8/1/2010:
The Dust Bowl years not only rocked agriculture and society in the Midwest, but also the region's ecosystem. As drought eliminated marshlands and turned soil into dry, wind-blown silt, different species, including waterfowl, felt the effects.
On this date in 1935, the Killdeer Herald announced that the first wild duck census would be conducted in Canada and the upper Midwest, including North Dakota, through the More Game Birds Foundation in New York. The census was described as "literally a ‘house-to-house' canvass of Mr. and Mrs. Wild Duck and their families."
The final report showed the dangerously low number of ducks in the area, leading to the formation of Ducks Unlimited.
It was that first all-important "bill"-count, inspired by the hardships of the Dust Bowl, that set the precedent for waterfowl counts that continue today.
Dakota Datebook by Sarah Walker
Sources:
The Killdeer Herald, Thursday, August 1, 1935