Hunter Reid and Grace Varo admire Hunter’s new gun donated by Mark and Kati Forsythe.
By Matt Martin, Southwest Wisconsin Chapter
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s November, 2021 Newsletter edition.
On September 18th, 2021, four area youth were introduced to duck hunting by members of the Southwest Wisconsin Chapter of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association. The participants were invited out to the Duck Inn Lodge where they learned about local duck species, duck hunting methods, and gun safety. The afternoon’s activities included lunch catered by Huckleberry’s Restaurant, a clay pigeon shoot in a variety of duck hunting situations, and a duck hunt in the Wisconsin River bottoms. Before the hunt, each youth hunter was provided a hunting bag filled with hunting supplies and other goodies purchased with funds donated by our generous donors. In addition, Mikey Pettit hand crafted an awesome duck call lanyard for each of the youth hunters. After the hunt, one lucky youth hunter, Hunter Reid, was drawn as the winner of a Winchester Black Shadow 12 Gauge pump shotgun which was donated by Mark and Kati Forsythe. Special thanks to the volunteer mentors that make this hunt possible and to Nate Cejka and the entire Cejka and Yeomans families for hosting the event at the Duck Inn Lodge!
This event was sponsored by the Craig Martin Legacy Fund which was created to keep Craig’s passion for youth in the outdoors alive and well after his passing in 2012. Over the years this fund has received generous donations from the Carolyn M and Leary E Peterson Family Foundation Inc., Rick Lange Taxidermy, Mark & Kati Forsythe, Mike Pettit via the 3M Foundation Volunteer Match program, Steve and Angie Jones of Jones’ Black Angus, Scott Yeomans of Sports World, Todd Lensing of Flyway Fowling Guide Service, Keith and Jenny Coleman, Josh and Katie Tonne, The Skemp Family of Huckleberry’s Restaurant, and Tom & Cheryl Olson of Big River Campground. If you would like to donate to the Craig Martin Legacy Fund contact Matt Martin at 608-412-1249. Other outdoor related youth organizations needing support can also contact Matt at the same number.
The Southwest Wisconsin Chapter of the WWA would like to thank all Sponsors, Donors, and past banquet attendees for making events like this possible. Wisconsin Waterfowl Association – Dedicated to the conservation of Wisconsin’s Waterfowl and Wetland Resources.
Standing Left to Right: Mike Pettit, Bryce Lenzendorf, Matt Martin, Mikey Pettit, Brady Lenzendorf, Ryan Deegan, Callaway Deegan, Dylan Varo, Nate Cejka. Kneeling Left to Right: Hunter Reid, Grace Varo, Brady Baumgartner, Brylee Brewer and Irelynd Cejka.