Strong waterfowl production brightens outlook
By Robyn Rohde, BHG News Service
Herb Dittus remembers the days when all he could think about was when he would have the next opportunity to get out duck or goose hunting. Growing up in central North Dakota, he acknowledged every moment of spare time was spent in search of bagging his limit of waterfowl. The sight of ponds full of water and grasses growing spark the early hunting memories for the current Beulah resident. With age Dittus has funneled his love for waterfowl into becoming a major supporter of Ducks Unlimited serving as the DU State Trustee and National Delegate. The organization is both brightened and cautious about recent increases in duck breeding numbers. This spring will rank third highest on record according to Mike Johnson, Migratory Game Bird Management Supervisor with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Duck numbers have been riding a high since 1995 because of the abundance of Conservation Reserve Program grasslands in place and the water levels started to climb in 1993. "Since then we have been riding well above average numbers of ducks in the state," Johnson said.
