Father’s Life Lessons During Boyhood Hunting Adventures Ring True Years Later

Adams County Has Terrific Waterfowl Hunting Opportunities

By DNR Warden Brennan Kearney

Pictured Above: The Wisconsin River in Adams County. Photo credit Brennan Kearney

This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s September 2026 eNewsletter. 

Waterfowl season has snuck up on me faster than a group of teal buzzing over my head in the blind. In no time, we will be creeping through the crisp air, tall grass and frigid water to see a beautiful sunrise and hopefully, flocks of ducks and geese. And with that comes memories of years gone by.

I will never forget the first time my dad took me waterfowl hunting.

He took my brother and me to a small “honey hole’’ as he would call it. This hole was not a hole in the true sense of the word. This was where the creek made a sharp 90-degree turn, which created a pool area with less current and a slightly wider area than the rest of the creek. It had tall marsh grass on one side and trees with branches that hung over the water on the other.

This made for the perfect spot for the woodies to pile in at first light – and the story behind my dad’s name for this gem.

The odds of my brother and me shooting more shells than bagging ducks back then was pretty high. At least we had a good laugh.

Through all the laughter, scoldings, missed shots and limits gotten, the things my dad would always preach were respect for the animals and firearm safety.

Having multiple people in a duck blind at once can create a lot of fun and a good hunt but it can also make for a more dangerous one. Every single time we would get in the blind, my dad would make sure to tell us boys which direction we could shoot, and if we cross “this point,” do not shoot.

Fast forward from those boyhood days to now as a conservation warden, I get to see there are a lot more safety precautions than just shooting in a safe direction.

Most people don’t have the ability to go on private property and hunt a pond or a marsh where you are the only ones and can walk to the blind. Some people need to take a kayak, canoe or boat to get to a hunting spot.

The Wisconsin River along the western border of Adams County, shown in my photo above, offers great opportunities for all of these. When using one of these modes of transportation on the water, there are more safety regulations you need to follow. Here are a few of the most common violations I come across, specifically related to the vessel, while checking waterfowl hunters on the Wisconsin River in Adams County:

• There must be one U.S. Coast Guard-approved, wearable personal flotation device (PFD) for each person on board the vessel.
• If the vessel is longer than 16 feet (except canoes and kayaks) a type IV throwable PFD is required.
• These PFDs need to be in good serviceable condition. I have seen – especially with some throwables – where the foam is either deteriorating or mice have chewed chunks out of them. This can make the PFD useless. Please remember to inspect these items every year to make sure they are ready for use.
• Navigation lights are required between the times of sunset and sunrise, even for waterfowl hunters. 

I encourage you to try new avenues of waterfowl hunting – like in Adams County. Get out there and create lasting memories and always have safety as your priority while enjoying the hunt. I look forward to seeing you!