waterfowl & wetlands - summer 2014

WWWWWW.. SCWASCWA .. ORGORG

FEATURES:- 2014 FALL FLIGHT FORECAST

- CAMP LEOPOLD PROGRAM EXPLODES

FEATURES:- 2014 FALL FLIGHT FORECAST

- CAMP LEOPOLD PROGRAM EXPLODES

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14

summer issue

DEPARTMENTS

the Director’s DeskAre We Harvesting Too Many Wood Ducks

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in the neWs

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on the cover:this image oF a Drake pintail Was taken byWilDliFe photographer Doug garDner ingeorgetoWn, sc.

WooD Duck nesting programWood duck Nest Box Project Update

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Drought monitors - North America & Canada2014/15 Duck stamp releasedscDnr early season approval

proDuct & outFitter revieWsLifetime Decoy Rigs

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chapter neWsSummer - No Time To Stop Working

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by Doug Gardner.comcorporate sponsors19WilDliFe eDucation center neWs:camp WooDie: RECORD ATTENDANCEcamp leopolD: CAMP LEOPOLD PROGRAM EXPLODES

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Dog training - TRICK OR TREAT30the sporting cheF - EDIBLEDUCK LEGS…WANTONWASTE?32

Features

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2013-2014 WaterFoWl harvest summary132014 Fall Flight Forecast14

WATERFOWL WETLANDS4

Board of DirectorsPresident

James H. WalkerSenior Vice President

Philip L. Horn, Jr.Secretary/Treasurer

John W. Williamson, III

Gary W. DietrichDelbert E. EggertMarshall J. Collins, JrStan LuthiLou TocciBuford S. Mabry, Jr.

Charles C. Rountree IIIAllen BellJohn StroudJohn N. McCarterE. Guy Hendrix

SOUTH CAROLINAWATERFOWLASSOCIATION

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

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

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

Executive Director / Head BiologistDavid J. Wielicki

Chapter DevelopmentMac Bagnal

Fundraising/Membership SpecialistThomasyne Hipp

Office ManagerJennifer McNeely

Camp DirectorEd Paul

Queries for story and photo submissions should besent directly to the editor. Photos must be released bythe pho tog ra pher prior to publication. SCWA assumesno re spon si bil i ty for unsolicited material.

by DougGardner.com

or the past two hunting seasons I havenoticed a substantial decrease in thenumber of wood ducks wintering in the

Lake Marion area. Other hunters across SouthCarolina have also noticed a general decline inthe number of wood ducks wintering on privateimpoundments and public wetland areas acrossthe state despite excellent wetland conditions.The decrease in wintering wood duck numbershas some biologists and hunters wondering if a3 bird wood duck bag limit may be too high tomaintain in years of low wood duck production.

Low precipitation across the Southeastand the Atlantic coast two years ago resulted inpoor wetland conditions during the wood duckbreeding season. This had a negative impact onwood duck nesting success and recruitment ofyoung into the population. Last year wetlandconditions improved across the area. Nest suc-cess in SCWA nest box projects also improveddramatically. However, myself and many otherhunters did not see a noticeable increase in win-tering wood duck populations. During the 2014breeding season wetland conditions have beengood to excellent in some areas and shouldresult in a good wood duck hatch with increasedwintering populations.

Although low wintering wood duck num-bers over the past two years could be a localphenomenon, low numbers this winter wouldadd to my concern over wood duck populations.Despite my concern, as a waterfowl biologist Iknow that local observations have limited valuein making waterfowl management decisions. Inorder to determine if we are harvesting toomany wood ducks during waterfowl seasonincreased banding of young wood ducks is need-ed across the Southeastern and Atlantic states.A strong annual banding effort is the only wayto provide the US Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) with the data needed to determine ifannual survival rates are too low to support a 3

WATERFOWL WETLANDS5

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

Are We Harvesting Too Many Wood Ducks

F bird wood duck limit.I have expressed my concerns with

USFWS Atlantic Flyway Biologist, PaulPadding, who assured me the USFWS plans toclosely monitor the effect of harvest on woodduck populations. The wood duck is the numberone duck harvested in South Carolina. Lastyear's estimated harvest was 72,050 wood duckswhich is down from the previous year's estimat-ed harvest of 116,308 birds. For the past 27years, SCWA has built, distributed and installedover 22,500 wood duck nest boxes that havehatched over 900,000 wood ducks. YourAssociation will continue to work diligently toincrease wood duck populations and to supportsound harvest management decisions that willconserve our wood duck populations for futuregenerations. I look forward to keeping everySCWA member informed on this importantwaterfowl management issue.

In Memory OfRonnie B. Hutto

November 19, 1948 - June 2, 2014SCWA would like to offer its condo-

lences to the family of Ronnie B. Huttowho passed away on June 2, 2014. Ronniewas a dedicated waterfowl conservationistand one of the founding committee mem-bers of the SCWA Georgetown chapter.He will be missed by the entire SCWAfamily. The following individuals havemade gifts in memory of Ronnie to supportthe SCWA Camp Woodie program:

Carol L. MabePamela SaveranceJulius & Charla TindallLinda Harper

WATERFOWL WETLANDS6

WATERFOWL WETLANDS7

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

$25 Regular Membership SCWA magazine & decal

$50 Contributing MembershipSCWA magazine, decal & hat pin.

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

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

________________________________________________________________Name________________________________________________________________Address

________________________________________________________________City, State, Zip

________________________________________________________________County Telephone (Home) (Work)

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

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

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

$100 Donor Membership$250 Sponsor Membership

You are a member of SCWA, but how about some of your buddies?You know SCWA is a quality organization, your recommendation is the best advertising

we have. So, pass this membership application to a buddy and help grow SCWA alongwith perpetuating our waterfowl heritage.

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

Now Hiring!SCWA would like to start a few new chapters around the state. If you would like to

start a chapter in your area please call me. We currently have 25 active chapters and wecould use a few more to help with our conservation efforts.

We are currently recruiting new volunteers for our local chapter committees to servein various positions including the following:

Chapter ChairmanBanquet ChairmanSponsor Chairman

Ticket/Membership ChairmanWood Duck Chairman

Youth ChairmanIf you are interested in participating on your local SCWA committee please contact

the local chairman or me. If you would like to start a new chapter, please feel free to contactme as well.

Mac Bagnal803-452-6001803-938-3145

[email protected]

e’re having a great summer at Camp Woodie.Our chapter volunteers are once again helping tomake this summer the best summer possible.

They have accomplished this in several different ways.Most chapters sell cups at their events and use that moneyto send local youth to Camp Woodie. Our Four HolesChapter raised enough to send five local kids this summer.We have several chapters doing golf tournaments andusing the proceeds to send kids to camp. Our Georgetownchapter is sending 15 kids to Camp Woodie this summerfrom the money raised at their annual Marlowe GolfTournament. Just because our Fundraising season is overdoesn’t mean that our chapters just sit idle. They are host-ing sponsor events, youth days, skeet shoots, planning

events, lining up caterers and working on business plans tomake their local event be the best it can be.

As in the past, this year we are going to need every-one’s help to make the 2014 banquet season the best it canbe starting in August with the Midlands event in Columbiaon August 8th. If you are in the area for any of our eventsplease feel free to come and attend. Please try to getinvolved in your local chapter and help us perpetuate ourwaterfowl heritage. If you are interested, please call me at803-452-6001. Thanks again for all of the hard work ofour committee members, sponsors, donors and everyonewho helps us here at SCWA.

Thanks,Mac Bagnal

WATERFOWL WETLANDS18

Summer - No Time To Stop Working! SCWA Chapter News

For further information, please cal l Mac Bagnal ,Chapter Developement Director at

SCWA Industry SponsorsAgridrain 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.comPungo Machine www.pungomachine.com 800-729-6313

CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT BY DIRECTOR MAC BAGNAL

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Chapter (Area) Name Phone NumberAnderson Chad Myers 864-226-7355Barnwell Carlton Wall 803-259-6351Berkeley Chay Cannington 843-830-4059Black Creek (Hartsville) Call Headquarters 803-452-6001Charleston Will Freeman 843-270-5454Clarendon Pete Surette 803-518-1405CSRA Austin Taylor 803-556-9626Four Holes Kevin Weatherford 803-492-8280Four Holes Tripp Mitchum 803-664-4768Francis Marion Brad Marlowe 843-566-3622Georgetown Patrick Sports 843-543-4497Greater Piedmont (Rock Hill) Byron Hill 803-371-0141Greater Wateree (Camden) Jason Hackworth 803-427-3771Greenville Jenny Woods 864-275-6342Greenwood John Alewine 864-554-1475Horry Phillip Richardson 843-241-3851Kingstree Kevin Mouzon 843-319-1937Lancaster Kevin Stillwell 704-254-2062Laurens Jim Watson 864-543-3717Lowcountry Clay Stanley 843-258-4198Midlands (Columbia) David Stanley 803-781-8766Newberry Blair Long 803-321-6276Orangeburg George Wells 843-810-2453PeeDee/Marlboro (Bennetsville) Jimmy Jones 843-454-4005Spartanburg James Owens 864-809-7911Sumter Call Headquarters 803-452-6001TriCounty (Goose Creek) Robbie Wright 843-729-0630Walterboro Allen Bell 843-893-2230Walterboro Jim Minor 843-846-6346

Chapter Chair List 2014-2015

03/14/14 Greater Wateree Cons. Dinner – Marlboro Comm. Center04/12/14 Four Holes Conservation Dinner – Utopia Club05/08/14 Greater Wateree Cons. Dinner – Camden Shrine Club08/08/14 Midlands Conservation Dinner – Seawell’s Banquet Center08/09/14 Tri-County Conservation Dinner – Ladson Fairgrounds08/16/14 Clarendon Conservation Dinner - The Cypress Center 09/19/14 Greenville Cons. Dinner - St. George Greek Orthodox 09/25/14 Greater Piedmont Cons. Dinner – Events at Manchester09/26/14 Anderson Conservation Dinner – Civic Center10/11/14 Kingstree Conservation Dinner - Recreational Department10/18/14 Berkeley Conservation Dinner - Shrine Club10/23/14 Laurens Conservation Dinner – The Clinton House10/25/14 Low Country Cons. Dinner – The Shed at Port Royal11/07/14 Horry Cons. Dinner – The Boathouse on the Waterway12/13/14 Barnwell Conservation Dinner - National Guard Armory01/24/15 Orangeburg Conservation Dinner - The Garden Room01/30/15 Newberry Conservation Dinner – The Shrine Club02/13/15 Sportsman’s Ball – Omar Shrine Center in Mount Pleasant02/14/15 Duck Shuck - Omar Shrine Center in Mount PleasantTBD Black Creek

CharlestonCSRAFrancis Marion GeorgetownGreenwoodLancasterSpartanburgSumterWalterboro“Fowl” 1st Season Kick Off Dinner & Auction - SCWA Wildlife Ed. Center“Fowl” 2nd Season Kick Off Dinner & Auction - SCWA

Wildlife Ed. Center

Chapter Events 2014/15


CHAPTER EVENTS

y name Is Clay Stanley and I am the president ofthe Low Country Chapter of the SCWA. I would

like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our sponsors forbelieving in us and supporting our conservation efforts herein the Low Country. Through your generous financial sup-port the SCWA’s Camp Woodie and Camp Leopold educa-tional programs are stronger than ever. Our goals of foster-ing education and conservation here in the Low Country arebeing realized. Again to all of our current and future spon-sors our committee says thank you.

Growing up I always dreamed of going to a summercamp like I saw on television. I loved camping, fishing andhunting but there was no such camp here in South Carolina.In fact as a young child Camp Woodie didn’t even exist! YesI admit it I am not a young guy…. So I would wing it. Iwould camp with my friends deep in the woods behind myparent’s house. We would fish, hunt and shoot and althoughit was lots of fun it was nothing like Camp Woodie. Sowhen I was asked to be a sponsor about 5 years ago and Ilearned about SCWA’s mission of conservation and educa-tion and about their Camp Woodie program, I jumped at theopportunity. Since that day, I have been committed to thisoutstanding organization. I am both humbled and proud tobe a part of this.

I remember asking my father “why” about everythingwhen I was a little boy and often being given the answer“Because I said so.” That usually was not good enough forme… I needed more facts. Now, as a father, I understand hisfrustration with my constant stream of questioning. I alsobelieve he may not have known all the answers himself. Ioften find myself in this situation with my own children.The professional instructors at Camp Woodie and CampLeopold are knowledgeable and patient. There are a lot ofthings in this world to be curious about some of them aregood and some of them are bad. The instructors are there tokeep children on the right track and foster that same love ofthe outdoors that I grew up with.

These are just a few of the reasons I started the LowCountry Chapter of South Carolina Waterfowl Association(SCWA). I have been blessed with an outstanding group ofhardworking and talented committee members. This year,our first year, we hosted 400 Sponsors and Guests at ourconservation banquet and have the goal of reaching 600 ormore attendees for 2014. Although our committee is stillyoung and fairly small we are active and committed to thecause. In 2013 the committee placed 35 wood duck nestingboxes in the Low Country and in 2014 the committee plansto place an additional 50 nesting boxes. As a committee wealso enhanced 2 acres of waterfowl and wildlife habitat,with plans to further extend it. We are currently seeking

additional habitat enhancement opportunities and encourag-ing others to do the same in effort to preserve our wonderfuloutdoors for future generations.

So again to all of our sponsors, supporters and helpersthank you for a great 2013 season! We look forward to anexciting and productive 2014 conservation season. If youare interested in becoming a sponsor, would like to make adonation, or just have a question call me, Clay Stanley, at(843 258 4198)

Low Country ChapterM

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Wood Duck Nesting Program

s summer draws to a close andcold starts to creep its way downinto the South, Wood Duck nest-ing season is nearing an end forthe year. This time of year brings

much anticipation for the coming monthsbecause waterfowl season is now just aroundthe corner. This is the perfect time of year forconservationists and hunters alike to spendrenovating their existing nest boxes oradding new ones to areas that contain goodbrood rearing habitat. It is important for allnest boxes to be maintained year after year inorder to achieve maximum success with yourWood Duck Project. Boxes must be cleanedand repaired at the end of each nesting sea-son in order for them to receive attentionfrom Wood Ducks the following year. Well-kept boxes provide increased survival ratesfor newly hatched Wood Duck ducklingsbecause predation is minimized when preda-tor guards and surrounding vegetation arekept in check. Project owners are providedwith a wealth of knowledge about their localWood Duck population when they take thetime to keep records of each nest box’s pro-duction. This allows for project owners tohighlight areas that are receiving greaterattention while also allowing them to locateareas with little activity. Project members areencouraged to focus on their most heavilyused areas because these areas most likely donot contain adequate nesting opportunities.If you have questions regarding your WoodDuck Project, please call our office at 803-452-6001.

Each year we highlight local WoodDuck Projects; this year’s spotlight is cast ona young Boy Scout in pursuit of his EagleScout rank. Mr. Scott Spivey is a 14 year oldBoy Scout from Eastover, South Carolina. Heis a proud member of Troop 8 out of theIncarnation Lutheran Church in Columbia.Scott’s love of nature and passion for conser-vation drove him to make a difference in his

local community. After consulting withInternational Paper, he was granted theopportunity to start his own nest box projectin Eastover. With help from his father andfellow troop members, Scott is building andinstalling all his personally built nest boxesin several locations across InternationalPaper’s property. He realizes nest boxesrequire attention each year so he plans toprovide routine maintenance each fall.SCWA would like to extend a big thank youto Scott and his troop for their interest in thegreat outdoors and their support for water-fowl conservation. We are proud to see thenext generation being such great stewards ofthe land.

If you or someone you know is inter-ested in starting a Wood Duck Project inyour area, please call our office at 803-452-6001 or visit our website, www.scwa.org formore information.

Wood Duck Nest Box Project Update

AJustin Grider - Wildlife Biologist


SCDNR WMA REGULAR SEASON WATERFOWL HARVEST SUMMARY2013-2014

2013-2014

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2013-2014

SPECIES SPECIESMallard 2 3 13 18 53 4 5 133 138 2 3 4 9 222 1 6 6 12 25 247 MallardDom/Rel Mallard 1 1 1 5 5 6 Dom/Rel MallardBlack Duck 1 1 2 10 1 1 2 2 15 1 1 16 Black DuckMallard x Black 1 1 1 1 Mallard x BlackMottled Duck 17 12 27 56 2 3 5 16 13 29 58 119 119 Mottled DuckGadwall 154 101 136 391 6 1 3 4 7 141 59 204 404 809 1 8 1 10 819 GadwallAmerican Wigeon 2 13 46 61 7 8 15 34 57 125 125 American WigeonGreen-winged Teal 104 22 45 171 16 38 45 11 56 43 12 36 91 372 47 6 53 425 Green-winged TealBlue-winged Teal 33 25 18 76 3 2 2 21 1 20 42 123 123 Blue-winged TealNorthern Shoveler 96 22 62 180 2 2 124 76 200 45 10 51 106 490 5 2 7 497 Northern ShovelerNorthern Pintail 13 25 56 94 1 14 20 34 42 8 64 114 243 243 Northern PintailWood Duck 5 15 4 7 11 2 2 33 137 26 1383 35 3 1584 1617 Wood DuckRedhead 1 2 5 8 15 3 1 4 7 7 34 1 1 35 RedheadCanvasback 2 2 1 3 3 CanvasbackScaup 5 2 3 10 10 7 7 3 1 5 9 36 36 ScaupRing-necked Duck 1 1 2 55 8 22 1 23 1 7 8 96 1 8 2 11 107 Ring-necked DuckGolden-eye 1 1 1 Golden-eyeBufflehead 2 8 2 12 6 4 14 24 36 2 2 38 BuffleheadRuddy Duck 2 3 5 14 14 9 2 7 18 37 5 5 42 Ruddy DuckTree ducks Tree ducksSea ducks Sea ducksCanada Goose 3 3 7 7 10 Canada GooseSnow Goose Snow GooseOther ducks 33 35 3 71 71 Other ducksMergansers 27 6 8 41 11 7 18 21 3 1 25 84 12 20 1 33 117 Mergansers

TOTAL HARVEST 457 246 427 1130 184 71 258 263 521 360 133 483 976 2882 139 53 33 1512 69 10 1816 4698 TOTAL HARVEST# HUNTERS 119 68 95 282 80 28 70 75 145 123 77 133 333 868 294 214 31 1018 200 5 1762 2630 # HUNTERSDUCKS/HUNTER 3.8 3.6 4.5 4.0 2.3 2.5 3.7 3.5 3.6 2.9 1.7 3.6 2.9 3.3 0.5 0.2 1.1 1.5 0.3 2.0 1.0 1.8 DUCKS/HUNTERSHOTS FIRED 2059 1357 1712 5128 845 521 1239 1084 2323 1913 724 2336 4973 13790 999 568 131 10903 765 47 13413 27203 SHOTS FIREDCRIPPLES LOST 81 58 72 211 47 27 55 80 135 84 32 141 257 677 38 22 11 334 38 443 1120 CRIPPLES LOST% LOSS 15.1 19.1 14.4 15.7 20.3 27.6 17.6 23.3 20.6 18.9 19.4 22.6 20.8 19.0 21.5 29.3 25.0 18.1 35.5 19.6 19.3 % LOSS

SCDNR WMA Regular Season Waterfowl Harvest Summary

The results are in for the 2013/2014 waterfowl season harvest on SCDNRwildlife management areas. Total harvest reached 4,968 birds which wasdown from the previous season's 5,639. SCDNR staff manage thousands ofacres of waterfowl habitat across South Carolina. Many of the managementareas are open for waterfowl hunting on a draw basis (Category 1 areas) whileothers can be hunted on scheduled hunt days (Category 2 areas). For moredetails visit the SCDNR web site.

by DougGardner.com


which is similar to the long term average. While mallard esti-mates in the northeastern United States were 635,000 which is14% below the long term average. Mallards represented 11%of the ducks harvested in South Carolina last season with manyof those coming from the eastern Dakotas, Minnesota,Wisconsin and Michigan. The eastern Dakotas showed a 28%decrease in breeding mallard numbers while the number ofbreeding mallards in Michigan showed a 20% decrease.Wisconsin and Minnesota showed a decrease of 12% over lastyear's breeding mallard estimates. Teal

In the traditional survey area, blue-winged teal esti-mates were 8.5 million birds which is 75% above the long termaverage while green-winged teal estimates were 3.4 millionwhich is 69% above the long term average. Green-winged tealpopulation estimates in the eastern survey area were 236,000which is close to the long term average. South Carolina duckhunters should have an excellent early teal season. Dependingon the year teal represent 10 to 20% of South Carolina's duckharvest. Abundant teal populations should result in increasedhunting opportunity for South Carolina duck hunters.Gadwall

Gadwallbreeding populationswere estimated at 3.8million which is 102%above the long termaverage. Last seasongadwall represented6% of South Carolina'sannual duck harvest with an estimated 9,659 gadwall harvest-ed by South Carolina hunters last season. Gadwall are latenesters and will benefit from abundant June and July water lev-els in the prairie pothole region.American Wigeon

This year 3.1 million wigeon were reported in the tra-ditional survey area. This number is up 18% from last year and20% above the long term average. Last year wigeon represent-ed only 1% of the South Carolina duck harvest with an estimat-ed harvest of 1,584 wigeon. In 2012, 7,564 wigeon were har-vested in South Carolina. Weather and habitat conditions canmake a big difference in the number of ducks harvested each

aterfowl hunters can expect a large Fall flight ofducks and geese for the 2014 -2015 Season.The United States Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) has released its waterfowl population

status report for 2014. The data collected for this report is gen-erated from the worlds' largest annual bird survey. The surveyis conducted by state, federal and provincial employees andvolunteers from the United States and Canada. Airplanes, heli-copters and people on the ground are used to count breedingducks and geese in both the traditional survey area and the east-ern survey area. Satellite imagery is also used to analyze gooseand swan breeding habitat conditions across the arctic.

The traditional survey area is made up of land from theeastern Dakotas northeast through Ontario and west to Alaskaand British Columbia. The eastern survey area is made up ofthose lands east of the Great Lakes all the way to Nova Scotia.Overall habitat conditions in the traditional survey area wereimproved over last year, while in the eastern survey area breed-ing habitat conditions were fair to good. Wetland conditions inthe Southeast and many of the Atlantic states were fair to good.In the traditional survey area abundant snow fall and amplespring rains resulted in an increase in May ponds from 6.9 mil-lion to 7.2 million. This number is 40% above the long termaverage of 5.1 million ponds. Abundant June rainfall in a largepart of the prairie pothole region of North Dakota,Saskatchewan and Manitoba improved wetland abundanceand resulted in a strong re-nesting effort among ducks. Total Ducks

This year there were approximately 49.2 million totalducks in the traditional survey area. This is the highest counton record since the survey began in 1955. This represents an 8%increase over last year's estimate of 45.6 million and is 43%higher than the long-term average. In the eastern survey areathe total population index for the six most abundant duckspecies totaled 2.6 million which was a decrease from last year'sestimate of 2.98 million. Mallard

Mallard numbers in the traditional survey area werethe second highest on record with approximately 10.9 millioncounted in the traditional survey area. This is the highest countsince the record count of 11.2 million in 1958 and is 42% abovethe long term average. The predicted fall flight of mallardsfrom the traditional survey area is 13.4 million. The eastern sur-vey area of Canada mallard estimate was 400,000 mallards

2014 Fall Flight Forecast2014 Fall Flight ForecastW


wood duck habitat. South Carolina hunters can be proud of thefact our state has done more to increase wood duck popula-tions than any other state through the SCDNR and SCWAwood duck nest box and habitat programs. The limit on woodducks will remain at three per day.Black Duck

Black Ducks are not one of the ducks surveyed in thetraditional survey area. They are however surveyed in the east-ern survey area as they are the second most abundant duck inthe survey on the east coast. This year black duck numberswere estimated at 618,000. Black duck populations are healthy,however, due to short stopping most black ducks and mallardstend to winter farther north than South Carolina. It is estimatedthat only 792 black ducks were harvested in South Carolina lastseason.Ring-necked Ducks

Ring-necks are alsonot surveyed in the tradition-al survey area but they areone of the most abundantducks here on the east coast.Last season ring-necksranked as the third most har-vested duck in SouthCarolina with an estimate of17,102 ring-necks harvestedby duck hunters. This year494,000 ring-necks werecounted during the breedingground survey which isdown from 630,000 last yearbut similar to the long termaverage.Total Geese and Swans

This year across North America, primary goose popu-lation indexes for 9 goose populations increased while 11 goosepopulations decreased. Across North America overall gooseand swan populations remain healthy. The eastern and west-ern populations of Tundra swans remain healthy and stablewith Eastern population estimates at 105,000. Depending onthe year 200 to 1,000 tundra swans winter in South Carolina. Itis not legal to harvest a swan in South Carolina, however, youcan apply for a permit to harvest a swan in North Carolinawhere over 90% of the eastern population winters.

There are three populations of Canada geese that win-ter in South Carolina. These include resident giant Canadageese, Atlantic population Canada geese and Southern JamesBay population Canada geese.

The resident Canada goose population continues toincrease and is estimated at up to 100,000 geese across SouthCarolina. SCWA biologists have observed a good hatch for2014 which will result in a productive early September and reg-ular goose season. Last year the USFWS estimated a statewideharvest of approximately 17,170 Canada geese with the vastmajority of geese harvested being resident Canada geese.

The Atlantic Population of Canada geese winter fromNew England to South Carolina. The survey estimated a popu-lation size of 785,600 geese. This population is healthy and ispredicted to have an above average production for 2014. TheSouthern James Bay Canada goose population spring survey

season. Northern Shoveler

Shoveler numbers remain strong with a breeding pop-ulation estimate of 5.3 million which is 114% above the longterm average. Last season northern shoveler accounted for 4%of South Carolina's duck harvest with an estimated harvest of6,334 birds.Northern Pintail

Pintail numbers were 3.2 million and were similar tolast year but 20% below the long term average of 4 million. Lastseason pintails represented 1.6% of South Carolina's duck har-vest with an estimated harvest of 2,534. Most pintails harvested

in South Carolina are taken in coastal areas.Redhead

Redheads continue to remain at high population levelswith an estimated breeding population of 1.3 million duckswhich is 85% above the long term average and the second high-est count on record. Redheads represent less than 1% of SouthCarolina's annual waterfowl harvest with an estimated harvestof 950 redheads during last duck season. A large majority ofredheads winter along the gulf coast of the US and Mexico.Canvasback

Canvasback numbers also remain healthy with abreeding population estimate of 685,300 which is 18% abovethe long term average. Canvasbacks are trophy ducks for anySouth Carolina duck hunter with an estimated 158 harvestedlast duck season. In 2011, an estimated 1,375 canvasbacks wereharvested in South Carolina. Scaup (greater and lesser combined)

After experiencing declines in populations for manyyear's scaup breeding population numbers reached 5.23 millionin 2012. As a result scaup limits were increased to 4 ducks in thedaily bag during the 2012 - 2013 duck season. Last year Scaupbreeding population numbers declined to 4.17 million whichwas 17% below the long term average. This prompted theUSFWS to reduce the bag limit on scaup to 2 ducks per day forthe 2013/14 waterfowl season. This year scaup breeding popu-lations have increased to 4.6 million. Last season lesser andgreater scaup harvest was estimated at 3,800 ducks which wasgreatly reduced from the previous season harvest estimate of12,396.Wood Duck

Wood ducks are the number one duck harvested inSouth Carolina. Last year they made up 45% of the duck har-vest in our state with a total harvest of 72,050 wood ducks.Adequate rainfall across the Southeast and Atlantic statesshould result in a good wood duck hatch. SCWA’s wood ducknest box program is seeing good production from volunteerand staff maintained nest boxes. We expect to see increasednumbers of wintering wood ducks in South Carolina this sea-son unless dry conditions reduce the abundance of wintering

Photos by DougGardner.com


estimate increased to 78,200 breeding birds.However, poor weather conditions during the breed-ing season will result in a below average hatch. Dueto short stopping only 1,000 to 2,000 of these geesewinter in South Carolina with most of the geese win-tering on the Santee National Wildlife Refuge nearSantee. Southern James Bay and Atlantic populationCanada geese are an insignificant part of SouthCarolina's annual goose harvest.

A very limited number of mid-continent lessersnow and blue geese winter in South Carolina. Insome years up to 2,000 of these geese will winter inSouth Carolina's coastal marshes. Most of these geesewinter in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. The mid-continent population of snow geese was estimated at3.8 million geese. Early snow melt on the tundrabreeding grounds resulted in an excellent hatchwhich will produce an above average fall flight ofsnow geese.The Bottom Line

This year's waterfowl season is shaping up tobe a good one. Record duck numbers, healthy goose

populations andquality winter-ing waterfowlhabitat in SouthCarolina shouldresult in anexciting water-fowl season. Asalways weatherwill play a bigfactor in thenumber ofwaterfowl win-tering in SouthCarolina andthe resultingquality ofwaterfowl hunt-ing.

Fall Flight Forecast...continued

Photos by DougGardner.com

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Corporate Sponsors as of 7/01/14

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

337-536-7902 or 1-800-888-0960 email: [email protected] website: www.dougshuntinglodge.com


CAMP WOODIE UPDATE

RECORD ATTENDANCE!

SCWA WILDLIFE EDUCATION CENTER

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

n addition to some picture perfect SouthCarolina weather, the summer of 2014 wasthe most productive season yet for CampWoodie. Camp Woodie set a record with

738 campers. This is an increase from the 2013summer record attendance of 596 campers.Thanks to support from SCWA donors our 410acre facility was in prime condition to ensure anenjoyable experience for kids of all ages. Our topnotch staff for 2014 included a team of 18 coun-selors/shooting instructors, three assistant direc-tors, and Director Ed Paul. Each staff member is4H Shotgun Instructor certified, meaning that allstaff were in possession of the appropriate toolsto ensure that each child had a safe yet successfulexperience with a firearm. Using the 4H model,we ensure that 98% of first time shooters success-fully break targets the first time they pull the trig-ger.

Increases in campers have resulted in manynew and engaging opportunities, such as ourIncoming and Away skeet ranges, which are a per-fect introduction to wingshooting as well as greatconfidence builders. Level 1 campers enjoyedour new pellet rifle range, and Level II campersnow have two Archery courses to choose from.Our Level III program campers have the opportu-

nity to shoot from alayout blind, and twochallenging Walk-ThruSporting Clays courses tofine tune their skills. Level III campers willalso enjoy coming back this fall for an excitingdove or duck hunt.

Construction on our new Cypress Lodge,which many of you saw during your 2013 visit,is now complete. This building can house up to56 additional campers throughout 4 separatebunkstyle rooms.

There’s a lot going on at Camp Woodie, andwe encourage you to sign your child up for aweek they will never forget! Its not to early tosign up your child for the 2015 camp season.Slots will fill up fast, so make sure you don’tmiss out!

I


Thank You For A Great Summer! We Hope To See You Next Year At

Camp Woodie.

SCWA WILDLIFE EDUCATION CENTER

The 2013 – 2014 school year brought a lot of new faces to Camp Leopold, South CarolinaWaterfowl Association’s school year education program. Camp Leopold, which focuses on wildlife,wetland, and upland ecology, has seen its attendance more than double since its inaugural year in2012. Schools from all over the state have enjoyed learning about the various fauna and flora thatinhabit our various ecosystems. In addition, a sponsorship from Boeing has allowed many schoolsup and down the I-95 corridor to partake in our unique curriculum. Classes such as Creatures of theWoods, Cypress Swamp Canoe Trip, and Wetlands or Badlands immerse students in the heart ofsome of South Carolina’s most beautiful ecosystems, and offer unmatched hands-on experience tohelp emphasize their importance. Program options include either a 1 day, 2 day, or 2.5 day visit forgrades 3-7.

Camp Leopold plans to accommodate more than 5000 students throughout the 2014-2015school year. At this time, there is a 100% rebooking rate for schools that have already attended. Ifyou are an educator, we encourage you to look into the Camp Leopold program. Reasonable pric-ing, excellent staff, and great accommodations help to make Camp Leopold an enjoyable experiencefor students and educators alike. Come out and visit us, you’ll be amazed to learn about what’s hap-pening in your own backyard!

Assistant Directors:Joe Gonzales Adam Bedard(803)452-6001

Camp Leopold Program Explodes


NEWS


Drought Monitors

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

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http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

U.S. Drought Monitor June 24, 2014

Valid 8 a.m. EDT(Released Thursday, Jun. 26, 2014)

Intensity:D0 Abnormally DryD1 Moderate DroughtD2 Severe DroughtD3 Extreme DroughtD4 Exceptional Drought

Author: Eric Luebehusen

Drought Impact Types:

S = Short-Term, typically less than 6 months (e.g. agriculture, grasslands)

L = Long-Term, typically greater than 6 months (e.g. hydrology, ecology)

Delineates dominant impacts

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Accumulated Precipitation (National)September 1, 2013 to June 29, 2014

< 25 mm25 - 50 mm50 - 75 mm75 - 100 mm100 - 150 mm150 - 200 mm200 - 300 mm300 - 400 mm400 - 500 mm500 - 600 mm600 - 700 mm700 - 800 mm800 - 900 mm900 - 1000 mm1000 - 1250 mm1250 - 1500 mm1500 - 2000 mm> 2000 mmExtent 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 © 2014 Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada

Created: 06/30/14

Sale of the 2014-2015 federal Duck Stamp beginson June 27. The stamp, celebrating its 80th anniversary in2014, is a critical revenue stream for conservation of wet-land and migratory bird habitat. In those 80 years, fundsgenerated from the sale of duck stamps have been used toprotect more than 6 million acres of habitat across thecountry. The price of the stamp remains at $15, the sameprice it has had since the last price increase in 1991. Sincethat time, the cost of land protection has increased dramat-ically and the buying power of the stamp has never beenlower. For example, in Minnesota the cost of an acre ofland has increased from $400 to $1,400 since 1998, a 250percent increase according to Ducks Unlimited. DU hasdeveloped an infographic comparing the increased costs ofsome basic needs during a similar timeframe – a loaf ofbread has increased from .70 cents to $1.38, a 97 percentincrease and a gallon of gas has increased from $1.24 to$3.27, a more than 163 percent increase. Conservationgroups have been working with Congress in the effort topass a price increase,though legislationhas stalled so far.Article contributed byWildlife ManagementInstitute

2014-15 Duck Stamp Wenton Sale June 27

Early-season migratory bird seasons approved byS.C. Natural Resources BoardThe S.C. Natural Resources Board recently approved migra-tory bird hunting seasons for mourning doves, marsh hens(rails), woodcock, snipe, moorhens, purple gallinules, andearly seasons during September for teal and Canada geese.The 2014-2015 seasons must still meet approval by the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service and be published in the FederalRegister in order to become final.

For more information, write to Early-SeasonMigratory Birds, DNR, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202, orcall (803) 734-3886 in Columbia, The annual Migratory BirdHunting Regulations brochure will be available in earlySeptember after the regular duck seasons are finalized.

The 2014-2015 mourning dove season in SouthCarolina is Sept. 1-6 (noon until sunset); Sept. 7–Oct. 11;Nov. 15-29; and Dec. 13–Jan. 15. Legal hunting hours formourning dove season, except for Sept. 1-6, are from 30minutes before sunrise until sunset. The daily bag limit is 15birds per day. Dove season traditionally opens on either thefirst Saturday in September or on Labor Day, whichevercomes first. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, seasonsfor migratory game birds cannot begin before Sept. 1. Thisseason has increased from 70 to 90 days, total.

The two-part season for marsh hens—includingking, clapper, sora and Virginia rails—and commonmoorhensPurple gallinule and purple gallinules will be

SCDNR NEWSEarly Season Approval


from Sept. 8-12 and Oct. 6–Dec. 9. The daily bag limit for kingand/or clapper rails is 15 birds per hunter and moorhensand/or purple gallinules is 15 birds per hunter. The daily lim-it for sora and/or Virginia rails is 25 birds per hunter.Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.

The 2014-15 South Carolina season for woodcockwill run Dec. 18 to Jan. 31. Three birds per hunter is the dailylimit for woodcock. Shooting hours are 30 minutes beforesunrise until sunset.

The 2014-2015 season for common snipe, also calledWilson's snipe, will be Nov. 14–Feb. 28. The daily bag limit iseight birds. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunriseuntil sunset.

An early season for Canada geese will be Sept. 1-30.This season is statewide. Shooting hours are 30 minutesbefore sunrise until sunset. The daily bag limit for Canadageese during this early season is 15 birds.

The South Carolina early season for teal will be Sept.12-27. The daily bag limit is six birds. Shooting hours are sun-rise until sunset (not 30 minutes before sunrise, as with othermigratory bird seasons). Category II waterfowl areas will beopen for hunting during teal and Canada goose seasons.

All possession limits for the coming migratory birdseason will be three times the daily bag limit as opposed to

two times the daily bag limit as in the past.South Carolina migratory bird hunters age 16 and

older must have a state hunting license and a free migratorybird permit. Additionally, participants in the SeptemberCanada Goose season and the early teal season must have theFederal Waterfowl Stamp and SC Waterfowl Permit.Completion of an approved hunter education course ismandatory for resident and nonresident South Carolinahunters born after June 30, 1979, to purchase a license, andvoluntary for older and younger hunters.Article Courtesy of SC DNR


DOG TRAINING

Trick Or TreatARTICLE & PHOTOS BY PAMELA O. KADLEC

• Dogs in training and dogs being tested at field trials and hunt tests. • Private sittings at your place, at a hunt test, or in Edgefield, SC, (Birds provided)• 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 PHOTOGRAPHYPAMELA O. KADLEC

Just Ducky Kennel & Spaniel Training Academy Edgefield, SC 29824

803- 637-2007 • cell 803-341-0541 www.boykinspaniel.com • www.justducky.photoreflect.com

f you had your choice of getting yanked by theneck with a choke chain or getting rewarded forgood behavior, which would you choose? Silly

question that really doesn’t need an answer but mostpeople don’t give it a second thought when it comes totraining a dog. They say that food treats are briberyand the dog won’t work if there is no food reward. Isay they are wrong and I can show you dogs that aretrained with food treats that don’t require food to per-form. The key is to use the food and voice commandsto condition the dog to respond and once the dog isconditioned to respond the food is graduallydecreased until treats are a thing of the past but thebehavior remains. It’s not magic, it’s just commonsense.

It is so much easier to train a dog that is motivatedby food because you have the dog’s undivided atten-tion. The best part about positive training is that thedog almost trains himself, while you just dole out thegoodies. All you have to do is stay alert. When the pupsits you say, “Good sit” and give him a treat. Whenpup comes without being called you say, “Good here”and give the pup a treat. After pup is offering a certainbehavior regularly then you give it a name. You couldteach your dog to come in when you say ‘taco’ if youwant, pup wouldn’t care.

Every time you take pup out he has his check cordon and you have treats in your pocket. He hasn’t beenfed a meal so he’s hungry. Find a treat that is dry andeasy to pocket. If your dog is particularly food drivenyou can even use some of his dry food as treats.Goldfish crackers also work nicely though they don’tlast in your pocket as well.At first you will treat pup every time he comes to you.You can use the check cord to aid the pup but don’t sayanything, just gently pull on the rope until heresponds. As the word, Here, takes meaning and hecomes every time you call him in then you will changeover to a random schedule of treating. Treat threetimes in a row, then not for a couple of responses, thenonce, then not for a few, then once with several treatsat once so pup doesn’t know when or if he will get atreat. This random treating actually builds a strongerbond because it’s like playing the slot machines younever know when you might hit the jackpot! You cangradually stop treating all together because the puphas been conditioned to behave the way you want. HeSits because he really wants to not because he has beenforced to do so.

Treating your dog for good behavior is not bribery,it is conditioning. Try it and you will see how muchfun dog training can be. Best afield, Pam

I

Edible Duck Legs...Wanton Waste?

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.

heat to medium-rare and eaten, all in about 15 minutes. The sinewy leg andthighs sections require low heat, some liquid and a couple of hours to ren-der tender. There’s no fast way, other than a pressure cooker, to speed upthe process.

Cooking a whole duck with all parts attached doesn’t make sense.Medium-rare duck breasts are tender and delicious. Legs cooked to thesame internal temperature are tough, chewy and, in my opinion, barelyedible. Different duck parts require different means of cooking. My friend,John McGannon of Wild Eats Enterprises, best describes this concept bystating, “You don’t cook a whole cow, do you?” Well, I suppose you could,but you would have to cook it very slowly until the toughest parts like ribsand briskets were pot roast tender. Unfortunately, the process of slow cook-ing would turn the choicer cuts of the animal into baby food.

Before you load your ducks into the freezer, cut off the legs and storethem separately from the bodies and breasts. If cooking ducks on the boneis your thing, and it’s a good thing, you can still cook them whole or split,but give the legs a head start. They should first be browned before arrang-ing in a covered container with about an inch of liquid – stock, wine, beer,teriyaki sauce – in a 325 degree oven or ‘cue until the meat starts to pullaway easily from the bone. They can be served right out of the oven orcooled, slathered with sauce and reheated on a smoky grill while you’recharring a mess of split, legless ducks. Braised Duck Legs(4 to 6 appetizer servings)24 duck legs, preferably with skin intactKosher salt and peppergarlic powderdry red wine or beef broth1. Season legs liberally with Kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.2. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees (or a medium-hot grill). Roast or grill

legs on both sides until well-browned. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Place browned legs in a roasting pan and add enough wine or broth to almost cover them. Leave about 1/4-inch of the legs uncovered with liquid. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil and place in the preheated oven.

3. After 2 hours, check for doneness. The meat should pull away from the bone with minimal pressure. Not all of the legs will be done at the same time. As they are tender, transfer the cooked legs to a plate. Return the covered pan to the oven or grill and continue cooking until all legs are done.Plum Chipotle Dipping SauceThree ingredients make up this simple, yet flavorful dipping sauce. Brushit on the legs just before serving and the sugary plum jam will give them acrisp coating.1/2 cup plum jam1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice1 tablespoon, or to taste, Chipotle Tabasco

Combine all ingredients and whisk well until smooth.

If you put an average group of duck hunters in a room and ask them,“How many of you remove the breasts from your ducks and throw the restof the birds away?”, I’m guessing that the majority will admit to doing justthat. I make that assumption based on the number of hunters I meet whohave only ducks breasts in their freezers. No legs, no thighs, no bodies.Unless it is just by coincidence that they all had a big party and cooked uprest of their ducks first, it seems reasonable that they took the easy route bybreasting them all out and throwing the legs and carcasses in the garbage.

Wanton Waste is defined as “to intentionally waste something negli-gently or inappropriately.” By law, we, as hunters, are supposed to make areasonable effort to retrieve the parts of harvested animals that are edible.Although it is not illegal to discard perfectly edible parts of a duck, like thelegs and thighs, it certainly is wasteful. I know this sounds crazy, but I knowseveral people who spend a few bucks a bird by having them plucked,dressed and bagged by a processor. When it’s time to slap them on the grill,they remove the breast fillets and chuck the rest of their ducks in the can.

I’m hoping that hunters who waste perfectly good duck flesh do sobecause they don’t know what to do with the parts that require preparationbeyond a hot skillet or grill. Breast fillets can be seasoned, grilled over high


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waterfowl & wetlands - summer 2014

Documents

wintering wood duck

wood duckbreeding season

scwa assumesno

a3 bird wood duck bag

wa ter fowl

scwa nest box projects

wetland ed u ca tion

camp woodie