Several years ago my wife and I signed up for a booth at the first Great Outdoors Festival to be held in Oshkosh , Wisconsin , but we questioned Ducks Unlimited’s thinking at the time. “Why hold such a festival in the state of Wisconsin ”, when we thought of Wisconsin we thought about the state’s heritage in the brewery business and for producing great cheese products, not duck hunting.
After attending the first festival, why D.U. chose Wisconsin for the event didn’t matter and I don’t think we ever questioned Wisconsin as a viable choice again. While being more than pleased with the number of waterfowl enthusiast attending that event, I had never really grasp the concept of how many waterfowl hunters lived in Wisconsin . Not only does Wisconsin have a large number of waterfowl hunters, the state’s rich waterfowl heritage and the pride these hunters have carried forward over the years was never so evident to me as it was in early March.
Last summer I received an e-mail from Joe Porten, a friend from Wisconsin . Joe asked if I would like to speak at the “2007 Wisconsin Waterfowl Hunters’ Conference” to be held in Stevens Point , WI . Needless to say, I was pleased to have been considered as a speaker and started asking questions about the event. The “Wisconsin Waterfowl Hunters’ Conference” has been designed, developed and managed by a committee of independent waterfowl hunters. This was the 6th year for the event and I was intrigued by the fact that duck hunters were doing the work and making it all happen. I agreed to take on the responsibility and speak to the group.
We decided my talk would include a PowerPoint presentation and be titled “Agriculture, Industry and the Wintering Grounds of the Mississippi Flyway.” In short the presentation would touch on the history of ducks migrating to Arkansas , beginning in the mid to late 1800’s and take the 200 or so folks attending the conference through a visual and verbal tour of the changes that have occurred as a result of changing agricultural practices and industry. After considerable research, documenting my ideas and beliefs, I found there was more information than time would permit me to review, so I included a multi page folder with a timeline providing the attendees with the additional information and sources for the documentation of the facts. I was well prepared to speak on the historical changes to wintering grounds in Arkansas and even make a few predictions about what we are facing in the future.
As Jackie and I were finishing up the last twenty or so miles of our trip to Stevens Point , the snowstorm hit. The cross winds must have been blowing in excess of 40 mph. As the fresh snow blended with the blowing snow, already piled up on the sides of the highway, we were forced to slow down to a snail’s pace. Local radio stations were predicting as much as 18 inches of fresh snow for parts of Wisconsin . We had driven into one of the worst late season snowstorms the state had experienced in years. Not only had the weather created tough driving conditions, there was little doubt in our minds … the conference would be cancelled.
As we checked in the convention center I heard someone yell HammerTime. It was Al Kube, chairperson of this year conference. After asking how our drive went, he was quick to inform me he didn’t feel like the weather would have much bearing on those attending the conference. “After all, the people that have signed up to attend are real duck hunters”, he said and that brings me back to my original point.
Wisconsin does have a rich waterfowl heritage and it was never more evident to me than through what I witnessed while attending this conference. This group of duck hunters had put together an event that was entertaining and informative. They had speakers from all over the state of Wisconsin and all of their presentations were well prepared. These speakers didn’t stand up and try to tell the attendees how to blow their calls or when and where to use a particular decoy spread. Instead they focused on topics related to their state and the sport of waterfowl in Wisconsin . They discussed what is being done to improve the sport in their state and even went so far as to have Christine Thomas, Chair of the WI Natural Resources Board, speak on how decisions are actually made by the board and what hunters can do to better represent themselves to the WI Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR).
Years ago I came to the realization; the only thing I love about this sport more than the ducks … are the people that hunt them and with that in mind I headed to Wisconsin as enthusiastic as ever about the opportunity to speak. My trip home was of a much different nature. Sure I enjoyed the fellowship and the duck talk, but I knew I was going home from this event with much more than I had taken with me. Not only had I made new friends and learned a lot about Wisconsin and their waterfowl programs, I had a real understanding and respect for the deep-rooted heritage these Wisconsin ducks hunters have carried forward.
The conference itself is something I feel other hunters should consider for their state, using the same approach these hunters have used for years. As hunters I feel we need to listen to what the state and federal agencies have to say and find out what we can do to help and guide our sport from within our own ranks, but most of all we all need to consider the motto this group of duck hunters live by, “Help keep the flame alive.” Think about … the future of our sport rests on the decisions we make today.
Snapp1@sbcglobal.net
www.arkansaswaterfowl.com
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