Habitat: don't mess with the ingredients!

 

In a prior WWA newsletter (February 2017), I wrote about habitat as the recipe for successful waterfowl management.  In a quick summary, management has been and remains successful at increasing waterfowl populations because millions of acres of wetland habitat have been protected by conservation groups including and like WWA.  Well, the ingredients in this habitat recipe are in danger of becoming spoiled and perhaps right in your backyard.  To write in more clear terms, legislation has been proposed in Wisconsin that removes this states permit authority for the protection of over one million acres of protected wetlands.  This matters for ducks and hunters!  Here is why.

 

The wetlands in question are considered "i solated" meaning they don't have

	An isolated wetland in Wisconsin. Photo WDNR

an obvious connection to other larger bodies of water, steams or river.  They are also typically small and ephemeral meaning they might not retain water all year.  However, isolated, small and ephemeral should never be confused with having no value or considered useless.  Quite the opposite! 

 

Waterfowl, especially ducks, rely on these wetlands in potential jeopardy.  In spring, when most of these wetlands are inundated, they provide high quality food resources like invertebrates and provide pair isolation so successful reproduction can occur.  In summer, duck and goose broods seek small wetlands for foraging opportunities and safety as these wetlands are often devoid of predators like mink (which prefer larger and deeper water).  Lastly, in fall these wetlands provide refueling centers for migrating birds but also hunting opportunities for thousands of hunters.  These wetlands provide substantial value to waterfowl and waterfowl hunters and if this legislation passes 1 million acres, or about 20% of all wetlands in this state, would be in jeopardy of permanent loss. 

 

I'll end this month with a fairly obvious call-to-action.  There is still time to stand up for the birds and for the hunters.   Please contact your local representatives to encourage them NOT to co-sponsor, or support, LRB-4115/1 & LRB 4410/1.

There are a lot of reasons to introduce kids to hunting. It is a wholesome hobby that teaches valuable life lessons, encourages exercise and promotes spending time outdoors. In addition to the reasons that hunting is a good activity for the individual, getting the next generation involved is good for the overall sport.

Read the full article...

Thank you to the over 700 waterfowl hunters who took the time to speak with Wisconsin DNR Water Guards, Wardens and partners across the state who conducted boat inspections and Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) education during the 2017 duck hunting openers. For the second year, AIS outreach was held at access points at the Mead Wildlife Area, Big Muskego Lake, Horicon Marsh, and in the Green Bay and La Crosse areas. This year, AIS partner organizations also spoke with hunters at Crex Meadows, Rock Lake (Jefferson County), Two Rivers, Lake Poygan and Sheboygan Marsh.

The Waterfowl Hunter AIS Outreach Campaign is based on the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program many know from the summer boating season. Hunters were approached at launches or other access sites where they were asked to complete a quick survey which also engaged them in conversation about how we can slow/stop the movement of AIS around the state. The summer survey was rewritten to make it specific to hunting. Hunters were also reminded that steps, such as carefully checking blinds and draining decoys, can be challenging but worth it to protect the sport from invasive species like Faucet snails that can cause large scale duck die-offs. Most hunters showed a strong understanding of the importance of the AIS message and that it is also law in Wisconsin. The message was new to many people who only use their boat for hunting or don't use a boat at all. Sometimes they knew about invasive species and the associated problems but hadn't related the AIS law to their sport. A token of thanks, a bird band printed with the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers logo, was given to everyone who talked with the inspectors.

The Message: To help protect waterfowl habitat and populations, hunters must take these simple steps before launching into and leaving a waterbody:

Inspect waders, boats, trailers, motors and hunting equipment, including boots, blinds and dogs.

Contact Jeanne Scherer if you would like to send input for the 2018 campaign or are interested in the hunters AIS brochure or bird bands for events: jeanne.scherer@ces.uwex.edu.