By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bruceross@wi.rr.com
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s April, 2021 Newsletter edition.
I’m glad we’re out of March – it felt like the longest month in recent memory, but maybe that’s because we did a lot in those 31 days…
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Bruce Ross left) presents inductee Eric Urben with his Hall of Fame plaque
We held our first in-person event of the year in Green Bay. This was a wildly fun and successful event in which we also recognized the Hall of Fame induction of long-time Green Bay Chapter Chair Eric Urben and Mr. Wood Duck Box himself, Erich Pitz. The high-energy backdrop of the event seemed appropriate to recognize these high energy gentlemen. The GB chapter put on a first-rate event, for a record crowd, and raised a record amount of dollars for Wisconsin’s ducks. Thanks to chapter chair Doug Steiner and his spectacular committee of volunteers.
- Erich Pitz has been recognized as being the energy behind WWA’s wood duck box program, but with his recent passing, we’ve had to rebuild the program. And that has been tested during this month with the largest number of boxes sold online in memory – including a new shipping mechanism that’s much more efficient.
- Continuing on the theme of efficiency and wood duck boxes, I’d just like to recognize the effort by our Valley Chapter. By the end of this month, they will have established over 100 wood duck boxes in the past 14 months!
- We are beginning to plan the golf outings, too – three of them this year: SE Wisconsin, Fox Valley, and a new offering in Beaver Dam. Great courses, great prizes and great prizes Don’t have to be a low handicapper, but you do need to enjoy getting out for a day outside for a great cause. Join us for the first one May 25th at Ironwood in Sussex. Early bird special to the first 12 teams to sign up!
- We participated in the Migratory Bird Committee Meeting sponsored by the DNR, to allocate dollars raised by Wisconsin duck stamp. There was only sufficient funding to approve about half the projects. Give the ducks a raise, why doncha!
- To that end (of giving ducks a raise) we spent time with legislators to include this idea in the budget being developed by the legislature right now
- In that same meeting, we successfully advocated for the inaugural Open Water season structure that our survey respondents wanted.
- Four class A drawings were held; congrats to the winners and thanks to all the participants!
- Spent a lot of time talking to people who know sandhill cranes and their biology and what makes the Wisconsin sandhill story unique. Expect a series of articles exploring these fascinating birds in the coming issues of this newsletter.
- And we are at a critical stage in ramping up the waterfowl Hunters EXPO, getting sponsor support to keep the price point [very] low for all of you! Check out the growing list…
There a lot more, but this is a jam-packed newsletter, so I’ll let you get to it… but don’t miss the recognition of Warden Trevor Tracey, who I cross paths with every year at the new warden duck school and always impresses me as the kind of warden that ethical hunters want patrolling the resource.
And while we’re still 120 days from hunting season, Dr. Brooks’ recollection of a personal waterfowling experience should help us all remember our similar experiences, and why we should be tuning up our duck dogs, and cleaning and re-stringing our decoys about now.