They realized that waterfowl helped remove old rice stubble, ate red rice, and provided sport for hunters. According to wildlife biologists, good habitat is the most important factor in wildlife conservation and restoration. Operation Quackback seeks to provide habitat. Farmers who hunt are encouraged to hunt mornings only so waterfowl can return and rest undisturbed in the afternoons. Operation Quackback does not limit or restrict farmers' use of their land, but does encourage balanced use for the benefit of wildlife.
Publicity includes roadside signs indicating the farmer is participating in the program.
Rewards for farmers are mainly intrinsic. The program has no enforcement component. Farmers are requested only to inform the local Extension office as to how many acres they intend to enroll in the program. Landowners receive nothing for their participation other than the knowledge that they are being environmental stewards. The program became statewide in the spring of 1995, under the sponsorship of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center's Cooperative Extension Service, the Louisiana Rice Growers' Association, and the Louisiana Farm Bureau.