Wow! The National Audubon Society issued the following statement:

[SergeStorms]

65. I got my love of wildlife from my grandfather.

When I was a kid (back in the late 50s and early 60s) I spent a lot of time with my grandfather. He was a farmer and back then the government had all sorts of programs for farmers who'd want to use some of their property for conservation. They'd bring in heavy equipment and dig ponds for migratory birds, and even stock the ponds with bluegills and small mouth bass. My grandfather had one pond dug that was slightly over 11 acres, and had two smaller ones (less than 3 acres each) dug as well. Every year in the spring and fall, thousands of geese and ducks visited. He always had corn, oats, and buckwheat growing for food too. It was a paradise for water fowl, pheasants, and fish. Other people found out about this little paradise and we'd spend a great deal of time chasing poachers off the property. When I grew up a little that became a full time job for me. Then the late 60s happened, I was off to College (and the entire counter-culture scene) and he was too old to take care of the property by the mid-70s. It was a great learning experience and I'm always thankful my grandfather (and the U.S. government) gave me that opportunity.