In 1930, when a drought hit Dust Bowl, a known waterfowl habitat, the number of ducks found in the area plummeted as their habitat dried out, a group of hunters came together to begin a conservation effort called More Game Birds. This organization was founded by a group of hunters who wanted to give back to nature and make sure that there are more than enough waterfowl to go around. In 1937, Publishing and Insurance mogul Joseph P. Knapp who was one of the driving forces behind More Game Birds pushed for the incorporation of the organization. More Game Birds was officially renamed as Ducks Unlimited and has since fought to preserve the natural habitat of game birds in North America.

Duck Unlimited’s main focus is to preserve the wetlands, which is the primary habitat of waterfowl. Since the organization began its operations, Ducks Unlimited has managed to save over 12.8 million acres of known waterfowl habitat in North America alone. There are other chapters of the organization which were formed in Latin America, South America and the Australian continent which have done their part to conserve wetlands and other waterfowl habitats in their region. In order to do this, Ducks Unlimited establishes partnerships with a variety of government agencies, non-profit organizations, businesses, and private individuals who help them in the restoration of degraded wetlands and to further protect the habitats from deterioration. In some cases, Ducks Unlimited has gone to the extent of acquiring pieces of land in order to turn it into a sanctuary for waterfowl.

In 2012, Ducks Unlimited celebrated its 75th anniversary. During this time, the organization already had almost 600,000 registered members, most of which are hunters who believe in preserving waterfowl habitats not just to continue with their chosen recreational activity, but to keep the ecological balance in these wetlands for future generations to enjoy as well.