25-05-2025
Hunters form unlikely alliance amid emerging threats to animals and traditions: 'It's the whole process of making everything right'
Increasing temperatures have resulted in rising sea levels across coastal communities, including the Down East region of North Carolina.
Sea-level rise in this region threatens ducks and other migratory birds, The Assembly reported, along with the tradition of hunting them.
However, hunters and conservationists alike are taking action to keep the tradition –– and ducks –– alive.
The Down East exists along the coast of North Carolina and is defined by its "relationship with water," as Our State described.
The region hosts a history of commercial fishing, duck hunting, and duck decoy carving, among other activities. But increasing temperatures and a changing climate jeopardize all of it.
According to The Assembly, coastal North Carolina has experienced about 11 inches of sea-level rise since 1950.
The sea level in Beaufort –– which rests to the south of the Down East –– is estimated to rise nearly half a meter by 2050 and one meter by 2100, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data shared by Coastwatch.
These rising seas are flooding marshes, which over 500 species of migratory birds –– like ducks –– stop at along their routes on the Atlantic Flyway.
Some 389 migratory bird species are at risk of extinction due to the effects of warming temperatures, such as sea-level rise, according to the National Audubon Society.
While sea-level rise threatens birds, it also hurts the tradition of duck hunting that people in the Down East value. Warming temperatures have shifted migration patterns, The Assembly explained, which results in fewer birds flocking to the region and fewer ducks to hunt.
Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species?
Definitely
Depends on the animal
No way
Just let people do it for free
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Chris Yeomans is a longtime duck hunter and Down East resident, and per The Assembly, he appreciates the community that duck hunting creates. The loss of duck hunting means the loss of that community and the region's identity.
"It's not just going out and killing ducks," he said. "It's the whole process of making everything right."
Hunters and conservationists are attempting to protect ducks and the traditions surrounding them.
Duck decoy carving is another tradition in the Down East, and some artists participate in the Federal Duck Stamp contest to conserve ducks and their habitats. The contest, as The Assembly described, brings together "duck hunters, enthusiasts, and artists" to design a stamp, from which 98% of the proceeds support habitat conservation.
Other community members support conservation through research. Joel Fodrie, a friend of Yeomans, according to The Assembly, researches seagrasses and salt marshes at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and restores these habitats by planting seagrass.
Whether through science or art, the Down East community strives to keep its traditions alive.
"It's still alive," Yeomans said about duck hunting. "You might say it's being passed down."
Meanwhile, reducing the production of planet-warming pollution can help reduce the rate of rising global temperatures that are contributing to sea-level rise.
Investing in solar panels, swapping a gas-guzzling car for an EV, and eating more plant-based meals can all make a difference in this endeavor.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
