By Bruce Urben, President
This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s November 2025 eNewsletter.
The Green Bay Chapter of WWA held its 18th annual Learn to Hunt waterfowl program at the Pittsfield Trap Club near Pulaski, WI, on October 17-18. The ten students who registered for the event met on Friday afternoon at the trap club and began with classroom instruction.
The students received a refresher on hunter safety from our certified HS Instructors. WDNR Warden Supervisor Ben Treml followed with a presentation on Hunter ethics, regulations, and what to do (and not to do) when you encounter a warden in the field. Steve Burns, WDNR Waterfowl biologist, presented information about Duck ecology and duck Identification.
All 10 students then went to the trap-shooting line to prepare for their mentored hunt the following morning. Several of our students had never hunted or shot a shotgun previously. Our certified shooting instructors did a great job getting them started on the correct path.
After 100’s of rounds fired, the students and mentors retired for their early morning mentored hunt. Our mentors hunted the Bay of Green Bay for diver ducks, open water, and shore hunting, layout blind hunting for geese, and marsh hunting for puddle ducks on a private marsh.
All ten students had opportunities to work with ducks and geese. Only four students left without bagging a bird or two! Harvest included four Geese, two bluebills, a gadwall, two teal, and a pair of ringnecks. They were able to observe the demonstration of processing their ducks and geese, and many shared their favorite recipes.
A picnic lunch followed, courtesy of the Green Bay Chapter mentors, and certificates were awarded to all students. Three women, three youth, and four adult men attended from Illinois, UW Stevens Point, and throughout northern and southern Wisconsin. Several duck carcasses were transferred to UW Stevens Point Professor Sarah Orlofske for parasite research.
Special thanks to the Pittsfield Trap Club for the use of their facilities, all eleven of our mentors, our presenters and our Hunter Safety instructors.
We couldn’t do it without them!
Those interested in attending next year’s class in October 2026 can contact Bruce Urben at 920-660-2773 or at burben@netnet.net
