First-of-its-kind teaching tool delivers essential knowledge and skills for new waterfowl hunters
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — A new Delta Waterfowl Duck and Goose Hunting 101 Course is now available online to provide beginning hunters the knowledge they need to take that first duck or goose on their own or with their friends. Delivered in partnership with Kalkomey Enterprises — the world’s largest developer of online outdoor education — as part of its “Today’s Hunter” series, you’ll find the course at https://www.todayshunter.com/duck-goose-101.
Each year, more than 600,000 students take required hunter safety courses, and more of them than ever are doing so online. However, decades of follow-up surveys of graduates reveal that despite pursuing hunting safety certification, a surprisingly large number of graduates never actually go hunting or even purchase one hunting license. The most often cited reasons are lack of access, lack of support in social circles and unavailability of trustworthy knowledge.
“Delta’s Duck and Goose Hunting 101 online course is purpose-built to address that knowledge deficit when it comes to waterfowling,” said Joel Brice, Delta’s chief conservation officer. “We’ve used Delta’s collective experience as The Duck Hunters Organization to build an all-new, from scratch, engaging and fun curriculum specifically for the demographic of online hunter education graduates. It’s full of the skills and knowledge to put the first-time waterfowl hunter into position to safely, legally, ethically and — maybe most importantly in some ways — to enjoyably take that first duck or goose.”
In addition to hunter-education graduates, The Delta Duck and Goose Hunting 101 online course is available to anyone interested in online learning. It’s also a great gift idea for any novice duck hunter of any age. Just a few of the important units in the course include:
- How to scout before and during the season
- Tips for identifying ducks and geese in hand and in the air
- Basic, economical gear to get started
- Decoy placement on the water and in the field
- How to master simple calling skills
- Step-by-step instructions for cleaning and preparing waterfowl
- Dealing with emergencies in the field
- Hunting on public and private hunting areas
“Through our partnership with Delta, we’re able to deliver a reputable program that provides the ‘next-step’ information students need,” said Mitch Strobl, executive vice president of software at Kalkomey. “Students can access this information on their own time from the comfort of their own homes. It’s our hope that the course will not only equip them to hit the field with confidence, but will also serve as a stepping stone to attending other Delta or state-run workshops to further expand their skills.”
In addition to being offered to hundreds of thousands of online hunter education course participants each year and to the general hunting public, Delta plans to use the course content to enhance its own historic First Hunt and University Hunting Programs.
Delta R3 coordinator Jacob Bushaw said, “The information in this curriculum may be designed primarily for the new hunter who’s out there trying to do it on his or her own, but the same knowledge and skills will benefit newcomers who have a strong mentor through our own programs, too. Who could deliver it better than The Duck Hunters Organization?”
See the introduction for Delta’s Duck and Goose Hunting 101 course at: https://www.todayshunter.com/duck-goose-101/.
For more information, contact Joel Brice at (701) 226-7269 or jbrice@deltawaterfowl.org.
Delta Waterfowl Foundation is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and secure the future of duck hunting in North America. Visit: www.deltawaterfowl.org.
