tennessee  Missouri, and Louisiana. Overall, this is a win-win for the general public and the waterfowl population.

The information for this blog entry was found here