waterfowl & wetlands fall 2011

W W WW W W.. S C WS C W AA .. O R GO R G

FEATURES:- FALL FLIGHT FORECAST

- PINTAIL PARADISE

- SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPO 2012

FEATURES:- FALL FLIGHT FORECAST

- PINTAIL PARADISE

- SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPO 2012

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SOUTH CAROLINA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION FALL 2011/ ISSUE 93SOUTH CAROLINA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION FALL 2011/ ISSUE 93

FALL ISSUE

DEPARTMENTS

THE SPORTING CHEF

TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE15

THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

Record Wet Cycle Masks Serious Problems For Ducks5

IN THE NEWS

32

ON THE COVER:THIS DRAKE WIDGEON STRETCHING WAS PHOTOGRAPHED BYDOUG GARDNER AT SCWA’S WILDLIFE EDUCATIONCENTER IN RIMINI, SC.

CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT

SUCCESSFUL BANQUET SEASON10

CAMP WOODIE UPDATE22

SPECIAL FEATURES

Drought MonitorsNorth America & Canada

PRODUCT & OUTFITTER REVIEWS

Gunning With Steek ShotSoutheastern Wildlife Expo 2012

26

WOOD DUCK NESTING PROGRAM

Reedy River Revitalization Underway16

28

WATERFOWL SCIENCES

Pintail Paradise18

CORPORATE SPONSORS37

SC Wintering Waterfowl Update28

Will Brown Raising Money For Camp 29

by D

oug

Gar

dner

DOG TRAINING

OFF SEASON TRAINING TIPS36

FALL FLIGHT FORECAST...MORE DUCKS THAN EVER!!!32 by D

oug

Gar

dner

2011-2012 WATERFOWL RULES & REGULATIONS40

WATERFOWL WETLANDS4

Board of DirectorsPresident

James H. Walker

Senior Vice PresidentPhilip L. Horn, Jr.

Secretary/TreasurerA. Carrol Josey

Queries for story and photo submissions should be sentdirectly to the editor. Photos must be released by the photogra-pher prior to publication. SCWA assumes no responsibility forunsolicited material.

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 CAROLINAWATERFOWL ASSOCIATION

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

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

SOUTH CAROLINA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION FALL 2011/ ISSUE 93SOUTH CAROLINA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION FALL 2011/ ISSUE 93

Waterfowl & Wetlands Magazine is the officialquarterly publication of the South Carolina WaterfowlAssociation. SCWA is a state-wide, non-profit, water-fowl and wetland conservation organization based inRimini, SC. All money raised by SCWA is spent withinSouth Carolina on waterfowl and wetland education,management and research programs, and legislativeeducation. All donations to SCWA beyond the retailvalue of the merchandise acquired are fully taxdeductible under section 501 (c) (3) of the InternalRevenue Service Code.

Executive DirectorDavid J. Wielicki

Chapter DevelopmentMac Bagnal

ControllerTom Ratkovsky

Data EntryThomasyne Hipp

Senior Waterfowl BiologistStuart Cochran

Camp DirectorEd Paul

SCWA Wildlife Education CenterLaunches Camp Leopold

The mission of the South Carolina Waterfowl Association (SCWA) 410 acreWildlife Education Center (WEC) is to pass on the legacy of our wildlife heritage. Thisis accomplished through innovative education, demonstration and outreach pro-grams for youth and adults. When most people think of the WEC they think of ourCamp Woodie summer youth wildlife conservation camp that has been in operationsince 1995. As a complement to this successful program, SCWAis excited to announcethat we are launching a new school year natural resource conservation camp underthe umbrella of our WEC program. Camp Leopold is named after the father ofwildlife management, Aldo Leopold.

The mission of Camp Leopold is “To create an ecologically literate citizenryby heightening student awareness of the natural world, fine-tuning the skills neces-sary to read the landscape, and instilling a love, respect, and admiration for the landso that each individual might develop a personal land ethic.” Camp Leopold is mod-eled after the land ethics of wildlife ecologist, conservationist, educator and writerAldo Leopold. Camp Leopold will give teachers and students an opportunity to dis-cover the land and understand the complexities of nature with help from a team ofnaturalists skilled in outdoor discovery.

Camp Leopold will operate during the school year with up to 30 weeks of 2- day camps running Monday through Friday of each week. Current annual CampLeopold capacity is 5,760 youth. Jim Koenig of Kingfish Environmental has devel-oped the Camp Leopold curriculum to meet South Carolina Department ofEducation academic standards for 4th through 7th graders. The foundation of thecurriculum comes from three award winning outdoor education programs, theLeopold Education Project, Project Wet and Project Wild. Jim Koenig, former 13 yeardirector of the Barrier Island Environmental Center will continue to oversee thedevelopment of Camp Leopold as the Chairman of the SCWA conservation educa-tion advisory board. Camp Woodie director, Ed Paul will also serve as the director forCamp Leopold.

Camp Leopold will host 160 teachers this fall and winter who will visit theSCWA Wildlife Education Center and participate in a teacher workshop lead by JimKoenig. The educator workshops will introduce teachers to the WEC campus andthe Camp Leopold curriculum. Teachers will also receive continuing education cred-it from the South Carolina Department of Education. SCWAhas also secured fundingto cover the cost of substitute teachers for those teachers who attend the workshops.The first school year camp sessions will begin in August of 2012. SCWA will launch anew web site for the Wildlife Education Center, Camp Woodie and Camp Leopold inOctober, 2011. If you are a teacher and would like to attend one of our teacher work-shops set for October 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 26 and November 1, 4, 8 , 11, 15 please give EdPaul a call at the number below.

SCWA would like to thank its Board of Directors, Blanchard Caterpillar andthe Ocean Lakes Family Campground for providing financial support to establish theCamp Leopold program. For more information please contact SCWA Director ofEducation Programs, Ed Paul at 803-600-8977 or email Ed at : [email protected]

Teacher Workshops Set for October and NovemberInterested Teachers Should contact SCWA

can’t wait for the upcoming duck season.Fall is in the air, football is here and earlymigrating teal are on the move. My son and

I have been busy getting our gear ready and weare very excited about reports coming in fromthe breeding grounds. The survey of breedingducks in the traditional survey area hit a recordhigh of 45.6 million ducks. Thanks to overallabundant and record winter and spring precipita-tion in many areas, wetland conditions acrossCanada and the Northern United States were asgood as ever recorded since spring and summerwaterfowl pair counts and habitat surveys beganin the 1950’s.

The Prairie Pothole breeding grounds ofsouthern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba andNorth Dakota were so wet that more than 12.5million acres of farm land in the region wentunplanted this past spring. As a result, these fal-low fields provided badly needed upland nestingcover for ducks and other prairie nesting birds.Abundant wetlands and improved nesting coverwill add up to an abundant fall flight of ducksand a great hunting season in many areas. For adetailed review of the numbers see the FallFlight Forecast article on page (32).

Although I am excited about the comingseason I can’t help but worry about the future ofduck habitat and duck populations. The extremewet cycle of the past year is hiding a perfectstorm that is building over the Prairie Potholeduck factory. This storm will bring duck nestinghabitat destruction in the form of increased wet-land drainage and the loss of millions of acres ofnesting cover as more marginal farmland is con-verted into crop production as a result of highgrain prices. High prices for corn and othercereal grains and oil seeds are putting tremen-dous pressure on farmers to convert more land tocrop production. Ethanol subsidies and growingworldwide demand is fueling higher prices forthese commodities with no end in sight.

Since 2005, over 1,898,000 acres of con-servation reserve program (CRP) grasslands

WATERFOWL WETLANDS5

THE DIRECTOR’S DESK BY DAVID J. WIELICKI, SCWA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Record Wet Cycle Masks Serious Problems Ahead for Duck Populations

I have been converted back into crop productionin Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesotaand Wisconsin. These set aside lands providevaluable upland nesting cover for ducks and oth-er prairie nesting birds. In addition, CRP grass-lands prevent soil erosion and reduce sedimentrunoff. In 2012 over 5.6 million acres of CRPcontracts will expire in the US prairie potholeregion. The loss of this nesting cover would bedevastating to duck populations. For farmers torenew their contracts, CRP payments will needto match potential farm income gained by return-ing this land to crop production. With govern-ment budget cuts it is doubtful this will happen.In the 2008 US Farm Bill, CRP allowableacreage was reduced from 39.2 to 32 millionacres. As the 2012 Farm Bill is debated in con-gress there will be increased pressure to reduceCRP acreage even further due to budgetary con-straints.

In addition to the loss of CRP grasslandsin the prairie pothole region, farmers are alsoconverting native prairie grasslands to grain pro-duction. Over the past several years SouthDakota has lost over 50,000 acres on an annualbasis. This native prairie provides valuable ducknesting habitat in some of the most productiveduck producing areas in Montana, South andNorth Dakota. Although our Canadian neigh-bors are working on developing marginal landset aside programs like CRP, progress has beenslow but promising. Delta Waterfowl has donean excellent job working with provincial govern-ments and farm communities to develop the CRPlike Alternative Land Use Program (ALUS).However, when grain prices remain high theseprograms become more difficult to implement.

Recent flooding across much of the USand Canada should remind us of the importanceof all wetlands and the importance of providingriparian buffers through programs like CRP.Wetlands provide a tremendous buffer to floods

Continued on page 9...

WATERFOWL WETLANDS66

WATERFOWL WETLANDS8

$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)

$$1100 WWooooddiiee MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp$$2255 RReegguullaarr MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp $$5500 CCoonnttrriibbuuttiinngg MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp

PPlleeaassee ssiiggnn mmee uupp aass aa mmeemmbbeerr!!It’s easy to join!

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

$$110000 DDoonnoorr MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp$$225500 SSppoonnssoorr MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp

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

WATERFOWL WETLANDS9

by increasing water storage capacity in drainagebasins. Riparian grassland buffers and wetlandsprovide valuable wildlife habitat while also fil-tering runoff water and recharging groundwatersupplies. The cost of flood damage anddecreased water quality to the general public as aresult of past wetland drainage and intensivefarming on erodible lands adds up to billions ofdollars. Investments in wetland protection,restoration and marginal farmland set aside pro-grams like CRP are wise investments that providevaluable wildlife habitat while also reducingflood damage, improving water quality andrecharging aquifers.

North American duck populations willalways go up and down in wet and dry cycles,however, the future of abundant duck populationsin North America will depend on ensuring theprotection and restoration of our wetlands andthe maintenance and expansion of programs like

CRP in the prairie pothole region. As the 2012Farm bill comes up for debate, all conservation-ists need to stand up in support of wetland pro-tection and restoration provisions in the farmbill and continued funding for the ConservationReserve Program. Support should also be givento expand the ALUS program in Canada.

One thing is certain, continued high grainprices and the failure to pass strong conserva-tion provisions in the 2012 farm bill will greatlyreduce waterfowl populations. As we enjoy theabundant fall flight of ducks during this water-fowl season, we should all rededicate ourselvesto doing our part to ensure abundant futurewaterfowl populations. We can’t do anythingabout grain prices but we can join with otherwaterfowl conservationists to voice our opinionand help pass a 2012 Farm Bill with strong con-servation provisions. I wish each of you a safeand enjoyable hunting season.

Record Wet Cycle... from page 5

ur Fundraisers have been successful this banquet seasonthanks to a variety of donated items our chapters havebeen soliciting from SCWA members. Cash donations

can be difficult to come by in this tough economy but SCWA com-mittee members and donors are getting creative in finding ways tocontinue to support their local chapter through donated items.

The evidence became a reality at our first banquet, theMidlands Diner on August 13th at the Millennium Center inColumbia. We were able to raise over $50,000.00 and net over$28,000.00 for our wildlife conservation and education programs.Over $10,000.00 of the net came from donated items. These qual-ity items included an oyster table, season tickets to CarolinaFootball, a Bud Light neon sign, vacation rentals, original art,framed prints, duck hunts, and quail hunts, just to name a few.

In these tough economic times we need to get creative in orderto raise the funds needed to support SCWA conservation and edu-cation programs. If you are unable to donate cash please considerdonating one of the items on the list below. If you have an idea foran item not included on the list we want to hear from you.Together we can accomplish SCWA’s mission even in these tougheconomic times. Al donations are tax deductible, so dig deep andhelp us raise some money.

Remember we are in the heart of the banquet season and wecan use more volunteer help on each chapter committee. If youwould like to become a committee volunteer please give me a callat 803-938-3145 or email me at [email protected] Item Idea List:Vacation rentals (houses, condos etc)Rental services (Backhoe, Tractor, etc)Trips (fishing, Hunting)

Certificates (eating places, sporting good stores, oil changes)PuppiesArt workBoats and ATVsOld DecoysGunsMetal workDuck and fish mountsLandscaping CertificatesTiresWhole ribeye from grocery storeHomemade cakes, baked goodsWine, liquor (usually have free raffle items also)Shooting PreservesPet food CentersVet services, Dog FoodNeon signsCustom woodwork (chairs, oyster tables)Wild game dinnersCar packages (detailing, discount on tires, oil changes)Smokers, grills


SCWA Chapter News

For further information, please cal l Mac Bagnal , Chapter Developement Director at (803) 452-6001 ext .108 or Bethany Cochran, Coordinator ext .109 or vis i t our web s i te 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

22001111 –– 22001122 CChhaapptteerr EEvveennttssAs of October 20th, 2011

10/28/11 Charleston Conservation Dinner - The Lighthouse on the Creek11/03/11 Sumter Conservation Dinner - Sumter County American Legion 11/03/11 Georgetown Conservation Dinner - National Guard Armory 11/05/11 Francis Marion Conservation Dinner - SiMT Building11/10/11 Anderson Conservation Dinner - Clemson Outdoor Lab11/18/11 “Fowl” 1st Season Kick Off Dinner & Auction -

SCWAWildlife Ed. Center12/01/11 Greenville Conservation Dinner - St. George Greek Orthodox12/02/11 Horry Conservation Dinner - Boathouse on the Waterway12/08/11 Greater Wateree Conservation Dinner - Camden Shrine Club12/09/11 “Fowl” 2nd Season Kick Off Dinner & Auction -

SCWAWildlife Ed Center12/10/11 Barnwell Conservation Dinner - National Guard Armory12/15/11 Black Creek Conservation Dinner - Prestwood Country Club01/14/12 Walterboro Conservation Dinner - National Guard Armory 01/21/12 Orangeburg Conservation Dinner - The Garden Room02/04/12 Newberry Conservation Dinner - Newberry Shrine Club02/17-18 Sportsman’s Ball - Duck Shuck - Omar Shrine Ctr. Mt Pleasant02/23/12 CSRAConservation Dinner - N. Augusta Community Center04/14/12 Four Holes/Edisto Conservation Dinner - Utopia ClubTBDGreenwood Conservation DinnerPee Dee Conservation DinnerHorry Conservation Dinner - National Guard Armory

CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT BY DIRECTOR MAC BAGNAL

O

CChhaapptteerr CChhaaiirrppeerrssoonn LLiissttCChhaapptteerr CChhaaiirrmmaann NNaammee BBuussiinneessss PPhhoonnee HHoommee//CCeellll.. PPhhoonneeAnderson Dean Harbert 864-314-5205Barnwell Carlton Wall 803-266-4254 803-541-4371Beaufort Mike Fowlkes 843-252-7933Berkeley Chris Cox 843-303-0873Black 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 Chuck McLain 843-661-7373Francis Marion Anson White 843-423-0484Georgetown Shel Johnson 843-546-6238 843-546-4171 Greater Piedmont Contact SCWA 803-452-6001Greater Wateree Cheri Ellis 803-475-1224Greenville Emory Hendrix 864-941-7167Greenwood David Campbell 864-378-2283Horry Richie Causey 843-397-6766Kingstree 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


CHAPTER EVENTS

Beaufort Chapter

Greater Piedmont Chapter

Midlands Chapter

Summerville Chapter

Clarendon Chapter


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

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

• Gun dog portraits . • Pet and wildlife photography.

• Great gift idea for all gun dog owners .• Call for your appointment today.

• Shipping free on all orders .

GUN DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

PAMELA O. KADLEC

Just Ducky Kennel & Spaniel Training Academy – Edgefield, SC 29824803- 637-2007 • cell 803-341-0541

www.boykinspaniel.com • www.justducky.photoreflect.comemail: [email protected]

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

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

• Gun dog portraits . • Pet and wildlife photography.

• Great gift idea for all gun dog owners .• Call for your appointment today.

• Shipping free on all orders .


Sportsman’s Ball 2012 Friday, February 17, 2012 - 6:00pm Omar Shrine Center, Mt Pleasant, SC

Enjoy a complimentary wild game feast, specially prepared by Charleston Bay Gourmet. Join us for U.S. and International hunts on the live auction as well as an

enormous silent auction. Guns, Sporting Equipment and Money will be raffled.(This is a semi-formal event)

If you can’t make the Ball then join us anytime during the weekend.

17th Annual Duck Shuck Oyster Roast

Saturday, February 18, 2012 6:00pm Omar Shrine Center, Mt Pleasant, SC

Live Music ~ Live and Silent Auction ~ Raffles$50 Per Person ~ Casual Attire ~ Open Seating

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Order Form

Sportsman’s Ball Ticket Information: Friday, February 17, 2012 at 6:00 pm Please send me _____ single ticket(s) at $50 each* __________ Please send me _____ couple ticket(s) at $75 each* __________ (I would like to be assured of sharing a table with my friends)Please reserve _____ table(s) for eight (four couples) at $350 each __________ Please reserve _____ table(s) for ten (five couples) at $440 each __________ Duck Shuck Ticket Information: Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 6:00 pm Please send me _____ ticket(s) for the 17th Annual Duck Shuck at $50 each __________

Total __________ Credit Card Orders:Name on Card_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Card #______________________________________________________________Exp Date_______________ V-Code: __________

Mail ticket(s) to: Name:___________________________________________ Company:__________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________ City: ____________________ State:_________ Zip:_________

Telephone: (W):_________________________ (H):_________________________E-mail:_________________________________

Mail this Form to: SCWA ~ 9833 Old River Road, Pinewood, SC 29125 ~ : 803-452-6001*The purchase of a single or couple’s ticket DOES NOT assure you a seat at Sportsman’s Ball.

Seating is very limited and can only be assured to those with table reservations.

You can also purchase your 2012 Sportsman’s Ball and 17th Annual Duck Shuck tickets online. www.scwa.org


TTales From ales From The Dark SideThe Dark Side

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.

Here are a few things that will improve the taste of any dark-fleshedduck or goose. First, don't try and cook them whole. There's a goodchance that the small amount of fat and the skin will only add to the off-taste of the bird. If you're so inclined, you can save the legs and skinnedand thoroughly cleaned carcasses for soups or stock. Remove the skinfrom the breast fillets, rinse them in cold water and pat dry.

Next is the brine. Combine 2 cups of water with 1/2 cup koshersalt in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, while stirring, until the saltis dissolved. If you want to add additional flavors to your brine, likegarlic powder, onion, powder, fresh or dry herbs, do so by placing theextra ingredients in the water with the dissolving salt so that the flavorsare incorporated into the brine. Add the brine to 2 1/2 quarts of coldwater, stir and allow the liquid to cool completely before adding the duckbreasts. Since these duck breasts need a little more help than others,allow them to brine in the refrigerator for 12 - 24 hours. You're replac-ing duck blood with a mild, salty brine.

After brining and rinsing, pat the meat down with paper towels andplace into the marinade below for another 12 to 24 hours. The marinadewill impart flavor without overpowering the natural flavor of the ducks.After marinating, pat the fillets down, rub with a little olive oil and sea-son with salt and pepper. They're now ready to sauté, pan fry, grill orbroil.

One final note. The longer you cook the meat, the gamier the fla-vor. Oh sure, you can slow cook it with Worcestershire, balsamicvinegar, onions, garlic, herbs and red wine until it's fall-off-the-bone ten-der, but I really do think that it will taste its best when cooked betweenrare and medium-rare. Once the meat cooks past medium-rare, or about135 degrees at the center, it will start to taste more, not less, livery.Prove it to yourself and try a bite of duck cooked to rare, medium-rareand medium-well. Of course, if it turns out that you just don't really likethe taste of any type of duck, you can always cut the meat into littlestrips, soak them in teriyaki sauce for 48 hours, wrap them in jalapenoand bacon and cook the bejeezus out of them. They won't even tastelike duck!Diver Duck Marinade(makes about 3 1/2 cups marinade)2 cups dry red wine1/3 cup balsamic vinegar1/3 cup raspberry preserves (or any berry preserves)2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce1/3 cup onion, finely diced3 tablespoons fresh garlic cloves, minced2 sprigs fresh rosemary2 tablespoons cracked black pepper1 teaspoon kosher salt2 bay leaves

Combine ingredients in asaucepan over medium-lowheat and simmer for 15 - 20minutes to blend flavors.Allow to cool completelybefore adding meat to mari-nade.

As anyone who has eaten both diving ducks and grain-fed puddlerscan attest, they both taste very different from one another. Apparently,all ducks are not created equal, at least when it comes to the dinner table.Fortunately, the darker-fleshed ducks can still make great table fare withjust a few extra steps and some additional time to tame the more "pro-nounced" flavored game meat.

Lean, dark-fleshed ducks and geese have a deeper, earthier flavor ascompared to an otherwise fat and lighter-fleshed mallard or pintail. Itshould come as no surprise that ducks and geese are what they eat. Takethe often maligned snow goose, for example. An early season snowgoose harvested in Canada is lighter in color and much less, well, gameythan the same birds we shoot in California. It seems that a young birdfeeding its way through a barley field up north will taste better than thesame goose in California that digs deep into the dark, decomposed earthto feast on tuberous roots.

Divers feed on things like mollusks and crustaceans, along withaquatic plants and insects. Of course, a mallard won't pass up an insect ortwo, but they do prefer to get their food near the surface rather than downbelow. I suppose it's not really all that important, at least to me, why cer-tain taste like they do. What is important is how to make them edible.


n 1996 Colonial Pipeline spilled almost 1 million gal-lons of diesel oil into the Reedy River near ForkShoals, South Carolina. As a part of Reedy RiverWetland Restoration and Enhancement Project

through the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) theyagreed to install 500 wood duck boxes along the river fromGreenville to Lake Greenwood in early 2002. These boxeswere installed and maintained by the South CarolinaWaterfowl Association for 5 years as part of the 6.5 milliondollar settlement between Colonial Pipeline and the state ofSouth Carolina. In 2005 when the contract time ran outthese boxes no longer had the funding to be maintained. In2007, SCWA took its crew of technicians to clean out and fixmost of the boxes on the river but since then they have goneunchecked. This year we have decided to make this projecta high priority for SCWA’s Wood Duck program. We feelthat this area is a major wood duck production area for theupstate of South Carolina.

At out annual leadership meeting in May, SCWAbiologists and staff members along with chapter chairmenthroughout the state decided that the best way to fund thisproject would be through corporate sponsors. These spon-sors would fund the maintenance and replacement of theboxes along the Reedy. Currently there are approximately400 functional wood duck boxes along the river that need tohave the vegetation cleared and the boxes cleaned. Thereare an additional 100 boxes that need to be either repaired orreplaced from damage caused by flooding and downed trees.This project historically produces upwards of 2,500 duck-

IWood Duck Project Update...Reedy River Revitalization Underway

Wood Duck Nesting Program

lings and countless songbirds and other non-target species.We are asking for $500 sponsors to fund this project. Eachsponsor will receive 4 couples’s tickets to your local ban-quet, have your name or your company’s name on a sign at 8different boat landings along the Reedy, be the official spon-sor of 10 wood duck boxes and receive an annual report ofthe box production.

If you or your company would like to be a sponsorplease contact SCWA or fill out and return the SouthCarolina Waterfowl Association Reedy River Wood DuckProduction Project Sponsorship form on the next page.Remember that you do not have to be someone from the areato support wood duck production in our state. For furtherinformation about the project please contact senior water-fowl biologist Stuart Cochran at 803-600-0742 or the SCWAoffice at 803-452-6001.

Reedy River Wood Duck Production Project Sponsorship

Sponsor Name:_________________________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________________

City:___________________________________State:________________Zip:_______________________

Phone Number:________-_________-__________

Credit Card #:_______________________________Exp Date:________________VCode:___________

Please mail your check or credit card information to SCWA, 9833 Old River Road, Pinewood, SC29125 or give to your local chapter representative or Contact SCWA Biologist Stuart Cochran at 803-600-0742. Your support is greatly appreciated and will mean more ducks for the Upstate.

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PINTAIL PARADISE...SEARCHING FOR SPRIGS

WATERFOWL SCIENCE BY Stuart Cochran


intails along with mallards are probably the two mostsought after ducks in North America. Pintail numberscontinue to rise across the U.S. and if you are lookingfor a trophy sprig now may be as good a time as any to

find one. The population estimate for this year is the highestsince 1980 at 4.4 million birds. Here is a guide not only to find-ing them but also to some of the biology behind the bird.Identification

An adult drake pintail is as easy to identify as any duckin North America. The adult male has a white belly, chest andneck along with grey sides and burgundy head. Its bill is blue andblack and of course its signature “pin” tail. Immature drakes arevery similar in color to mature drakes but they do not possess a“sprig” or long tail like their adult counterparts. Hen pintails arelike most hen ducks in that they are a drab brown color. They dohowever have a longer neck and a small “sprig” type tail whichmakes them stand out from mallards or other duck species.Breeding

Pintails are found all across North America and were his-torically the second most abundant duck behind the mallard. It isnow the fourth most abundant duck behind mallard, blue-wingedteal and now shovelers. Their main breeding grounds are in theeastern Dakotas, southern Saskatchewan, southern Alberta andAlaska. In wet years most pintails breed in the Prairie potholeregion. When this region is dry many pintails will move northinto the less productive breeding grounds of northern Canada andAlaska. They arrive very early to the nesting grounds and are oneof the first ducks to nest along with mallards. The typical nestsize is from 5 to 12 with the average being 8 eggs. Incubationtime for pintails is 23 to 25 days and they commonly re-nest whenthe first nest is destroyed. Population Dynamics

Drake to hen ratios are much like those of other duckspecies in the Anas family which include mallards, teal, wigeon,black ducks and other puddlers. There are approximately 3drakes to every 2 hens or a 60/40 split. Mortality rates for pintailsare lower than most ducks with adult mortality being about 40%and juvenile mortality being about 55%. This suggests that it isnot the survivability of pintails that is a problem but rather theamount of breeding habitat which causes their population to fluc-tuate. Migration

California is king when it comes to pintails. Over half ofthe pintails in North America migrate there in the winter and 75%of those stay there while the other 25% travel south to Mexico.Eastern Texas and western Louisiana are also large winteringgrounds for pintails with about 25% of the North American popu-lation migrating there. Here in the Atlantic Flyway we have veryfew pintails and only harvest 3% of the North American total. Food

Pintails prefer open areas with small grains such as rice,wheat and barley. This may explain why California, Texas,

Louisiana and Arkansas make up 62% of the nations pintail har-vest since these states are all large rice producers. They also liketo feed in fields like mallards and many times will mix in withthem while feeding. They do not however like to feed in cornfields and would much rather eat marsh grasses and other aquaticvegetation where available. Here on the east coast, North andSouth Carolina have a large amount of historical rice fields whichwinter most of the Atlantic Flyways population of pintails.Although they are no longer planted in rice many of them are usedas waterfowl impoundments and are managed for small grainssuch as smartweed, millet, wigeon grass and bulrush.Where to hunt them

As I have stated several times in this article, California ismost certainly the best place to hunt pintails. It alone makes up35% of the nations pintail harvest. The Sacramento Valley is byfar the best place to go as it winters almost 25% of the NorthAmerican population. San Francisco Bay and the San JoaquinValley are also good places to go but they together don’t winter asmany as Sacramento Valley. This is not to say that there are notother good places to go but if I had to choose one place Californiawould be it. Louisiana, Texas, Oregon and Arkansas round outthe top 5 places to hunt them in the United States but you need notforget about Mexico. The west coast of Mexico winters over500,000 birds with areas near Los Mochis and Culiacan winteringthe most. The east coast of Mexico also holds large populationswith the Rio Grande Delta and Laguna Madre holding severalhundred thousand birds.

Let’s not forget Canada. This is where it all starts formany of the pintails in North America. Although there is definite-ly some unbelievable hunting here it is not the place to go to get a“trophy” sprig. Most of the adult males have left by the time theyreach full plumage and therefore most of the pintails shot here arejuveniles or immature adults. If you want to hunt closer to homeyou definitely need to hunt near the coast. Both North and SouthCarolina hold large numbers of pintails although they are typical-ly found on private impoundments or refuges. Bear Island East,Murphy Island and Springfield are the three best WMA’s to har-vest a pintail in South Carolina. The salt marshes of NorthCarolina are also good with the area around Lake Mattamuskeetbeing especially good. I have compiled some data below witheach states estimated pintail harvest and also each flyway’s esti-mated pintail harvest. This will give you a better idea on wheremost of the pintails are shot in the continental U.S.

If you want a sprig for the wall this year may be the besttime to get it. I have listed some of the best places to go butsometimes it’s the places that people don’t think about going thatmay provide the best “hunting experience”. My personal pickwould be Sacramento Valley since I have been there before and itis awesome but eastern Oklahoma or the Great Salt Lake of Utahwould be a good unknown place to go. Remember that it only-takes one to make a memory forever.

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Estimated Pintail Harvest by State for 2010Alabama 1,340 Indiana 1,020 Montana2,250 Rhode Island 130 Alaska 10,140Iowa 9,210 Nebraska 2,990 South Carolina 4,020 Arizona 1,990 Kansas 5,440Nevada 3,510 South Dakota 12,920 Arkansas 31,650 Kentucky 660 New Hampshire 90Tennessee 3,750 California 242,630 Louisiana 86,030 New Jersey 340 Texas 68,880Colorado 630 Maine 190 New Mexico 2,510 Utah 21,040 Connecticut 90Maryland 480 New York 2,450 Vermont 330 Delaware 1,990 Massachusetts0North Carolina 7,850 Virginia 2,540 Florida 2,800 Michigan 5,500 North Dakota 11,250Washington 22,780 Georgia 0 Minnesota 11,090 Ohio 2,270 West Virginia 0Idaho 4,830 Mississippi 8,170 Oklahoma 11,150 Wisconsin 7,750 Illinois 9,480Missouri 18,250 Oregon 59,660 Wyoming 420

Estimated Pintail Harvest by Flyway for 2010Atlantic Flyway 23,530 Mississippi Flyway 196,170 Central Flyway 117,010 Pacific Flyway 357,810Total Harvest 694,520

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SCWA Would Like to Thank Our Dealership Sponsors Across the State

Power Equipment Sponsor Tractor SponsorM & M Enterprises Herrington Equipment2927 Sumter Highway 6327 Highway 162 Manning, SC 29102 Hollywood, SC 29449 803-473-9911 843-889-2248

www.tractorfamily.comTruck Sponsors

Burns Chevrolet Cadillac Dick Dyer Toyota2515 Cherry Road 3215 Two Notch Road Rock Hill, SC 29732 Columbia, SC 29204 803-366-9414 803-786-4111 www.burnschevrolet.com www.dickdyertoyota.com

Jones Chevrolet Co., Inc Prothro Chevrolet Co., Inc.1230 Broad Street 452 North Brooks Street Sumter, SC 29150 Manning, SC 29102 803-469-2515 803-433-2535 www.joneschevy.com www.prothrochevy.com

Toyota of Greenville Upstate Automotive2700 Laurens Road 3510 Clemson Blvd.Greenville, SC 29606 Anderson, SC 29621 864-288-3535 864-622-5546 www.toyotaofgreenville.com www.upstateautomotive.com

Raceway Automotive Group 701 South Hwy 52 By-Pass

Darlington, SC 29540 843-393-5000

Www.racewayautomotive.com

Please see these Dealers for all your Equipment needs.


he summer sessions of Camp Woodie 2011have come to a close. I will miss all of theexcitement and smiles that were unforgettable

from these past months! We, here at Camp Woodie,want to express our gratitude to all of the campers,parents and camp scholarship donors who supportedeach child’s desire to be in the outdoors by sendingthem to camp. Also, we are appreciative to everyonewho supported and volunteered with SCWA andCamp Woodie!

Being the summer camp director of 2011 was themost fun I have ever experienced. I am truly blessedto be able to say, “I was just doing my job!” Seeing thenext generation get fired up about the great outdoorsand grow as an individual can truly humble those whoalready possess that passion. The lives of youthtoday are filled with distraction and technology. AtCamp Woodie, we had the opportunity to see thesesame kids venture out into God’s creation and be over-whelmed with excitement and joy. It has shown methat there is even more that I can do as an outdoorenthusiast to make sure there will be places like CampWoodie in the future. This camp provides a placewhere all types of youth can come and learn aboutnature and develop a sense of confidence within. Thegreat outdoors is a nonjudgmental environment thatpulls your finest qualities to the surface. Whether it isbreaking your first clay, sinking your first arrow in atarget, learning how to communicate with animals,catching your first fish, playing in the mud withoutgetting in trouble, building friendships, and muchmore; you will find a closer inner connection to your-self and the outdoors.

Reflecting back on this summer and previous

experiences with CampWoodie, I can clearly seewhy I was attached.Watching the campers, aswell as the staff, grasp agreater understanding andrespect of our natural environmentwas priceless and irreplaceable. Each session ofcamp, we not only grew as a unit but also as a power-ful voice by example. It was clear to everyone thissummer how much nature can affect every person andhow we not only depend on the land, but how much itdepends on us. The campers of Camp Woodie haveenriched their skills as outdoor enthusiasts as well ashow to be good stewards of their natural resources!

The reason the article is titled “Success” is due tothe impression these experiences have made on thelives of the 2011 campers, as well as the staff.Anytime we as a society can enlighten and excite thenext generation about the outdoors and have fun doingit that is a success! Campers, I know that you allremember the campfire when you introduced your-selves and told us your favorite memory in the out-

SUCCESS - CAMP WOODIE 2011CAMP 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

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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


doors; whether it was hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, or just playing outside. We want you to continue build-ing those memories by staying in touch with the outdoors. This was one of my favorite things we did at camp thispast summer. It showed us how much the outdoors has been there for us. After all of the campers and coun-selors would tell their stories, we would ask them if they had learned anything. The answers were clear. We wereall in the outdoors. All the experiences were shared with people we loved and loved us in return. We were stay-ing out of trouble, and we were sharing and learning with others! That is also SUCCESS!

The temperatures are finally starting to decline. Campers, remember what you have learned from camp andthe hunter safety class. Use it on your next outdoor adventure. I hope that each and every one of you get achance to go out and do some hunting and fishing this fall! Remain like a sponge each time you venture out intothe outdoors so that you can add to your newly honed skills and use them to increase your chances on an outdoorSUCCESS!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to see all of you again for the summer of 2012! “From the woods and the water,” we will be seeing you soon! Ed Paul Camp Woodie Director


CAMP WOODIE


Walpole Island and Lake St. Clair10 Minutes from Oak's Inn Full Service Motel

At Oak's Inn all your necessary licenses and permits are available.

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

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

Wallaceburg, Ontario N8A1R9Phone 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 Childsfamily.

Week 1 - June 3 - June 7 - Level 1 - 8-11Week 2 - June 10 -June 14 - Level 1 - 8-11

Week 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 - 8-11

Week 9 - July 29 - August 2 - Level 2 - 12-16Level 1 - $420 - Level 2 - $575 - All Weeks are Co-ed!

Sign your child(ren) up for Camp WSign your child(ren) up for Camp Woodie Summer 2012 by 3/1/2012oodie Summer 2012 by 3/1/2012and you will receive a $50 discount.and you will receive a $50 discount.

Sign up by 12/16/201Sign up by 12/16/2011 you will receive a Camp W1 you will receive a Camp Woodie certificate andoodie certificate anda special gift to put under your Christmas tree!a special gift to put under your Christmas tree!

CAMP DATES 2012

Word Find Game


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WGunning With Steel Shot, 2011

T. Michael Stritch

Steel shot just keeps getting better.My favorite load is still Kent ImpactMatrix but tungsten has gotten so expen-sive it’s tough to justify, particularly whennew advances have resulted in muchmore effective steel shot. Kent, Federal,Remington & Winchester have come outwith new product lines and each of themhas something valuable.

Kent took its Faststeel line andimproved the shot by zinc plating it forcorrosion resistance and improved pene-tration. The Fasteel pellets were prettygood but the zinc plating is a visibleimprovement. The Silver Steel line is thenew premium Kent line up. I’ve patternedit in the same loads and see a slightly bet-ter patter with the Silver Steel. It alsocomes with a biodegradable wad forupland gunning. I had success last seasonwith my Benelli Montefeltro in 20 gaugeusing #4 shot for close woodies and tealso I’ll be interested to see how the Kentdoes in the same environment but usingmy 12 gauge Berettas. Using an IC chokethe pattern opened up within about 15yards and was useable out to about 35yards. Switching to an IM I’d predictanother ten yards of useable pattern.

A year or two ago Federal came outwith its Black Cloud line. Pellets essen-tially had a raised belt of steel around thecircumference. This was to provideincreased wound channels and thusknock down power. The problem withirregular pellets was solved by crafting awad that contains the pellets furtherdown range. Thus the pattern did notbegin to open up at the muzzle, but fur-ther down range so the irregular pelletsflight was not affected by the “belt” untildown range somewhat. No I don’t knowat what range the wad drops off, howchokes effect the distance the wad stayswith the shot or at what point the patternblows up. Friends like the shot but I havenot shot enough or patterned the loads to

tell. Winchester has a load I have yet totry at all. Labeled Blind Side the pelletsare not round but hexagonal and stackedso you can fit about another 15% pellets inthe same space. With more pellets in thepattern your kill zone extends out furtherand is more effective at all ranges. Withthe sharp sides you have more woundchannel damage as well. Winchester didthe same as Federal designing a wad tostay with the shot column for a longertime. The trade off here is that the morepellets in the load the lower the velocity,and, as we all know, with steel, speedkills.

Remington went a different route.They increased velocity to around 1700FPS where industry standards stayaround 1450. Remington began using aslower burning powder, put simplistical-ly, to extend the burn chamber whichincreases the velocity. In essenceRemington has a longer, slower burn ver-sus a short explosion which results inhigher velocity and a longer pressureperiod which maintains safety standardsfor pressure. This results in increasedvelocity which means increased impactballistic and increased range. Howeverthere has been no corresponding pelletmodification to take advantage of theincreased speed.

So I guess we’ll just have to wait forsomeone to use Remington’s powder,Winchester or Federal’s pellets and zinccoat them. One tiny little issue remains.Getting ammo that is effective past 40 or45 yards is well and good; however, mostof us can’t shoot well at those distancesor, depending on light and experienceidentify or sex ducks at those distances.(Yes, I remember you saying, “I’m fromSout Karoliner, if it’s a duck I’m gonnashoot at it and worry about what it is lat-er”. So buy some shells from the abovecompanies, pattern them for your gun andgo practice.


Southeastern Wildlife Exposition 2012 Overview

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition will celebrate 30years of excellence in wildlife art and the sporting life with itsupcoming event to be held February 17-19, 2012, in multiplevenues in downtown Charleston, SC.

The nation’s largest wildlife art and nature event,SEWE will showcase the work of 120 painters, carvers andsculptors in Charleston Place’s grand ballroom. Two exhibitswill be housed at the Francis Marion Hotel, including works byoutstanding artists from the Charleston area (sponsored by ArtMagazine) and a collection of landscape scenes, while the workof the nature photographers will be in the atrium of EmbassySuites. New for 2012, the Mills House Hotel will have a specialart exhibit entitled “Birds of the Wetlands.”

Breathtaking flight demonstrations by the Center forBirds of Prey will be conducted in Marion Square, along withconservation exhibits, children’s activities and food from areaeateries. Crowds flock to Brittlebank Park to watch the high-fly-ing, big-splashing Dock Dogs® competitions, skillful retrieverdemonstrations, and instruction in the art of fly fishing and castnet tossing by the experts at Charleston Angler. There along thebanks of the Ashley River, SEWE’s Sporting Village will featureoutdoor outfitters, boats & equipment, andfishing/hunting/safari guides, and live bluegrass music can be

heard all weekend. Across the street from Brittlebank, theCharleston Marriott will host high-end sporting arms dealersand antique & working decoys from galleries and private col-lections.

Renowned animal expert Jack Hanna will host twoeducational live-animal presentations at the GaillardAuditorium, as will the team from the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary.Also at the Gaillard, handmade knives, jewelry, scrimshaw, fur-nishings, and crafts, will be available along with prints & gicleesby SEWE artists. The Certified South Carolina tent will be setup on the lawn, with a dozen chefs in the Fresh On The Menuprogram conducting mouth-watering cooking demos usinglocally grown and produced products.

A Quick Draw/Speed Sculpt with auction followingwill be held on Friday atCharleston Place. Other specialevents include lectures at themain branch of the library andthe SEWE King Street Stroll onFriday evening.

VIP packages offerextra perks and after-hoursactivities including: art pre-views, an opening reception,black-tie gala/auction, Saturdaybreakfast, a casual party withlive music & a Lowcountry feast, and access to the hospitalitysuites (with snacks & adult beverages) throughout the week-end. These packages, which have sold out in years past, start atjust $350 for two people.

Day tickets are $10-$20, 3-day passes are $40, and chil-dren 10 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.SEWE provides free shuttle service between venues duringshow hours with a ticket or badge, and handicapped accessibleservice is available.

For more information or to purchase tickets/packages,visit www.sewe.com or call 843-723-1748. *Please note that all info is to the best of SEWE’s knowledge at this point, and is subject to change.

NEWS


North America and Canada Drought Monitors

Accumulated Precipitation (National)

September 1, 2011 to October 16, 2011

< 25 mm

25 - 50 mm

50 - 75 mm

75 - 100 mm

100 - 150 mm

150 - 200 mm

200 - 300 mm

300 - 400 mm

400 - 500 mm

500 - 600 mm

600 - 700 mm

700 - 800 mm

800 - 900 mm

900 - 1000 mm

1000 - 1250 mm

1250 - 1500 mm

1500 - 2000 mm

> 2000 mm

Extent of Agricultural Land

Produced using near real-time data that hasundergone initial quality control. The mapmay not be accurate for all regions due to dataavailability and data errors.

Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS). Data provided through partnership withEnvironment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and many Provincial agencies. www.agr.gc.ca/drought

Copyright © 2011 Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada

Created: 10/17/11

Duck season is just around the corner andhunters are beginning to scout their favorite areas.Since March, SCWA biologists have been busyinstalling and maintaining wood duck nest boxesacross the state and working with landowners on bothpublic and private lands to enhance waterfowl habi-tat. We have also been talking with waterfowl habitatmanagers across South Carolina to get a better feel forstatewide wintering waterfowl habitat conditions.

When considering where ducks will be duringupcoming season it is important to remember thatwintering duck numbers are affected by several fac-tors. These include the timing of migrations, foodavailability, human disturbance levels and cover.One thing is certain, abundant food, low human dis-turbance and good cover adds up to higher duck uti-lization of habitat areas. The following is a short sum-mary of habitat conditions across the state.Upstate Habitat

This year the upstate of South Carolina hadadequate rainfall during the growing season. Thisresulted in good crop production in private and pub-licly management duck ponds. Wetland conditionswere adequate during the wood duck nesting seasonwhich resulted in a good wood duck hatch. However,

like the rest of the state abundant rainfall is now need-ed to fill beaver ponds and other wetlands to provideoptimum habitat conditions for wintering ducks.Midlands Habitat

The midlands were dryer this year during thegrowing season. Some duck ponds received adequaterainfall for crop production but overall private andpublic duck ponds will not have as much food forwintering ducks as last year. Low water levels alsoreduced wood duck production. Public lakes continueto drop due to a hot summer and less than adequaterainfall. However, water turbidity is low in publicreservoirs, which has resulted in improved submersedaquatic vegetation growth.

The abundance of submersed aquatic vegeta-tion in Lakes Marion and Moultrie has been expand-ing at a steady pace over the last several years.Thousands of acres of eel grass and native pondweedswill provide abundant food for wintering waterfowlthis year. Despite lower than normal rainfall duringthe growing season, acorn production in willow andcherry bark oaks looks promising. Fall rainfall will beneeded to flood beaver ponds and bottomland hard-woods in order to improve wintering habitat condi-tions in the midlands. Lake Marion also needs to rise

South Carolina Wintering Waterfowl Habitat Update

by David Wielicki


to allow the Santee National Wildlife Refuge to run itspumps to flood all of their green-tree reservoirs andwaterfowl impoundments. Coastal Habitat

The majority of waterfowl habitat in SouthCarolina is found along our coastal rivers, fresh,brackish and saltwater tidal marshes. South Carolinais blessed with over 500,000 acres of coastal tidalmarshes. In addition over 70,000 acres of historic ricefields are managed to produce natural and plantedfoods to attract wintering waterfowl. Crop produc-tion in coastal historic rice fields was greatly reducedfrom last year due to drought. Another importantfood source for ducks in the area is widgeon grasswhich is grown in brackish duck ponds. Widgeongrass production was reduced this year due toincreased salinity levels as a result of hot and dry con-ditions. Wintering waterfowl habitat conditions onthe coast will not be as good as last year. However,due to the large habitat area the coastal zone will con-tinue to winter the greatest number of waterfowl.

Overall, abundant rainfall is needed this falland winter to improve South Carolina’s winteringwaterfowl habitat for what is expected to be a largefall flight of ducks and geese.

My name is Will Brown. I am currently the co-chairman of the Charleston Chapter of SCWA. I live inJames Island, SC and I am a financial advisor for PrincipalFinancial Group. I grew up fishing and hunting in theLowcountry. Through my 26 years, I have developed asevere passion for the outdoors. I have always been aconservationist in both of my hobbies, as were most of thepeople that I did these with. I had a hunting/fishingbuddy that passed away when we were 19 to cancer.Following his passing, a couple of my close friends and Istarted a fishing tournament in honor of Joe, our friendthat passed. We raised money for various charities in thearea. I realized how easy it was to make a differencethrough fundraising. The desire to extend my fundrais-ing abilities began to increase. I began to think about thethings that were important to me that involved the hob-bies and areas that I enjoy. I also have a passion for bring-ing kids into the outdoors. SCWA fit my passions like aglove. I think that Camp Woodie is something that isvery important to the future of hunting and fishing inSouth Carolina. We are in charge of the future of thoseyounger than us. They will suffer/prosper from ouractions. With these ideas in mind, I could not think of abetter organization to support. I hope to help in raisingawareness and funds to keep Camp Woodie running andcontinue to improve the future of our waterfowl popula-tions statewide.

Will Brown raising fundsfor Camp WoodieOPERATION

GAME THIEF

DO YOUR PART TO PROTECTSOUTH CAROLINA’S

NATURAL RESOURCES.

1-800-922-5431OR DIAL

* OR # OGT

Report Violators . . .


2011FALL FLIGHT FORECAST

THE MOST DUCKS EVER COUNTED!t is once again time for the USFWS (UnitedState Fish and Wildlife Service) to report theirannual spring breeding pair counts. Thesecounts are done to help determine the status

of waterfowl populations across North America.Airplanes, helicopters and people on the ground areused to count breeding ducks in both the traditionalsurvey area and the eastern survey area. The tradi-tional survey area is made up of land from the east-ern Dakotas north through Ontario and west toAlaska and British Columbia. The eastern surveyarea is made up of those lands east of the Dakotasall the way to Nova Scotia. Last year was a verygood year but this year the survey showed recordduck numbers. Wet weather across the northernU.S. and Canada gave ducks more nesting areasresulting in higher nest success and also higher re-nesting success.Total Ducks

This year there were approximately 45.6 mil-lion total ducks in the traditional survey area whichis up 4.7 million from last year. This is an 11%increase and 35% above the long term average.Mallards (+9%), blue-winged teal (+41%), pintails(+26%), shoveler (+14%) and redheads (+27%) allshowed large increases while wigeon (-14%) andgreen-winged teal (-17%) where the only two that

showed significant decreases. Mallard

Mallard numbers for this year were goodwith 9.2 million birds counted in the traditional sur-vey area. This is up from 8.4 million last year (+9%)and is +22% over the long term average. The east-ern survey area showed 0.4 million birds which issimilar to last year and close to the long term aver-age. Mallards only represent about 15% of theducks harvested in South Carolina with many ofthose coming from the eastern Dakotas, Minnesotaand Michigan. Michigan showed a (-34%) decreasewhile the Eastern Dakotas (+6%) and Minnesota(+17%) showed increases due to a wet spring. Teal

Blue-winged teal continue to be a bright spotwhen it comes to overall numbers while their coun-terparts the green-winged teal posted losses for2011. Green-winged teal numbers were down 14%from last year at 2.9 million but are still 47% abovethe long term average. Blue-winged teal experi-enced a 41% increase from last year at 8.9 millionand are 91% above the long term. The combinedteal numbers are up 22% from last year which isgood news for not only the early teal season butalso the regular season as teal make up about 20%of the total harvest here in South CarolinaGadwall

Gadwall experienced a 9% increase in num-bers from last year. They went from 3.0 million in2010 to 3.3 million in 2011. They are now 80% abovethe long term and all areas in the survey continue tobe above the long term except for northwest Canadaand Alaska. These areas are relatively insignificanthowever with regard to Gadwall numbers as theymake up only about 1% of the total population.American Wigeon

This year 2.1 million wigeon were reportedin the traditional survey area. This number is down14% from last year and down 20% over the longterm average. All areas are now below the longterm average with the exception of the easternDakotas and Alaska. This year’s estimate is the sec-

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ond lowest in 20 yearsand has decreased every yearfor the past 5 years.Northern ShovelerShoveler numbers are at a recordhigh of 4.6 million in the traditionalsurvey area. This number is 14% high-er than last year and 98% higher than thelong term average. Alaska, northernCanada and the eastern Dakotas allshowed losses while every other areashowed gains of at least 70%.“Hollywood” hunters should be happy.Northern Pintail

Pintail numbers continue toincrease. This is the highest populationestimate since 1980. There were 4.4 million pintailscounted this year which is up from 3.5 million lastyear. This represents a 26% increase and is now10% above the long term average. SouthernManitoba, southern Saskatchewan and southernAlberta showed increases of at least 100% whileAlaska and northwestern Canada were the onlyplaces to show a decrease.Redhead

Redheads continue toshow improvement setting anew population record thisyear. Last years record esti-mate of 1.06 million was shat-tered by this year’s estimateof 1.36 million. This is a 27%increase from last year and106% above the long term.North central Canada showedthe biggest increase (+390%)while northwestern Canadashowed the biggest decrease(71%). Canvasback

Canvasback numberscontinue to stay strong. This

year’s estimate of 0.69 million is up from 0.59 mil-lion last year. This is an 18% increase and 21%above the long term. The various survey areasshowed mixed numbers with some being higherand some lower but the main breeding grounds insouthern Saskatchewan and the eastern Dakotas

Forecast continued on page 35...

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IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION!IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION!

Where The Central & MississippiFlyways End, and the Gulf of

Mexico Begins!$300

per Person, per Day!3 Day Hunt

Experience the Best Duck Hunting in Louisiana,”Private Marsh Hunting, No Pressure, 2 per Blind”. Feesinclude Lodging, 3 Meals a day (You Know how Good That

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Experience the Best Duck Hunting in Louisiana,”Private Marsh Hunting, No Pressure, 2 per Blind”. Feesinclude Lodging, 3 Meals a day (You Know how Good That

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Carolina WaterFowlerGuide Service

Ronoake Rapids Lake Morning and Afternoon HuntsMon., -Wed., -Thurs.

Sharon Harris Lake Morning and Afternoon HuntsTues.,-Fri.,-Sat.

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Call Darrell McAulyOffice-910-423-8853 Home-910-486-0241

Mobile-910-263-3499

Duck Hunt Central North Carolina


both showed increases.Scaup (greater and lesser com-bined)

Scaup estimates were verysimilar to those from last year.There were an estimated 4.3 mil-lion scaup this year compared to4.2 million last year. This is a 2%increase but it is still 15% belowthe long term average. Most of theareas showed improvement innumbers with the exception ofnorthwestern Canada and Alaskawhich are the main breedinggrounds.Wood Duck

Wood ducks are the numberone duck harvested in SouthCarolina. Last year we harvestedan estimated 114,000 which made up 46% of theduck harvest in our state. This is the most woodducks that we have ever harvested which is likelydue to the cold winter that the northern Atlanticstates experienced last year. Although they can notestimate wood duck populations like they can otherducks because of where and how they nest there isstill an estimate based on banding data. The north-eastern U.S. has their own survey that they do eachyear and this year they estimated 0.38 million whichwas similar to last year and to the average. SCWA’swood duck program is seeing good productionfrom the boxes that they check and I anticipateanother great year for wood ducks here in SouthCarolina.Black Duck

Black Ducks are not one of the ducks sur-veyed in the traditional survey area. They are how-ever surveyed in the eastern survey area as they arethe second most abundant duck on the east coast.This year black duck numbers were estimated at545,000 which is down 4% from last year and down13% over the long term.Ring-necked Ducks

Ring-necks are also not counted in the tradi-tional survey area but they are one of the most pop-ular ducks here on the east coast. They are the thirdmost harvested duck in the state and this year484,000 ring-necks were counted which is downfrom 515,000 last year. This is a 6% decrease but isonly 1% below the long term. As the abundance ofeel grass increases on the Santee Cooper lakes thehunting should get better and better every year.

This should prove to be one of the best if not

the best duck season that most of us have ever seen.This does not mean that the glory days of tens ofthousands of mallards in Sparkleberry swamp areback but it does mean that there should be plenty ofopportunities to shoot ducks. If you can find thetime (or money) to take a trip now would be asgood a time as any. Remember to take time to planyour hunting trip and the number one rule to hav-ing a successful hunt is to go hunting when theducks are there.

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here are only afew commandsthat your gundog must knowto be a workingpartner in the

field. The first is to comeHere when called, no matterwhat the distraction mightbe. Sit is the next mostimportant and to stay seateduntil you give the commandto Fetch. The dog needs to Sitto watch the birds fall, beSteady until released toretrieve, Fetch your birdsand bring them back to you.Delivery to hand is awfulnice but if the dog will bringyour birds and lay themwithin a foot or so, that’sokay too. You don’t want adog to take off at the soundof the first shot, run all overthe field, find a bird, anybird, and then proceed to a)Eat it or b) take it off andbury it.

There are some other,more refined commands, thatare an added bonus in thefield. Sitting to the whistleand taking casts on birds thepup did not see fall, is one ofthem. This skill takes a dogthat has been conditioned toretrieve, a lot of patience andrepetitions in training. Goingout and hunting an area andfinding birds just from thedog’s innate drive and noseis a definite plus. This one isfairly easy to train if youhave a dog with a desire tohunt. Take the pup out to thewoods and fields with sever-al orange bumpers or birds

(pigeons are usually readilyaccessible). If you are work-ing a very young dog youcan start this drill with whitebumpers so that the pupgains confidence when hesees the bumper. Usingorange will make him use hisnose and not depend on hiseyes to find the bumper.

You can do this drill onyour own to start and canadd another dog and handlerlater to stretch the dogs outto longer retrieves. Sit thepup and if needed, use acheck cord to keep himsteady. Toss the bumper orbird into the woods and tellthe pup to “Hunt Dead”,encouraging himto go out awayfrom you to findthe bumper. Youmay have to walkin the woods withhim at first until hegets the idea. Afterhe picks it up,release him andwalk on, but dropthe bumper behindyou as you leave.Walk off twenty –thirty yards andturn and send thepup on “DeadBird”, “Find it”. Ifthe pup gets out ofthe area, call himback in to you andencourage him to“Hunt Dead”. Thisbecomes a gameand the pup willget excited whenhe finds the prize.

This is harder to do in thewater but if you have adecent arm and some rocksyou can get the idea acrossusing the same commands asin the woods. If the pupgoes out and hunts short,toss a rock and tell him to“Hunt it up” and “Find it”.With repetitions, he will gainthe confidence to stay outthere and hunt until he findsthe bird. Do this exercise inflooded timber so pup learnsto work over logs andthrough stumps to find yourducks when it matters most.

Best Afield,Pam

DOG TRAINING

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$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.

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$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

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Banana Water LilyBy: Jim Hills

anana Water Lily, Nymphaea mexicana orCastalia mexicana as it used to be called, isan underappreciated and under utilized

waterfowl food that is gaining acceptance as a realwinner. Long known to be a great diver duck foodsource, it has been shown in our demonstrationimpoundment at Ingleside Plantation inGeorgetown, South Carolina, to be a superiorwaterfowl food source for dabblers as well. Wehave approximately15 acres of Banana Water Lilyin a 19 acre impoundment that consistently heldapproximately 600 waterfowl from late October,2010 till mid-March, 2011, with the peak of approx-imately 3000 birds in mid-November, just prior toduck season. A short video of the Inglesideimpoundment last fall can be viewed on You Tubeat the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjVSbYlXsWo

The surprising thing we discovered in2010, was that when we lowered the water levelfrom our normal 21-35 inches of water to 12-18inches of water, the number of different species ofwaterfowl increased dramatically. We went fromprimarily Ring Necks, Coots and Green Wing Teal,to adding Blue Wing Teal, Shovellers, Gadwall,Widgeon, Pintails, Mallards and a large number ofWood Ducks. We held this diversity of birdsthroughout the season and added about 40Canvasbacks in February, a first for us. This hasled us to recommend that Banana Water Lily bemanaged at a lower water level in the winter ifmaximum waterfowl usage is desired. This waterlevel change allowed us to carry approximately50% more waterfowl on average than we haveexperienced before at the higher water level. Timewill tell if this will hold up in the future. It has

prompted us to convert an additional 100 acres to BananaWater Lily with another 62 acres to follow this coming year.Cost is a big reason we are converting, as input costs contin-ue to rise in our sport. Anything that can lower the cost ofour duck hunting gets our attention. Although there is a costassociated with acquiring and planting the Banana WaterLily, the costs diminish dramatically after the first year. Wewill not have to plow it, fertilize it, spray it with herbicides,or fence out the deer, so the labor cost to manage it will bedramatically lowered after the initial installation cost.Banana Water Lily is not as dependent on good weather asdry land crops, thus it is more dependable. The bullet pointsfor Banana Water Lily are: (1) permanently flooded (2) nat-ural regeneration (3) lower input costs over time (4) superi-or food source. I have had this plant in my impoundmentfor almost 20 years and believe it is a way to have qualityhunting at a much lower cost.

Banana Water Lily flowers emerge from the wateron day one and open at around 11 a.m. to be pollinated andclose around 4 p.m. The flower stays above water for a sec-ond day, opening and closing as the previous day, then sub-merges to form a fig-like fruit underwater that produces asmany as 60 seeds, each the size of Milo. Every flower yousee stays visible for two days only so it is easy to see whythis plant, that begins to flower in early May and continuesinto the fall, is such a prolific food source. Every day thenumbers of blooms, in the thousands, are submerging afterpollination to produce fruit and new blooms are emergingto get pollinated. The numbers of blooms seem to neverdiminish until later in the fall as the plants begin to form thestarchy banana-like tubers that hibernate below the root sys-tem until a duck eats it or it sprouts next spring. The BananaWater Lily reproduces in three ways: from seeds, from rhi-zomes that sprout from another plant and from the bananahibernacula that awaken in the spring to form a new plant.Waterfowl will consume the fruit, seeds, banana tubers andsmall plants. They will even uproot entire large plants thatwill float to the surface to then be picked apart by the feed-ing waterfowl.Propagation

Establishment is commenced in February, March

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and April by planting the live plants in shallow water 12 to18 inches deep. We have planted all of the way through thesummer with diminishing success as the season begins toshorten. The best success is a late winter-early spring planti-ng with plants at 5 foot intervals for coverage in one year or10 foot intervals to get decent coverage in two years. If youhave a well established plant population in an existing pondand you wish to change to Banana Water Lily, you may needto prepare your pond the previous fall with herbicide workto eliminate the potential competition the following spring.There may be management options with water control orsalinity that will help on competition. We can help withadvice on how best to accomplish this.

We recently assisted Nat Ruth, manager of Mt.Pleasant Plantation, in establishing Banana Water Lily in anupland impoundment that had been previously drained,planted and re-flooded annually. We have been pleased atthe success of this project and how well the plants adjustedto this application.

Banana water lily has a long and storied history dat-ing from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s when wealthy busi-ness titans learned of its merits at attracting and holdingwaterfowl, especially the prized Canvasback. EdwardMcIllhenny had Banana Water Lily at Avery Island,Louisiana, home of Tabasco Sauce. Isaac Emerson inventorof Bromo-Seltzer had Banana Water Lily at ArcadiaPlantation in Georgetown, SC, and Senator GayerDominick, of Dominick and Dominick on Wall Street, hadBanana Water Lily at his hunting retreat on Bull’s Island justsouth of McClellanville, S.C. Dominick sold Bull’s Island in1936 to the Fish and Wildlife Service to become part of theCape Romain Wildlife Refuge. In 1937 the CCC Corps set upcamp on Bull’s Island and built the Jack’s Creek Pond, a 750acre impoundment on the northern end of Bull’s Island.When Jack’s Creek Pond was completed, the Fish andWildlife Service planted Banana Water Lily in this impound-ment to complement the 400 acres of other impoundmentsthat Dominick had planted in Banana Water Lily. John Cely,retired SCDNR biologist, reported in 1979 that 37% of theestimated Canvasbacks winter-ing in 1977 in South Carolinawere eating Banana Water Lily.Excerpt from a USDABulletin:W.L. McAtee, USDA Biologist, author, andwaterfowl food expert, wrote about BananaWater Lily in USDABulletin 465 in 1917.BANANA WATER LILY - VAL-UE AS DUCK FOOD:

The writer has investi-gated the value of the BananaWater Lily (Castalia mexicana)as a food for wild ducks in onlyone locality-Lake Surprise, Tex.The proofs of its importance areso great, however, that theyshould be brought to the atten-tion of American sportsmen. AtLake Surprise the Banana WaterLily alone made up nearly half

of the entire foodof the 10 vegetari-an species ofducks occurringthere at the time.This showing ismuch more sig-nificant from thefact that sagopondweed{Potamogetonpectinatus) alsowas abundant inthe lake. The latter plant, in the writer's opinion, is the bestall-round duck food in North America, yet at Lake Surpriseit furnished somewhat less than 29 per cent of the food ofthe ducks, in comparison with more than 48 per cent sup-plied by Castalia mexicana.

Thirty-seven Canvasbacks collected at LakeSurprise had eaten various parts of this plant to the extent of71.6 per cent of their diet. This is a second illustration of theunusual phenomenon of the Canvasback's being attracted toshallow water by a highly prized food. Six Ringneck Ducks,or Blackjacks, made more than 91 per cent of their food ofthis plant, and two southern Black Ducks (Anas fulviffula)98 per cent. The following ducks also were feeding on theplant: Mallard, Pintail, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, andShovelor. The parts eaten are the rootstocks, stolons, tubers,and seeds. Mr. Charles W. Ward has furnished rootstocks ofCastalia mexicana from Avery Island, La., with the informa-tion that this plant and wild celery (Vallisneria spiralis) fur-nish the bulk of the food of Canvasbacks in that locality. DESCRIPTION OF PLANT:

The Banana Water Lily is the only native species ofthe group of true Water Lilies (as discussed above) that hasyellow flowers. But the leaves and flowers of this speciesmay either float on the surface of the water or stand a fewinches above it. The leaves are green above with brown mot-tling and vary from greenish to purplish red below with

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small black markings. The edges of the cleft of the leaf areeither somewhat separated or overlapping. The plantsprings from an upright rootstock which bears some resem-blance to an unopened pine cone. The rootstocks vary in sizeup to 2 inches thick and 12 inches long. The smaller ones (atleast up to 12 inches long by three-fourths of an inch thick)are swallowed by ducks.

Tender white stolons or runners extend in variousdirections from the rootstock. These runners are from aquarter to half an inch in diameter. During the active grow-ing season they give rise to new plants, but in autumn theyform peculiar hibernating bodies. These consist of the shortmodified tip of the stolon, which bears several (1 to 7)upwardly directed buds on one side and a cluster (2 to 17) ofthick tuber-like roots on the other. The appearance of theseis strongly suggestive of a miniature "hand" of bananas, andfor this reason the name Banana Water Lily has been pro-posed for this plant, which has no distinctive vernacularappellation. The name has the additional merit of suggest-ing the yellow color of the tubers and of the flowers.DISTRIBUTION:

The Banana Water Lily has been known chiefly as anative of Florida, and the plants of that State have long goneunder the name Castalia flava. Plants identified from a fewlocalities in Mexico and from Brownsville, Tex., have beencalled Castalia mexicana. Dr. H. S. Conard, who has mono-graphed the genus, unites these species, as he is fully justi-fied in doing, on the basis of their possession in common ofcharacters unique among Water Lilies. The new records ofthe plant from Galveston, Tex., and Avery Island, La., go far

toward bridging the previous apparent gap in distributionof the plant and toward corroborating Dr. Conard's views.The accompanying map shows the probable natural rangeof the species along the Gulf coast and in Mexico.Publication No. 4, Carnegie Institution, 1905PROPAGATION:

Although the Banana Water Lily is native to only asmall portion of the United States, it can be successfullygrown over practically the whole country. The plant haslong been familiar in cultivation and is sold by most dealersin ornamental aquatics. The Water Lily expert of one of thelargest firms in the United States reports that Castalia mexi-cana is perfectly hardy as far north as New York City whencovered with a foot of water, and he believes that if coveredwith 2 feet of water it would be hardy at Boston.

The Banana Water Lily needs an abundance of sun-light, water from 1 to 3 feet deep, and a mud bottom. It is notinjured by a trace of salt, as is shown by its growing in lakesvery near the coast. The rootstocks may be planted byweighting them with stones and dropping where desired.Having great vitality, they may be shipped with only mod-erate precautions to prevent them from drying, and may betransplanted at almost any time of the year. When estab-lished it will spread to places where the water is even 5 feetdeep.

Jim Hills is a waterfowl consultant with FrostWaterfowl Trust and has projects in 11 states as well as 2foreign countries. For information on Banana Water Lilycall or email Jim Hills at: [email protected] ,843-240-0530, www.frostwaterfowl.com

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2011 - 2012Waterfowl Rules & Regulations

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waterfowl & wetlands fall 2011

Documents

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wildlife heritage

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scwas wildlife educationcenter

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