How California Waterfowl counts ducks

My main job at California Waterfowl is producing a magazine, but I also work on videos, and this was a fun one because I got to go for a helicopter ride. Life is good, baby!

What we're doing here is cruising really low and counting waterfowl to help the state determine the size of the breeding population of resident waterfowl (i.e., not the migrants who just spend winter here). If you go full-screen, you'll see some of the ducks flying in some  of the shots. Turns out they don't like helicopters much.

© Holly A. Heyser 2014

What we mean when we say CWA does habitat work

For the most part, I can't share the work I do for California Waterfowl because the magazine I produce is print-only, not online. (And for the record, I support that - a couple decades of giving away free content hasn't worked well for newspapers.)

But I've started producing more videos for CWA, and this was a fun one. Fire!

© Holly A. Heyser 2014

Hunting zeppelins - a column for Shotgun Life

Photo by R.J. Waldron, Northwind Outfitters

I think it's safe to say that most geese I've killed in my eight seasons of hunting have been crips - birds injured by someone else that then either flew or swam near me in their debilitated state.

Mercy killings. I put them out of their misery, and the hunting gods showed mercy on my pathetic self by putting those birds in my path.

On the rare occasions I've paid for a goose hunt, it's usually been a spectacular failure.

Between that and the fact that I think duck hunting is just more exciting, I tend to run around saying things like "I hate goose hunting."

But I might not be saying that anymore, and you can find out why in my latest column for Shotgun Life.

© Holly A. Heyser 2014

Extreme bird hunting - a column for Shotgun Life

Photo by Ayla87 via stock.xchng

I've wanted to hunt sandhill cranes for years now, and this season, I finally got my chance.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the experience I'd hoped for, or even braced for, and that is the subject of my latest column in Shotgun Life.



© Holly A. Heyser 2014

Goddess for a day - a column for Shotgun Life

This is not my clothing and these aren't
all my ducks, but you're going to have
to read the column to find out why.

In a rare turn of events, I found myself last month at a rather exclusive duck club in the Butte Sink, where spectacular success and spectacular failure trumped my garden-variety insecurity to make me a goddess for a day.

You can check out the whole story in my latest column for Shotgun Life.

© Holly A. Heyser 2014