"A New Beginning"
January 2007

Have you ever asked yourself; am I an optimist or a pessimist? Is your glass half full or half empty? Has waterfowl season just ended or is it just beginning? Whatever the question may be, your answer will depend on your general perspective of life.

Waterfowl season is much the same way. For example, unless you are one of the folks that give chase to snow geese during the spring season, you're probably in the process of storing your decoys and cleaning up the gear you used this past winter. On the other hand, if you're like me you throw all your decoys in a pile, only to worry about them later. Its not like this is the first time I've done this, or for that matter written about it. The thing is, every fall when I open the shed, I'm always shocked to see the elves have not made a visit to my decoy shed. What elves you might ask … the same ones I've written about in the past. You must remember them. They're from the same family of elves that use to sneak in the cobbler's shop at night, mend the shoes and work on the wooden puppets … in the fairy tales of past years. I'm talking about the very elves that are decedents of those working with Santa, but to date I have yet to find any evidence they are going to come in and surprise me with a shed full of clean and repaired decoys. Then again, I tend to believe that life is what you want it to be and most of us are limited only by our imagination, so this might be the year the decoy elves decide to pay a visit to my decoy shed.

It certainly would make things easier for next season. While we're on the subject of next season … or this season, depending on your perspective, we might as well visit a more realistic topic. A topic that doesn't require a wild imagination, but does require a realistic perspective of, and concern for, the sport of waterfowl hunting. That topic is none other than the future of our sport.

Our future as waterfowler hunters lies in a delicate balance between regulation and adaptation. In so much as regulations go, I am referring to the ever so important role the USF&W Service and various state agencies are faced with. Regulations have to be set, based on recorded history and a realistic look toward the future. Additionally the laws must be upheld, all the way to the front lines of your favorite hunting spot. Without proper attention to these two areas, there would be no possibility for judicial balance.

From the standpoint of adaptation, I am referring to the waterfowl themselves. While we as individuals have little to no input on the side of regulations, we do have options on the side of the waterfowl and what better time of year for us to consider those options. Optimist or pessimist, the beginning or the end, it simply doesn't matter how we look at waterfowl season right now. What does matter is how we look at the future of waterfowling in general. While I am a firm believer in the importance of the role the USF&W Service and the various state agencies play, the role of private organizations is more important than ever and that's where we can make a difference.

Over the years I feel fortunate to have learned, there's much more to the sport of waterfowl hunting than the hunt itself and a large part of that comes from the people one will meet, as a result of the sport. Watch your local paper or hit the Internet. You'll find banquets, events and habitat programs are being conducted by local chapters of backbone organizations like Delta Waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited. These organizations continue to welcome our help and support.

Delta Waterfowl was founded in 1911, two full years before President Woodrow Wilson established the U.S. Biological Survey, which was responsible for the implementation of the Migratory Bird Act of 1913. Since that time Delta has provided support for both the waterfowl and waterfowl hunter. The Ducks Unlimited organization was established in 1937 and like Delta Waterfowl has continued to provide support for our sport. Of course, we don't want to take anything away from Mother Nature, who can always help the annual hatch with timely rains or plenty of melting snow, but these organizations work around the clock to help provide us with a future for our sport and a future that will permit our youth the enjoyment of the sport itself.

Looking back to the foggy days of my younger years, I remember a poster I use to have hanging in my room. It said: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." To play off the fond memories of yesteryears; today is the first day of "A New Beginning" for the rest of your waterfowl hunting experiences. Become a part of the solution and help insure the future of our sport by supporting the waterfowl organization(s) of your choice.

Charles "HammerTime" Snapp

Email: snapp1@sbcglobal.net

Website: www.arkansaswaterfowl.com

Delta Waterfowl

Ducks Unlimited