Max Sharp

Max Sharp discovered his passion for waterfowling in the early 1990s, when friends invited him to tag along. Before the sun had risen, he was won over by the sights and sounds, the decoys and calls, and even the simple camaraderie of duck blind coffee. As a wingshooter at heart, the thrill of cupped mallards coasting into the decoys didn't hurt, either.

"If whitetails could fly, I'd probably be more of a deer hunter," Sharp said, "but I was drawn to every facet of waterfowl hunting from the shotguns and the allure of the history and nostalgia."

These days, the Bossier City, Louisiana, resident's best hunting buddies are his sons Tanner and Levi. Daughter Emily also joins him on occasion.

"They are a big part of what led me to Delta Waterfowl and continue to fuel my commitment to conservation," Sharp explained. "Delta's efforts to produce ducks and preserve duck hunting are critical to the next generation of waterfowlers."

Sharp has served on the Northwest Louisiana Chapter's committee for many years, and he has been a generous donor to Delta's Predator Management program. A powerful, personal experience led to his support.

"I've become good friends with Dr. Frank Rohwer (Delta Waterfowl president), and I had an opportunity to tour the prairies with him during duck breeding season," Sharp recalled. "I saw the work of Delta's trappers in action, as well as the nests that had been destroyed by predators. We even caught skunks and badgers on game cameras raiding eggs. It made a real impact on me when I saw just how big a problem predators are for nesting ducks."

Thus Sharp, who owns an oil and gas drilling service and the Los Paloma Sporting Range and Event Center, was strongly compelled to act.

"I believe that when you take ducks while hunting, you have an obligation to give back as much as you're able to," he said. "Supporting Delta Predator Management is the best way for me to do that."- Kyle Wintersteen

Winter 2015