Watch it on the Sportsman Channel

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – August 12, 2021 – This week Ducks Unlimited Television (DU TV) takes you to the historic Illinois River wetlands south of Chicago, home to some of the oldest duck hunting clubs in America.

DU TV co-host Doug Larsen hunts with Mark Staley and his sons Lucas and Alex for mallards in the Illinois sunshine. The Staley family is one of the oldest DU donors, going all the way back to the organization’s founding in 1937.

“My grandfather is the one who started giving and he loved Ducks Unlimited,” Mark Staley said. “He passed that legacy on to my father who passed it on to me. As I got older, I continued to give to DU. It’s part of my family and who we are.”

DU relies on the hardworking volunteers and donors who support the organization’s wetlands conservation mission. People who are passionate about waterfowl conservation like the Staleys are the reason DU is closing in on 85 years of dedicated wetlands conservation and restoration throughout North America.

A lot of that work has been in places like the Illinois River Valley, a historic wetlands habitat and winter home to ducks and geese.

“The Illinois River in general is a unique system,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Wetland Program Manager Randy Smith. “It drains around one-third of the state and it’s located in the historic Mississippi River course. All of the large backwater lakes in the system have created habitat attractive to waterfowl for thousands of years.”

Also included on this episode, DU CEO Adam Putnam talks about conserving the Illinois River Valley on “Insights,” professional retriever trainer Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels shows you how to prepare a retriever for flooded cover hunting on “Gun Dog,” and co-host Fred Zink prepares his favorite duck marinade on “Duck Talk.”

DU TV airs Mondays at 3 a.m., Tuesdays at 1 a.m., Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m., Fridays at noon, Saturdays at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (all times Eastern) on the Sportsman Channel. The Saturday 2 p.m. slot anchors “The Landing Zone presented by Ducks Unlimited” waterfowl and upland hunting lineup. Bonus content and classic episodes can also be found at www.ducks.org/dutv.

DU TV is sponsored by Browning Arms, Browning Ammunition, Drake Waterfowl Systems, Zink Calls, Higdon Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Mossy Oak Camo, Mossy Oak Properties, Mossy Oak Biologic, Mossy Oak Nativ Nurseries and Tetra Hearing.

Follow DU’s news Twitter feed-@DUNews1937-to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 15 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Media Contact:
John Gordon
(901) 758-3753
jgordon@ducks.org