Find Answers to Your Questions
Answer: Ducks Unlimited offers several ways for supporters to contribute to our conservation work. We have an extensive membership program with several levels dependent on the sum of the gift. Please see our membership options for complete descriptions of these levels.
You may also donate directly to one of our conservation initiatives by clicking here.
Ducks Unlimited also has an extensive estate and planned giving program in addition to a corporate matching program. DU also accepts stock donations. For more information on these programs, please email our Major Gifts and Planning Departments using the form on the Contact Us page.
If you would like to donate land to DU please see our How We Conserve Web page at for more information. Also, please email our Conservation Department using the form on the Contact Us page.
Answer: DU offers several ways to renew your membership.
Click here to renew your membership via our secure Web site.
You may also renew by phoning toll free, 901-758-3825.
Answer: Year in and year out, DU strives to spend 80 percent of its revenue directly on conservation. Only four percent goes to administration. DU's management meets all of the standards of the American Institute of Philanthropy and other analysts of non-profit organizations. Copies of these reports are available via request from Ducks Unlimited. Please phone 901-758-3825 to make a request. Our Annual Report is available online by clicking here.
Answer: There are several types and levels of DU memberships.
Click here for DU membership levels and member benefits.
Answer: Yes, DU has a planned/estate gift program called the "Feather Society." The program was developed in 1994 to recognize individuals who support Ducks Unlimited through a planned gift.
Planned gifts to Ducks Unlimited can be in the following forms:
For more information on planned and estate gifts, please contact the Gift Planning Department at (901) 758-3763 or email us.
Answer: In most Ducks Unlimited magazines, a change of address form is included for your convenience. However, in some issues (such as the Christmas issue), the form is not available in the magazine. In that case, you can still call 901-758-3825, or send your new address and current membership number on POD form 3576 to Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Attn.: Membership Services One Waterfowl Way Memphis, TN 38120 For a downloadable version of form 3576, go to www.usps.gov/moversnet.
To submit your email address, please subscribe to our email newsletter by clicking here.
Answer: Ducks Unlimited magazine is published six times per year. Each issue covers two months. Ducks Unlimited magazine is typically released during the first week of January, March, May, July, September, and November. When you join Ducks Unlimited, you will automatically be added to the magazine distribution list, and will receive the next magazine that is released.
Answer: In order to "earmark" or designate funds for a specific project, the member must be a major sponsor. Major Sponsors include sponsors at the 4 year Life Sponsor level or above. Membership fees for categories below Life Sponsor cannot be earmarked for projects. Any project for which Life Sponsor funds are earmarked must be approved through the normal process formulated by the Conservation Programs Committee of Ducks Unlimited. It is preferable that projects be selected from a list of those already approved. When funds are advanced for projects not yet approved through DU's normal channels, they will be escrowed (without interest accrued) until approval. If a project is not approved, the donor can either obtain a refund or select another project
Answer: Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in waterfowl and wetlands conservation. Although many DU members are hunters, our focus is entirely on habitat conservation for wildlife. Our programs benefit more than 900 species of wildlife by conserving important wetland and upland habitat. Our wetland conservation programs also benefit more than 160 endangered or threatened species of wildlife, fish, and plants. Healthy habitats are the key to sustaining all wildlife populations, and DU is the most effective organization at providing on-the-ground habitat. Whether you are interested in waterfowl, songbirds, or coastal fisheries, DU invites all conservationists to join its ranks to benefit wildlife.
Answer: Email member@ducks.ca or call (204) 467-3000 to speak to a DU Canada representative.
Answer: DU is the world's largest private, nonprofit waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. By any measure, DU is one of the largest conservation/environmental groups in the world, with more than 1 million supporters in the United States, Canada and Mexico. DU affiliates in Canada and Mexico are the largest private, nonprofit conservation organizations in their respective countries. Other DU affiliates are located in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
Since its inception in 1937, DU has conserved more than 14 million acres of waterfowl habitat throughout North America. DU supporters have raised nearly $3.5 billion for conservation since 1937. No other conservation or environmental group can match DU's accomplishments on behalf of waterfowl, wetlands and related habitats.
Answer: Yes, DU's work has contributed tremendously to the conservation and management of waterfowl in North America. DU's habitat work has provided more than 14 million acres of valuable nesting, brood-rearing, staging, migration and wintering habitat. Scientific evaluations of DU projects have proven that this habitat has increased the annual production of waterfowl and provided valuable resources throughout the year that increase survival and reproductive potential.
All but a few species of prairie-nesting ducks have made strong recoveries in the late 1990's. In addition, most populations of geese have increased during this same period. The primary reason for the decline of ducks such as mallards, pintails, scaup, blue-winged teal and wigeons in the 1980s was drought and the loss and degradation of wetlands and adjacent upland nesting cover in the Prairie Pothole Region. Unfortunately, DU's work cannot offset all of the negative forces both natural (e.g. drought) and man-made (e.g. wetland drainage)-every year.
But, if DU had not been investing in habitat over the past 60 years, duck numbers would not be as high as they are today. The need will continue for the future and your support is essential to habitat conservation. Our challenge is to continue to restore and enhance as much quality habitat as possible in the key waterfowl areas of North America.
Answer: Our conservation section outlines the various ways we conserve, restore and enhance habitat. Click here!
Answer: Ducks Unlimited's Partners Program is all about special partnerships and programs that provide people with new ways to express their love of nature, enhance their trips afield, and support their commitment to sharing nature's rewards with their children, grandchildren, and many generations to come. We have several corporate partners and organizations that support our conservation work. Examples of habitat projects can be found on the State pages of the website and in the Priority Areas of our conservation section.
Answer: The first test is to assure that the proposed project fits the DU mission and objectives of DU's Priority Areas and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Next, our staff needs to determine whether it is viable from biological and engineering standpoints. Once these hurdles are cleared, the project is placed in priority order for funding. Higher priority goes to projects where the landowner will cost-share or contract with DU to deliver the project.
Answer: With limited funds available, DU must make every effort to assure that conservation dollars are expended as wisely, competently, and efficiently as possible. Conservation priorities are defined in DU's International Conservation Plan. Proposed projects must fit the objectives of this plan and must be feasible from biological, engineering, and financial standpoints.
Answer: Ducks Unlimited has four regional offices: the Great Plains Regional Office in Bismarck, ND; the Southern Regional Office in Jackson, MS; the Western Regional Office in Sacramento, CA; and the Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office in Ann Arbor, MI. These offices use a combination of public and private sources of funds from individuals, foundations, corporations, and state and federal agencies to develop partnerships to fund our conservation programs in the U.S. Our regional offices raise a large percentage of their budget on their own from a variety of sources.
Click here for contact information for DU's Regional Offices.
Answer: Wetlands are areas inundated, or saturated, by surface water or groundwater that support hydric, or water-loving vegetation. Wetlands are also known as swamps, marshes, bogs, and many other localized names. Wetlands are some of the most productive ecosystems on earth, and they continue to be destroyed at an alarming rate. Wetlands provide us with benefits such as:
Answer: As a resource, birds generate nearly $20 billion in economic activity and create more than 234,000 jobs in the U.S. A 1995 study commissioned by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also reports that birds, as a resource of the U.S., generate more than $1 billion in state and federal tax revenues. Fewer birds can mean lower retail sales, less tax revenue, fewer jobs, and lost economic opportunities.
Answer: Killing predators on the nesting grounds to boost waterfowl production might seem like a logical way to ensure more ducks in the fall flight. But would it really be an effective use of the money hunters contribute to conservation? Would it really make a difference in the number of ducks most hunters see in front of their blind? These questions and many others are answered in this article.
Answer: DU's research focuses on issues of fundamental importance to the design and effectiveness of wetland and waterfowl conservation programs. This research is conducted through DU Inc.'s Regional Offices, and DU Canada's Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research (IWWR). Each DU Regional Office (link) has a Director of Conservation Planning who coordinates DU research in that region. DU typically enlists the expertise and cost-sharing of university partners and government agencies. Private foundations also are important partners in supporting DU research. DU catalyzes these joint efforts and ensures that more of the research done by universities benefits DU's mission and conservation programs. Read more about IWWR research at DU Canada's site.
Answer: Our conservation biologists highly recommend that you leave the nest undisturbed and try to avoid walking in its area.
Answer: Feed adult domestic ducks cracked corn and/or wheat. Feed domestic ducklings chick starter, which you can by at a pet store.
Ducks Unlimited does not recommend feeding wild waterfowl. As is often the case when humans interact with wildlife, problems begin to arise when humans feed waterfowl. Hand feeding wild animals, although entertaining, prevents them from learning to be wary of humans and can cause them to become a nuisance. Instead of living in the wild, these birds learn that they have food and protection from predators when they settle in the city.
Waterfowl become more susceptible to attack by domestic dogs, children throwing stones or trying to catch them, and other harassment from those who see them as a problem. Flocks of semi-tame birds can become nuisances by defecating of the grass and causing damage to parks, golf courses, and other recreational areas. Waterfowl can also become a water-quality issue because of the high levels of fecal coliform and nitrogen in their waste.
Furthermore, many people do not realize that a diet of white bread can be fatal to waterfowl. When the birds gorge themselves on bread, they stop eating their natural foods, which are much more nutritious. The birds become malnourished and there have also been cases of birds choking on wads of bread.
Many people feed waterfowl in the winter because they feel badly for the birds that have to live in the cold. Because of the extreme temperatures reached in the winter, migratory waterfowl need to fly south to find sufficient amounts of marsh and grassland plants to eat. Supplementary unnatural feedings may disrupt this natural cycle of migration.
Please, if you care for the birds, do not feed them. You are really doing them more harm than good.
Answer: Contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at (800) 832-7828 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at http://offices.fws.gov/.
Answer: There are several online resources that show hunting seasons and regulations across the United States. Contact your state agency at the Recreational Opportunities on Federal Lands web site at http://www.recreation.gov; your local Fish and Wildlife Service at http://offices.fws.gov/; or access hunting information through the http://www.huntinginfo.org web site.
Answer: Contact your state Fish and Wildlife Service. For a directory, click here.
Answer: Report all banded birds to the U.S.G.S. Bird Banding Lab by calling toll free, 1-800-327-BAND, or online.
Answer: We learn of issues from volunteers, staff, and non-members. When a new issue arises, it is brought to the attention of our national president and senior staff. They compare it to our mission statement to see how it fits with achieving our organizational goals. Then, in consultation with other senior volunteers and staff, the president charts our course of action. The president often seeks advice from DU's Public Policy Subcommittee, composed of volunteers, before determining our course.
Answer: For information on CRP and WRP please Click Here for CRP and Click Here for WRP.
Answer: Yes, DU has always been willing to cooperate with any other organization that shares our habitat mission. However, DU does not make financial donations to other conservation groups. We do enter into contractual relationships with other organizations when we share a common habitat objective on a particular piece of land. These contractual relationships are business agreements designed to take advantage of the expertise or financial contributions of another group on a project that will benefit North America's waterfowl.
Answer: Ducks Unlimited has senior volunteers that serve on the Board of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. The President of DU is our most senior volunteer. State volunteers run events on local levels, assist with the production of national DU events, join and oversee DU fundraising committees, and approach vendors for donations to underwrite events and for conservation efforts. DU Canada has a similar volunteer infrastructure.
Answer: Call 1-800-45-DUCKS or visit our web page by clicking here.
Answer: One of the best ways to get involved in DU conservation work is to contact a nearby DU Chapter and find out how you can become a part of the DU team. The best way to get involved in DU conservation work is to pursue a conservation internship with Ducks Unlimited.
Contact the DU National Human Resources office hr@ducks.org, or visit here to find out if an internship with DU is available in your area.
Answer: DU believes that it is important for today's children to understand the value of wetlands and the many species of wildlife that depend upon them. For this reason, in 1973 DU started the DU youth program. It is called Greenwings after the Green-winged teal, the smallest of our waterfowl. The Greenwing program is for members 17 years old and younger. Today's youth will be tomorrow's leaders. Through education, we hope to make tomorrows leaders advocates for wetland conservation.
Visit the Greenwing website
Answer: Puddler is an online magazine published four times a year and made available to Greenwing members 12 years or younger online. A Greenwing membership is $15 annually. Senior Greenwing members, ages 12 through 17, receive the regular Ducks Unlimited Magazine.
Visit the Greenwing website for more information and events.
Log in and view Puddler here.
Answer: Greenwing members can send material to: Puddler Magazine, One Waterfowl Way, Memphis, TN 38120. Keep in mind that we have 60,000 Puddler Greenwing members, and space for children's artwork is limited. Most of the online magazine's space is devoted to educating Greenwings in a fun way about wetlands and wetland wildlife.
Answer: Many of our 3,500 DU chapters nationwide hold Greenwing events that include such things as waterfowl identification, duck calling, dog training demonstrations, archery, fishing, and conservation education programs. Check with our membership department at 901-758-3825.
Visit the Greenwing website
Answer: Click here to read DU's formal position on hunting.
For even more information on DU and hunting, click here.
Answer: Hunting rights on DU projects are determined by the landowner or manager. Many projects are located on state or federal lands that are open to public hunting, but some are on refuges that are closed to hunting. Hunting privileges on privately owned project sites must be obtained directly from the landowner. DU's active involvement in any project is based on the project's potential to help fulfill the annual life cycle needs of waterfowl from a habitat enhancement perspective. But the vast majority of DU projects are open to some form of hunting and other wildlife-related recreation.
Answer: There are several online resources that show hunting seasons and regulations across the United States. Contact your state agency at the Recreational Opportunities on Federal Lands web site at http://www.recreation.gov; your local Fish and Wildlife Service at http://offices.fws.gov/; or access hunting information through the http://www.huntinginfo.org/ web site.
Answer: Report all banded birds to the U.S.G.S. Bird Banding Lab by calling toll free, 1-800-327-BAND, or online. To learn more on bird banding click here .
Answer: Ducks Unlimited does not set hunting regulations or determine season dates. Under Federal law established by international treaties with Canada, Mexico, and other countries sharing North America's migratory birds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service) is ultimately responsible for regulating migratory bird hunting in the United States.
Each year, the Service sets a framework of federal regulations for all migratory bird hunting across the nation. Within that framework, individual states set more specific regulations through their Flyway Council. States are free to pursue more restrictive regulations, but can only be as liberal as the federal framework.
Before establishing any regulations, the Service consults biologists, state agencies, private organizations, and the general public to gain information about migratory bird populations, habitat status, production, and other factors affecting hunting regulations. DU biologists annually participate in this process by conducting technical reviews of waterfowl data in each flyway. DU also provides an annual assessment of breeding ground conditions to the Flyway Councils charged with recommending regulations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. DU does not advocate specific regulations governing the waterfowl hunting season, nor does DU have a vote in deciding those regulations. Ducks Unlimited provides technical, scientific information on the status of waterfowl habitat and populations, then communicates the Service's decisions to our members and staff.
Answer: Contact the Ducks Unlimited sales representative in your area. To find contact information about your sales representative, visit our web page by clicking here.
Answer: To order DU merchandise online, please visit our online shopping page.
Answer: You can receive a FREE official duck head decal when you sign up for the DU newsletter.
Click here to get your free decal!
Answer: The DU Online Auction features merchandise from past years' Event Merchandise package. Visit www.ducks.org/auction to learn more.
Answer: To inquire about artwork submissions, contact DU's John Hoffman at (901) 758-3864, or email us using our Contact Us form.
Answer: Ducks Unlimited magazine will consider any artwork depicting waterfowl or waterfowling. The artist should not send any original material. Satisfactory reproduction in the magazine can be achieved from good color transparencies. The greater the number of transparencies that can be submitted and kept on file, the greater the chances are that a particular piece of artwork will fit the magazine's editorial needs. If a piece of artwork is used in Ducks Unlimited magazine, a credit line is included and all inquiries regarding the artwork are forwarded directly to the artist. DU requests that photographers send a SASE to John Hoffman (One Waterfowl Way, Memphis, TN, 38120) with a request for a current photograph wants list.
Answer: Ducks Unlimited has a national art selection process each year. The artist who submits the most popular waterfowl or waterfowl-related image is selected as the Ducks Unlimited "Artist of the Year." If you are interested in submitting wildlife artwork, contact DU's Product Marketing Manager, Jane Lawson, at jlawson@ducks.org. Samples of your artwork will be reviewed.
Answer: For information on artwork featured in Ducks Unlimited magazine, e-mail us through the Contact Us form. Ducks Unlimited event artwork can only be purchased at a DU event. For a listing of events in your area, visit www.ducks.org/events, or go to your state's home page on our website and see the "Upcoming Events" listing. For information on DU event artwork, email us using the Contact Us form.
Answer: Visit Informart's website at www.informartmag.com. Ducks Unlimited does not have any value information on any artwork or collectibles.
Answer: For job listings in the U.S., please see our job opportunities page.
Answer: Online: Email your resume to hr@ducks.org. Please send all emails in Microsoft Word format.
Offline: Mail your resume to Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Attn: Human Resources, One Waterfowl Way, Memphis, TN 38120
Answer: For a complete list of current job openings at DU Canada, please visit www.ducks.ca/about/careers. For general inquiries about career opportunities at DU Canada, email hr@ducks.ca
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