By Brad Heidel, Executive Director – bheidel@wisducks.org
This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s April 2026 Newsletter edition.
Spring Is Here
I love spring – the crazy swings in the weather, the longer days, hunting turkeys, and the promise and hope of a great spring hatch. Just last week, we were checking some of our hen house nesting structures and found hens already on the nest!
The past few weeks have been busy and exciting. I recently had the honor of judging the state Junior Duck Stamp contest at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. There were over 300 entries this year, including some very promising young artists. The artwork is great, but I was even more excited to see how conservation and the benefits of Duck Stamps are being taught in classrooms across the state. These children are our future waterfowl conservationists.
While there, I also saw firsthand the work completed on Phase 2 of our Little Yellow River Project. During the work done this winter, our partner, Earth Inc., completed 9 miles of ditch deconstruction and filling. During the project, you could literally see water filling in behind them. This work is currently estimated to restore roughly 2,400 acres of wetlands! The project is allowing water to do what it did so many years ago. While there, I was able to observe once dry areas, now covered in water – and even better, that water was already holding ducks. It will be exciting to see how this great project continues to progress.
And speaking of success, organizationally we have a lot to celebrate. I want to personally invite you to this year’s Annual State Meeting on April 18. We are doing something a little different this year, and it should be a great time. We’ll look back at the wins from 2025 and give you a glimpse into what 2026 could bring. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow waterfowl hunters and conservationists, hear about the exciting work happening across the state, and learn how you can be part of what’s next for WWA.
Join us at the new MeatEater Store in Brookfield, WI, for a fun afternoon of conversation, updates, food, refreshments, giveaways, and a generous discount on all in-store First Lite gear.
Space is limited and spots will fill quickly, so be sure to RSVP today to secure your place. We would truly enjoy seeing you there and sharing what promises to be an exciting year ahead for wetlands and waterfowl in Wisconsin.
