By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bruceross@wi.rr.com
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s July, 2021 Newsletter edition.
Once again, there’s more going on at your WWA than we can possibly include in this newsletter, but we’ll do the best we can:
- EXPO – I do hope you’ve set aside Saturday August 28th to come to Oshkosh for the EXPO. It’s shaping up to be a really good event, centrally located, and just in time for the season. There will be more to do than you’ll have time to do it in, fer sure.
- BOGO – There is limited time offer of two-for-one advance ticket sales, but only for the next two weeks, so get yours and your buddy’s ticket NOW and save a little money.
- Help wanted: Should be fun, with plenty of time to wander the EXPO grounds and take in some seminars. And you’ll get some exclusive EXPO volunteer paraphernalia! Interested in helping out? Drop us an email at wwainfo@centurytel.net.
- Duck Stamp success followed by K-N Stewardship win – Fresh off a hard-won victory of the duck stamp increase, it looks like the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program will be around for a few more years, too. How does this happen? Check out Director George Ermert’s inside look.
Understanding Sandhill Cranes – Vice President Todd Schaller’s well-received series of articles exploring the issues surrounding a SHC hunt continues in Part III with some practical realities. A complementary opinion piece, “Seeking Common Ground”, examines the challenges when hunter conservationists and non-hunting conservationists find themselves on different sides of an issue.- Habitat Weather Issues – Habitat Director Peter Ziegler’s a bit under the weather right now (so we don’t have an article from him for this issue), but the dry weather and marsh conditions of early summer has allowed him to push some projects ahead of schedule. And Director Jim Freck’s Habitat Committee is racing ahead with expanded wood duck projects, wild rice restoration, a greater number of projects being identified and new drone and GIS initiatives. Plenty of room for more help if you are at all interested. And don’t forget to check out a neat twist in Mike Alaimo’s 4-year black tern nesting project – citizen science of the highest order.
- A pair of what?!?– The newly re-structured Education Committee, (temporarily led by President Bruce Urben) is re-building momentum after a year in which COVID throttled back promising initiatives. Expect expanded learn-to-hunt and mentoring offerings this fall. And we are exploring expanded parasite research and museum efforts too (huh, what?). It’s not too late to be part of the team and find out what that’s all about.
- It’s called the Badger State for a reason – Our state’s warden force does much more than you might think. Some interesting “tales from the field” await you in Joanne Haas’ timely article.
- Finally, WWA can only do these things (and the many other initiatives unmentioned for lack of space) because of our members and their support. The limited number of events last year has reduced our active membership (since they didn’t have a chance to renew through attendance at those events). Indeed, nearly half the people who are reading this may have allowed their membership to lapse. Please change that by renewing today – and help us do even more for Wisconsin’s duck hunting conservation community.
A new duck boat, you say? Yeah, I love my homebuilt skiff (“The Splendid Splinter”), with its Backwater longtail. But I began thinking that I may want to carry more than a dog out into the marsh this year (as it gets crowded enough in the skiff). So I convinced my wife that we really should have another boat (“Honey, that 25HP outboard that sits in the garage is just crying for a boat to put under it, don’t you agree? What shade of olive drab do you think matches your skin tone?”). This, of course, is symptomatic of a disease that sits somewhere between hoarding and simple obsessive-compulsive. Fortunately, I ordered my watercraft early enough from Brek at ZMAX Waterfowl that I’ll be able to outfit it before the season. Because the boating market, including duck boats, is on fire, if you haven’t ordered it yet, you’re looking at the 2022 season before it’ll hit the water. More to follow on my outfitting of that boat.