Category Archives: Education

Waterfowl Hunting Backstage Pass – Green Bay Learn to Hunt Experience

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By Sarah A. Orlofske, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s January, 2025 Newsletter edition.

The author, far left, with another LTH mentee and their mentors

Wetlands have been a part of my life since childhood and these early adventures inspired my career in wetland ecology. For the better part of a decade, I have also had the privilege of working with the waterfowling community, united by our shared love of wetlands and their most charismatic and ecologically important inhabitants. Throughout this time my primary activities have been recruiting hunters to donate specimens for our research. (You can see some of the results of this research here. I am incredibly grateful to all the hunters who have donated to our research over the years! Even though I had been so close to waterfowling all this time, I had never been waterfowl hunting myself. That changed this year at the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association Green Bay Chapter’s Learn to Hunt event. It may sound like an overstatement, but the experience was life changing!

The Friday evening activities started with classroom lessons, and I was enlightened by the information and expertise shared by the instructors and mentors and just how much was packed into a short meeting! The time on the shooting range afterward was helpful to refresh my skills and more importantly build my confidence, both of which were rusty from years away from a shotgun. I was impressed by the breadth of knowledge of the instructors and mentors. Their patience in answering my numerous questions and making sure I felt prepared was greatly appreciated!

I don’t think I slept much at all that night with all the excitement. We set out for the site at 3:30 AM. When we arrived, it was still completely dark as we loaded gear and dog into boats and put on our waders. The marsh was already noisy with geese and other active wildlife as we paddled out to our location and got everything set up. I have done a lot of wetland fieldwork but this was different – the setting, watching the sun rise, the camaraderie of others out in the field. I was impressed by the skill of my mentors in setting the decoys up and positioning ourselves in a stand of cattails. I will never forget my mentor setting out his special decoys hand carved by his father ready for another memorable day in the marsh.

The author and her ducks

My first shots were early, just after the official opening and I slipped in the mud and missed, but as my nerves calmed and my balance improved, I got wrapped up in watching the sky and listening to my mentor with his expert calling ability. I remember seeing the ducks from underneath, right above my head, and how they responded to the decoys and the calls. Their reaction time and their flight were so unexpectedly fast! My mentor was faster as he called out instructions to me, somehow never seeming to stop calling at the same time. I got a good look at a duck coming in from my left and took a couple of shots with the duck falling with the last one. The dog was out in a flash to retrieve it and I was amazed at the speed and skill used to locate and return the bird to us. A true partnership of hunter and canine companion, who seemed to love the experience just as much as the humans, if not more! My first duck was a hen pintail. Pintails have been my favorite ducks since childhood and that made the moment even more special.

As the morning continued, I admired how the marsh changed as the birds came by in waves. Sometimes just one or two, others in larger flocks. I missed some, but I was also successful too. Unexpectedly, a pair of ringnecks came in between myself and the other mentee and she got the drake and I got the hen and they fell near by each other. I think our mentors were just as excited as we were! We both had an outstanding hunt. I returned with five total ducks with a mix of species and the other mentee had four, which combined were a diverse sub-sample of the species of ducks we saw that day.

I was exhausted and exhilarated at the same time! I was really cold – my fieldwork typically ends when waterfowl season starts, so the cold temperatures caught me off guard – and my arms were completely worn out, but I couldn’t wait to tell anyone who would listen about my hunt. I treasured the experience that put me “backstage”. I had been so close to waterfowling for so long that it made the experience that much more rewarding. I got to see the pros in action and to be able to take part in all of the rituals and practices. It was like being on stage with your favorite music artist. I now better understood everything that happened leading up to the donation of the breasted-out carcasses and it made those donations even more special.

Our research seems even more connected to the waterfowl community now. These birds will be used in every possible way – as a delicious and nourishing meal to be shared with family and as specimens for research. For the first time, I will be proud to discover new scientific knowledge with birds I harvested myself.

The whole experience left me grateful, inspired and a bit overwhelmed. I realized what I knew and how much I still had to learn. I need warmer clothes and more practice with a shotgun, but I also have a strong desire to learn more, make more connections and pursue a future opportunity to get out again “backstage” to encounter waterfowl as both scientist and hunter.

2024: Education and The Waterfowler’s Arc

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By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bross@wisducks.org

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s December, 2024 Newsletter edition.

WWA focuses on helping every wannabe or existing duck hunter become the passionate conservationists that will sustain our waterfowling heritage into the future.  This natural progression makes us better waterfowlers and more ethical hunters.  It provides important “conservation credibility” that hunters need as hunting becomes less of the fabric of our communities and anti-hunters challenge the constitutional right to hunt.

  • This newsletter is a part of that effort — there is no better state-based monthly waterfowling newsletter in the country. Prove me wrong.
  • Our work with Vortex to create the Waterfowlers Academy resulted in more learn to hunts than ever before, with 31 novice hunters in six different events across the state.

2024’s For Women By Women Learn to Hunt participants and mentors

  • The Waterfowl Hunters EXPO continues to grow, now moving to two days in 2025 days. About 6100 attendees this year, celebrating “all things waterfowl”.
  • By the way, funds from the EXPO support public land restorations, science important to state waterfowlers, and scholarships to student focused on waterfowl biology and management. WWA granted a $1K of scholarships, and $3K worth of science support this year.
  • Not quite ready-to-be-revealed, we’ve been working on our antiquated website, trying to make it more informative and easier to navigate, while maybe finding some efficiencies on the back end. Look for a launch early in the new year.
  • Our team of Jessica and Ryan Peterson, who developed the middle school science curriculum based on the phenology of the wood and other waterfowl, were recognized as the WI Wildlife Federation’s “Conservation Teachers of the Year.”

    Ryan (L) and Jessica (C) Peterson accepting their “Conservation Teachers of the Year” award from WWF

 

Of Wetlands and First Hunts

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By Anna Rzchowski, Public Lands Ecologist – arzchowski@wisducks.org

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s November, 2024 Newsletter edition.

Anna in her blind on the morning of the hunt

The last Sunday in October, I paddled with my mentors across the silent marsh to set up in a little bay on the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge. As the sun rose, the marsh slowly came alive. A pair of eagles chattered in a nearby dead tree. Mallards, wood ducks, pelicans and more flew overhead. Seeing and hearing the marsh wake up that morning was an incredible experience that I can’t wait to repeat. I didn’t grow up in a hunting family and, thanks to a great team of mentors at WWA’s Waterfowlers Academy By Women For Women Learn to Hunt Waterfowl, getting out in the marsh again this fall feels totally doable.

As a wetland enthusiast, it was especially cool to have the opportunity to experience the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge through this hunt. The refuge is situated at the mouth of the Trempealeau River where it meets the Mississippi. A mosaic of sandy prairies, bottomland forests and marshes support astounding numbers of waterfowl and other wildlife. It’s staggering to consider the acres upon acres of wetlands and uplands within its watershed.

Thinking on a watershed level helps to understand what’s happening in the wetland. Are there nutrient inputs upstream? Where is the water coming from and where is it going? These answers will help or hinder restoration efforts and can guide goals for the site.

The sun sets on Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge

Not all wetland restorations will be great waterfowl habitat or result in a pristine native wetland. Some protect stream systems from activities in the surrounding uplands by capturing nutrients and improving the health of downstream wetlands. Some will create great hunting spots. Others provide a refuge for rare and imperiled plant and wildlife species.

WWA has a number of wetland restorations in the works with three out for bid this fall. These projects won’t look like the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge when all is said and done. Each project provides different benefits that reach far beyond the property boundaries. Ditch plugs at Meadow Valley Wildlife Area and Necedah National Wildlife Refuge will not only restore wetland acres and more productive waterfowl habitat, but also reduce impacts to downstream roads and infrastructure by increasing water storage capacity in these wetlands. A restoration in Waushara County will create a bit of habitat for wood ducks, support the native plant community, and restore sub-surface water flow from springs on the site, lowering the temperature of the water entering the stream and improving conditions for trout.

Thinking at a watershed level makes wetlands restoration and management feel a little less intimidating. Improving a part of the system improves the whole. By restoring wetland acres within the watershed, we’re improving the health of the many acres of wetlands and waterfowl habitat downstream, too. And that’s encouraging!

Waterfowl Parasite Research Published!

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By Dr. Sarah A. Orlofske, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s November, 2024 Newsletter edition.

Dr. Sarah Orlofske(L) and her research assistants (Roxanne, Rianna, Tyler) gave WWA President Bruce Urben and VP Todd Schaller a tour of their lab earlier this year.

Over the past few years, we have contributed several waterfowl parasite and disease related articles to this newsletter, but this is the first time we get to share some newly published research featuring contributions from your WWA!

In the latest issue of the Journal of Parasitology, this article: https://meridian.allenpress.com/journal-of-parasitology/article/110/5/445/503075/AVIAN-HAEMOSPORIDIANS-IN-GREATER-SCAUP-AYTHYA reports new results related to avian blood parasites from Greater and Lesser Scaup as well as other diving and sea ducks collected from Green Bay, Wisconsin. There were also a couple samples from Wood Ducks  from a site adjacent to the Bay. Highlights of the research include detection of 14 unique types of avian blood parasites including 4 that have never been detected by scientists before! Lesser Scaup were more infected than Greater Scaup particularly females. Every species of waterfowl collected had at least one infection and dual infections – two different types of parasites in the same duck – were also present. Overall percent of ducks infected was ~27% which was slightly lower than previously published research on female Lesser Scaup collected from the Mississippi River area during a spring survey (Merrill et al. 2018). Studies of blood parasites in waterfowl are relatively rare compared to research from other types of birds like songbirds, and among waterfowl studies diving ducks are even less studied. This paper helps address this gap in our knowledge of these parasites particularly in the unique geographic area of Green Bay, WI.

Many collaborators were involved in the successful completion of this project, but we want to highlight WWA president Bruce Urben for contributing the waterfowl specimens for this project as well as writing portions of the methods.

Second author Gina Magro also wanted to share her story about this research:

Being in Dr. Orlofske’s lab brought me a better understanding of our waterfowl populations, presented opportunities for me to grow as a scientist, and provided me with the elements needed to continue my career. As a hunter myself, I have enjoyed learning how such a wide range of factors and conditions of the wetlands are affecting these birds’ health and how our parasitology research can reflect that. I feel grateful to work with so many local hunters to collect samples and get the chance to show them how impactful their contribution was through presentations and a publication. Being a part of Dr. Orlofske’s lab taught me how to reach opportunities such as my summer internship REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) in Oregon and ending with the honor of being published. I believe this list of qualifications made the difference in my application to graduate school and helped elevate my application as a student from a small, state school, above those who attended bigger universities. This lab has shaped my career and built my confidence to work hard, learn as I go, and always say yes to opportunities even if you feel underprepared. I would like to thank the WWA and our community members for helping create the opportunities given to me during my time in Dr. Orlofske’s lab.

If you have questions about this published paper or on-going waterfowl parasite projects, please contact Dr. Sarah Orlofske (sorlofsk@uwsp.edu).

Green Bay Chapter Holds 16th Annual Waterfowlers Academy Learn to Hunt

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By Bruce Urben, President

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s November, 2024 Newsletter edition.

The students and their mentors

On the night of Friday, October 11th, WWA’s Green Bay Chapter began their 16th annual Learn to Hunt (LTH) waterfowl program ran through our Waterfowlers Academy. Eight students attended this year and each started their LTH experience with  several hours in the classroom at the Pittsfield trap club. Instruction included presentations by certified Hunter Safety instructor Jeremy VanSistine, hunter ethics and conservation laws by Conservation Warden Logan Woods, duck identification by WDNR Regional Biologist Steve Burns and duck and goose calling by VanSistine and Bryan Urben of the GB Chapter. The students enjoyed a pizza dinner with soft drinks and sampled duck sausage, hotsticks and good Wisconsin cheese.

After dinner the students were paired up with their mentor team for some time on the trap line, shooting clay pigeons in the positions they would encounter the next day at their mentored hunt. A number of our adult students had not previously fired a firearm!

A student and her mentor in the field

Saturday morning started early for the mentors and students, with some on the raod as early as 4:00 am to meet their mentors at the scouted hunting sites. The hunt concluded by late morning and all met back at the trap club for a picnic lunch, more demos and certificate presentation. According to the mentors, all of the students had some opportunities – some successful and some not. Nine ducks were harvested and the WWA GB Learn to Hunt team demonstrated cleaning their harvest and shared their favorite recipes.

A USDA tech sampled for Avian Influenza

A representative from United States Department of Agriculture was present to swab the throat and cloacal areas of each duck in their effort of monitoring Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). A short presentation was given and a discussion followed on the need for this continued monitoring.

All of the participants had a great time during our closure meeting, and several are planning future hunts this year! All students left with a goody bag that included a WWA Waterfowlers Academy hat and a duck or goose call to commemorate their attendance.

This year, students attended from all over Wisconsin, including Stevens Point and Madison.

A special thanks to all of our Learn to Hunt mentors, including Mike Keeler, Bryan Urben, Jeremy VanSistine, Logan Sincoular, Mark Wilcox, Ken McNamer, Jesse Nickels, Hank and Dave Voakes and Bruce Urben. We cannot hold this type of event without these experienced and avid waterfowlers who gave up a day of hunting for these students! Also thank you to Pittsfield Trap Club near Pulaski for the use of their facilities and all of our presenters and behind the scenes help, and of course, the donations of food and soft drinks from our valued sponsors.

Students and mentors show off their successful harvest

If you are interested in attending a Learn to Hunt waterfowl program in the future, please contact Todd Schaller, our WWA Education Chair at 920-379-1704 or email at tschalt@charter.net.

Midland Wings Chapter Hosts Inaugural Learn to Hunt Event

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By Dave Elwing, Secretary and Development Committee Chair

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s October, 2024 Newsletter edition.

Based upon the successes of other chapters like Waukesha, Green Bay and Prairie du Chien, the Midland Wings Chapter made plans to help further WWA’s education mission this year. Four first-time goose hunters met through WWA’s newest Learn-to-Hunt session over the last weekend of this year’s early goose season.

Saturday’s “classroom” session

Planning got started early in April when WWA’s Waterfowlers Academy leader, Todd Schaller, met with the chapter’s planning committee to discuss the process of putting on a WDNR-sanctioned Learn-to-Hunt (LTH) program. Perspective mentors submitted volunteer mentor requests to the WDNR for a basic background check. The Ozaukee County Fish & Game Club and The Fowl Drake Guide Service of Kewaskum volunteered to sponsor the venture.

Once approved, the mentors did some recon on potential public and private hunt locations and quickly decided upon conducting an early goose season hunt on private lands, thus minimizing the chance of being crowded out and maximizing chances for success. Fortunately, three of the committee’s mentors are part of The Fowl Drake Team and they readily offered a historically productive early goose field for the hunt. Not only did they make the field available, but they ensured that it wasn’t hunted before the day of the hunt.

Setting up early Sunday morning

The chapter selected September 14th and 15th as dates for their two-day LTH session. Saturday would be “the classroom” day, while Sunday would be “hunt day.” Following Todd Schaller’s advice to “start small and then grow the event, two father-son teams were selected as the inaugural mentees. None had previous waterfowl experience, and really only one of the four had much experience bird hunting for pheasants. One father-son team only took up hunting during the 2023 season when they started archery hunting for deer and turkey. All were eager to experience how to hunt waterfowl. From an organizer’s perspective, they were perfect candidates as we introduced new hunters to waterfowling and, by having adult mentees, we could feel relatively well assured that the dads could enable the necessary post-LTH access to mobility and resources to continue their newfound addiction.

One of the father-son duos with their first geese

Saturday’s events included an introduction to the various ways and gear available to conduct a hunt, ranging from the simple to the extravagant (“Waterfowling 101”), “The Warden’s Talk,” followed by a Hunter Safety refresher period, range time, and lunch. Jacob Buck, The Fowl Drake’s owner and head guide, presented the introduction to waterfowling session, during which each of the four participants asked many great questions. Steve Swiertz, Washington and Ozaukee County’s designated game warden led an informative and engaging discussion that nicely tied in Wisconsin’s game laws with safety highlights that were reinforced by a WDNR-certified Hunter Safety Instructor, during the hunter safety refresher. Next came the fun part of the morning, when the participants got a chance to try their hand at breaking some clays. Ozaukee County Fish & Game’s Doug Klinski set up a trap field with two sporting clay throwers set to mimic the shots that everybody hoped for on Sunday. The first was a head-on bird dropping into the decoys and the second was a crossing shot. Each shooter had a mentor working with him to help understand proper shouldering, swing, and follow-through, while always emphasizing safe firearm handling. Each shooter’s abilities developed quickly and in short order hits were far more common than misses. In no time, dads and sons were shooting “hunt & cover” and really enjoying themselves. Saturday wrapped up with a crockpot of goose casserole being completely emptied, before everyone headed home to get ready for Sunday’s adventure.

The hunters and their first geese

Mentors met at the goose field at 4:00 AM the next morning and started strategizing where to set the decoys and A-frame blind based upon two weeks’ worth of observations versus the historical spots that the geese use (of course they were different). Hunters arrived on schedule at 5:00 AM to help put decoys together and set them. We wrestled with what time everybody should get there because we wanted the mentees to understand the difference between a mentored hunt where they participated and learned “why” things are done the way they are versus a guided hunt where they simply show up, but we also know that 12-year old boys enjoy their sleep.

“Showing up” was the responsibility of the geese, and they cooperated nicely. Shooting time was 6:01 that morning. A heavy lowland ground fog slowed the geese’s normal arrival, but the first birds broke through the haze at 6:40. We talked about “finding the X” throughout Saturday’s discussions and the first bird in missed the X… or we did… either way the bird landed about 200 yards away. As the morning progressed we learned that some birds read the same script that we did, while others followed the first bird’s route. Our mentees harvested their first goose at 7:10 when a small flight came in to take a look. A number of other flocks worked the field over the next several hours, but most of them looked but wouldn’t commit. The mentees harvested two more birds around 8:50 and then somebody turned the “goose switch” off. ENDEX was called at 10:00. Once decoys were picked up and moved to the edge of the field everyone came over to the trucks for a bird cleaning session and a chance to enjoy some marinated goose breast slices on Sheboygan hard rolls with good old Wisconsin cheese.

Mentors showed participants how to clean their waterfowl

Lessons learned on Saturday, like safe firearms handling, zones of fire, concealment, remaining stationary when birds are working, watching morning come to life, and just enjoying each other’s company while making new memories were the order of the day. Mentees and mentors alike enjoyed the morning, shared experiences, and talked about future hunts.

We all know that the number of hunters is dropping and is likely to continue to drop as Baby Boomers age out. We are extremely fortunate to live is a state with the wide variety and abundance of natural resources that we do. The Waterfowlers Academy was created to provide a structured introduction to waterfowl hunting. We encourage you, as readers and members, to consider doing something similar through your local WWA chapter. Contact the Waterfowlers Academy’s Todd Schaller at c217tazman@gmail.com.

13th Annual WWA – Craig Martin Legacy Youth Duck Hunt

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This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s October, 2024 Newsletter edition.

On September 14th, 2024, six 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 broasted chicken lunch catered by Huckleberry’s Restaurant, a gun safety review, 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.  After the hunt, one lucky youth hunter, Colton Landt, was drawn as the winner of a Maverick 20 Gauge pump shotgun which was donated by Matt Martin. An additional gun, a Weatherby Element Semi-Auto 20 Gauge, was generously donated by Mark & Kati Forsythe.  This gun was used this year by one of our youth hunters and will be used for future youth hunts.

Standing Left to Right: Mikey Pettit, Ryan Deegan, Wyatt Welter, Mike Pettit, Zach Quick, Hope Martin, Matt Martin, Ryan Stram, Nate Cejka, Dylan Varo.
Kneeling Left to Right: Colton Landt, Landon Thiry, Alyvia Krogman, Cali Otts

Colton Landt with his new gun donated by Matt Martin.

This event would not be possible without our volunteer mentors. Many thanks to Nate Cejka, Mike Pettit, Ryan Stram, Ryan Deegan, Dylan Varo, Mikey Pettit, Matt Martin and Hope Martin.  Special Thanks go out 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., Mark & Kati Forsythe, Tom & Cheryl Olson of Big River Campground, Mark Fillback and The Fillback Family of Dealerships, Rick Lange Taxidermy, 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, and the Skemp Family of Huckleberry’s Restaurant. 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.

Youth Hunters with gun donated by Mark and Kati Forsythe
Left to Right: Colton Landt, Wyatt Welter, Landon Thiry, Zach Quick, Alyvia Krogman, Cali Otts

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.