20 Nebraskaland • October 2019
I
t's just my humble opinion, but I believe those of
us involved in fish and wildlife conservation on a
professional level are "wired" a bit differently than the
rest of society. There's some innate draw or attraction
to wild and natural things and places that is difficult to
explain, let alone understand. That attraction has led us
down a path of life that isn't just a job or a career, but a
vocation that is inexplicably intertwined with our lives,
passions, and hobbies.
Those passions and hobbies manifest themselves
in a variety of ways, whether it be simple hikes up
secluded mountain trails, catching bluegill through the
ice, or observing a rare bird species to add to the life
list. Engaging in our favorite activities adds fuel to our
commitment to doing our jobs, but also reminds us of
that unspoken oath we took somewhere along the line
to conserve our natural resources.
The sight of ducks on cupped wings provides that
source of fuel for me. I never – ever – get tired of seeing
it, but when it happens on a gray November day over
my decoys, it's a really good sight. If also in response to
my calling and they don't flare when I raise my shotgun,
a truly marvelous one. That sight doesn't occur often,
and I find it a bit evil in that it'll set you on a trajectory
(obsession?) to see it again despite those early mornings
of slogging through soft-bottomed marshes only to
watch empty skies.
It's probably strange then to know it wasn't that
experience that engulfed me into the waterfowl
conservation world, but the sight of looking into a duck
nest on a Montana prairie that did it. However, two years
later after some of my colleagues took me duck hunting, it
seemed I was destined to be where I'm at today. I feel lucky
to be in a position to know that both of those experiences
are connected. I also carry a sense of responsibility that to
participate in one, I must have the other.
I'm now at the point in my life where I want my
grandkids and others to experience what I've
experienced in the marshes. Will ducks on cupped wings
elicit the same feelings in them? Will they understand
my work and my passion were connected as a means
to provide their kids with the same opportunity? I can
only hope and for now, simply relish their being in the
duck blind with me.
N
Thoughts on
Waterfowl
BY DR. MARK VRTISKA
PHOTOS BY JOEL JONES
Joel Jones is a freelance photographer living and working out of Lincoln, Nebraska.
A native of Halifax, England, Jones aspires to shed a positive light on the hunting
community through his photos. He loves to travel,
hunt and photograph the outdoors.
