Wisconsin Waterfowl Association Newsletter For October 2018

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• Dale Arenz
• Ted Olson
• Jack Olson

WETLAND LIFE MEMBERS

• Tom Lutes
• Patrick Smith
• Erich Pitz

LIFE MEMBERS

• Randy Hess
• Raymond Petersen
• Bruce Urben
• Brian Hadler
• David R. VanLanen
• John Wetzel
• Scott Zoellick
• Cal Barstow
• Terry G. Doughty
• Bill Peebles
• Jim Weix
• Leonard & Arleen Wurman
• Jeff Nania
• Rob Monette
• Guy McFarren
• John Regan
• Jerry Burns
• Jerry Gadamus
• Don Moore
• Arthur Anderson
• Don Kloetzke
• Buzz Balzer
• David Uihlein, Sr.
• Robert Kieckhefer
• Mark Drollinger
• Jason Alvarado
• Scott Hedin
• Austin Wheaton
• Tom Seibert
• Larry Kirby
• Sharon Kirby
• Keith A. Pamperin
• Lance Voeltner
• Benjamin Larson
• Randy Helbach
• Don Kirby
• Robert Swanson
• Michael Alaimo
• Eric Urben
• Bryan Urben
• Erich Schultz
• Jon Bergquist
• Craig Lonzo

CANINE LIFE MEMBERS

• Creed Ferch
• Gunner Seibert
• Reggie Rechek
• Sophie Vanden Boogart
• Moose Vanden Boogart
• Max White
• Eve Monette
• Ziva Fisher
• Pearl Olson
• Lynard Sitton
• Phez Bartelmez
• Jax Braun
• Sapphire Klug
• Rolf Timm
• Neka Otten
• Reba Regan
• Izy Paitrick
• Jake Regan
• Remington Bratz

LEGACY LIFE MEMBERS

Gone but not forgotten

• Les Didier
• John Holmes
• Joseph Porten

LEGACY CANINE LIFE MEMBERS

Gone but never forgotten

• Zoe Regan
• Nixx Urben

Those recently memorialized were:

Mr David E. Hughes

Donors: Mr. & Mrs. Jim Tavares, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Welch

Mr. Joseph Porten

Donors: WWA 2018 Board of Directors and Staff

Attorney Dan Fay

Donor: Mr. Dale W. Arenz

Mr. Robert J. Kuehl

Donor: Ms. Penny D. Kuehl

Mr. John Held
Donor: Kathy Shurts

Mr. John Holmes
Donors: Dale W. Arenz, Jon Bergquist

Mr. Jay Reed
Donor: Bob & Cookie Olson

Mr. Norman J. Brady
Donor: Dale W. Arenz

Mr. Robert E. Strous
Donor: Bruce Urben

Mr. Stephan Rogge
Donors: Bob & Helen Harold, Law Offices of O’Flaherty Heim Egan & Birnbaum Ltd, La Crosse County Bar Association

If you’d like to consider a lasting and meaningful memorial fund contribution for that friend, hunting partner, co-worker or relative with WWA, please contact us. Each contribution will offer:

• A personalized letter to the family of the deceased,
• A letter from WWA sent to the donor confirming contribution for tax purposes (address & individual donation amount must be supplied),
• The option for the donor to designate which WWA program they wish their contributions be put towards, and a listing in this section for the duration of one year

To contact us call (800) 524-8460 or (262) 968-1722, email wwainfo@centurytel.net or visit our website at  www.wisducks.org

Sincerely,

Don Kirby
Executive Director
Wisconsin Waterfowl Association
PO Box 427
Wales, Wisconsin 53183
wwainfo@centurytel.net
800-524-8460

Dear Roger P, 

All of the reports I have heard is that the duck migration is several weeks earlier than expected. I know the scaup on the  bay of Green Bay are down here several weeks earlier than past years. Causes have been unseasonably cold temps up north and lack of harvested fields to feed them up there due to untimely rainfall.

Well, talk about untimely rain, we have had over 6 inches over the last 4 days and still raining as I wrote this article early last week. The old timers say this is good duck weather, we will see!

To say there is a lot going on at WWA is an under-exaggeration! Last weekend was the 10th anniversary of WWA’s Learn to Hunt Waterfowl Program. 10 years and providing training to well over 100 youth and young adults. A huge thank you to all of our mentors and trainers that have made this possible since 2008!

We are close to announcing the recruitment search for our new Executive Director. Don Kirby served the Association in that position for almost 9 years and recently took a new job with a marketing firm. Thank you Don for all of your great work at WWA and we all wish you the best of luck in your new endeavors! Watch for more information about the vacancy announcement on our website and social media! In the meantime if you have any questions about the vacancy, feel free to contact me directly at 920-660-2773 or at burben@netnet.net.

Our 2019, 35th anniversary Conservation Calendars are out and available for purchase. Most chapters have calendars, please help us by getting them out to your customers. Last year we were sold out, so be sure to reserve your copy. 365 prizes including 30 shotguns, 28 handguns, 26 rifles, 12 Mathews bows, 6 Parker crossbows, 6 guided fishing trips, 2 dozen Steiner Binoculars and many other prizes. The first incentive drawing for sellers will be October 31st, so get your stubs in to Kelcy ASAP to be included.

There is still time to get to the last of the 2018 WWA events, so mark your calendars: The Lakeshore Chapter (Manitowoc) dinner event is on Thursday, November 29th, followed by the Christmas Bash on December 6th at the Delafield Brewhaus. Both events are just in time to pick up some great Christmas presents for that special sportsman. Check out the information for this event on our website.

This year has been a successful one for WWA. We have completed numerous habitat projects, attended several education events and Learn to hunts, helped train incoming Conservation Wardens and been active with WDNR, our conservation partners and our lawmakers. This is not possible without your help. You are the fuel behind this Organization and the tank still seems to  be full.

Thank you for your support and volunteer assistance, you make WWA work!

Bruce

Nominate a Board Candidate

Remember, your first opportunity for Conservation Calendar sellers to WIN BIG, is in just over two weeks from today! In order to make it into the drawing, you need to submit 25 drawing stubs, and the payment for them. For each batch of 25 you submit, you’ll get another entry into the drawing.

All monies and stubs must be received by Kelcy during her mid-day Post Office run, on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31st  for the WWA sellers’ FIRST rewards drawing   (three winners): 1) Cabela’s Rocking Chairs, Table, Cooler & Lamp set, 2) $100 Sherper’s Gift Certificate, 3) $50 Scheel’s Gift Card!

Please remember to give yourself ample time to mail your stubs to the WWA PO Box 427, Wales, WI 53183 this year as staff will be unavailable, for the most part, to pick your stubs up. Thank you for your sales and cooperation!

Don’t wait until the last minute! Of course, we run these drawings to encourage sales, but especially to encourage sellers to get these entries in, to help us better manage the data-entry related to administering the Calendar program. Get your stubs & monies in, you could be a winner!

If elected to the WWA Hall of Fame, the nominee will be honored at the WWA state meeting on January 26, 2019

As you can imagine, many of our wetland projects are on hold due to the wet conditions. Much of the state has received well above normal precipitation over the last two months, and it has slowed project construction to a halt. We plan to move some of them forward once things freeze. I do plan to head to northern Wisconsin toward the end of this month to the Rhinelander-Eagle River area to plant wild rice. This will continue to feed off our past seeding projects and the efforts to re-establish/restore historic wild rice beds in what is considered the wild rice focus area of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Management plan.

WWA is always trying to find quality projects for restoration, so as you are out recreating this fall on your land, family land, neighbor’s or even private or other lands open to the public, remember that WWA is always looking to review potential project sites. With how wet things are right now, take a moment to look around the landscape, it might show some ideas about potential restoration sites.

As we are out in the field this time of year using our great AWA wildlife areas, please help out the AWA leads before winter by doing the following:

1. Report any damaged or missing signs.
2. Take a picture of any blinds and the owner tag(s).  Two years ago, we inspected a blind on Rome Pond and could have taken a picture early in the season.  Late season the blind was destroyed in place and the owner tag removed.  It adds extra work to remove the blind instead of being able to report the owner to the DNR.
3. Check that wood duck boxes and tubes survived the summer and are not in danger of being damaged over the winter.
4. Forward any improvement ideas or feedback on the use of the property for projects.
5. Report carcass or garbage dumping in any parking lot, or vicinity to one.

Thanks again for all those that volunteer with our AWAs and have a great season!

I want to thank all of you who have helped to make all of our events successful this year. We appreciate all your efforts. I hope you have found time to enjoy the fruits of your labor and have put a few birds in the bag. I have yet to harvest a bird as I have spent time with my ailing 90 year-old father. I am hoping we have found him an enjoyable place where he can enjoy his final years. If you have a honey hole that holds ducks or geese and would like to share it with Gunner and me, we would certainly be grateful. I would like to take a few birds with Gunner before he retires at the end of this year.

I would also be grateful if you have hunting friends in the Racine or La Crosse areas willing to make a difference by volunteering to help with a fund raising event. La Crosse has a 2019 banquet date but could use a larger committee to spread out the work. Let me know of any prospects in these areas. Your Association needs your help in reviving these chapters so we can sustain the great works you are used to seeing accomplished.

We have two more events this year and as an active committee member of any chapter you can attend any event for free. This is a good time to kick back and enjoy a banquet because we all know most of you committee members are too busy at your own event to enjoy it. Give me a call for tickets and I will see to it that you receive a hardy welcome.

The field research in North Dakota went very well even without me, and now we are planning for next year. I need to make reservations for next season by the end of the year. They harvested a plethora of ducks & geese and many of this year’s group is likely to return. Yes, the shooting was that good, so now I need to know how many cabins to reserve. These are luxury cabins to say the least. Your total trip cost with the car pool, food and license is about $750 for the 8 nights we stay. This is without the hefty fee of $0 yours truly charges for guide fees. Come share good times with your fellow committee members. Contact me for more information or to reserve a spot for next year’s adventure. I will need $175 from you to reserve a cabin spot. With the increase in cabins I can no longer afford the larger down payment so I need help with the deposit money. Dogs are welcome and encouraged to come. Make your plans now.

Get your calendar stubs in so you are entered in for the first seller’s drawing taking place October 31st We have a few calendars in stock to be sold and we need a sell-out this year to help us make our project goals. Thanks for all your efforts.

Again Thank You for all you do to make a difference, I truly appreciate your efforts. Take some time to enjoy the fruits of your labor and spend some days afield this season if you haven’t already.

Could staring upward into the sky during a hailstorm be the best way to avoid injury? A recent video of Canada Geese employing this strategy prompted one ornithologist to suggest it may reduce a bird’s profile, thereby reducing the chance of being struck by hailstones. What’s more, the geese in the video actually seem to duck individual hailstones as they near their head (eyes).Famed naturalist Aldo Leopold noted similar behavior by Northern Pintails in 1918, and a British ornithological journal reported Turkey Vultures and some species of gulls doing the same thing during hailstorms.

See the full story and watch the video at https://www.livescience.com/63245-geese-birds-hailstorm-survive-stare-up.html