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Submitted by DU member Bill Houghton



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This issue of the DU Newsletter brought to you by:
The Cove at Trail's End



Lake Seminole, Ga.

Member Tip
Grass Blind

"A light, inconspicuous blind can be made from plastic fencing material use for commerical fish farms. Staple the fencing to four or five light wooden rods, then tightly weave native grass or cattails through the openings in the fencing. While hunting, place the blind amidst matching cover. The blind can be firmly anchored by driving the rods into the mud. At the end of the hunt, carefully roll up the blind and stow it in your boat."

-Duncan Campbell
Fredericton, New Brunswick

1. Hunting Basics 1: Find a Spot
2. Hunting Basics 2: Gear Up
3. Hunting Basics 3: The Hunt

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Chapter Spotlight
Marion, Ark., Chapter

Dedication and knowledgeable people have made this DU chapter a success.

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Checkett Out

Get a biologist's perspective on popular issues pertaining to waterfowl and waterfowl hunting from DU Media Relations Biologist, Mike Checkett.

Read Checkett Out today!

Partner Spotlight



New Yamaha Grizzly 550 FI ATV with power steering

Yamaha's all-new Grizzly 550 FI ATV is ready for the 2008 hunting season. The best new utility ATV comes with electric power steering; automatic transmission; pushbutton 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with diff lock; fully independent four-wheel suspension and disc brakes - important features that have made the Grizzly 700 FI the best-selling big-bore utility ATV.  Find out more about the Grizzly 550 FI.

Maximize your "hidden" potential
Tips for building better blinds this hunting season
by Communications Staff

Waterfowl blinds are like a different dimension. The moment you sit or lie down in a blind, you see the world from a different perspective. Time stands still when the birds are overhead and the company is enjoyable. It provides the appropriate camouflage from the eyes in the sky, and it breaks the cold wind. A good blind is a home, a memory factory, and a place to share our hunting heritage with the next generation.

Improve your blind and you can improve your success. Our experts share some great ways to make your blinds, whether permanent or temporary, better suited for the upcoming season.

Get tips

Contest: Help name DU's new pup!
Submit a name, vote for your favorite and win great prizes

Ducks Unlimited is expecting, and it's a boy! Our new black Labrador retriever puppy needs a name – and we need your help to pick one. Come up with a good name and enter today!

You have until Sept. 15 to enter. DU staff will choose the top five submissions, and then we'll put it to a vote among your fellow supporters on the DU website. The winner will receive a six-month supply of Hill's Science Diet High Energy Adult pet food.



Help us name the new DU dog!

DU Magazine: Shoot better next season
by Wade Bourne (from the July/August 2008 issue)

Get shooting advice from champion marksman Scott Robertson of Elm Fork Shotgun Sports in Dallas, Texas, and watch a detailed how-to video to help prepare you for the upcoming season.

Read more

Featured Video: Opening Day
Are you ready? The countdown to Sept. 1 has begun.



Opening Day is coming, and it's bringing with it an experience unlike any other. Weather reports, an improved migration map, hunting tips and real hunter insight all available to you at the click of a mouse. Hear the heartbeat of waterfowl hunters across the country as the First Flight arrives. Presented by Federal Premium Ammunition, LINE-X, Hevi-Shot, Kodak Products and our other proud sponsors, Opening Day is sure to have you on the edge of your seat.

More DU Videos

DU in D.C.: Ducks Unlimited advises Congress on bird populations

DU Chief Biologist Dale Humburg testified before Congress on several key factors in declining bird populations across North America: Loss of grassland nesting habitat, deterioration of coastal wetlands and loss of protected wetlands in all parts of the country.

"Changes in bird numbers and their distribution can be taken as strong signals that key environmental functions are 'broken,'" said Humburg. "Birds serve as the proverbial 'canary in the coal mine,' but on a continental scale."

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DU News: No early outs for Conservation Reserve Program

The USDA announced recently that they would not allow landowners to take their land out of the popular Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) without repaying the rental payments they had received. USDA Secretary Schafer cited robust corn and soybean yields and less-than-expected crop damage as the reasons to keep the program's regulations unchanged.

CRP has been a windfall for wildlife, adding more than 2.2 million ducks to the annual migration and more than 13.5 million pheasant to the prairies. It is also responsible for removing more than 50 million tons of carbon dioxide from the air. The program is credited with conserving more than 470 million tons of topsoil in the past year alone.

Read more

Recipe of the Month: Goose Gumbo