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February 14, 2018
Page 3B
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MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Wood duck nesting boxes helped save the spedes
Man-made wood duck nesting boxes like this one have
given the popular water fowl a place to nest after much of its
natural nesting habitat was destroyed. (Photo/Terry John
son)
I guess it is human nature
that we take for granted
those things we see or use
every day. For example,
nowadays you cannot go
anywhere without seeing people
using cell phones. The use of
cell phones is so pervasive; I’m
afraid many
folks take
these miracu
lous devices for
granted.
The same
can be said for
the wood duck
nesting box. I
have no doubt
wood duck
boxes can be
found in all
of Georgia’s
159 counties. In spite of the
fact that, this simple structure
played a key role in one of the
greatest success stories in the
annals of wildlife conserva
tion, it too is often taken for
granted. This is unfortunate,
as the development and use of
the nesting box helped pull the
wood duck back from the brink
of extinction.
Prior to the arrival of the first.
European colonists, the wood
duck was the most, abundant,
duck that, bred in eastern
North America. However, by
the early 20t.h century wood
ducks were extremely rare
throughout, most, of its range.
There were a number of rea
sons for this. Two major factors
were that, market, hunters shot,
the bird year-round and that,
vast, acreages of its favored
nesting habitat, (bottomland
hardwoods) were cut. with axes
and saws. It. was obvious to
conservationists that, some
thing had to be done before
what, is arguably our most,
beautiful duck would suffer
the same fate as the Labrador
duck.
It. was apparent, unregulated
wood duck hunting had to
cease. The problem was so dire
that, by 1916 wood duck
hunting was banned in
22 states. Then in 1918,
Congress authorized the
Migratory Bird Treaty
Act.. This action placed
the wood duck under fed
eral protection.
One of the first, actions
taken by the U.S.
Geological Survey (now
known as the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service) closed
wood duck hunting
nationwide. The ban remained
in place until 1941.
While this was a big step
toward the recovery of the
wood duck, what, could be done
to restore its nesting habitat?
It. can take a century and a half
or more to restore a bottomland
forest, where wood ducks could
find natural cavities suitable of
nesting. Without, a viable solu
tion to this dilemma, a ban on
wood duck hunting could not.
alone save the wood duck.
Fortunately, help was closer
than most, people realized. It.
seems as early as 1912, a small
group of people began erecting
man-made nesting boxes in
hopes wood ducks would nest,
in them. The success of these
early efforts has been lost, in
the mists of history.
However, what, we do know
is in 1937 two unsung wildlife
biologists Milford Smith and
Gil Gigstead designed a wood
duck box at. the Chautauqua
National
Wildlife Refuge
in central
Illinois. The
boxes were
fashioned from
bark-covered
wood slabs. The
men built, and
erected 486 of
the boxes.
When the
men went,
back to check
the boxes they
found wood
ducks nested
in roughly 15
percent, of these
substitutes for
natural cavities.
Although these
nest, boxes
only lasted a
year or two in
the wild, they
demonstrated
that, wood
ducks would
nest, in artificial cavities.
Realizing the potential value
of wood duck nesting boxes,
waterfowl biologists Arthur
Hawkins and Frank Bellrose
followed up the initial work of
Smith and Gigstead and placed
700 wood duck nesting boxes
throughout, the state of Illinois.
These second-generation boxes
were made from rough-cut.
cypress boards.
Since cypress boxes lasted for
more than two decades, they
proved to be an improvement,
over their predecessors. Wood
ducks liked them so well, hens
nested in more than 50 percent,
of the boxes the first, year they
were erected.
The success of these pioneer
ing efforts clearly demonstrat
ed nest, boxes could provide
nest, sites in areas where natu
ral cavities were few and far
between.
The impact, of the news of
the success of wood duck nest,
boxes was overwhelming.
Wildlife enthusiasts, state wild
life agencies, rod and gun clubs
and many others promoted the
use of wood duck nesting boxes.
Seemingly overnight, wood
duck nest, boxes could be seen
standing alongside creeks, riv
ers, and beaver ponds through
out. the Midwest., Northeast,
and South.
One such club that, embraced
wood duck boxes was the
Monroe County Sportsmen’s
Club. A little over four decades
ago, the club was named
Sportsmen’s Club of
the Year by the Georgia
Wildlife Federation for its
efforts to distribute wood
duck nesting boxes to land-
owners throughout, the
county.
To this day, thousands of
wood duck boxes are still
being erected annually.
These efforts have yielded
huge dividends. It. has
been conservatively esti
mated that, anywhere from
100,000 - 150,000 young
wood ducks are hatched in
wood duck boxes annually
throughout. North America.
Fortunately, wood duck
populations have rebound
ed in a big way. The wood
duck is now the most,
harvested duck in Georgia
as well as throughout,
the rest, of the Atlantic
Flyway.
This conservation suc
cess story is a tribute to
state and federal government,
agencies and to the untold pri
vate citizens who were deter
mined the wood duck would
not. be lost, on their watch.
It. points out. the fact. that,
although wood duck nesting
boxes have been around lon
ger than most, of us have been
alive, they definitely should not.
be taken for granted.
Terry Johnson is the retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endangered,
Wildlife Program. Pie has writ
ten the informative column
‘Monroe Outdoors’for the
Reporter for many years. Email
him at tjwoodduek@bellsouth.
net,
/
Terry W. Johnson
IMP'S Lowe, Young score points at wrestling finals as Mat Dogs place 38th
MP senior Stanley Lowe, pictured above at state sectionals, won a match in
the state traditionals tournament for the second consecutive year.
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons Bulldogs
wrestling team placed 38th in
AAAA at. the state traditionals
meet, in Macon on Saturday.
In just, the program’s third
year of existence, MP amassed
seven points at. state, exceeding
last, year’s total of three points
and tying area rival Howard.
In the 145-pound division,
MP senior Stanley Lowe
won his opening match over
Northwest. Whitfield’s Evan
Locke. Lowe was then defeat
ed in his second match by
Ridgeland’s Jacob Mariakis,
the eventual state champion,
before being eliminated with
another defeat, in his third
match to Americus-Sumt.er’s
Mont.rellis Wilson. Lowe fin
ished the season with a 32-8
match record.
In the 152-pound division,
MP junior Brycen Young lost
his opening match to Luella’s
Daniel Reid, the eventual
state champion, before bounc
ing back to defeat. Richmond
Academy’s Mart.ise Epps in his
second match. Young was then
eliminated from the competi
tion with a loss in his third
match to Blessed Trinity’s Alex
Poma. Young finished the sea
son with a 42-11 match record.
In the 225-pound division,
MP senior Jat.orian Hansford
lost, his opening match to
Southeast. Whitfield’s Jose
Chavarria and was then elimi
nated when he dropped his sec
ond match to Oconee County’s
Nick Saunders. Hansford
finished the season with a 7-6
match record.
Perennial power Jefferson
won the AAAA state tradition -
als championship with a team
score of 228.5. MP’s area rival
West. Laurens was the AAAA
state runner-up with a score
of 190, followed by third-place
Troup County with 137.5.
HANSFORD
Continued from Page 1B
had about. 20 total college scholar
ship offers, including offers from other
high Division 1 programs like Indiana,
Oregon State, Rutgers and Wake
Forest..
About. 50 friends
and family mem
bers as well as
Hansford’s high
school teammates
and classmates
attended his sign
ing on Wednesday
morning in the MP
library.
MP head football
coach Brian Nelson
said, “Obviously
it’s a big crowd,
which goes t.o show
the support, that.
Jat.orian has had
over the years.
People are really
proud and happy
for him. But. this
is always a big
day for whatever
reason, either for
our football pro
gram or for our
school, but. really
for the individu
als that, are going
on to further their
careers. We’re real
excited about. Tori.
We tell our kids
all the time that, if you just, work hard
and stay after it. and keep working and
keep working, eventually good is going
to find you. And that’s what’s happened
with Tori. He’s put. in a lot. of hard
work. This just, hasn’t, happened over
the last, six months. We’re talking years
and years, five, six, seven, eight., nine
years of playing football and working to
get. t.o this point..”
Nelson said Hansford evolved from a
tall, skinny kid to a Division 1 athlete
during his high school playing career
but. said it. was in the classroom where
his real transformation took place.
“For all his football accolades and
everything he’s done for us on the
football field, probably where I’m most,
proud of him is really what, he’s been
able to do to get. better in the classroom
and to get. better academically,” Nelson
said. “And I’m not trying to speak out
of turn, but. that’s something he didn’t,
really enjoy at. the beginning when he
got. in high school, the school part, of it..
But. he’s really focused, and he’s really
put. all of his attention and effort, into
that.. And his GPA is great, because
of that.. And he had an unbelievable
test, score. And today he’s getting
to see all the fruits of those labors
come true. . . He’s got. a great, future
ahead of him, and the sky’s the
limit.”
Nelson said Missouri offered
Hansford early in the 2017 football
season after smaller schools had
begun taking notice of his lanky
linebacker during spring 2017 off
season camps. Hansford visited the
Columbia, Mo. campus during the
fall and liked what, he saw from the
coaches and his future teammates.
“My parents liked it. too, and we
just, all got. together and decided I
wanted to go to Missouri,” Hansford
said. “It. was the biggest, offer I had,
and I felt, like they needed help. So
I’ll fit. in well up there.”
After struggling early in 2017,
losing five of their first, six games,
the Tigers regrouped and went, on
a six-game, second-half winning
streak before falling 33-16 to Texas
in their bowl game. The Tigers are
expected to contend in the SEC East,
in coach Barry Odom’s third sea
son with the return of rising senior
superstar quarterback Drew Lock,
who announced last, month he would
forego the 2018 NFL Draft, despite
throwing for a school record 44
touchdowns last year.
Hansford said of Lock’s return to
Columbia: “When I heard that., I was
excited. I think we’re going to be
alright.”
Hansford said he will move to defen
sive end in college, but. Nelson expects
him to play the hybrid rush-coverage
role played by 3-4 outside linebackers.
“Third downs he can play outside the
box, be a linebacker, and then in some
situations put. his hand on the ground
and rush the passer too,” Nelson said.
“The thing about, him is that, he’s kind
of got. that, perfect, frame for that.”
Hansford’s favorite individual high
school highlight, was a suplex tackle he
made of an opposing quarterback in a
2017 home game that, netted him that,
week’s 13WMAZ Football Friday Night.
“Ribrocker” award. But. it. was MP’s
team success, which included back-to-
back state semifinal appearances in his
final two years that, will be his lasting
memory.
“I won three region titles in a row,”
Hansford said. “So all of those are excit
ing, and then I got. to play in a Final
Four twice. So I’ve got. a whole bunch of
memories, a whole bunch of big tackles
I made. I remember all those.”
Nelson said Hansford’s on-field foot
ball success stands in sharp contrast, t.o
his reserved off-field nature.
“Physically is where he always kind
of stood out, long arms and can really
put. his hands on people and be physi
cal,” Nelson said. “And as a senior he
became such a better leader for us. He
always led by example, but. as a senior
he became more vocal for us. He’s a real
quiet, kid. He doesn’t, say much at. all.
But. then on the football field, he’s real
ly, really aggressive. But. he’s the nicest.,
softest, spoken, doesn’t.-like-to-talk-very-
much kid. It’s a weird combination.”
Hansford’s mother Lisa and grand
mother Lola Zellner each said they
were thrilled to be there for Jatorian’s
big day.
Zellner said of her grandson: “When
he first, started off playing Little
League, his dream was always to be
a superstar football player. And he’s
made it. this far. It’s amazing.”
Linebacker Jatorian Hansford officially unveils his college selection by
putting on his Missouri Tigers'cap during a signing ceremony at MP on
Wednesday. (Photo/Richard Dumas)