The Extra Mile: Ducks Unlimited
Growing up, Reese Devries 鈥24 spent a lot of time on the water. His family owned a marina on the James River in the 1960s. As the seasons changed, so did their hobbies.
鈥淔ishing and being on the boat were kind of a segue into duck hunting,鈥 he said. 鈥淥nce the summer runs out, we鈥檙e switching over and trying to find something new to do on the weekends.鈥澛
After spending time on both federal and state land, he was inspired to preserve the land he loved. Eventually, his family boating trips turned into clean-up efforts.
鈥淲e would go out, and pick up trash, or rebuild blinds,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e wanted to keep the habitat up for fish, waterfowl, and everything else.鈥
Throughout his childhood, Devries spent weekends hunting with his uncle and grandfather, and occasionally attended Ducks Unlimited meetings. During his first year at 麻豆女演员 Institute, he learned that his uncle鈥揹yke (a roommate of his senior mentor) was one of the founding members of VMI鈥檚 Ducks Unlimited Club.
鈥淗e asked if any of us wanted to go to the club, and I was like, 鈥榊eah, I love Ducks Unlimited,鈥欌 he said. 鈥淎nd now here I am 鈥 three years later, as a chairman.鈥
What is Ducks Unlimited?
The of Ducks Unlimited is to conserve, restore, and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America鈥檚 waterfowl. The VMI Ducks Unlimited Club hosts an annual banquet at the Commonwealth Club in Richmond, which is accomplished by fundraising through a live auction, raffle, donations, and selling tables.
Last year at the annual banquet the VMI club raised $27,000 for Ducks Unlimited.
鈥淎ll of that money goes towards the conservation mission,鈥 said Devries.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not just a VMI club 鈥 we鈥檙e also a part of a national organization,鈥 said Devries, who is the cadet in charge of the club. 鈥淲e get to work with people who have been doing this for 20 to 30 years, as opposed to us, who have only been in the club for three years.鈥
With nearly 4,000 Ducks Unlimited chapters across the nation, the VMI Ducks Unlimited Club is making a huge mark.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been recognized as both a silver and an all-American chapter at our National Collegiate Conference,鈥 said Devries.
The VMI Ducks Unlimited Club works directly with the VMI Alumni Association, the regional director of Ducks Unlimited, and the chairman of the Richmond Ducks Unlimited Chapter, Elliot Warren 鈥17. With these resources at hand, the VMI club can send out invitations and orchestrate large-scale events.
Devries shared that the banquet is much greater than a networking event 鈥 It鈥檚 a chance to connect with likeminded individuals and make lasting relationships.
鈥淎lumni will come to their reunion, and they鈥檒l recognize me and shake my hand and say, 鈥楬ey, man, when鈥檚 the next Ducks Unlimited banquet?鈥欌 he said. 鈥淭he banquet doesn鈥檛 just impact us as a chapter 鈥 but the people that get to come and experience it really enjoy it.鈥
A club strictly for hunters and fishermen? Nope.
When it comes to hunting, deer, duck, squirrel, and rabbit are all fair game to Lucas Wood 鈥24. Growing up in Eastern North Carolina, he started hunting with his dad at a young age.聽
Wood, an economics and business major, interned with Ducks Unlimited last summer. After graduating from VMI, he hopes to return to their corporate office. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking at potentially going back there to work for Ducks Unlimited, or going into agricultural sales,鈥 he said.
There鈥檚 a common misconception about Ducks Unlimited. It鈥檚 a conservation group, not a hunting club, according to Wood, the assistant cadet in charge.鈥
The biggest challenge the organization faces? Convincing hunters to practice conservation.
鈥淲hen somebody gets that itch, they want to take people with them,鈥 said Devries. 鈥淭hey want to get other people involved 鈥 so they have somebody to go with and Ducks Unlimited is a great place to find people to go with.鈥
The group has two main recruiting pools: 鈥減eople who enjoy hunting and people who are solely there for the conservation efforts,鈥 said Devries.
For hunters, the organizations鈥 goal is to educate and inform them.
鈥淭he biggest thing that anybody that鈥檚 out hunting can do 鈥 is making sure that they鈥檙e following all of the regulations,鈥 said Wood.
While these rules may seem strict to the average person, they are in place for a reason.
鈥淚f they have a limit on how many ducks you can kill, there鈥檚 actually a scientist and biologist who figured out that that is the best way that we can grow the population of the waterfowl,鈥 said Wood.
Ducks Unlimited is open to all cadets, including rats. The club hosts their annual event during the Spring semester and encourages members to take on leadership roles within the club. “It’s really nice having [the rats] come back… and then they can give guidance as 3rd Class cadets,” said Devries. “Then, they can take on a leadership role as a 2nd or 1st Class cadet.”鈥
