Hen House Habitat Work Before the Spring Melt

As winter loosens its grip and the meltwater begins to trickle, we know the clock is ticking. Long before the skies fill with birds again, our work begins — out in the sloughs, knee-deep in snow and on sketchy ice, installing hen houses across critical nesting habitat. These structures might seem simple at first glance, but their impact on duck production is massive.

Hen houses are one of the most effective tools in waterfowl conservation. By providing secure, elevated nesting sites, they dramatically improve nesting success — especially for mallards — in areas where ground nests are at risk from predators, flooding, or habitat loss. At Aurora Skies Outfitting, we install them as part of our Aurora Skies Habitat Fund, a hands-on conservation program we launched to directly reinvest in the land and birds that make this entire experience possible.

Our partnership with Delta Waterfowl adds another level of expertise and accountability to the project. With their research backing and support, every hen house we install is positioned for success — not just in location, but in long-term viability. We don’t just want birds to show up. We want them to stay, to nest, and to raise the next generation of strong migrators right here in Saskatchewan.

Beyond hen houses, our habitat work extends throughout the year. We monitor and maintain nesting sites, control invasive vegetation, grow wild rice, and work with local landowners to keep key areas open for birds. Where possible, we enhance small wetlands, protect nesting cover, and advocate for responsible land use practices that benefit both wildlife and the people who live alongside them.

This conservation ethic is at the heart of everything we do. While many outfitters pack up and head home at the end of the season, we keep going. Our success isn’t measured only in limits and volleys — it’s measured in the strength of each return flight, in the broods that survive the summer, and in the hunters who can look across a sunrise and know their presence here supports something greater.

Choosing Aurora Skies means more than booking a hunt. It means investing in an operation that gives back. It means supporting boots-on-the-ground habitat work, led by people who live here, hunt here, and care deeply about preserving this way of life.

The spring melt may wash away the snow, but it also uncovers the work that matters most — the kind that sets the stage for everything that comes next.