Illinois Delta Waterfowl Chapter Optimizes Local Lands for Waterfowl

Delta's Kankakee River Valley Chapter has spent more than 20 years improving its corner of northeastern Illinois for waterfowl and waterfowl hunters. This spring and summer, the sight of ducklings leaping from Hen Houses was common. The chapter's more than 100 structures — designed to keep nesting mallard hens out of reach of mammalian predators — are deployed along extended portions of the Kankakee River and surrounding bodies of water, with the majority placed in backwater sloughs, riverfront yards, and private ponds.

"The first year we made a dozen or so of them, then another dozen, then 24, and we are up to 100 now," said committee member Troy Sullivan, who began working on his own iterations of the structures more than 20 years ago.

The chapter estimates that 70% to 80% of the structures are used by mallard hens each spring, with several used for a second nesting attempt. One year, they even observed a third attempt later in the summer.
Located near the Indiana/Illinois state line, the chapter has also been partnering with its local Fish and Wildlife area to make improvements.

LaSalle Fish and Wildlife Area near Lake Village, Indiana, spans 4,511 acres of hardwood forests, cropland, fallow fields, marshes, and open water. It's a waterfowling hotspot that attracts thousands of migratory birds throughout the season.

The Kankakee Valley Chapter has used Waterfowl Heritage Fund dollars to help open more than 200 acres of public hunting land through improvements to water-control structures and planting waterfowl-specific food.

"Some of the money we've given them is for flooding structures, seeds like corn and millet so they can flood it and open up more opportunities for people to have public hunting land," said Eric Weber, chapter chairman and 2021 Delta Waterfowl Volunteer of the Year.

The chapter is currently helping fund the addition of a large culvert to move water into the area.

"This year we're working on a different project and looking to contribute somewhere right around $3,000," he said. "Even if we (hunters) don't use the area, it also helps the birds on their migration back north, too. It's a staging area, so it's good for everyone."

Whether it's maintaining Hen Houses or funding public land improvements, the chapter's staunch commitment to improve habitat for waterfowl and opportunities for the hunters who pursue them drives their initiatives.

"I couldn't be prouder of the dedication the Kankakee Chapter continues to show," said Matt Ward, Delta's regional director for Illinois. "For more than 20 years, the volunteers, supporters, and community have shown up for them. Their commitment to making a direct impact makes them one of the most successful chapters in the state." — Christy Sweigart