Kurt and Mary Glaeseman

Kurt Glaeseman will travel thousands of miles for a bird. Especially if he can cook it.

Glaeseman, an avid waterfowler from Springfield, Minnesota, loves to experience hunts for various species of fowl, particularly if a wild game recipe has piqued his palate.

"I like reading cookbooks, and duck and goose recipes are my favorites," he explained. "It's just fun for me. The magic of the hunt can be extended for three or four days in the kitchen. I enjoy people's surprise when they discover that a duck fillet tastes wonderful."

While Glaeseman appreciates cooking notoriously tasty ducks such as canvasbacks and teal, he also enjoys the pursuit of game bird species that most hunters would consider unusual.

"For example, I'm attracted by birds like sora rails," he said. "People used to hunt them and enjoy them on the table. I would love to get a couple of sora rails to cook them."

Glaeseman's fascination with waterfowl extends to understanding how they live. In June, he traveled with his wife, Mary - an ardent birder - to tour the waterfowl breeding grounds with Dr. Frank Rohwer, Delta Waterfowl president and chief scientist, and John Davis, vice president of development.

The couple was treated to the spring splendor of upland nesting birds on the North Dakota prairies.

"Kurt and Mary's connection to a sincere land ethic is impressive," Davis said. "I knew instantly when Mary pointed out the courtship display of the phalaropes, and when Kurt's eyes lit up with the discovery of a lesser scaup nest, that this was a special couple."

The tour included dragging for duck nests and a demonstration of Delta's research.

"The dedication of the Delta graduate students is impressive," Kurt said. "I'm glad they are out there doing the work on the prairies because the area is the breadbasket for ducks."

He also appreciates that Delta programs help many other birds and wildlife.

"Mary is a bird-watcher, not a hunter," Kurt said. "We found a bobolink nest with two eggs in it. That was wonderful frosting on the cake. It adds balance to the whole picture."

The Glaesemans are both retired teachers. She taught English, while he specialized in agriculture and writing instruction. Kurt was a longtime employee of the U.S. Forest Service, and he is a widely published writer, including articles in outdoor sporting magazines.

Kurt's love for duck hunting began when he was a farm boy in Illinois.

"I was one of four kids on a small farm," Kurt explained. "My dad wasn't a hunter, but a couple of neighbors mentored me in hunting and fishing."

One fall, Kurt's father bribed him to skip school to do farm chores.

"He told me if I helped with the corn harvest, he'd buy me a shotgun. He kept his promise, and I got a used 20-gauge Mossberg bolt-action."

Proudly toting his shiny shotgun, young Kurt began tolling farm ponds for ducks.

"I remember my first duck, a green-winged teal," he recalled, with a laugh. "I had my dog with me. He was a farm dog and wasn't trained to retrieve. He didn't understand what I wanted him to do. When I finally stripped down and swam out to get the duck, the dog swam along right beside me."

Now, many years after Kurt's youthful days on the farm, the couple has put forward generous support for Delta Waterfowl's mission and conservation programs.

"For the Glaesemans to make a gift and include Delta in their estate plans illustrates their commitment to ensuring future generations will have the chance to experience these same abundant wetlands and the opportunities to continue the tradition of hunting," Davis said. "They are inspiring." - Paul Wait