By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bross@wisducks.org
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s November, 2023 Newsletter edition.
My recent hunt on the Mississippi
I spent two days on The River last week – the Mississippi River. I was pursuing ducks of course, not gospel history. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it was only the second time I had been on the river chasing ducks. And the first time, I had no clue how to approach its vast expanse of water and incredible waterfowl habitat and fell short of a good experience. But this time, with Director Shawn Gibbons one day, and the next with Eric of Muddy Miss Guide Service, it created a phenomenal memory. While a good number of ducks obliged our spread – and we shot a few of the most obliging – my lasting impression is what a remarkable resource the Big Muddy is for duckhunters.
I’m also a little embarrassed to admit that WWA’s membership is not as strong in that part of the state as it is elsewhere. Since that experience, I’ve been wondering why, and have re-committed to changing that situation. Don’t get me wrong – WWA has had strong chapters along the river, and we still enjoy the Prairie du Chien’s commitment to our organization, with their remarkable string of youth hunts (now 12 years straight).
Prairie du Chien Chapter’s annual youth hunt
One of the reasons WWA may not have the traction there that it does in eastern Wisconsin is that our habitat projects have been sparser. Of course, there are explanations – the hydrological impact of farming in that area of the state has not been as significant as in the east; locations of our ecologists has been further east, and the state’s waterfowl habitat strategy focuses attention on landscapes with more restorable opportunity than found near the river.
With the recent and future hiring of additional ecologists, we hope to turn that around. We now have an ecologist living west of Madison, working to ID and restore wetlands on both public and private lands. And more funding than ever to undertake those projects. Stay tuned.
But WWA does more than just habitat restoration – we are a hunting advocacy organization – and far and away the loudest voice for state waterfowl hunters in Madison. As one example, check out the article about WWA’s organization of a Sandhill Crane briefing for legislators last week. The room was filled with legislators and staff who wanted to learn more about sandhills and the issues surrounding a possible hunt in Wisconsin.
Since we represent our active membership most strongly, a smaller, less organized, non-member, western perspective may get drowned out. While our surveys try to account for this, sometimes numbers matter.
A recent example: Our surveys indicated that 130 of our river hunting members preferred to have the river goose season open on the same day as the South Zone opener – two weeks prior to the duck season. We provided that input to the DNR and the Natural Resource Board and they followed that recommendation. But there was a small number of very vocal NON-members who didn’t agree, and lambasted the DNR for making this change. That they didn’t have WWA’s “megaphone” may have hurt their cause.
Bottom line: whether its railroad crossing issues or season structures or sandhill crane opportunities, WWA is committed to being the state’s strongest waterfowl hunting advocacy group – including representation of those who “go down to the river”. That means we need the help of Mississippi River waterfowlers – as members, supporters and volunteers – to help us connect with the issues they face on the river. What do you think? Email me at bross@wisducks.org.