Between hunting pressure and environmental issues, the Chesapeake Bay has had a rough go of it. While the punt gun mounted on the mantle of the local dive is a reminder of a darker era, the Chesapeake is still in the process of recovery. Water quality reached a nadir in the 1970s, causing a significant decline in the number of wintering birds and abundance of sea life such as crabs and oysters which are vital to the local economy and culture. With an average depth of only 21 feet, the bay is surprisingly shallow, making it a prime location for sea ducks to wait out the winter with easy access to vegetation and mollusks, their preferred forage. As water quality declined, many flocks of birds left for better wintering grounds, and some locals followed suit.
Watermen like Wade Murphy still draw a living from the Chesapeake. And as I can attest, there's still plenty of good duck hunting to be had on the bay. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting-sea-ducks-on-chesapeake-bay
