Spring Hearings Are Monday April 13th

• QUESTION 1: Expand the areas where waterfowl hunting is allowed by eliminating the requirement that hunters and blinds be "concealed" if they are within 3 feet of the shoreline (2016)
• Proposed Local Wildlife Management Rule Changes QUESTION 10: QUESTION 10. Do you favor eliminating the waterfowl hunting closed area at the Outagamie Wildlife Area in the town of Bovina and establishing a new waterfowl hunting closed area at the Wolf River Bottoms Wildlife Area, Herb Behnke Unit, Town of Deer Creek and Maine?
• Land Use Advisory Committee QUESTION 21: Are you in favor of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to open wetland mitigations sites to the public that are suitable for public hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking and cross country skiing?
• Migratory Advisory Committee QUESTION 24: Sandhill crane hunting season (360114, 550114)
  There are 700,000 sandhill cranes in North America and 17 states have hunting seasons including two states in our flyway: Kentucky and Tennessee. A management plan approved by 31 states and Canadian provinces in eastern North America established that the Eastern Population of sandhill cranes was large enough to be hunted and established a process for a state to apply for a limited quota based hunting season. In Wisconsin, the state legislature must approve a quota-based hunting season on sandhill cranes before the DNR can develop a season. Do you think Wisconsin should have a sandhill crane hunting season?
• Migratory Advisory Committee QUESTION 25:Opening day shooting time (410214, 500314)
  Currently Wisconsin opens the waterfowl season at 9:00 am. Minnesota and Iowa start before 9:00 am.Do you favor a duck season opener at one half hour before sunrise?
• Migratory Advisory Committee QUESTION 26: Unattended decoys on private lands (520514)
  Do you favor legislation that would allow water set decoys to be left unattended on water areas completely surrounded and enclosed by private land under the same ownership with no public access at any time during the year?

View the full questionnaire on Wisconsin Conservation Congress's website.  

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.  This is 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.  The current schedule is as follows:

• Introduction, waterfowl traditions, & fun shoot: Sunday, May 3rd: 3-6 pm
• Wisconsin Wingshooting for Migratory Birds Program: Saturday, May 30th: 8am-5:30 pm, includes lunch
• Scouting: how-to, LTH prep, & fun shoot 2: Sunday, August 9th: 3-6 pm
• WDNR Learn to Hunt Geese: Friday, September 11th, 6-9 pm AND 5 am-2 pm, September 12th
• WDNR Learn to Hunt Ducks: Friday, October 16th, 6-9 pm AND 4 am-2 pm, October 17th - includes game feed luncheon afterwards!

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.

Click here to view the website on this program and to download the informational brochure and signup form. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Congratulations and a huge Thank You! go out to you, our Membership, for supporting our events in March. Each event had an increase over last year and that can't happen without your support and the hard work of every committee. WWA wants to give you all the biggest thanks ever. We have many projects and clinics planned that need your support and we are getting it from our members and volunteers.

Speaking of volunteers, I am sad to report that our Valley Chapter just days ago lost one of its long time committee members Justine "Dusty" Bouck to cancer. I started with WWA 15 years ago and can't think of a more energetic or cheerful individual I have had the pleasure of working with since. Her ability to get donations was unmatched. The zeal she brought to the games she worked on banquet night was unbelievable. If the measure of one's life is the impressions you leave with others, then Dusty was a star because I won't forget the smiles, joy, hugs and good cheer she brought to mine. I am glad I got the chance to work with Dusty for all these years. She will be greatly missed.  For those of you that knew Dusty, her full obituary can be viewed here. 

In happier news, the new Rig'em Right packages we have at the banquets this year have been a huge success. The Early Season Teal package has been a favorite of many, but the jerk cord motion package of various puddler ducks has been the main attraction. Many of us have numerous decoys, but most of us don't have movement in our spreads. This month's tip for you hunters is bluebird days don't have to be losers anymore. Add some movement to your decoys and add some bird to the bag. The new Rig'em Right Ultra motion package can be yours, come see the new Rig'em Right packages that you can win at one of our events this year.

Check the website for an upcoming event near you.

Tom Seibert - Regional Director - 414.750.8260 or

Sponsor Spotlight - Parker Crossbows

It was about a year ago that we announced the addition of a new state sponsor to the team of partners that help support the efforts of our volunteer teams, all around the state: Parker Crossbows.

We've since begun using Parker crossbows for our events, starting last summer and fall, as well as our spring 2015 events, and in the 2015 Conservation Calendar. It is always great to see the smiling faces as I hand over one of these terrific products to another happy winner. With the "crossbow fever" nowhere near to cured yet in Wisconsin, it is a great opportunity for WWA to be able to "ride the wave" and take advantage of this popularity, and help prepare another batch of archers for their adventures in the woods!

Check out this information from their website:

• The Parker Bows business has been in continuous operation since 1985 - 30 years.
• The Parker Bows brand is one of the top selling brands of compound bows and crossbows in the U.S.
• Parker Crossbows are the #1 or #2 U.S. manufactured brand in the industry.
• The Product Development Team at Parker Bows consists of seasoned industry veterans with great insight into the markets, a number of archery Patents, and dozens of first time developments and ideas that have been used by other manufacturers.

NECEDAH, Wisc. (FWS) - Adam Novey age 14, of Pardeeville, had his acrylic painting of a blue-winged teal selected as the 2015 Best of Show winner for the Wisconsin Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest.

As Wisconsin's Best of Show Winner, Novey's artwork will be judged at the national competition held on April 17th at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W.V.   The national winning artwork will be created into the 2015-2016 Junior Duck Stamp, sold for $5.00 to support conservation education. Over 50 pieces of artwork, one from each state, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories, are entered in the national contest.

Marissa Schultz from Waupun, will also be competing at the national contest with her winning Conservation Message, "Protecting our wildlife is like protecting a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, they are both irreplaceable."

Adam Novey will be receiving his Best of Show Award on Saturday, May 9th at the Wisconsin Junior Duck Stamp Awards Reception at the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Mayville.