Book Description

Founded in 1856 on the shores of Lake Erie's Sandusky Bay, Winous Point Shooting Club is the oldest continuously operated duck hunting club in America. It has, in that respect, seen a lot of history. Among its early members were Jay Cooke, chief financier of the Union during the Civil War; John Hay, secretary to Abraham Lincoln and secretary of state under three U.S. presidents; Charles F. Brush, a pioneer in the commercial development of electricity; and many other notable historical figures. Each of these men forged separate legacies in industry, science, and government. But together, as sportsmen, they helped build a legacy of habitat and wildlife conservation that has been even longer lasting, and continues to have a greater positive impact on the life of the nation. Winous Point: 150 Years of Waterfowling and Conservation tells the story of the birth and growth not only of an Ohio duck hunting club, but of the modern wetland conservation movement. From its founding by amateur naturalists with a hunger for collecting, categorizing, and understanding the region's flora and fauna to its battles over market hunting, spring shooting, baiting, and more, Winous has made history in its own right. It was the first duck hunting club in the nation to ban spring shooting of waterfowl, the first to appoint a wildlife biologist to manage its 5,000-acre property, and the first to launch major wetland research and educational programs to advance the study of wetland and waterfowl management. More recently, it became the first hunting club to establish a nonprofit land conservancy, which it did on the cusp of its 150th anniversary, securing its precious wetlands-and its legacy-for generations to come. Deluxe clamshell edition also available.