What to Look for in the Winter Issue of Delta Waterfowl Magazine...

Dr. Jay Von Bank, Delta’s scientific director, joined University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point graduate student Jake Pannell in Minnedosa, Manitoba, to surgically implant GPS/GSM transmitters into hen canvasbacks. The birds were also deployed with geolocators, light and time meters attached to leg bands that record light intensity to estimate location.

Pannell is studying canvasback ecology, but an important part of his work is improving the geolocator accuracy. By comparing data from the GPS units with the broad data recorded by the geolocator, he can create a model that reduces geolocator error and improves precision.

Geolocators are lightweight, easy to fit onto a duck, and cost-effective. However, to extract the data, a hunter must harvest a marked bird, or researchers must recapture it. With a more precise geolocator, researchers can learn more about where a hen settled in the spring, whether she nested, and if her nest hatched.

More from the Winter Issue...

Louisiana Still Has the Ducks, and Delta Aims to Keep It That Way
Keeping Hunting Traditions Alive on the Great South Bay
Montana’s Late Season is for Die-Hards Only
Ringnecks May Save Your Duck Season