John Dale

John Dale lived to crouch among the cattails with his faithful black Lab at his side. A self-taught duck hunter who began by wading in Minnesota marshes as a teenager, Dale found immense joy in cupped wings cutting autumn air, wafting gunpowder as he swung true on a challenging crossing shot, and the splashing spectacle of his exuberant retriever bringing a bird to hand.

Dale's lifelong passion for ducks and duck hunting led to decades of impactful contributions to waterfowl research and conservation. He died July 23 at age 78.

"We just lost one of the greatest of champions ever for our beloved ducks, as well as a great friend to those who knew him," Jeffrey Howell, vice president of major gifts for Delta Waterfowl, said at the time. "Very few people come along in life who truly inspire us to be better. John Dale was that man. With both his actions and words, he made all of us know that the conservation of ducks, hunting, and everything involved was sincerely important. He believed so strongly in Delta's mission and our people that he moved mountains for the organization."

An extremely successful institutional equity portfolio manager for 47 years and founding partner of Peregrine Capital Management in Minneapolis, Dale retired to Waubay, South Dakota, in the heart of the prairie pothole region. He wanted to get out of the city and closer to the ducks.

"I love open spaces, and I love the things that love open spaces-all wildlife," Dale said during a 2023 interview. "Everything else is artificial. My favorite thing to do in the world is to go out at dawn with my dog, sit there, and enjoy the show. I don't have to shoot all of the ducks, but I sure want to see them."

Dale certainly could have gone anywhere in the world to hunt but preferred a simple style of hunting on the prairies. He had no need for fancy blinds or loads of the latest gear. If ducks showed up, Dale was happy.

"He was a consummate hunter," said Dr. Frank Rohwer, president and chief scientist of Delta Waterfowl. "He went out and learned how to hunt, and he loved it. He didn't care about high-end lodges and all the fancy trappings of social clubs. What he really wanted to do was be out there with the birds and have a great day out in the marsh."

Over the years, Rohwer became a friend to Dale, enjoying annual hunts in Saskatchewan and at the Delta Marsh in Manitoba.

"He loved to go out in the marsh and shoot those wonderful bluewings and eat grilled teal four nights in a row," Rohwer said. "He was a trooper. He would hop in his Suburban and drive eight hours to hunt teal with me. He respected and cherished the birds he was hunting. What a gentleman. He was a great guy."

Given his Minnesota roots, Dale appreciated diving ducks more than many hunters.

"I love all ducks, but my favorites have to be canvasbacks and bluebills-especially bluebills," Dale said during a 2019 interview. "The way they fly, they're little fighter pilots the way they come into the decoys, the way they buzz you."

His idea of a perfect duck hunt involved sitting on a windswept point overlooking a rig of diver decoys, just as Dale and John Childs did during the 2018 Delta Waterfowl Decoy Hunt at the Delta Marsh. Canvasbacks were the featured species. Despite a recent freeze-up, the hunt was a success when Dale knocked down the only canvasback that came into shotgun range. His English black Lab, Skipper, broke through thickening ice to make a perfect retrieve on the bull can, and aptly fetched a dozen bluebills on that frigid morning, too.

"John Dale loved that dog," Rohwer said. "He was a well-trained Lab. He made so many excellent retrieves, and John was so proud of his dog."

Dale was deeply involved in waterfowl conservation, serving on Delta's Board of Directors since 2020, and as a trustee for Wetlands America Trust.

He believed strongly in funding waterfowl research and programs that improve duck production. To start, Dale funded a Delta Waterfowl Hen House Supersite-a cluster of nesting structures in an area with a high density of mallard pairs. Soon after, Dale contributed to Delta's canvasback research in partnership with major donor and friend John Childs.

"The minute he became aware of our programs, he just loved them," Rohwer said. "He loved the fact that Delta is based on science, and he funded a ton of science, from the canvasback project to drone work to funding a variety of students working on habitat relating to duck production."

Dale has been a top donor to Delta and structured his gifts for lasting, maximum impact. He established an endowment to fund waterfowl research to ensure that important scientific discovery about the waterfowl he loves can continue forever.

"John Dale liked efficiency, and he just wanted to get right to the point of doing great things for wildlife," Rohwer said. "One of the things he'll be most remembered for-in addition to his fantastic support of the Million Duck Campaign-is starting the Dale Fellowships. We're losing waterfowl professors and, importantly, we're losing funding for the research. The Dale Fellowships are fabulous, and that'll last forever. That will be one of John Dale's legacies."

Dale proudly contributed a substantial gift to Delta's Million Duck Campaign, helping to ensure the success of Delta's initiative to add 1 million ducks to every fall flight in perpetuity.

He was particularly fond of Delta's Hen House program and funded a winter 2023 installation of 550 nesting structures in South Dakota.

"One of the things you're going to face as a conservationist is that you're going to continue to lose habitat," Dale said last year. "So, no matter what you do, you had better figure out a way to make the habitat you've got more productive. That's where Delta comes in."

John Davis, senior vice president of development for Delta Waterfowl, always appreciated Dale's friendship and his hearty support for the Million Duck Campaign.

"John Dale lived life and left life on his terms, with consequential impacts for waterfowl management throughout North America," Davis said. "We already miss his leadership and inspiring voice for ducks and duck hunters, but his legacy lives on."

A devoted family man, Dale is survived by Cheryl, his wife of 59 years, sons John and Chris, and four grandchildren.

In addition to hunting ducks, Dale loved fly-fishing for trout and salmon. Dale was a trustee of the Montana Land Reliance, and he supported the Wild Salmon Center and numerous other conservation organizations.

Dale made a significant planned gift to Delta's MDC. His generous contribution will help ensure waterfowl, fish, and the wild places he enjoyed throughout his life will continue to thrive.

"I want to make sure my money is going to places that make a difference," Dale said. "Saving the natural world and making it more productive is about as high of a priority that I can find. What kind of world are you leaving for people if it's paved in concrete and there's nothing alive left to enjoy?"- Paul Wait