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Andrew Mathis -
A crowd of more than 100 showed up at Waretown’s Lighthouse Center for a day of crafts, music and waterfowl education during the Center’s annual “Water Fowling and Family Fun Day” event on Saturday.
Along with attendees were folks from various organizations including the Barnegat Bay Partnership, Navesink River Hunting Retriever Club, state Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDEP), New Jersey Quail Club, Southern Ocean County Birding Group, Tuckerton Seaport Museum and many others.
The event started with fundamental waterfowl instruction from various hunting retriever organizations—including the Navesink hunting club and NJDEP -- in an effort to educate the general public on the role the dogs play in the history of hunting in Barnegat Bay.
Many retriever types — Golden, Brown, Chesapeake and Black — gave demonstrations showing their hunting skills to interested attendees, braving the frigid bay waters to retrieve decoys.
“It’s important to educate the public about our retrievers because it explains the important role they have in not only the survival of waterfowl hunting, but also their long history in the Barnegat Bay area,” said Julia Gould, 44, an Ocean Township resident and retriever owner.
Waterfowl hunting on Barnegat Bay has been a way of life for over 300 years. Its decline has been the effects of pollution, development and a decline in bird numbers. This event proved it’s still important to its residents, according to representatives from the NJDEP.
Attendees also had a chance to get a few bay history lessons from various craft vendors and other demonstrations put on by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife and Tuckerton Seaport Museum.
A display from the NJDEP showed birds native to the Barnegat Bay area, including Harlequin Ducks, Black Scoters, Surf Scoters, Long tailed ducks and many others. A wing and feather display to help attendees visually distinguish between various fowl types.
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