The Dogs' Day of Late Summer 2021 - Wisconsin Waterfowl Association

By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bruceross@wi.rr.com

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s September, 2021 Newsletter edition.

Bruce Urben Decoy booth at inaugural EXPO. Josh Preissner photo.

Wow! What a month for WWA! No dog days of summer for us! Except if you consider the 130 four-legged critters that were at the Inaugural Waterfowl Hunters EXPO….

Of course, our big activity was putting on the Waterfowl Hunters EXPO. If you’ve been reading this newsletter at all, you know that we have been working for nearly twenty months to organize this inaugural event. Working with the all the waterfowling groups in Wisconsin, we hosted a phenomenal one-day event on all things waterfowl.

EXPO by the numbers. Some interesting facts

2700+ attendees
26 presentations and demos
78 Exhibitor booths
4 inches of rain the night before
1 stuck truck (as a result of the rain)
114 Volunteers
9 hosting organizations (WWA, DNR, WWF, DU, Delta, UW Stevens Point, Bast-Durbin, Swift-Waters, Seasons2Rember)
130+ dogs
3 dog seminars
5 dog demonstrations
71 fastest retriever contestants
0 dog fights (that I’m aware of).

Jessie Richards with tips on retriever training. Josh Preissner photo.

The EXPO attendance well exceeded our goal! And while this event was never intended to be a fundraising effort, we also couldn’t afford to lose money – and we wanted to put some money towards a scholarship fund and have enough money left over to start next year’s planning. And we have achieved our financial expectations!

WWA Sponsor Lucky Duck attracts new customers. Josh Priessner photo.

I’m very proud of the event we collectively put on. Thinking somewhat parochially, it would not have happened without a strong WWA volunteer presence in the planning and the day-of activities. The result is a really good thing for the state’s waterfowlers. Well Done!!

I expect we will see new opportunities to “use” this EXPO to further some of our WWA goals, like greater WWA brand awareness, NexGen introduction to waterfowling and improved connectivity to the waterfowling industry. We look forward to your ideas on this, too. Let me know at [email]bruceross@wi.rr.com[/email].

Duck Stamp Update: With the increase of the state duck stamp fee this year, there will be additional funds to increase the amount of project work being done around the state. The DNR is calling an ad hoc meeting of the Migratory Bird Committee on which WWA sits to provide an update on funding available, and solicit our advice for where those funds should be used. And I hope to get updated information from the DNR on where this cycle’s stamp dollars are currently being used around the state, for our next newsletter. Stay tuned.

There other things going on in your WWA beyond the EXPO and Duck Stamp – read this jam-packed newsletter to learn more about landowner wetland help; Lt Strelow (DNR’S top duck cop) shares a look at whether the waterfowler surge last year lead to more enforcement action; an unusual sponsor spotlight article; a tragic duck carving corner piece; and a less than appetizing article on duck parasites (read after dinner)… and even more from Regional Director Rob Monette.

EXPO 2021: Too much to see and do at the inaugural EXPO – rest stop required! Josh Preissner photo.

Hope you are having a great teal season, and maybe I’ll see you in the marsh (I still haven’t brushed up my new boat’s blind yet!). We’ll get the next newsletter out early so you’ll be able to read it on those quiet moments in the blind!