{"id":3726,"date":"2024-09-17T09:11:41","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T14:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/?p=3726"},"modified":"2024-09-17T09:11:41","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T14:11:41","slug":"ducks-float-dont-they","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomiccoffee.com\/WWA\/ducks-float-dont-they\/","title":{"rendered":"Ducks Float, Don\u2019t They?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Or, the Uropygial Gland and You<\/h3>\n

Or \u2013 Why You Need Your Life Jacket!<\/em><\/h4>\n

\"Mark<\/a>By DNR Recreation Warden Mark Little<\/strong><\/p>\n

Be the duck\u2026 BE the duck.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what the voice in my head said while I was making some pretty sweet sounds on my call while waiting for the flock to side slip into my decoy set.<\/p>\n

Bang, bang, and another BANG out of desperation, but only one bird folded in a blurry mess of airborne chaos.<\/p>\n

Splash, down and an easy retrieve, and I\u2019ve got lunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust made my day!\u201d\u00a0 I look out and think about the physical characteristics of our waterfowl.<\/p>\n

Ducks have what\u2019s called a uropygial gland<\/em> or preen gland located at the base of their tails.\u00a0Ducks spread this oil over their feathers to help them float. Duck feathers also interlock and trap air that gives them additional buoyancy.<\/p>\n

If they need to take a quick dive or grab a tasty treat below the water\u2019s surface, they press their feathers against the sides of their body to release the trapped air.\u00a0A quick shake-off, and the air is trapped again.<\/p>\n

Internal air sacs, including the duck\u2019s lungs, act as little balloons to help them float. Finally, avian bones are hollow, strong and light, providing reduced weight, helping them stay afloat. The duck\u2019s delicate structure helps them achieve the lift required for a quick escape from the water or ground, and providing those snap airborne maneuvers that keep shotgun shell manufacturers in business.<\/p>\n

Biology, anatomy, whatever, it\u2019s all good.<\/p>\n

What does this have to do with me and my dinner? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, since you\u2019re not a duck, you don\u2019t float and that\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n

Statistics gleaned from the 2019 United States Coast Guard Recreational Boating Executive Summary states that where the cause of death was known, 79% of fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those drowning victims, 86% were not wearing a lifejacket.<\/p>\n

Further, where length was known, eight out of every ten boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length. This means that conservation wardens and other recovery personnel aren\u2019t likely to pull a victim from the water that\u2019s wearing a life jacket.<\/p>\n

It only takes a few breaths of heavy carbon dioxide-laden air on the water surface, or the paralyzing effects of stray currents caused by a boat\u2019s failing electrical system, to wreck your day quickly. That knee-deep water is choked with enough ankle-grabbing weeds, brush and lily pad roots that you\u2019ll need at least an ATV winch to jerk yourself free even if you ever touch bottom in the big, boggy bottom. That sudden rush of October swamp water into your hip boats is never welcomed.<\/p>\n

Take a boating safety class to prep for a hunt \u2013 and WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET!<\/strong><\/p>\n

You need to take a boating safety class if you were born after 1989. Remember to use those navigation lights after sunset and before sunrise on the pond.<\/p>\n

However, circling like a crippled duck avoiding a hailstorm of non-toxic #4 shotgun shells is the biggest point at hand \u2013 take your life jacket with you and wear it!<\/strong><\/p>\n