An article from WWA’s Words From The Wardens.
This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s June 2025 eNewsletter.
By Joanne M. Haas/Public Information Officer, DNR Division of Public Safety and Resource Protection
Waterfowl enforcement is where the skills of Warden Kyle Ziembo shine, so says Lt. Bryan Lockman, who nominated the warden for the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Waterfowl Officer of the Year.
“Kyle can be found hunkered down in a marsh well before shooting hours, waiting for early shots or monitoring motorboats operating unsafely without proper lights,” Lt. Lockman, Warden Ziembo’s supervisor, said. “His duck identification skills have produced cases of hunters illegally shooting at mallards during the early teal season, and he holds waterfowl hunters accountable for not attempting to retrieve birds they shoot.”
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress Migratory Committee agreed with Lt. Lockman and selected Warden Ziembo as their Waterfowl Officer of the Year, making him a special guest at their spring banquet. He will also receive a plaque for his outstanding efforts from the Mississippi Flyway Law Enforcement Technical Section.
A native of Taylor County, Warden Ziembo was hired as a conservation warden in 2018 and has served the public in warden stations in Wood and Portage counties. His current warden station covers the western half of Marathon County. It includes the Wisconsin River and the Mead State Wildlife Area, which has more than 33,000 acres managed for waterfowl production and hunting activities.
“Kyle is an exceptional and well-rounded warden who balances enforcement with education. His passion for waterfowl hunting and his willingness to teach others the sport has greatly benefited the Wisconsin DNR as a whole,” Lt. Lockman said. “He has had a positive impact on each class of wardens we hire. His endless energy and drive to catch law violators is a model for other wardens.”
Warden Ziembo also has strong connections to the communities in his service territory and takes the time to educate youth waterfowl hunters who may not be doing things quite right.
“On multiple occasions during the 2024 waterfowl season, Kyle contacted groups of youth waterfowl hunters with numerous violations. Instead of just writing citations and moving on, he took extra time to speak with them, explain the laws, how to properly follow them, and gave warnings for the various infractions,” Lt. Lockman said. “Kyle understands the impact these initial contacts can have on the youth, so he does his best to make the interactions positive while teaching them the importance of following the rules. He even hands out gift cards to kids when he finds them trying to do things right.”
Lt. Lockman also cited Warden Ziembo’s thorough investigations into wetland violations as having an impact well into the future.
