Award supports Delta’s University Hunting Program to educate future wildlife managers about hunting and conservation
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — Delta Waterfowl and Safari Club International Foundation and Sables have been at the forefront of hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation, teaching aspiring outdoorsmen and women the importance of habitat conservation, wildlife management, and the role hunters play in the future of wild game populations. Safari Club International Foundation is supporting Delta’s University Hunting Program with a $100,000 grant for 2026. This continues the partnership, started in 2024, between the organizations to increase college students’ knowledge and awareness of the importance of hunting.
Safari Club International Foundation’s mission is to ensure the future of wildlife through conservation, education, and humanitarian efforts. SCIF conducts and supports global scientific research to enhance wildlife management and promote sustainable hunting. Additionally, SCIF invests in and offers educational programs that highlight the essential role of hunting in conservation.
“Partnering with The Duck Hunters OrganizationTM on the University Hunting Program aligns with SCIF’s mission of expanding outdoor educational opportunities,” said Laird Hamberlin, CEO of Safari Club International. “A generation ago, most habitat managers were also hunters, but that’s not the case anymore. To preserve our hunting heritage, we must welcome more non-hunters into the sport.”
Delta’s UHP is available to wildlife management students at over 140 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Students in the program learn about the role hunting plays in wildlife management. They are immersed in the full hunting experience by taking hunters safety, attending a shooting skills day, going on a mentored hunt, learning how to prepare game for the table, and can ask questions during a post-hunt meal.
“Delta and the Safari Club International Foundation are both dedicated to developing the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts, and UHP is a great avenue to engage with young people who will be future stewards of waterfowl habitat,” said Joel Brice, Delta’s chief conservation officer. “Not many college students studying wildlife management hunt, so they don’t fully understand how critical conservation is to hunters. We’re trying to change that.”
It’s estimated that only 30% of wildlife management students enter college or graduate school with a connection to hunting. So, UHP is also being used as a recruitment tool, encouraging participants to continue hunting and invite family and friends to join.
“Partnerships are essential to conservation,” said John Davis, Delta’s senior vice president of development. “We have seen this program grow every year since it began in 2017 and are on track to enroll 1,000 students this year. Those results would not be possible without the generosity of SCIF and the many seasoned hunters who volunteer their time for mentored hunts.”
Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters OrganizationTM, a leading conservation group founded in 1911 that uses science-based solutions to produce ducks, conserve prairie wetlands, and secure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.
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