By Bruce Ross, Executive Director
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s June, 2020 Open Water Newsletter edition.
At least for me, it’s difficult to think beyond the the duck season immediately ahead, but we are going to try with this newsletter. As I write this, the Natural Resources Board just approved a new zone structure for 2021-2025 – including a new zone called the “Open Water Zone” .
2021-2025 Open Water Zone
This is a VERY significant change in the world of Wisconsin waterfowlers. After this season, the Mississippi Zone will be absorbed into the South Zone, and a new zone in the waters of Lake Michigan (including Green Bay) greater than 500 feet from shore will be established, called the “Open Water Zone”. Significant change can be rife with significant controversy, and if you follow such topics closely, this change is not without some vocal opposition. So that’s why we are devoting space to help our readers understand what this means.
This newsletter offers a sampling of the history, current practices, and research in this new zone:
- An article by Peter Peshek on how it came to be that some really interesting duck species are finding Lake Michigan to be a source of reliable food in the fall.
- How the DNR’s public input supported this change, and WWA’s input to the Natural Resources Board based on our own winter survey.
- Two articles on research in this new zone:
- (1) Duck Parasites (yum!) by Dr Sarah Orlofske – who has previously shared some of her research with us (in this newsletter and at the annual conference), but now she’s sharing some of her research student’s work. (By the way, Doctor Sarah just volunteered to be WWA’s duck banding coordinator – check out her article here)
- (2) An upcoming research collaboration between Luke Fara (USGS) and Ben Sedinger (UWSP) on hunter activity on the waters of Lake Michigan.
- A primer on what it takes to hunt these productive – and sometimes dangerous – waters by WWA President Bruce Urben—a seasoned open water hunter.
- Notes from a guide with seven years of regular visits to the waterfowl hunting grounds of Lake Michigan, Nolan’s Top Gun Charters.
- 2020 season structures.
- And I’m sure that as soon as we hit <send>, we’ll think of other articles we should have included. If you have ideas, let me know!
As always, thanks for being part of the WWA family. (And I didn’t even mention COVID, pandemic, or “strange times” even once!)
Bruce