IBEW Member Wins Hunting Trip of a Lifetime

by James Parks, Feb 10, 2008

Russell Delaney’s wife may not need to worry about giving him a Valentine’s gift—he’s already received a gift of a lifetime. Delaney, a member of the Electrical Workers Local 2320, won a waterfowl hunting trip on the TV show “Escape to the Wild” and the show will air footage from that trip this week. The show, which airs at 7:30 p.m. EST on Feb.14, is made possible through the support of the unions in the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA). Click here for more information on joining the USA.

A splice service technician for Verizon, Delaney traveled to Nebraska Dec. 3-7 to hunt waterfowl in the central flyway. The central flyway is one of the major bird migration routes in North America and generally follows the Great Plains in the United States and Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include central Canada and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Hunting the central flyway turned out to be even better than Delaney imagined.   

I’ve never hunted from a blind of that caliber. And [his guide Steve] Ferris’ calling technique was superb. I was awestruck listening to the sounds he was putting out there and watching the birds turn. I didn’t even want to shoot; I was so flabbergasted by the number of birds coming in to his calls.

Delaney, who now lives in New Hampshire, grew up hunting waterfowl along Cape Cod with his grandfather and uncle and he says he loved every minute of it. And he is passing that love of the sport to the next generation. He and his five sons ages, 20 through 10, spend their Sundays watching field sports on VERSUS. He says he was “in awe” when he found out he won the trip.  

I’ve been a member of Ducks Unlimited for a long time, and I’ve followed migratory patterns and the number of birds over various parts of the country. When I learned about the central flyway, I thought “Wow, that’s where I’d like to go.” 

A volunteer on his local gun club’s board of directors, Delaney says it’s important to pass the sport on to the youth to keep the heritage going. He notes that hunting with his family and friends is just like being in a union: 

All the union members are one big family. You laugh together, cry together and stick together through hard times and good times. 

The USA, launched last July, is a joint venture between 21 unions and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). One of the main goals of the two groups is working together to support the TRCP’s long-standing dedication to guaranteeing access for hunters and anglers, conserving fish and wildlife habitat and increasing funding for conservation.

 The show airs again on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m. EST on VERSUS.   

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