Growing up in southwestern Minnesota, Carey Egeland was introduced to waterfowl hunting at a very early age by his father.

“Waterfowl were few and far between in our area then, but I always enjoyed going,” he said. “My dad did a good job instilling a code of hunting ethics and conservation values.”

Egeland attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, as a wildlife and fisheries sciences major. It’s also where his true love of waterfowl hunting really took shape. He remembers great field hunts for mallards and geese.

While attending SDSU, he completed summer internships with Delta Waterfowl in Minnedosa, Manitoba, working under Mike Buxton in a Predator Management study. It inspired him to help start the Brookings Chapter of Delta Waterfowl. He was chairman for three years, until graduation and beginning a job with South Dakota Game Fish and Parks.

Egeland also managed 400 Hen Houses in southwestern Minnesota, an experience solidified his support of Delta’s programs.

“I got to see firsthand how they affected duck populations where I grew up hunting,” he said. “I always enjoy going back and doing Hen Houses with my dad in the winter.”

In Aberdeen, he connected with the local Delta chapter and became chairman for two years. He views this experience as true testament to the quality of people in the Delta family. One of his favorite parts of working with the chapter was conducting their annual youth hunt.

“Putting in the work scouting and organizing was far outweighed by the smiles on the faces during and after the hunt,” he said.

As regional director, Egeland is responsible for enhancing the successes of programs, chapter development and event fundraising in the north-central region including North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.

He can be reached at cegeland@deltawaterfowl.org.