"We are at a crossroads with duck populations in America due to a variety of factors," said writer and Texas Fish & Game magazine executive editor Chester Moore. "If we as the waterfowl hunting community do not make a hard-line stance on these issues now, we will pay the price in the not-so-distant future."

The top issue at hand is the Farm Bill renewal and continuation of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which is attached to the mammoth piece of legislation. It subsidizes setting aside acreage for wildlife habitat instead of going under the plow.

People get all nervous over the word 'subsidy,' but that is how farming is done in America in 2008," Moore said. "We can either have subsidies that work to benefit wildlife and farmers or we can subsidize things that will cause irreparable harm."

Moore's specific concerns center on the government subsidized push to create "biofuel" to ease alleged human caused "global warming."

                                        
           Chester Moore believes the future of waterfowl in North America is in the hands of those with a genuine interest in conservation, not appeasing the politicos in the environmental movement. Photo by Gerald Burleigh

"We have been covering this push for biofuel in Texas Fish & Game magazine, and well over a year ago predicted exactly what is happening right now," he said. "Land that would have been in CRP is now going to corn crops to the tune of hundreds of thousands of acres because the demand has increased. That has, in turn, resulted in many former CRP plots and other native grasslands going under the plow, which will translate to way fewer ducks in the sky.

"Even worse, it has driven up all food prices from beef to wheat due to corn's inflated price and the lack of other crops being grown. Even more unconscionable is that politicians are trying to appease the extreme fringe of the environmental movement with this biofuel issue, and as a result, we are literally starving people in the Third World, as many can no longer afford corn-based products that are their staples."

Moore said now is the time for concerned waterfowlers to tell their elected officials to not only get the farm bill pushed through with strong CRP provisions, but to end the subsidies for biofuel, which are driving the market.

"Many of the so-called 'sportsman-friendly' politicians are of conservative persuasion, and have been sucked into all of this due to trying to appease the environmental groups," Moore said. "The dirty little secret is the people who vote along those lines will never vote for those politicians, so in terms of political capital, it gains nothing and stabs in the back the hunters who do a big part to help put those politicians in office."

Another issue that will need political help at the federal level is acquiring national wildlife refuge land in the  Pothole region.

"Most of the refuge acquisition has been in the wintering grounds, which certainly serves a purpose, but it is pointless to conserve habitat where the ducks migrate in the winter if there are no ducks to migrate," Moore said. "There needs to be a fundamental change at the federal level on this issue, which is something I point out in Texas Waterfowl."

Moore is donating a portion of the proceeds from his book to Ducks Unlimited (DU) to aid in conserving nesting grounds in the Prairie Pothole region, and hopes people will support conservation groups at this critical time. He said the current crisis has strengthened his long-standing relationship with DU: "If there's a group out there fighting for waterfowl habitat, now is the time to support it. It's okay if you disagree with certain things about a group, but the bottom line is that they all need our help to help the ducks. I support both DU and Delta Waterfowl, and say hunters can bicker about the small things when we get over this hump. Right now, its time to keep our eyes on the ball and hit a home run for conservation.

"And the truth is, we better do just that because the future of the rich tradition of waterfowling hangs in the balance."

 Project: Zoo Quest host and founder Chester Moore recently received a first place award in the Texas Outdoor Writer's Association's (TOWA) "Excellence in Craft" competition for the article "PR problem leading to Asiatic elephant's demise in the wild".

<:od>The article appeared here last September and took first place for "Best Original Internet Story".

<:od>"It's truly an honor to be honored by TOWA especially for writing about a subject that is no near and dear to my heart like Asiatic elephants. I would like to thank Joey Ratliff and everyone at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans for giving me an up close and personal glimpse at these amazing animals. Without Joey I would never had had the inspiration for the article," Moore said.

<:od>Moore picked up nine more awards including a first place in “Special Outdoors Projects” for “Operation: Broodstock,” a joint conservation effort with the Texas Fish & Game magazine, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).

<:od>“We are very proud of our conservation work because it is actual participation in conservation not just lip service,” Moore said. “Operation: Broodstock involves catching southern flounder and speckled trout broodstock for TPWD/CCA hatcheries, to help with stocking programs. It is a true honor to be recognized for something we love doing and feel is so important.”

<:od>Moore also placed in the wildlife photography, nature photography, news reporting, magazine, opinion writing, newspaper feature and book (Texas Waterfowl).

<:od> 

Note to readers: This articles marks the beginning of my "100 Stories for the Ducks" series detailing problems and solutions dealing with waterfowl conservation. I have pledged to write 100 articles over the course of the next five years appearing in publications ranging from Texas Fish & Game to the local newspapers (Port Arthur News and Orange Leader) that I write for.---Chester Moore

"Conservation" by definition means, “the careful utilization of a natural resource in order to prevent depletion.”

For that cause, hunters have been at the forefront, contributing billions toward habitat management, research and law enforcement. We have done so not only to ensure populations of the game we pursue are at levels high enough to justify hunting, but also for it to be at equilibrium with its habitat. 

Much of this funding comes from license fees, permits and excise taxes on sporting goods voluntarily accepted by the sport hunting community to give wildlife a fighting chance in the face of modern man’s expansion and innovations. Billions more come from voluntary donations along with millions of volunteer hours committed to raise those funds, restore habitat and promote interest in the sport.

In regards to this, I have on more than one occasion been asked, “Why Waterfowl?”

What these people really mean is, “Why do you do so much for ducks and geese when there are so many other game species like deer, turkey, elk, quail, sheep, pheasant and bear?” This is not a simple question to answer, but the reasons are clear, concise and convincing to anyone willing to listen with an open mind.

Out of all game pursued in North America, waterfowl are among the most vulnerable. They are highly migratory, traveling through multiple states with some species visiting multiple countries, and this poses a number of issues. Pintails, for example, are a species well below their long-term population average and they are being hit on both ends.

                                         
                                                               Photo Copyright 2007 Chester Moore

Changes in agriculture in Canada have greatly decreased nesting success, while the loss of rice in Texas may be contributing to the late migration of birds back north and their overall poor health. Turkeys, by comparison, are territorial-- meaning they are born and die in the same general area they are born, and are at their highest levels in most states in recorded history. Due to their widespread range and adaptability, the future of wild turkeys is fairly secure.

Amazing groups like the National Wild Turkey Federation are making sure of that. Waterfowl species are not as secure since the vast majority nest in the prairie pothole and boreal forest regions of the U.S. and Canada. Their breeding numbers are concentrated in these areas and a drought that affects one species will affect them all. Ditto for changes in land usage.

Waterfowl are not very adaptable, whereas species like whitetail deer can literally live and breed successfully in large metropolitan areas. Ducks in particular need native grasslands and other highly specialized habitat to survive. Deer can live in the shadow of the largest cities in the face of change, while ducks are highly susceptible to man’s environmental tinkering.

Perhaps more importantly, the conservation of waterfowl equals the conservation of many species. Water is the source of life and it is the key element in duck production. Take away water, you have no ducks or roseate spoonbills, or bald eagles, muskrats, otters, mink or hundreds of other organisms.

While conservation efforts directed toward many species are specific to them, efforts to conserver waterfowl are kind of like a shotgun approach. What benefits the mallard also benefits dozens of other species ranging from birds to reptiles, amphibians and mammals as well. Dollars spent conserving ducks conserve just about everything in need of clean water, healthy marshes, sprawling grasslands and mature forests.

A final reason for waterfowl conservation is the public. Deer and elk hunting prices have skyrocketed in recent years, and species like sheep have been out of the reach of the average hunter for decades. No one owns the sky and therefore waterfowl are still truly a public resource that is within reach of hunters from the low to the high end of the income scale. There are millions of acres of public waterways and marsh available to hunt for a nominal fee and many times, they are totally free, contributing to a waterfowl-hunting renaissance.

This has been proven in my home state of Texas where waterfowl hunter numbers increased from 60,000 in 1990 to more than 130,000 by 2000, at the same time deer hunter numbers tapered off a bit.

By keeping duck and goose populations healthy, the tradition of hunting can be passed from one generation to another even as the cost of the sport skyrockets. Yes, waterfowl hunting is more expensive now too, but in comparison to other species, it is still by far the most affordable and accessible.

I wholeheartedly support groups like the Safari Club International, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep as they do a magnificent job safeguarding their chosen game and have done so with great passion and resourcefulness. They are to be more than commended.

However, as a hunter who pursues many species, I have chosen to dedicate the bulk of my personal game conservation efforts toward waterfowl and working with groups like Ducks Unlimited. For the reasons listed above, I find it to be the most crucial avenue of resource protection in North America and that which benefits not only the most species and habitat, but also those who care the most: the hunters.

There is also the personal element, as I must admit to fantasies of hearing the whistling wings of blue-winged teal and watching mallards circle a set of decoys and then come in with wings up and feet outstretched.

Yes, those are the things my hunting dreams are made of... but to make them continue to be a reality, much work needs to be done. We are now at a point where we can ensure the rich tradition of waterfowl hunting for future generations or allow it to pass by the wayside, and along with it crucial elements of our natural environment. We have the opportunity to either seize the day and take our conservation efforts to a new level or simply turn our backs. 

I’ve already my choice. Have you?

(Chester Moore is Executive Editor of Texas Fish & Game and author of the newly released Texas Waterfowl, available by ordering direct at 281-227-3001, at Academy Sports and Outdoors stores and on Amazon.com online. Twenty percent of the author’s proceeds will go to Ducks Unlimited projects in Texas and the nesting grounds. To learn more about Chester's latest project, the Texas Duck Tour, go to http://www.myspace.com/texasducktour)