Kevin s Comments KENTUCKY DUCK CALL A PUBLICATION FOR KENTUCKY VOLUNTEERS

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1 NOVEMBER 2016 VOLUME 9 -ISSUE 5 PUBLIC HUNTING IN KENTUCKY THE BOUNTY OF THE FEAST LARRY RICHARDSON S ART EXHIBIT AT THE CARNEGIE MONSTERS ON THE OHIO KENTUCKY DUCK CALL A PUBLICATION FOR KENTUCKY VOLUNTEERS and family while testing your hunting skills and knowledge. Each hunt provides a new opportunity to learn and enjoy the wetlands we work so hard through the year to protect. Kevin s Comments Fall has officially arrived in Kentucky. You can feel in it the crisp morning air, lower temperatures and see the leaves trees changing colors. This is a special and exciting time of year for me as it is a reminder that waterfowl season is just around the corner. If you are like me and most other waterfowl hunters, you have been anticipating opening day ever since last season ended. For me, waterfowl hunting is a great way to spend time with friends With duck season in mind, I want to encourage all hunters to carefully read the regulations for the state in which you are hunting. It is always best to know the hunting rules and daily limits prior to taking the field. Please also keep gun safety in mind at all times as I want you to have many more successful hunts in the future. Finally, I want to encourage each of you to take a person who is new to waterfowling with you on a hunt this year. Take time to show them what Ducks Unlimited does for our wetlands and the impact our work has on the waterfowl population and environment. Until next time, Kevin Wright Kentucky State Chairman!1

2 NOVEMBER 2016 VOLUME 9 -ISSUE 5 That s the title Larry Richardson gave his most recent art project about his fascination with waterways and wetlands. For an artist, naturalist and writer, that s not a bad place to be. I grew up in with a yearning for the outdoors. My friends and I roamed the fields and streams near my home in Kentucky from daylight til dark. We imagined ourselves the first ones to discover our natural world since the time that Shawnees and Cherokees walked the land. The feeling has never disappeared. Ponds, creeks, marshes and rivers have been like a magnet for my imagination, now expressed in an original art series, The Cumberland River An American Legacy. Currently, there are over 20 paintings featuring the Cumberland River. Many of the scenes are from eastern Kentucky where the Cumberland begins its 700 mile journey to the Ohio River. The Cumberland River exhibit is a piece of history. I hope some of the local scenes remain in Kentucky in homes and businesses f o r posterity sake, Richardson reflects. T h e collection will move to t h e Carnegie Community Arts Center i n Somerset, Kentucky October 13 through November 30 then finishing up the year at Hopkinsville, Kentucky s Depot Gallery, December through January. Additional paintings are being added to the collection as the exhibit moves to new locations. I like realism, not photographic, but more toward an impressionistic style, leaving a loose edge or the gesture of a shadow, inviting the viewer to make the final stroke. Richardson describes his work. Before retiring from Ducks Unlimited in 2006, Richardson often visited Somerset as part of his fundraising duties with the Lake Cumberland Chapter. His biography describes him as an artist, naturalist and writer with three books to his credit and currently working on a f o u r t h. You can follow his activity and see more artwork at

3 NOVEMBER 2016 VOLUME 9 -ISSUE 5 Above: Larry s banner proudly hangs at Carnegie Community Arts Center in downtown Somerset Kentucky. Right middle: Bill Thompson and Sharron Deatherage admire paintings displayed at the Carnegie.!3

4 Kentucky Ducks Unlimited Teams With Monsters on the Ohio CatfishTournament and finished up about 3pm, then a few of us helped park trucks after they weighed in. It was a very LONG day. On Saturday October the 8 th Kentucky Ducks Unlimited once again teamed with Monsters on the Ohio Catfish Tournament and held the Archery/ Casting tournaments in English park. Some of the best Volunteers for Ky. Ducks Unlimited, in my opinion, came together to help with the Archery/Casting events that took place. Here is a list of the volunteers that helped that day, Sharon Kamuf, Mike and Carol Hough (Eastern Ky. Regional Chairman and his wife) Karen Keister, Jennifer Shelton, Alex Bebo Jerger, Anthony Kamuf, Danielle Kamuf, Mady Bruner, Dakota Fraim, Rodney Daugherty and his son Wes, Lauren Hagan, Kevin Hagan and Regional Director Bob Bezkor. I would also like to recognize Billy Boyle, Brad Ralph and Philip McGovern for being on hand. The Archery tournament had 21 youngsters signed up and the Casting Tournament had 20 youngsters in two age divisions, 9-12 & 13-16yrs of age. The top three winners received Trophies and prizes that were donated by Aaron Wheatley of Monsters on the Ohio and Steve Douglas of Monster Rod Holders. Aaron is the Tournament Director for Monsters on the Ohio and Steve Douglas is a Major Sponsor f o r Monsters on the Ohio. A B I G Thank You to these two guys. A few of us started our day early, 2:45am, to help with the traffic and checking the boats in. After the sendoff we gathered at the GreenWing trailer and started setup for the event, we started the tournaments around 9am Here is a list of the winners for this year s Archery and Casting Tournaments: ARCHERY AGES 7-12 CASTING AGES 7-12 Christopher Edge, age 12 Kamdyn Ulmer, age 8 Koleson Horn, age 9 Kegan Richardson, age 5 Logan Allen, age 12 Kelby Horn, age 9 ARCHERY AGES CASTING AGES Patrick Edge, age 14 Kevin Hagan, age 14 Kevin Hagan, age 14 Sierra Baker, Age 14 Lauren Hagan, age 16!4

5 NOVEMBER 2016 VOLUME 9 -ISSUE 5 I would like to say THANK YOU again to the wonderful volunteers that made this year s Monsters on the Ohio/ Ky. Ducks Unlimited tournament a success and to Aaron Wheatley for allowing us to be a part of the LARGEST SINGLE DAY CATFISH TOURNAMENT IN THE COUNTRY. May the Ducks be with you, Steve Keister Western Kentucky Regional Chairman Ky. State GreenWing Chairman!5

6 2017 Volunteer Celebration Weekend March 24-26, 2017 Join us and help celebrate the incredible accomplishments Kentucky Ducks Unlimited achieved this year. This year s party is going to be better than ever as we take over the brand new Owensboro Convention Center. The combination of education, fellowship, celebration and recognition will create memories for years. Owensboro Convention Center 501 W 2nd St, Owensboro, KY Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront 701 W 1st St, Owensboro, KY *** Room Reservation *** Call (270) and mention Ducks Unlimited for discounted room rate of $112/night. Kentucky Ducks Unlimited State Convention & Volunteer Celebration Weekend Owensboro Convention Center, Owensboro, KY Friday, March 24 through Sunday, March 26, 2017 Schedule of Events - Coming Soon!!6

7 2016 Firearm Incentive Program Chapters will have the opportunity to earn up to FOUR guns for their events! 10/30 PROGRAM Savage Mark II.22LR with Scope Ducks Unlimited National Headquarters must receive event tickets and the majority of the event proceeds* within 10 calendar days following the event.** Ducks Unlimited National Headquarters must receive the financial report and the remainder of the event proceeds* within 30 calendar days following the event. Dinner events must net/net $5,000 or more; all other events must net/net $2,500 or more. * Where Ducks Unlimited fundraising events are concerned, event proceeds and event income are considered to be the same thing. ** For the purpose of this incentive, any proceeds processed through a Ducks Unlimited issued credit card machine will qualify as the majority of the event proceeds. GROWTH INCENTIVE PROGRAM Winchester SXP 12ga Ducks Unlimited If prior year s event net/net was less than $20,000, event proceeds* must increase by 5% If prior year s event net/net was over $20,000, event proceeds* must increase by $1000. Dinner events must net/net $5,000 or more; all other events must net/net $2,500 or more. * Where Ducks Unlimited fundraising events are concerned, event proceeds and event income are considered to be the same thing. ATTENDANCE INCENTIVE PROGRAM Tristar Pump 12ga Ducks Unlimited The total number of attendees* through the event must be 50 or greater. The event must experience a net growth of 15 attendees versus the prior year. D events must net/net $5,000 or more; all other events must net/net $2,500 or more. Calendar raffle (C) events are not eligible for this program. * For the purpose of this incentive, attendee is defined as any event participant, regardless of category, who is recorded as attending through the submission of a membership stub or approved member list. SPONSOR INCENTIVE PROGRAM The chapter must experience a net growth of 5 Sponsors versus the prior year. Mossberg 500 Flex OD Green/Ducks Unlimited Camo **** Substitutions and changes to the programs may occur as necessary. **** Kentucky Waterfowl Season Preview!7

8 NOVEMBER 2016 VOLUME 9 -ISSUE 5 Conservation Corner: Kentucky Public Hunting Outlook Kentucky s regular waterfowl season is just around the corner. It is about this time every year that I start dragging decoys out and having visions of cold mornings and skies full of ducks. This year will mark the 22 nd consecutive year of liberal duck seasons in the Mississippi Flyway. In Kentucky, the season will be split with the Thanksgiving segment occurring November and the second segment will be December 5, 2016 to January 28, numbers this spring were 11.8 million (51% above long term average) which is similar to last years numbers and also represents the highest count of mallards on record. Gadwall, green-winged teal and northern shoveler, three species Canada Geese (what many people call true Migrants ) changed. Because of these changes the numbers are not comparable to previous seasons, but from accounts in the field we can expect average numbers of interior geese. In Kentucky, spring surveys of Canada geese estimated a breeding population of 44,685 geese which was our highest count on record. We are seeing consistent expansion of resident goose populations in central Kentucky. Breeding this year was As autumn begins, a time honored ritual of the waterfowler is to begin to pay heed to national and local reports regarding waterfowl numbers and the prospects for the upcoming season. By now, most die-hard waterfowl hunters have already seen the results from this year s waterfowl breeding surveys. This survey has been conducted for 60-years. It provides an annual index of the status of wetlands, breeding duck numbers and the potential outlook for duck production from the primary nesting areas in North America. The results of this year s survey provide much promise. The US Fish and Wildlife Service s 2016 Fall Flight Forecast estimates the total breeding duck numbers for the 10 species surveyed to be at 48.4 million birds this spring. This estimate is unchanged from last year and about 38% above the long-term average for the traditional prairie survey area. These numbers represent the highest counts ever recorded for ducks. Mallard commonly taken by Kentucky waterfowl hunters were statistically unchanged from 2015 and all are well above their long term averages. The good old days of duck populations are clearly today. The season will see some major changes to Canada goose seasons in Kentucky. The September season was moved to the second half of the month. For late seasons, all goose seasons will now open on Thanksgiving Day and run continuously until February 15 th. For the summer of 2016, how we survey Interior Populations of substantially later than normal but it appears nest success was good and we should have good numbers of geese. In the Mississippi Flyway, resident goose populations were surveyed to be 1,528,532 which was similar to the last 5 years average. The overall picture regarding waterfowl populations is promising all across the range. However, a good waterfowl reproductive effort is not the only factor influencing local waterfowl hunting success. Regional wetland habitat conditions will often have more impact on local hunter!8

9 success than overall good populations. Habitat conditions in Kentucky were influenced by abundant rainfall this summer. Rainfall made planting of crops like corn and soybeans difficult this summer. Additionally, the wet conditions promoted weedy plants which competed with the crops. Because of this, across many areas crop production was below average. In many cases, when corn production was poor, KDFWR staff planted late season crops such as millet or buckwheat to supplement the substandard crops. While wet conditions were detrimental to crops, the wet conditions benefited moist soil plant production. Many areas describe growth and production of these plants to be very good to excellent. Conditions this fall appear to be excellent for waterfowl. River levels and lake levels are all normal and will allow KDFWR to manipulate water levels on our managed impoundments. While crop production is down, we still expect the food sources to be more than adequate to hold birds on our wildlife management areas. For more information on areas of interest to you, please check out the site specific information below. Obion Creek WMA good moist soil production in lower areas with good agricultural crops in farm fields. Doug Travis WMA Almost continual summer river level fluctuations prohibited dewatering of Town Creek impoundment for moist soil production. Water control structures in the Twin Ponds triangle and Willow Slough have been replaced and should allow us to increase pool area north of Well #1. Good agricultural crops with about 50 acres of corn left standing in floodable hunting and rest areas. Each of the walk in blinds (11-15) should have flooded standing corn nearby barring pump issues. Baldy s Woods walk-in unit is 100% standing corn, with Milner Tract WRP units having good to excellent moist-soil vegetation. Many of the lowest elevation sites in moist soil units were chemically treated to remove cocklebur and woody seedlings, and produced an excellent crop of barnyard grass, sprangletop, and panicum. Boatwright WMA The 2016 growing season was marked by frequent heavy rains and wet overall conditions. Crop production was poor this season. KDFWR staff planted the low lying areas with small grains as areas became dry enough to plant. Moist soil plants did well due to wet conditions this summer. Ballard WMA Ballard also experienced poor crop production this season. The Ballard Bottoms Tourism Council volunteered time and equipment to plant around 100 additional acres of corn in some of our low lying areas. In wet areas, KDFWR did plant some small grains after corn had failed. Moist soil plants did very well with the abundant rain fall this summer. As of early October, about ½ had been planted and staff is waiting on crops to be harvested to finish the rest. The main pump was turned on in early October and is providing water the WMA. Duck Island (Barkley Lake) Overall waterfowl habitat conditions for Duck Island could be considered fair with some isolated portions ranked as good. Corn was no-tilled where possible early, but failed due to excessive soil moisture conditions throughout the spring and early summer. Heavy rainfall continued during the summer and the excess water had to be pumped out repeatedly. In areas where corn failed, mudflats were seeded in Japanese millet by ATV. Some areas had to be re-seeded three times due to flooding. There is plenty of water stockpiled in the northern impoundment that will be gravity flowed into the central impoundment during the season. Additionally, we recently observed deer depredation of millet seed!9

10 heads, which is something we have not observed previously. Kentucky / Barkley Lake - Habitat conditions on Kentucky Lake would be considered poor. Virtually, no submergent vegetation has been observed within the traditional areas where that type of habitat is common. Hunting can still be good at times of major waterfowl migrations, though it is unlikely many birds will hang around long. Barkley lake habitat is similar to previous years. Barkley never seems to have the submergent vegetation found in KY Lake, but use by divers in portions of the north end has been fairly consistent over the past several years. Most puddle duck observations are gadwall, with mallard use spotty or just passing through. Ohio River Islands WMA (Stewart / Birdsville Island) While planting activities were delayed noticeably this year due to persistent rainfall, corn was successfully planted on the island. Growing conditions remained wet throughout the early half of summer, but this did not hinder growth of the planted crops. Depredation by deer has significantly reduced corn yield in past years, but this year, that has not been as dramatic. Habitat conditions overall could be considered good throughout the island, though Ohio River flooding is beneficial for waterfowl use in large numbers. Clear Creek WMA Water levels have been high due to summer rainfall amounts resulting in little exposure of mud flats for emergent wetland plant growth. Overall habitat conditions are rated as fair on Clear Creek this year. Peabody WMA Water levels have been high due to summer rains resulting in little exposure of mud flats for wetland plant germination and growth on unmanaged areas. Managed moist soil units are flush with wetland plant growth and will provide excellent habitat once the units are flooded. Sloughs WMA - Above average rainfall throughout the growing season has resulted in varying degrees of habitat conditions across the WMA. In moist soil units with water control capabilities, natural moist soil vegetation production was excellent, and plots planted in small grains have shown above average production. Areas that were disced or treated with herbicide in the early part of the year benefited greatly from unseasonably high levels of rain in July, and are showing preferred moist soil vegetation production well above normal. Crop yields across the WMA vary depending on field elevation and soil types. Low areas were hurt by too much water, while higher ridges yielded above average, resulting in an overall average year for grain production. Throughout the growing season, water levels remained high in all of the natural sloughs throughout the Jenny Hole, Highland Creek, and Grassy Pond/ Powell's Lake units, resulting in very little/no moist soil vegetation production where mudflats would typically be exposed by receding water levels. Therefore, preferred waterfowl foods in these areas will be limited to submerged, aquatic vegetation. Big Rivers WMA - Most waterfowl habitat on the WMA is l i m i t e d t o 5 s h a l l ow w a t e r impoundments that were constructed over the past three years. High rainfall throughout the growing season has resulted in excellent moist soil vegetation response in all of the impoundments across the area. Although some small grain food plots were lost due to flooding in June, heavy rainfall in July resulted in excellent production of preferred natural vegetation in these areas. Similarly, sections of the impoundments disced in late spring have shown an above average moist soil vegetation response. Because these impoundments do not have water production capabilities, substantial rainfall is required to flood most of the pool areas and make them usable to migrating waterfowl. Barren River WMA - Long Creek/Calvert Springs habitat looks good. These areas are planted in corn this year with good yields. KDFWR also planted Japanese Millet in some wetter spots where corn failed. There is a good mix of Moist Soil!10

11 native plants and their production was excellent. KDFWR will be working on some of the managed wetland infrastructure if dry conditions continue this fall. Peters Creek Moist Soil Unit is entirely moist soil native plants this year. KDFWR planted oaks seedlings in the headwaters which should provide excellent habitat in the future. Yellowbank WMA - Conditions were wet in early spring delaying the planting of crops until in May. In spite of the late start, corn and bean production appear to be good. All moist soil units experienced an excellent growing season and are loaded with a good variety of moist soil plants that will be very attractive for waterfowl in fall and early winter. Several units needed water due to drier weather in late summer. Pumps started filling upper units on October 1 st to have most MSU s at 50% water capacity by November 10 th. Most units are in excellent condition with plenty of natural food for this waterfowl season. Green River WMA Managed wetland units which are usually dry by mid-summer still had substantial water limiting growth of emergent wetland vegetation. Barring any late period droughts, managed wetlands are anticipated to have adequate water by the beginning of the regular waterfowl season. Beaver impoundments account for most of the wetland habitat on this WMA and should provide good habitat during the season. Green River Lake will be at winter pool by waterfowl season and could provide good numbers of divers during peak migration. Green River should provide good waterfowl habitat for birds migrating through the central region of the state. Central and Northern Kentucky Ohio River Bottoms Growing conditions along the Ohio River were quite variable this year. In some areas t h e planting of agricultural crops was delayed and/or foregone because of f l o o d events. W h i l e plantings may have b e e n limited in e a s i l y flooded low a r e a s adjacent lands a few feet higher were planted to corn and soybeans. The yield potential for crops in this region should be about average which will provide sufficient food resources for waterfowl using those areas of the Ohio River. Cave Run Lake - Cave Run Lake levels have been low this year compared to past seasons. Last year it reached record flood stages and stayed high for the majority of summer with little to no plant production. There are a few main flats on the lake mainly Zilpo and the Alfrey area. These flats have abundant and wide spread aquatic vegetation and should be excellent for holding waterfowl this season. Hydrilla was found in this lake this year. While it is an invasive, nonnative plant, if it established it could provide more vegetation from a waterfowl standpoint. John Brunjes, Manager, Migratory Bird Program, KDFWR!11

12 The Bounty of the Feast Sherry Cream Sauce were offered along with Dale s outstanding gumbo. Needless to say, a good time was had by all! From the rice paddies of McCrory, Arkansas, and the rolling hills of Pendleton County; the tranquil waters of Lake Cumberland and the marshes of Western Kentucky; the dove fields of Casey County and the salt flats of Mississippi: they all hold the bounty of the harvest. And a good harvest season it was! The Teal, Mallards and Doves; Deer, Sandhill Crane and Striper were all gathered to be part of the menu at the LCDU 2016 Wild Game Dinner. This is a dinner that hit the block as part of the live auction portion of the annual Lake Cumberland Chapter of DU s event this past February. Hosted by John and Kelly Joplin of Somerset, the dinner included seven courses of gourmet wild game cuisine coupled with a wine pairing for each course. As an added bonus, CEO of Ducks Unlimited, Dale Hall, donned an apron and joined John in the kitchen to prepare his signature seafood gumbo as members of LCDU served as wait staff. A gastronomic feast of epic proportions was presented as courses such as Mississippi Maple Smoked Catfish Terrine and Roasted Pheasant in As part of a lifelong commitment to DU, John and Kelly Joplin not only continue with their life sponsorship but have graciously agreed to host the 4 th Wild Game Dinner in This event for eight people could be yours next year if you raise your hand for the ducks and place that final bid! We look forward to seeing you at the Ducks Unlimited Lake Cumberland Chapter s annual dinner and auction event on February 11, 2017 at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset. John Joplin Lake Cumberland Chapter!12

13 Kentucky State Contacts State Chairman Kevin Wright Treasurer Rich Risinger West Regional Chairman Steve Keister East Regional Chairman Mike Hough Greenwing Chairman Steve Keister Major Donor Chairman Dr. Brian K, Priddle Kentucky Ducks Unlimited s2ll has a few areas without local chapters. If you know anyone in these areas who would be interested in par2cipa2ng in a local DU chapter, contact the Regional Director for that area listed below. For Ashland, Florence, Maysville, Versailles, Winchester & Carrolton: Contact Josh Hall jhall@ducks.org For Williamsburg, Barbourville Middlesboro & Hazard Contact Charlie Lowery clowery@ducks.org Volunteer Recruitment Chairman Jeff Adams jadams@twc.com State Raffle Chairman Richard Fowler danvilleduck@gmail.com For Hardinsburg Contact Bob Bezkor bbeckor@ducks.org!13

14 Upcoming Events Owensboro Dinner Saturday, September 24, 2016 Coal Field Dinner Saturday, October 1, 2016 Wilderness Area Greenwing Saturday, October 1, 2016 Caldwell County Dinner Saturday, October 15, 2016 Livingston and Marshall Counties Dinner Saturday, October 15, 2016 Boone County Sportsman s Night Saturday, October 22, 2016 South Central Dinner Saturday, October 22, 2016 Christian County Dinner Saturday, October 22, 2016 Kentucky Ducks Unlimited Volunteer Celebration Weekend Friday, March 24, 2017!14