Happy New Year!  And, thanks for taking a moment to review what's going on with your Association.  

Man oh man, it feels like I've been running around like crazy the last couple of days! After a late start to our sales efforts near the end of October, the 2015 Conservation Calendar has been going wild the last few weeks, and really keeping Kelcy, Tom and I very busy, moving the last of the inventory around, and addressing requests for mail orders, etc. A special thanks for all of the volunteers who work so hard to make sales, and fill orders on the Calendar, for our sixth year. This great fundraising and awareness tool for WWA was brought to life, way back in 2009 by volunteer Wayne Folske, and it's a tribute to his foresight that we continue to reap the benefits of this outreach tool yet today. Remember, with the first drawing coming next Thursday already, we've got the deadline for drawing stubs and monies to be submitted to Kelcy at the Wales office, next Monday, the 12th.

Friday January 16 through Saturday the 17th I'll be traveling over to Menomonie to do a couple of seminars on wood duck houses & duck hunting, while manning a display booth at the AMMO gun and sports show. Hopefully, we can attract enough interest to bring some volunteers together to reprise the successful chapter that we had in the area in 2010 and 2011. Unfortunately, that group all graduated from UW-Stout and moved on, and we didn't have enough other folks on board to keep it going. Please know, if you're reading this, and you'd like to talk about getting a chapter presence going in your "neck of the woods", Tom or I would be more than happy to chat you, and your circle of friends, up on the subject. Just let us know, or stop by the show to say hi if you're in the neighborhood.

Before we know it, we'll be starting up our 2015 outreach events, with our Northern Wetlands team up in the Rhinelander area starting us off in late February with their banquet. After that, it starts to get a little crazy, but here's your first reminder: if you desire to have an opportunity to immerse yourself more deeply in the details of Wisconsin's duck hunting past, present, and future, the time might be right for you to consider joining many of us from WWA who attend the Wisconsin Waterfowl Hunters Conference, returning again to Wausau, on March 7th and 8th (an unfortunate overlap with our ongoing efforts at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Sport Show - that same weekend!) . For more information, check out their website. The all-volunteer steering committee provides a diverse series of topics, demonstrations and speakers each year. Consider joining the fun this year, and make it a point to attend!

At any rate - it looks to be a great year for WWA - keep watching these pages for the updates you'll need, to know when, where, and how YOU can participate.

While we do have sellers and locations sold out of our very popular 2015 Conservation Raffle Calendars, we're happy to announce we still have a few left! 

This $20 class A raffle features beautiful wildlife art, 78 quality firearms from Scheel's, 14 Mathews bows, 12 Parker crossbows (new for 2015!), plus a boat-load of other prizes. It literally makes the perfect gift for those who are hard-to-buy-for, for business associates, and anyone who wants to help support the WWA cause.

To get yours, email us at wwainfo@centurytel.net or call 800.524.8460 (WI only) or 262.968.1722.  

2015 Annual Meeting January 24th, Board Elections Complete

This year we'll be returning to the meeting rooms at Cabela's in Richfield, just north of the Milwaukee metro area. The draft agenda can be seen here and we'd be happy to have any members join us, even if you're not currently a part of any of the organized chapter groups. It's a good time to learn about what we've got going on, our plans for the future, as well as offering your input, and getting questions answered. Please RSVP to wwainfo@centurytel.net if you'll be joining us.  We look forward to seeing you!

Happy New Year to all of you, from all of us here at WWA. Thank you all for helping us make 2014 another productive year. With your support we can continue to accomplish the lofty goals we set forth and continue on our mission of Legislation, Education and Habitat Restoration.

We will have many new things at our events this year along with the tried and true games, raffles and prizes you so much enjoy.   I will bring you highlights each month on new and exciting events and prizes. This year we will be running a series of Sporting Clay shoots with special raffles and games at each. We will also have special deals and prizes for those of you who shoot at multiple events, so stay tuned for more details on that.

As an active shooter and hunter myself, I will be bringing you some helpful tips, anecdotes and stories pertaining to WWA and my shooting and hunting adventures. I turned 60 last summer, and I had one of my best shooting and hunting years ever. I have never been confused with the late great shooter Tom Knapp in any way, shape, or form, however. To put it more accurately, when it came to killing ducks, geese or upland birds, my shooting stunk. But, I shot in numerous Sporting Clay events - both WWA's and other Organization's - last year and I shot very well, and got better as I went along. Practice doesn't make perfect, but it made me much better.  

I also purchased some Carlson Waterfowl Choke tubes (set of 3) and they were patterned with Kent Fasteel 3" 1560fps shells I happened to win at our banquets. I have never killed a higher percentage of ducks and pheasants in my life. I can tell you my reflexes aren't getting better, or my eyesight keener, at 60. I should have known from all the tips I read in all the magazine articles to do this and that is what improved my success and enjoyment of the hunt. The best tip I can give you is to practice the tips you have been given. Follow the advice you know to be true. It doesn't do any good to know all this data, but not use it. So here you go: practice, practice and practice some more. The WWA Sporting Clay series is a great place to start. Find a high-quality after market choke tube for the game you are pursuing (my choice for waterfowl is the Carlson 3 choke tube set). Then, pattern it with loads you can afford to use all the time, like the Kent Fasteel you have seen at our banquets. Saving game from being wasted is a form of conservation we can all do. Helping us to restore wetlands by attending a WWA event is yet another.  

I hope to see you at one of our many events and again, wish a Happy New Year to all.

Tom Seibert - Regional Director - 414.750.8260 or

As always, please check our Events link on our website for all of our upcoming WWA events. 

We are very excited to share with you the winner of Wisconsin Waterfowl Association's 2014 Dream Hunt Raffle!

For a little background, most of WWA's fundraising events this past year have held an amazing raffle for a 4-person, 3-day "Green Timber Hunt Arkansas" trip with the Cole's Commanders team, on private property adjacent to the famous Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area, for three mornings for ducks, and one afternoon chasing geese in fields, all while enjoying the unbelievable hospitality of CrossHeirs Retreat Center, valued at $6,000!

The winner of the Green Timber Hunt Arkansas raffle at each WWA banquet won a gun and entry into the drawing for the actual hunt which includes 3 mornings duck hunting, fully guided until 9 am each day for all hour hunters, along with three nights lodging the night before each hunt, at Big Jim's Lodge/CrossHeirs, all meals, transportation to/from blinds, and information on local game processors. Additionally, all four hunters will have a guided afternoon hunt for geese, if available locally at the time of the hunt, or alternatively, to shoot trap at CrossHeirs, on the afternoon of day two, if geese are not yet plentiful, locally. Also included is $500 for travel and $400 for licenses.

As many of you are aware, mid-December marked the last of our 2014 fundraising events and hence, the culmination of a wonderful year of support from our members. It also marked the time to draw for this fantastic trip!

So, without further delay, our lucky winner was: Bruce Pietrus of Hudson, WI.  Bruce won entry at our July St. Croix/Hudson Chapter banquet.  Congratulations, Bruce!

Thank you to all of our members for an incredibly successful 30th Anniversary year.  We are very proud to have celebrated this milestone anniversary throughout 2014.  At each WWA fundraising banquet throughout 2014 WWA held a special 30th Anniversary Raffle.  

The lucky winner on the night of the event won this beautiful, hand-crafted, limited edition, numbered duck call.   

Additionally, each event winner was entered into the main drawing for a chance to win a Beretta Silver Pigeon O/U 12ga. and a 24 Gun Safe.

At the culmination of our 2014 fundraising events in mid-December the lucky winner was drawn from the twenty-four entrants and we're excited to announce that Richard Jeske of Milwaukee, WI has won the grand prize!  Richard received entry through our West Allis Chapter banquet held in September of 2014.  Congratulations, Richard!

What do waterfowl and bald eagles have in common? Both seek out open water in winter.

On January 17th, volunteers for "A Day with Eagles Along the Fox River" invite you to join them at various locations along the Fox River to explore the best eagle viewing locations in the Fox Valley from Kaukauna to Neenah. Most locations are public; some are private. A map of the sites can be found at http://foxrivereea.org/eagle-days/  

Please Support Our  Statewide Sponsors & Donors

Nutro Natural Pet Foods

Gear The Way You'd Design ItŪ

Mathews Solocam - Catch Us If You Can

Milwaukee Tool

L.W. Meyer, Inc. / Milwaukee Tool

Parker Bows

Vortex Optics -   The Force of Optics

Bronze Level Sponsors

Bartels' Chainsaw Carvings

 

State Level Sponsors

 

Arkansas Duck Hunting

Imagine. Innovate. Integrate.

DyeSport - Clothing & Uniforms

Final Approach Brand

 Threads Colors & Creations  

Serious Products For People Who Are Serious About the Outdoors

Wisconsin Duck Hunting

Winery  Door County, WI

Vineyard & Winery Green Bay, WI

 State Level Donors

von Stiehl Winery - Algoma, WI

Realism That Gets Results

Longleaf Camo - Only Nature Does It Better

Innovators In Waterfowl Hunting

Plano Synergy Holdings

Wild Wings Collection

Thank You WWA Life Members!

• Dale Arenz
• Ted Olson 

• Brian Hadler
• David R. VanLanen
• John Wetzel
• Scott Zoellick
• Cal Barstow
• Terry G. Doughty
• Bill Peebles
• Jim Weix
• Leonard & Arleen Wurman
• Jeff Nania
• John Holmes
• 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 Helback  
• Don Kirby

Legacy Life Members: Gone, but Not Forgotten

• Les Didier

For information on how to support WWA's habitat, education and legislative programs by becoming a Life Member please visit our website or email us. All membership contributions to WWA are tax deductible as permitted by law.