The Summer issue of California Waterfowl has begun landing in members’ mailboxes. Not a member? Not a problem. Join now by clicking here, and you’ll be on the list to get future issues as long as you remain a member. Then email Communications Director Holly Heyser at hheyser@calwaterfowl.org to get this issue mailed to you as well.
Here are some of the highlights of the Summer issue:
The Klamath Effect. The water shortage in the Klamath Basin has far-reaching effects on every stakeholder ranging from birds to fish to people. The Basin provides crucial habitat for California's breeding mallards and other molt migrators. As birds crowd together in shrinking wetlands, the botulism outbreak worsens, killing tens of thousands of birds. The refuges desperately need water allocations. Visit
calwaterfowl.org/lower-klamath to learn more and donate. To stay informed of the latest developments at the refuges, the good news and the bad, click
here to sign up for our free
Save Lower Klamath! eNewsletter.
Changes at Suisun Marsh, Tulare Basin. CWA's biologists are working hard to improve wetlands in the Suisun Marsh and Tulare Basin. They have replaced infrastructure, flooded wetlands, expanded habitat and eradicated invasive plants. Additional units have also opened to hunting.
Advocacy. In the Advocacy column, presented by
Federal Premium Ammunition, Vice President for Legislative Affairs and Public Policy Mark Hennelly discusses CWA-opposed bills that would burden legitimate dog breeders and law-abiding hunters and gun owners. Thankfully, there are also bills that would increase mallard-breeding habitat and create a new combo hunting and fishing license. For the latest info on legislative action, sign up for action alerts
here.
Molt jolt (print issue only). Working alongside the U.S. Geological Survey, master's student Jeff Kohl tracked gadwall and mallard hen movement in California. The researchers found that when these birds molt, they are flightless for longer than previous studies have shown. During this critical life-history stage, ducks need to rely on their existing energy reserves as well as their surrounding habitat to survive. Paying extra attention to high-use molting area when managing California's wetlands could increase breeding waterfowl populations.
Canine Corner,
presented by SportDOG® Brand. Thinking about bringing your dog hunting for the first time? Get tips on how to start training your dog to pick up birds prior to her or his first day out in the marsh. Read up on what to do when another dog besides yours joins the hunt, and learn how to keep your furry friend safe when training during hot weather.
By the Numbers (print issue only). What did hunter and harvest data look like during the pandemic? The 2020-21 waterfowl season statistics show that hunters came out in droves, reservation application numbers shot up to an all-time high, but mallard harvest remained poor.
And lots more...
As always, you'll find our Cuisine column, Hunter Health and much more.
