Women in Wildlife Breakfast

Ducks Unlimited proudly sponsored the Women in Wildlife breakfast this past fall for the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies annual meeting. There were around 40 women in attendance, including professionals from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, USGS, and multiple state agency representatives.

Also in attendance were several university graduate students currently studying in the natural resources field, and members of non-profit conservation organizations. I represented Ducks Unlimited at the breakfast, and we all had a great time celebrating the accomplishments of women in wildlife and reminiscing about some of the hurdles we’ve faced.

The Women Behind Ducks Unlimited

By WOMA Member, Andrea “Andi” Cooper of Ducks Unlimited…

I took a photo of a friend of mine, Alicia Wiseman, who is a Regional Biologist with Ducks Unlimited for the last 2 years. She administers the Louisiana Waterfowl Project, which is a partnership program with state and federal agencies. Part of her job is to provide field assistance to private landowners in south Louisiana. Alicia is also helping Ducks Unlimited establish a working relationship within the rice industry of Louisiana.

Alicia received her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science in 2006 from Mississippi State University. She also received her Master of Science degree in Wildlife Science (2009; Mississippi State University). Her thesis work, studying waterfowl foods in managed grain sorghum fields, helped her specialize in waterfowl and working wetlands management. Her professional goal is to help farmers and landowners be successful on the land while simultaneously benefiting wildlife. This is right in line with the Ducks Unlimited mission and as Alicia said, “makes working for such a great organization just plain fun.” There are a number of professional women who work for Ducks Unlimited and I hope to highlight others down the road.

Waterfowl Season is approaching!

It won’t be long before waterfowl season is here! The anticipation that starts building in August is almost unbearable as we wait for the haze of summer to burn off and autumn to bring its first cold front—and another opening day.

Now is the time to prepare! So as you begin working on your to-do list, Ducks Unlimited has put together 7 Steps for Success to help your pre-season preparation go smoother. These tips on everything from gear to guns are sure to get you even more excited (if that’s even possible) for another season afield.

Once you glean all you can from these tips, be sure to spread the word by forwarding this message to your friends so they can begin their pre-season preparations as well.

We hope you enjoy getting ready for opening day and the upcoming waterfowl season.

Thank you for your continued support of Ducks Unlimited!

 

Life on the Mississippi River

Life in the batture lands…that’s the land between the levees; on the river side, has had a rough spring!  My hunting camp is on the Mississippi River, surrounded by an oxbow lake. So depending on how high the river is, sometimes this area is a peninsula and sometimes an island.

I was able to get to the Jackie Pugh hunting camp in early April where I called in a turkey for Jackie. The first photo was taken April 9^th with Jackie (along with his turkey) standing on the ground under his camp house, which is approximately 8 ft. off the ground.

The next photo of the same camp was taken just over a month later on May 11^th. As you can see from comparing the photos the Mississippi River had already risen very high and very quickly; more than 1 foot per day for several days at a time.  The Mississippi River still had about 4 feet to rise before cresting nearby at Vicksburg, MS.  Once the river is manageable to cross again, we can help Jackie reclaim his camp.