Spor
4= D
:60
WE HAVE IT COVERED IF IT'S PLAYED
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Black duck on local waters a rare treat 5?
its
HOME CALENDAR
WHNSDAYIICENBRII
4:00 pm.
Varsity Wrestling
lvs. Howard, Southwest 8.
Warner Robins)
THURSDAY DECEMBER I2
5:00 pm.
C-Ieam Girls Basketball
lvs. Clilton Ridge)
6:00 pm.
C-Ieam Boys Basketball
lvs. Clilton Ridgel
6:00 pm.
9th Grade Boys Basketball
lvs. Howardl
FRIDAY DECEMBER I3
SATURDAY DECEMBER I4
I0:00 mm.
9th Grade Boys Basketball
lvs. Perry)
4:30 pm.
JV Boys Basketball
lvs. Jacksonl
6:00 pm.
Varsity Girls Basketball
lvs. Jacksonl
7:30 pm.
Varsity Boys Basketball
lvs. lacksonl
SUNDAY DECEMBER 15
MONDAY DECEMBER I6
5:30 pm.
9th Grade Boys Basketball
lvs. GriIfinI
6:45 pm.
JV Boys Basketball
lvs. Gritfinl
TUESDAY DECEMBERI7
5:00 pm.
C-Ieam Girls Basketball
lvs. Gray Station]
6:00 pm.
C-Ieam Boys Basketball
lvs. Gray Stationl
very so often, you hear or
ts December II, 20I9
Francis Kortright expressed this feel-
see something that just ing best when he wrote, “The black
makes your day. Such an duck is the most sagacious, wary, and
ccurrence happened to wildest of all ducks...”
me a couple of weeks ago. Black ducks are among the wariest
Recently while conducting my of all waterfowl and are difficult to
weekly winter bird survey I encoun-
tered a flock of close to 400 ducks
loafing a few hundred yards from
lure into a Set of decoys. When hunt-
ing pressure becomes too intense,
they have even been known to feed
shore. Whenever I find at night long after hunt—
a large flock of ducks, I ers have abandoned their
count the birds with the blinds.
aid of at spotting scope. Throughout much of the
As I count the birds, I 20th century, their numbers
call out the numbers typically outnumbered oth-
of individuals of each er freshwater ducks in the
species I see. These Atlantic Flyway. However,
numbers are recorded beginning more than half a
by my longtime survey century ago (just about the
assistant Melissa Hayes. time I began hunting ducks)
In this case, I began their numbers started to
tallying the birds swim- TERRY w’ JOHNSON plummet. As late as 1952-
ming on the left side of 54, the black duck popula-
the flock I commenced by working
my way through small groups of
gadwalls intermixed with American
wigeon, green~winged teal, a lesser
scaup and a lone ring-necked duck.
Near the extreme right side of the
flock, I noticed a single mallard-sized
sooty-black duck sporting an olive—
green bill. I knew in an instant I was
looking at a drake black duck--a bird
I had not seen in years. What a treat!
The black duck’s breeding range
extends from the Midwest eastward
throughout eastern Canada and the
northeastern United States southward
to Cape Hatteras. Two-thirds of the
birds winter from Long Island to
North Carolina, although black ducks
also winter in the Deep South.
Duck hunters have long held the
black duck in high esteem. Perhaps
tion was estimated to be 1,310,000.
By the period extending from 1959—
62, black duck numbers had dropped
to only 804,000 birds.
Locally, throughout the 48-year
history of the Piedmont National
Wildlife Refuge/ Rum Creek Wildlife
Management Area Christmas Bird,
the most black ducks seen on a count
were 124 in 1983. Nowadays the bird
is rarely spotted.
This precipitous decline prompted
many waterfowl biologists to fear we
may lose the bird. FortUnately, this
fear has not been realized. However,
this fabulous duck still faces an un—
certain future.
More than 30 years ago, water-
fowl biologists established a winter
population goal of 385,000 black
ducks as part of the North Ameri-
big in Forsyth
W r "
mum §afles
Huge selection of tires...
Off Road 0 Mud Tires 0 Street Tires 0 Trucks 0 Jeeps
dealer in the South! :
MARY PERSONS BUL
(a? w
$5tatefarm I
281 Trft College Drive - Forsyth, GA 31 029
478-992-9945
HoumMmday-Friday,9am-5:30pm
It is now rare to see a black duck
in Monroe County, although they
were abundant prior to the 1960's.
(Photo/US. Fish Wildlife Service)
can Waterfowl Management Plan.
Unfortunately, while surveys indicate
the black duck population is gradu—
ally increasing, currently population
numbers are less than 30 percent of
the goal set for the species. That is one
of the reasons why we are allowed to
bag only one black duck per day dur-
ing the 2019—20 Georgia Waterfowl
Hunting Season.
A number of possible reasons for
the decline of black duck populations
have been offered. They range from
pollution, habitat less, disease, and
one that you probably never suspect-
ed-—hybridization with mallards.
Canadian, Federal, state and private
conservation groups are diligently
working to identify and hopefully
alleviate the reasons for the declines.
For example, governmental agencies
are preserving and enhancing black
duck habitats throughout the bird’s
breeding and wintering grounds. In
addition, Ducks Unlimited, the pre—
miere private waterfowl conservation
organization, has also been active in
this area. A prime example of this is
Ducks Unlimited’s work in helping
conserve 7,600-plus acres of critical
black duck tidal marsh habitat along
New Jersey and Delaware Bare. This
area is the winter home of 60 percent
of the black duck population.
As for hybridization, it seems that,
when given the chance, male inal-
lards will often mate with female
black ducks. The young produced by “
such unions show physical charac-
teristics of both black ducks and mal-
lards. Such matings have undoubt—
edly gone on for centuries but have
become more common since mal-
lards have become more abundant
in the black duck’s breeding ground.
Whereas, historically black ducks far
outnumbered mallards in the Atlantic
Flyway, the reverse is true today.
The results of a study conducted
by Penn State biologists demon—
strate how serious this problem has
become. When they examined 135
wings submitted by hunters from
Maine to South Carolina they found
more wings came from black/mallard
hybrids (48) than black ducks (42)
and mallards (45).
Unfortunately nobody has formu-
lated a solution to this problem.
1
g
x
1
Clearly it is going to take a tremen- l
dous amount of work by govern—
mental agencies and private groups
such as Ducks Unlimited to save this
precious resource.
Meanwhile, I hope I will not have
to wait several more years before I see ‘
another black duck.
Email Terry Johnson at tjwood—
duck@bellsouth. net.
Fourteen Bulldogs named to All-Region team
Fourteen Mary Persons
3 forced fumbles. . included: freshman quarter— Team all-region choices a
year Fine Arts Center. MP head
football players received All— Four more Bulldogs were back Logan
Hickman, who ago. Howard, who missed coach Brian Nelson said no
Region 2-AAAA recognition named 2nd Team All-Region led MP with 1,402
passing most of 2018 with an injury, Bulldog seniors are expected ‘
in 2019. 2—AAAA. These included: yards with 91 completions in was an
Honorable Mention to sign during the early college ’_
MP senior all-purpose sophomore center Austin 175 attempts (52.0 percent)
all-region selection as a signing period starting on
standout Rico Harden was ' Starr, senior defensive tackle with 12
touchdowns and 9 sophomore in 2017. Wednesday, Dec. 18, but he
selected by region coaches Jalen Germany, who had 44 interceptions,
sophomore left MP will hold its annual sea- said as many as five could ink
*
on Thursday as the region’s tackles, including 5.5 tackles- guard Jarvis
Germany, junior son-ending awards banquet at college letters of intent
during
Athlete of the Year. Harden for—a-loss while tying for the defensive end
Lamont Jones, 6230 pm. on Monday, Jan. 6 at the next signing period
begin—
led MP in both rushing and team lead with 3.5 sacks, who had 18 tackles,
includ— the Monroe County Schools ning on Wednesday, Feb. 5. ‘
receiving, running for 729 junior outside linebacker ing 3.5
tackles-for—a-loss, 1.5
yards and 11 touchdowns on Thomas Warren, who led sacks, 2 pass breakups
and Y
135 carries (5.4 yards-per— MP with 90 tackles (42 solo), an
interception, senior strong E l- l T E L A N D ,
carry average) and catching including 6 tackles—for-a—loss, safety
Wyatt Currie, who
22 passes for 455 yards and 5 3 sacks, 5 pass breakups, had 44 tackles,
including 4 I"
touchdowns (20.7 yards-per— 3 fumble recoveries and 1
tackles=for—a—loss, 2 sacks, 6 S E R V I c E S m
catch average). As a return forced fumble, and junior pass break-ups and a
fumble ‘
gal? flrHafrden retuncil:d 10 comerback Adrian Hughley, recovery, and
senior corner- .;
'c o s or 280 yar and a . who had 53 tackles with 1 back Malikk Harris,
who had '- . '
touchdown (28.0 yards-per- interception, 14 pass-breakups 30 tackles,
includng tackles- F0 reStry “ummng cmarmg ‘
return average) and 4 punts and 2 forced fumbles. for-a-loss and 2 pass
breakups. “
for 18 yards. At comerback, Five more Bulldogs were Harden was a lst Team
all- _ 9 9 2 _7 0 4 2
Harden led the Bulldogs in named Honorable Mention region selection in 2018
while
interceptions with 4 for 120 All-Region 2-AAAA. These Moore and Jackson
were 2nd
return yards and a touch- , ' , V , .
downHealsoledMPwifll ‘ . y 0., ,
18 assbreaku sto oalon th da th C] 1:
Mg; ,1 W521 530, and: Get Your Home Ready for e Holr ys wr Gleam caning
Pros. ;.
blocked field goal . ' “ “‘1 - :- .
Four Mary Persons play- . I . l
ers were named lst Team
All-Region 2-AAAA. These
included: senior receiver
Trippe Moore, who caught
16 passes for 185 yards and 2
touchdowns (11.6 yards-pen
catch), senior left tackle Nate
Howard, who paved the way
for MP to rush for 1,813 yards
and 20 touchdowns, senior
all-purpose athlete William
Stewart, who rushed for 680
yards and 8 touchdowns on
111 carries (6.1 yards-per-
carry), caught 6 passes for 26
yards, returned 3 kickoffs for
40 yards, and made 38 tackles
on defense, and senior middle
linebacker Andre Jackson,
who was second on the team
in tackles with 80 (41 solo),
led the team with 10.5 tackles-
for-a-loss while adding 2
sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and
6
n Low Pressure House Wash *
fl Roof Cleaning
fl Driveways, Walkways, Decks
“Your Trusted Cleaning Pros!”
(478)
994-051 5
Call or Text
RESIDENTIAL ' COMMERCIAL
Fully Insured o Uniformed Staff
' HouserCleaning o Maid Service
0 Janitorial
Traditional Window Cleaning :
