Waterfowl Hunting. Waterfowl hunting is the practice of hunting ducks and geese, both for food and for sport. In many developed countries, commercial duck hunting is prohibited, and duck hunting is primarily an outdoor sporting activity.
Wild waterfowl such as ducks, geese, swans, and teal were hunted for food, down, and feathers since prehistoric times. Ducks, geese, and swans appear in European cave paintings from the last Ice Age.
Waterfowl, duck, eider and goose feathers and down have long been popular for bedspreads, pillows, sleeping bags and coats. The members of this family also have long been used for food.
The rise of modern waterfowl hunting is closely linked to the history of the shotgun, which can kill more reliably at greater ranges than a weapon that shoots a single projectile.
By the late 19th century, large punt guns were used in commercial waterfowl hunting that could kill dozens of birds with a single shot.
Waterfowl are indigenous to marsh and wetland areas. Wetland conservation and restoration is critical for the continuance of waterfowl hunting.
Organizations such as Ducks Unlimited are making a concerted effort to maintain and expand waterfowl and marshland conservation.
As a resource, waterfowl generate nearly $20 billion in economic revenue and has created more than 234,000 jobs in the United States of America.
A 1995 study commissioned by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also reports that waterfowl, as a resource of the United States, generate more than $1 billion in state and federal tax revenues.
Less waterfowl could mean substantially lower retail sales, less tax revenue, fewer jobs, and lost economic opportunities.
Big Game
Antelope
