April 2025 Newsletter

Waterfowl Stamp Projects and Funding:

The state’s Migratory Bird Committee meeting to allocate waterfowl stamp funds for the next few years met last week. I expect WWA projects to fair pretty well in this competition. When I rolled the expected amounts into our project tracking tool, it showed that WWA manages about $2.7 million dollars to fund projects around the state. You’ll read more about these upcoming projects soon, but few of them would be possible without the funding your membership provides and your purchase of duck stamps.

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WWA has a new website! Let us know what you think!

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CONSERVATION

A River Runs Through It – Again

The Necedah National Wildlife Refuge is part of the “great marsh” and includes the Little Yellow River.

What once was 4 miles of straight, deep ditch is now more than 5 miles of winding stream and floodplain wetlands.

Work remains before the West Branch is complete, and more community partners have been needed for ultimate success in restoring the broader watershed.

Last year, the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, Juneau County Highway Department, Juneau County Land and Water Resources Department and the town of Kingston all joined the team. Together they bring expertise to help with ongoing watershed restoration work.

“The ultimate value in these marshes is wildness,” Leopold wrote in his elegy. He knew restoring the “great marsh” would not be easy.

But Leopold also knew the best chance for success was through cooperation and community, people willing to work not just for today, but for the future.

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Recent restoration projects: Here are recent WWA reports on how we are using these dollars to complete significant public land projects to restore habitat on publicly accessible lands for spring nesting success and fall hunting opportunity. Over the next several weeks we will be releasing more reports that will keep you informed on our work to make landscape-level wetland improvements

EDUCATION

WWA spent several days in March talking with Madison legislators and staff about our top three policy priorities:

Advancing a responsible sandhill crane hunting season.
Continuing the state’s Stewardship investments in public lands
Addressing the $15M structural deficit in the DNR’s Wildlife Account.

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WATERFOWL HUNTERS EXPO

As we move to a two-day EXPO, vendors and sponsors are flocking to play a role. We’ve had to increase our outdoor footprint with circus size tents! Expect the same great activities—but more of them! Our target is 305 vendor booths, and we’re about 90% of the way there. Mark your calendar now for Friday 22 August and Saturday 23 August—different activities on different days mean you’ll want to consider coming on both!. Make a night of it and come to the inaugural Duck Hunter Banquet on Friday night!

LOOK AT ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES

ADVOCACY

A Common Sense Approach to Sandhill Crane Management

Sandhill Cranes were the topic when representatives from WWA, WI Wildlife Federation, Safari Club international, and Delta Waterfowl spoke to legislative members of the Sporting heritage committees.

WWA is leading the charge to protect hunter constitutional rights on this issue. Contract lobbyist Joel Kleefisch has been hired by WWA to help advance this topic through Senate and Assembly committees to a floor vote.

Want to better understand the issue? Renowned outdoor writer Tom Bahti picked up a pen to capture the logic—and emotion—surrounding this topic.

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LIFESYTLE AND HUNTING

Muskego Lake Waterfowler and Decoy Carver

John Joseph Treutelaar

Sometimes, people are hesitant to leave the area where they were born and raised. Is it a fear of the unknown or simply a matter of familiarity and family ties? This is true of the carver, who was born in Milwaukee in 1904 and refused to leave.

John’s first duck hunting rig was comprised of Mason and Evans Decoys. John decided he wanted something better, so in late 1940, he began carving his decoys.

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By Wisconsin DNR Warden Bradley Burton

When I became a conservation warden with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources seven years ago, I had my eye on Dodge County because of its reputation as a waterfowl hot spot.

The long lines are justified. Whether hunters are in Mud Lake, Horicon Marsh or various spots along the rivers, there’s a good chance they will succeed and harvest ducks in Dodge County.

More Guides; Rules & License Requirements

I also have seen an increase in hunting guides. The guides are more prevalent in my service county, and these local guides seem to have clients through much of the season.

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