Paul Tudor Jones II

Ring-necked ducks fascinate Paul Tudor Jones II.

He loves to watch a speeding flock of the black-and-white diving ducks rocket into a wetland. Of course, he deeply enjoys hunting them.

"Ringnecks are probably the most social duck there is because they come in such large numbers - you can see 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 come in at one time," Jones said. "It just provides this amazing natural spectacle that you don't get with many other duck species. They are unlike any other duck species, probably because they drop vertically from 5,000 or 10,000 feet straight into a hole. They are a very special and unique duck, and I'm always in a constant state of awe and wonder when I see them."

And thankfully, for the benefit of duck hunters everywhere, Jones is passionate about studying ringnecks, too.

With Jones' financial backing, Delta Waterfowl launched a satellite tracking research project in November 2017, implanting transmitters in 15 ringneck hens at his Four Oaks Plantation in the Red Hills of south Georgia. During the winter of 2018-2019, Delta implanted radio trackers in 78 more ducks. Ring-necked ducks are not a well-researched species, but by partnering with Delta, Jones is working to change that.

"I wanted to understand their migratory habits, their nesting habits, to see if there was any way that we could improve their brood success," Jones said. "I got involved with the satellite tracking ringnecks in hopes there was some concentrated area where we could do some intensive management, whether it would be predator control or land acquisition in the Canadian prairies. I was hoping we would find they all nest in one place, and of course (so far), we have found the exact opposite. They literally nest all the way from the Atlantic Coast all the way over to the Pacific Coast. They are an amazing duck. It's amazing to me how localized they are on the wintering grounds."

Jones, 64, who founded Tudor Investment Corporation in 1980, is a household name in financial management sectors around the globe. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of an avid duck hunter in the heart of mallard country.

So why ringnecks?

"It's funny," Jones said, laughing. "I'd probably never even shot ring-necked ducks until I was in my late 50s. I began going to Thomasville (Georgia) quail hunting, and I discovered a very specific and endemic species of waterfowl that visited there provided just phenomenal hunting opportunities, and those were ringnecks. That was the first time I even hunted them."

Jones has supported The Duck Hunters Organization for many years, attracted first by Delta's Predator Management research.

"I completely bought into the concept of Predator Management," he recalled. "The predator/prey relationship is at the center of managing any ecosystem. Clearly, if the objective is to produce ducks, predator control is going to be on par with habitat. That was really intuitive to me."

Although Jones spends much of his time giving advice about hedge funds and global economics, he holds proud his philanthropic investments in the duck world, too.

"I'm a duck fanatic, so any information on anything about the biology of ducks I find to be so intellectually stimulating," he said. "On an emotional level, giving is living. We're social beings by nature, and I think the more you give, the happier you live. It's just that simple. It works for me on two levels. It works in my heart and soul, and it works in my mind, and I really enjoy it.

"Delta is a great organization. I've always been a big believer in science. I think Frank (Rohwer) and the team at Delta do a brilliant job on the science side. It's wonderful to be a sponsor of an organization grounded in rational facts."

And like all of us, Jones will be out in the marsh this season at every opportunity.

"I'm just looking forward to opening day," Jones said. "I'm dreaming about it like everybody else and getting excited about it already. If I had a last afternoon, and I could do anything that last afternoon, it would be spent watching a sky full of ducks." - Paul Wait