The Truth About Reclaimed Mine Ground

The Pros of Coal Surface Mining Reclamation Efforts

Mining inevitably disturbs land. Modern mines reclaim the surface during and after mining is completed, returning the land to useful purposes. The reclaimed mine lands are usually more attractive to wildlife and human uses than before mining started.

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What is Wetland Conservation?

What You Need to Know About Wetland Conservation

SOURCE: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Sources/links for reference number found in this article can be viewed directly through the Wikipedia link above.
Wetland Conservation, as implied by its name, is a subdivision of conservation focusing on waterways, standing water, and the land around them, usually including swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas. Wetlands have become a focal issue for conservation due to their biological production, ability to filter and store water, mitigate flood damages, importance in providing habitat and food for waterfowl, as well as the many other species they host. From economic importance, to aesthetics, the reasons for protecting wetlands have become quite numerous over the past several decades.  READ MORE

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Letter from a Member:

At Duck Junkies, we believe our direction and content should be driven by our members. If you have something to add, a suggestion or just a question, we would love to hear from you! And if you don't mind, we just might publish it! Go to the Suggestion form now.

Here is what Jini had to say when she recently contacted us:

On your home page you acknowledge that you really serve more than just the needs of hunters. I think that's important. I haven't hunted in years, but I know how important hunters are to the management of all sorts of game. I'm an ecologist and wildlife and fisheries biologist. I know there's a ground swell afoot that wants to eliminate hunting. I think all hunting organizations owe it to themselves and the people they represent to include some room for 1. educating the public on why people hunt. 2. what the ancillary benefits are to the hunter and the population of wildlife being sought. And the incredible experience it is to watch the sky darkened with waterfowl or other game whether a hunter or not.

I've worked diligently in the last ten years to help preclude the loss of Suisun Marsh to the efforts of the water development agencies and water users, to use Suisun as "mitigation" for the impacts of "tweaking" water development projects by converting it to saltwater tidal marsh. This is basically a 100K + acres of brackish) wetlands. To address endangered species issues through the ESA Habitat Conservation Planning process. Unfortunately, taking care of only endangered, threatened and proposed species can be extremely damaging to other species. In this case, the long history of managing waterfowl populations and efforts to replace lost habitat stands against waterfowl enthusiasts. Waterfowl, with a few exceptions, have stayed off the ESA list because of money from hunters and other sport enthusiasts which have succeeded.

Also, since the sixties the number of women biologists and other outdoor related professions have burgeoned. Some hunt, some do not; but I think their presence, needs need to be acknowledged and met.
That's my soapbox for the day.

Jini Scammel_Tinling

What to do in the Arizona off season

Here it is middle of march and looking for something productive but still kinda huntingish?

Here's a idea. How about building mallard nesting boxes ? This is a very economical method that I have used for years. Simply grab any unused 5 gallon pails with lids that you have laying around, make sure they are clean on the inside (no oils or grease all over them). Then take a saw and cut the lid in half, and put the half lid back on the pail and snap it back on. Lay the pail on it's side, and drill several holes on the side that is facing down for drainage. Find some old boards laying around about 1 1/2 feet long and screw one across the bottom of each pail by the drainage holes so they don't roll. fill half way up with grass hay. Bingo Bango !!!! you have just made your first mallard nesting house. I like to place these on small nesting islands and have had a great success ratio. You can also put these on elevated platforms above the water line, just make sure you consider that water levels go up and down. If you do the elevated method, put another board on the bottom but facing out the front so the hen has a place to jump on to before going into the house. Warning !!!! if you do place these on nesting islands,make sure they are true nesting islands or these houses will become death houses for the hens when located by predators. Make sure that you remove these houses when the ducklings have hatched and store for the next year.

It makes me feel so good to be looking at my nesting houses through my binos and seeing ducks go in them. The feeling is even stronger when you come back later and see ducklings swimming out in the water all over the place. I know, I take a lot of ducks out of the sky. It's my way of justifying it, by putting back what I take, to fly again.

Hope to hear you in the marsh,

Darryl Mathews

Arizona, Pro Staff

Nesting box service

Went out Feb. 15th to start servicing Wood Duck nesting boxes. We have 150 boxes west of Modesto, Ca. on a couple of ranches. Out of 20 - 25 boxes serviced, we found a clutch of eggs already being laid. The hen had about 6-7 eggs in the clutch. We were very surprised to find that some ducks have already begun nesting because most ducks that we encountered that day have not started to pair off.