For generations, northwest Ohio's Lake Erie marshes have been a gathering place for waterfowl, hunters and people who understand the value of healthy wetlands. Each fall, Ducks Unlimited's Ohio Partnership Hunt brings those connections together, celebrating both the region's waterfowling heritage and the conservation work helping preserve it.
The 24th Annual Ohio Partnership Hunt, held Oct. 27-29 in the Port Clinton area, welcomed conservation leaders, government agency representatives, private marsh owners, donors, volunteers, outdoor media and waterfowl enthusiasts for three days of conservation presentations, field tours, hunting and fellowship.
Hosted in partnership with the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the Lake Erie Marsh Association (LEMA), the event has become a longstanding tradition in a region where private landowners, duck clubs and conservation organizations have worked together for decades to maintain some of the most important waterfowl habitat along Lake Erie.
Approximately 160 people attended each of the two evening gatherings, while about 80 participated in Wednesday's conservation tour and luncheon. More than 25 duck clubs and private marsh owners opened their properties to invited guests for guided hunts during the event.
For Ducks Unlimited, the gathering is about more than a few days in the marsh. It is an opportunity to show supporters what their investment in conservation is accomplishing, introduce new partners to the region and recognize the people who make that work possible.
Over its 24-year history, the Ohio Partnership Hunt has become a place where conservation partners, landowners, volunteers, donors and outdoor enthusiasts can exchange ideas, strengthen relationships and celebrate the Lake Erie region's waterfowling heritage.
A Growing Conservation Footprint
The work being celebrated at this year's event reflects decades of conservation investment across Ohio.
Since the 1990s, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 100,000 acres in the state and invested more than $63 million in habitat conservation.
And that work continues to accelerate.
During Tuesday evening's opening reception at the Port Clinton Elks Lodge, Ducks Unlimited Senior Regional Biologist Russ Terry shared projections for a record-setting fiscal year 2027.
DU and its partners anticipate completing approximately 35 conservation projects, conserving nearly 5,000 acres of waterfowl habitat and investing more than $10 million in conservation across Ohio.
The projected investment would surpass DU's previous single-year high in the state of slightly more than $7 million.
Terry, who has spent 28 years with Ducks Unlimited, emphasized that the work depends on partnerships among public agencies, private landowners, nonprofit organizations and supporters.
“We don't do anything individually. We always work in partnerships,” Terry told attendees.
Those partnerships have been especially important in the western Lake Erie watershed, where wetland restoration can provide benefits for both wildlife habitat and water quality.
Since 2019, Ducks Unlimited has received 27 grants through Ohio's H2Ohio initiative totaling $19.8 million. Under these grants, DU has conserved 3,775 acres of wetlands that annually filter runoff from more than 7,000 acres of agricultural land.
The event also included the announcement of a $1.95M grant from the James M. Cox Foundation to support the permanent protection of high-priority conservation properties in Ohio's Western Lake Erie Basin. The Foundation is the charitable arm of Cox Enterprises and parent company of Cox Automotive, who endorsed the grant. Additional information is available in Ducks Unlimited's official announcement.
Restoring Wetlands, Improving Water Quality
Throughout the three-day event, a recurring message emerged: Restoring wetlands in northwest Ohio benefits far more than waterfowl.
The region's marshes provide habitat for migrating and breeding birds, support recreational opportunities and help improve water quality by capturing nutrients and slowing runoff before it reaches Lake Erie.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources' H2Ohio initiative has become an important part of that work.
During Wednesday evening's program, Eric Saas, H2Ohio Coordinator with ODNR, described the scale of the state's wetland restoration efforts and the science guiding those investments.
According to figures Saas presented, H2Ohio has supported 529 wetland restoration projects since 2019, representing approximately 21,700 acres of restored, created or enhanced wetlands and $200 million in allocated funding.
Saas explained that projects are designed around the specific needs of each location. Some reconnect floodplains or restore natural stream features. Others improve coastal marsh management through infrastructure repairs, water-control structures and better connections to surrounding waterways.
“The good news is our wetlands are working for water quality,” Saas said. “They're absorbing nutrients when they need to.”
Independent scientific monitoring helps evaluate the results of those projects and guide future restoration investments.
Ohio Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker reinforced that message during Tuesday's opening reception, describing H2Ohio as a major investment in the state's natural infrastructure.
“It is a significant transformational investment into natural wetland infrastructure,” Wecker said, pointing to the program's ability to improve water quality while creating wildlife habitat.
For DU and its partners, that combination of benefits is central to the conservation work taking place across the western Lake Erie Basin.
Conservation Projects Making a Difference
Several projects in northwest Ohio illustrate how these partnerships are producing tangible results.
At Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ducks Unlimited purchased the 64-acre Camp Sabroske property in 2024 using Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding and donated it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the refuge.
Restoration work is underway to improve habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, restore fish passage and enhance water quality in the Toussaint River and Lake Erie.
The project was made possible through partnerships involving DU, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Moyer and Velliquette families, and funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Nearby, Ducks Unlimited and the Ohio Division of Wildlife are collaborating on a two-phase restoration project at Mallard Club Wildlife Area.
The project will restore or enhance more than 300 acres of coastal wetlands. Phase I has been completed, including restoration of the 43-acre Mink Unit and installation of a new pump station to improve water quality flowing into Lake Erie. Phase II will enhance another 261 acres across four managed coastal wetland units.
Funding for the work comes from H2Ohio, Pittman-Robertson funds and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
Private lands are another important piece of the conservation picture.
Through the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, Ducks Unlimited and its partners have restored more than 1,600 acres in Ohio's western Lake Erie Basin. The work involves the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District.
Now in its fifth phase, the effort includes five ongoing restoration projects and three completed projects.
Together, these efforts demonstrate how conservation investments can improve waterfowl habitat, strengthen public recreation opportunities and provide water-quality benefits throughout the watershed.
Seeing Conservation Firsthand at Howard Marsh
On Wednesday morning, guests traded the meeting room for the marsh during a conservation tour at Howard Marsh Metropark.
The visit offered an opportunity to see wetland habitat management firsthand and hear directly from the people responsible for restoring and managing the region's wildlife resources.
Representatives of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory discussed the role of public lands, private property and cooperative conservation programs in maintaining habitat across northwest Ohio. Toledo Metroparks staff also led a portion of the tour and offered insight into the Howard Marsh project and its success.
Dave Sherman, the Ohio Division of Wildlife's state wetland habitat coordinator, helped explain the area's public waterfowl hunting opportunities and how different properties are managed to accommodate hunters while protecting habitat.
Sherman was recognized the previous evening with Ducks Unlimited's Partner of the Year Award for his support, partnership and contributions to conservation across the state of Ohio.
The tour highlighted the range of hunting access available in the Lake Erie marsh region, including areas with open public access and others managed through controlled hunting opportunities.
Jeff Finn of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program also discussed the importance of private lands conservation in Ohio, where the overwhelming majority of land is privately owned.
Partnerships with landowners, local conservation districts, state agencies and organizations such as Ducks Unlimited allow habitat restoration to reach places where public ownership alone could never accomplish the same results.
Following the tour, attendees traveled to DeMars Point Hunting & Fishing Club for lunch before departing for afternoon hunts hosted by participating marshes and duck clubs.
For many guests, the day offered a direct connection between the conservation projects discussed during the presentations and the waterfowl habitat they would experience later in the field.
Ohio Hunters Support Conservation Beyond the State
One of Tuesday evening's highlights was a $150,000 contribution to Ducks Unlimited through Ohio's Fall Flights program.
Ohio Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker presented the ceremonial check on behalf of the ODOW, continuing a longstanding commitment to conserving critical waterfowl breeding habitat in Ontario, Canada.
The funding comes from Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp revenues, connecting the state's waterfowl hunters directly to habitat conservation on the breeding grounds. Additionally, birders and other conservationists often purchase stamps to show support to wetland habitats.
The Fall Flights program is a partnership among U.S. and Canadian wildlife agencies, Ducks Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
To date, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has contributed more than $5.8 million to the program.
The investment reflects a fundamental reality of waterfowl conservation: Ducks that migrate through Ohio depend on healthy habitat throughout their annual life cycle, from northern breeding grounds to migration stopovers and wintering areas.
By investing in breeding habitat beyond its borders, Ohio helps support the waterfowl populations that return to the Lake Erie marshes each fall.
Recognizing the People Behind the Partnerships
The Ohio Partnership Hunt has always been about relationships, and this year's gathering included several recognitions honoring individuals whose dedication has helped strengthen conservation and the local waterfowling community.
On Tuesday evening, Dave Sherman, State Wetland Habitat Coordinator for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, received Ducks Unlimited's Partner of the Year Award.
The opening reception also included recognition of major donors and supporters whose contributions help sustain DU's conservation programs.
On Wednesday evening, Shawn Griffith of DeMars Point Hunting & Fishing Club received the Lake Erie Marsh Association's Punter of the Year Award, continuing another longstanding Ohio Partnership Hunt tradition.
But one of the most memorable moments of the week came during a tribute to a man whose influence on the local marsh community extended far beyond the annual event.
Remembering Bobby Sweeney
For those who knew Bobby Sweeney, the Ohio Partnership Hunt was about much more than hunting ducks.
Sweeney, a longtime local marsh manager and respected figure in the Lake Erie waterfowling community, passed away shortly before the 2026 hunting season. During Wednesday evening's dinner, organizers honored him posthumously with the Ohio Hunt MVP Award.
His brother, Tim Sweeney, accepted the award.
Scott Paschke, Regional Director for DU, shared memories of a man who seemed to know everyone and everything happening throughout the local marshes.
Bobby knew the marshes, the hunters and the birds. More importantly, he cared about the people who came to experience them.
Paschke described his first hunt at Sweeney's marsh nearly 20 years earlier. Arriving eager to get into the blind, he was surprised to discover that everyone seemed more interested in enjoying breakfast, drinking coffee and carrying on conversations in the clubhouse.
As shooting time approached, Paschke grew increasingly restless.
Eventually, Bobby invited him onto the back deck, where thousands of waterfowl began lifting off the marsh in the morning light.
Only after the birds had departed did Bobby announce that it was time to go hunting.
The experience left a lasting impression.
While guests hunted, Bobby often remained at the clubhouse, watching the activity across the marsh and taking satisfaction in seeing others enjoy the experience. When they returned, he was ready with observations about what they had done well and what they might have done differently.
“He was also like the old-school grandfather,” Paschke recalled. “He would tell you the mistakes you made. But behind your back, it was nothing but love and kindness.”
That generosity extended to the Ohio Partnership Hunt itself.
Paschke remembered how Sweeney would regularly contact organizers to make sure they had enough hunting locations for their guests. If additional space was needed, Bobby was always willing to accommodate more hunters.
It was a reflection of his commitment not only to his own marsh, but to the entire waterfowling community.
The presentation concluded with a toast to Bobby, celebrating his friendship, his knowledge and the countless hunting experiences he helped make possible.
For the people who knew him, the recognition was a reminder that the traditions of the Lake Erie marshes are sustained by individuals willing to share their time, experience and love of the outdoors with others.
Tradition Built on Partnerships
The 2026 Ohio Partnership Hunt concluded Oct. 29 following a final morning of waterfowl hunting and a farewell luncheon.
Over three days, guests saw restoration projects, heard about significant conservation investments, celebrated individual achievements and spent time in some of northwest Ohio's most treasured waterfowling landscapes.
But the event's lasting value is not measured only in acres restored, dollars invested or birds harvested.
It is also found in the relationships among the people who make conservation possible.
Private marsh owners and duck clubs continue to steward their properties and traditions. Government agencies provide expertise, funding and public access. Conservation organizations help bring projects to life. Donors and volunteers provide the resources and commitment needed to keep that work moving forward.
And each October, the Ohio Partnership Hunt brings those groups together in a place where their shared efforts can be seen firsthand.
After 24 years, that combination of conservation, partnership and waterfowling tradition remains the heart of the event.
Media Contact
Jay Hathaway
Communications Coordinator, Great Lakes Atlantic Region
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 20 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
