Comments on: Fish & Game survey finds duck population decline in California

By: Manny

Manny — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:08:24 +0000

This is slightly off topic, but with respect to waterfowl numbers — are there any reliable figures for how many ducks are injured but not retrieved each season by hunters? I had too many encounters last season which horrified me in terms of the numbers. I’m thinking it must be in the millions each season, when you consider that a few of the hunters I spoke lost multiple ducks per season, sometimes more than one per day. These ducks were not counted in their daily limits. I can’t believe that “conservation” allows this type of wanton disregard for waterfowl, particularly when the animals have to contend with so many other habitat and environmental assaults. Not to mention it’s simply cruel to inflict this type of mass injury on a population of birds.

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:24:25 +0000

Duck population down in California? Someone send the F and W folks to Bel Air apartments in San Ramon. We have 15 baby ducks this spring and that’s just on one side of the complex!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:09:40 +0000

Gary;
I do not know if you are aware that the Mt.Diablo Unified School District is considering cutting it’s funding to the District Science Center housed in Markham Arboretum. That will save them $105,917 per year in two salaries and supplies. This program is for GATE identified students in grades 4 and 5. It is a gem. The teacher there is Barbara Wiegand. The students spend 4-5 days there tracking the weather, doing creek studies, going on bird identification walks, tree identification walks, learning hands on about the scientific method. They use microscopes, scales, binoculars, thermometers, and their brains in new ways. There are animals to study, measure, and take home if your parent approves. I could go on and on. Help! I do not want to see this program cut. I am afraid that once it is cut, it would be too difficult to bring back.