WWA's DNR Hunter Recruitment Grant - Ladies: We Need You!

As you've already heard in a prior installment of our eNews, WWA was awarded one of the DNR Hunter Recruitment Grants.  We're currently working to firm up our plans for a unique opportunity for women to learn about the "waterfowling lifestyle", through a multi-event series of experiences to occur later this spring and into the fall. Our Twin Rivers chapter, along with several other teams, will be hosting several formal training events, including two different Learn to Hunt programs, in conjunction with this experiment.  

If you are a women who would be interested in participating in this series, either as an experienced mentor, or as a person who would not otherwise have the opportunity to be exposed to waterfowl hunting in such a manner, please feel free to reach out to me at: dpkwwa@gmail.com, and I can provide you with more information.

Yes, there is such a thing, and as waterfowlers we should all celebrate today, World Wetlands Day. I think we all know how important wetlands are to waterfowl in Wisconsin and worldwide. World wetlands day is a celebration of the recognition of wetlands.  Wetlands play a significance role in our ecosystem, and we as waterfowlers need to continue to recognize this and to therefore continue to put resources towards their protection and restoration.  

I'm sure you have heard of Horicon Marsh and the Upper Mississippi River (both areas WWA has done project work on, by the way). Well, these are two internationally recognized wetlands of only 30 such spots in the entire United States, which should signify how important they are to Wisconsin's landscape. If you have spent any time on either of these wetlands, you can appreciate the diversity and importance to waterfowl. They not only attract large concentrations of waterfowl, but also many other birds while also providing significant breeding habitat.    

On this February 2 please join in on celebrating World Wetlands Day and help everyone remember the importance this habitat is not only to us as waterfowlers, but to all.    

Also, check out a PDF of our 2014 Habitat Program in Review - thanks to all of our members for the projects you helped us complete last year. 

Sincerely, 

Peter Zeigler, Project Director - wwawetlands@gmail.com 

On Saturday, January 24th, we returned to the meeting rooms at the Cabela's retail store, in Richfield, for the Annual meeting of WWA, as required in our by-laws.  

Some select highlights:

Board President Bruce Urben introduced the 2015 Board of Directors, including the four newly elected directors: Jesse Beske, Randy Helbach, Peter Strenn and Ryan Zankl.

The following volunteer Chapter teams were recognized for exceeding their Goal in financial performance during 2014:

• Green Bay Chapter
• South Shore Chapter - Racine/Kenosha
• Wild Wings Shoot - Kewaskum
• West Bend Chapter

The following volunteer Chapter teams were recognized for exceeding their SuperGoal in financial performance during 2014:  

• Northern Wetlands - Rhinelander  
• Fox Valley Chapter - Appleton
• Twin Rivers Chapter - Jefferson County
• Waukesha County Chapter
• Cedar Creek Chapter - Mequon
• West Allis Chapter

These Chapter teams received special awards for their performances during 2014:  

• Best Net to Gross, with 55% efficiency: State Shoot - Wern Valley  
• Best Increase Over Last Year, with a 24.9% increase: Waukesha Chapter  
• 2014 Highest Net Contribution - TOP GUN: Green Bay Chapter

I'm very excited to announce that Cabela's has jumped on board as a WWA Sponsor again this year. You will have a chance to win a Cabela's vacuum sealer and food processing items to boot. Preserving your harvest is one of the smartest things to do as nobody likes gamey tasting fowl, all of which can be fixed with proper processing. Clean your birds as quickly as possible after the kill. I use a gut hook to draw my ducks right after the retrieve and I pull the innards out ASAP. This helps them cool. I then toss them on a frozen water-filled milk jug, keeping them further chilled until I can properly clean them. Win this Cabela's package and you will have a good start on taking home good tasting game.

Many times I breast my ducks when getting them out of the field and back to the cabin for processing. I marinade them overnight and then make duck tenders for the group of WWA volunteers who hunt with me in North Dakota. I use the WWA Game & Fish batter in the Regular or Cajun flavored. These items have been featured at many of our WWA events. Here is the tip of the month for you: let the battered duck strips rest for a half hour and then drop them in the hot oil. Your breading will stay on and less of it will contaminate your oil. I have never used a batter like the WWA mix that binds better. Then, tip #2 is to season your strips immediately after pulling them from the fryer. The seasoning sticks to the hot batter and won't burn off in the frying process. The favorite seasoning of our hunting group is Cabela's Honey Pecan, although the Cabela's Maple Jalapeno is a close second. Cabela's has a whole rack of wonderful spices to choose from. On your next stop to Cabela's check the spice rack out and find your favorite. Then thank them for their continue support of WWA.  

Winning the newest Cabela's food processing package is a good start to preserving and conserving our wild natural resources. See you at an upcoming banquet. Check out our website for the one closet to you.  

Tom Seibert - Regional Director - 414.750.8260 or

WWA Green Bay Chapter Volunteer Ryan Dorak teaches at local LTH event

Changes to Learn to Hunt forms and website: easier than ever.

MADISON - Learn to Hunt just went lean and clean with a new electronic application form that saves applicants time and effort to organize an event.

"We've made a few tweaks to the Learn to Hunt website and forms," said Keith Warnke, hunting and shooting sports coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "We've tried to make the forms easier to fill out by eliminating unnecessary information and getting them directly where they're supposed to go. We'll be making big-picture website changes later this year. "

Warnke says if applicants are looking for the fastest service, complete, scan and then email the Learn to Hunt documents. There is one bigger change to the Learn to Hunt program this year.

Sponsor Spotlight - von Stiehl Winery

Our friends at the von Stiehl Winery have been assisting our events for five years now! We are very excited to enter our sixth year in partnership, and if you've ever been to one of our fundraisers, you've likely seen the promotional brochures, wine guides, the bottles of one their best-selling wines, and the group winery tours and wine tasting certificates they've shared with the members of WWA. With the whole world looking to the Door Pennisula for vacation-time trips, these offerings seem to be a perpetually hot item for us, at our outreach events.

According to their website: "The von Stiehl Winery, listed in the Federal Historic Registry, offers a nostalgic view of turn-of-the-century German America. Winery Tours include a visit to the century-old underground limestone caverns where wine is fermented and aged. See and learn how wine is created, then plan to sample over 25 varieties of grape and fruit wines.

Von Stiehl offers 25 varieties from traditional grape wines to intense fruit wines made with Door County cherries. Sample our Gold Medal winning Cabernet Sauvignon, or try our brandy fortified Cherry Wine. Experience our #1 selling Riesling or taste the smooth, round tannins of our Merlot, aged in French oak.

Yearly events have our guests saying "Hooo-doggy, do these Wisconsin winos know how to par-tay!" From grape-stomping competitions to live music to "Win a Free Bottle of Wine", there is nary a dull moment at a von Stiehl winery event. Events also include delicious eats and of course wine tasting itself, which is just fun!

The small town charm of the von Stiehl Winery, with its view of Lake Michigan, gracious staff, and room to stretch out on the lawn make visiting von Stiehl a "must do" while in the area. If you can't join us in person, browse our online store, pick out a favorite wine, and we'll send a bit of von Stiehl your way."

To learn more about von Stiehl Winery, with their setting in beautiful Algoma, right on Lake Michigan, or even their new Ahnapee Brewery, featuring seasonal brews, see their website:   www.vonstiehl.com, or call them at: 1-800-955-5208.