By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bross@wisducks.org
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s October, 2024 Newsletter edition.
It continues to amaze me how much your WWA has going on. (And I thought last month was busy as we received two national awards, and hosted an EXPO). We just closed the books on the ’24 EXPO, and we’ve already begun meeting for the ’25 EXPO, which is going to two days. We got a survey out to attendees, and we are hoping to get feedback to make improvements. So far, the feedback has been uniformly positive.
Do you want to help take it to the next level? Let me know.
Habitat work couldn’t be much busier—a gang of us got together at my cabin or camped overnight for a couple of days of rice collection to help restore rice beds in the Northwoods. The rice was not as kind as last year, but between purchasing rice and collecting it ourselves, we were able to put over 500# of manoomin back in places where we hope it will gain a toehold and bring ducks for years. By the way, that’s a picture of WWA Ecologist, Mark Pfost, collecting rice using what our GLIFWC (Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Council) partners call “the soft hand method” (that actually employs 3’ long ricing sticks to knock the rice seeds into the bottom of the canoes). You may not recognize him because he is usually up to his neck in mud, muck or water. Good to see you dry, Mark!
Want to help out ricing next year—email info@wisducks.org to get on the list!
Make sure to check out Mark’s article as the lead ecologist in the largest project WWA has done in decades, maybe ever. He’ll be leading the charge on disabling an extensive network of 100-year-old ditches in the Necedah area to restore something close to 2,000 acres. This includes land on which you can hunt on the Meadow Valley State Wildlife Area!
And our Green Bay volunteers are working closely with the US Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve the waters and woods of our 143 acre Abrams property.
Our learn to hunt efforts are in full swing now that the season has started – our West Bend Chapter had a goose hunt and Prairie du Chien got a bunch of youngsters out for a duck hunt. Impressive work to start the NEXGEN waterfowlers out right. Every student or teacher says it’s a great experience.
We could use more mentors—let me know if you want to play a role.
The best value raffle in the state1 is now available. Better odds, better prizes than ever before, and a chance to win a prize for every single day of the year. If we can sell this thing widely, it’ll significantly expand our ability to deliver habitat, education and hunter advocacy. Buy one or more, or even better…
Help us sell what could be the biggest raffle in WWA recent history
And finally, I just spent a VERY long day in the capitol, advocating for a sandhill crane hunt.
I hope you’ve noticed a theme here. WWA is expanding our efforts to fulfill our mission more effectively, and that opens up opportunities for committed individuals to make an outsized conservation impact. But you need to raise your hand (figuratively) by letting us know you’re interested—just follow this link.
And I have gotten into the marsh for a couple of glorious mornings. But not enough (then again, is it ever?)
See you in the marsh,
Bruce
1 – In my somewhat biased opinion, WWA’s 2024 calendar raffle at only 30 dollars, a drawing for every day of the year, and prize value over $80K