Parten Wakefield

Parten Wakefield dabbled in duck and goose hunting during high school and college but was an upland hunter for much of his adult life. After all, his Texas home offered ample opportunity for quail, which he enjoyed targeting with his pack of English pointer trial dogs.

As habitat, quail numbers, and hunting opportunities diminished, however, his priorities changed. In 2008, after seeing the success of a friend's private duck pond, Wakefield built his own wetland at the Shady W Ranch in Bryan, Texas. "It was like that movie, 'build it and they will come,"' he said. "That first year, I was in awe. I couldn't believe the number of ducks."

So, the 58-year-old hunter turned in his chaps and blaze orange for waders and a lanyard of calls. With help from a couple of young mentors, Wakefield jumped back into the waterfowling lifestyle head-on.

He also yearned to give back. With a successful business background in the oil and gas industry, the self-proclaimed "amateur wildlife biologist" devoured information on waterfowl habitat and conservation. One of Wakefield's mentors proclaimed the good work of his favorite conservation and hunting organization, Delta Waterfowl.

Wakefield attended local chapter banquets and learned more about Predator Management and Hen Houses. He decided that donating to The Duck Hunters Organization would pay dividends. In 2014, as part of the Bryan/College Station investment group, Wakefield graciously gave $30,000 toward a Hen House supersite in the prairie pothole region.

"I don't really get that many mallards (on his Texas ranch), but a duck is a duck, and we're helping them," Wakefield said. "Plus, I feel like we're getting the most bang for our buck by investing in Delta's Hen House program. I love hunting, but if I never shot another duck, I'd still support Delta Waterfowl."- Tyler Shoberg

Fall 2015