Farmers, many of whom are also sportsmen, take duck habitat preservation seriously, and the results are something to quack about.

First, some background information to set the stage.

According to Ducks Unlimited, each spring millions of ducks and geese pass through the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), which lies within Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. The PPR, with its wetlands and grasslands, provides important breeding habitat for the 10 most common species of ducks. Nest suc­cess and hen mortality during breeding are the most important factors re­­lated to change in mid-continent duck populations.

Given the importance of the PPR to our...