This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s August 2025 eNewsletter.
By DNR Warden Clayton Peters
Waterfowl season is only a couple of short months away. Now is a good time to work through pre-season plans and checklists.
Take a close and disciplined examination of your gear, boat, safety equipment, and do your regulations review. Do not forget the dog. My dog, Jetson, enjoys the season as much as I do, or perhaps more.
I joined the world of waterfowl hunting while a student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, studying to become a DNR conservation warden, courtesy of some college roommates.
My First Wood Duck Hunt Was the Hook
My buddies towed me along for an opening-week Woody hunt. It was my first. I followed them through the dark wooded sloughs, wearing tree stand camo and rubber hip boots. I carried my 20-gauge turkey gun, a pocket full of steel shot, and my buddy’s armful of cheap decoys.
It only took one small group of wood ducks emitting their flying squeal through the trees to begin my transition into a whole new passion. Fast forward through almost 15 years of many duck boats, numerous decoys, my duck dog, Jetson, and a slew of new gear, shotguns, and the story has been the same. The passion for adventure, challenge, and camaraderie is very real in this world of waterfowl hunting we share.
I am fortunate to have enjoyed many days in the marshes and fields, learning from waterfowl hunters who grew up doing it, as well as the connections and experiences I’ve made through my work.
Simplicity Makes Waterfowl Hunting Special
I have found myself circling back around to that very first day. The simplicity of a pair of waders, a few decoys, and a 20-gauge shotgun with Jetson leading the way, all on foot.
Simplify the possibilities. Get new friends involved. Seek new and different options to relieve some of that pressure most of us have felt from the busiest waterfowl holes. It is so easy to feel the need to have all the latest and greatest gear to get there and make it work. Opportunity is abundant in this state, especially if you take the time to look. This year, think about trying something new or taking it back to the simple beginning.
There is still time to plan for it before the 2025 opener. Have fun. Make memories. Be safe about it this season. I look forward to sharing stories with you this fall.
I look forward to sharing stories with you this fall.
All photos courtesy WDNR and Warden Clayton Peters.
