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Seasons Happen, Despite Pandemics
By Bruce Ross, Executive Director
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… and so does WWA’s work. It has been an interesting month – even without events, it seems like we’ve been very busy. Committees are laying plans,
r
affles have blossomed
,
policy work continued on duck stamp fees and new zone decisions
,
AWA work
- although slowed by the DNR’s social distancing requirements – continued, we continued to work on the creation of a state-wide Waterfowlers EXPO, we brought aboard a couple of new corporate sponsors and we even had our
fir
s
t virtual event – a success
!
Read on...
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So... Are You Feeling Lucky, Duck? Virtual Event
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Join WWA virtually for our next event happening via Zoom on Thursday, June 11th at 7:00 pm CDT, for your chance to win these amazing door prizes, including top-end firearms and Lucky Duck Premium Decoys!
Learn more and get your tickets here...
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Does your four-legged best friend need some new gear? Would you like to show your support for WWA? Kill two birds with a single stone:
Become a Conservation sponsor via this link for just $200 and have a 1-in-5 chance of winning a $600 dog lover’s package courtesy of SportDOG, Dakota Kennels, and Fromme’s.
Find out more!
Or do you want to hunt at Wisconsin‘s oldest duck club, NeePee Nauk, while reducing WWA's dependence on event fundraising?
Become a sustaining member via this link for a 1-in-15 chance of winning an overnight hunt with Executive Director Bruce Ross in this historic club.
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WWA's 2020 Educational Initiatives
By Bruce Urben, President
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In 1984, WWA's founders established a mission statement that included the implementation of educational programs for Wisconsin's youth that heighten awareness of our wetland resources, conservation and hunting traditions. Our recent focus has been on recruitment and education of new waterfowl hunters and I am happy to report that we are planning to expand our educational opportunities this fall!
Learn more...
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Waterfowl Banding Update
By Dr. Sarah A. Orlofske
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Banding allows wildlife researchers to use mark-recapture techniques to predict the impacts of harvest and examine environmental variables that influence migratory bird populations. But the impact of banding extends even beyond waterfowl populations.
Learn more...
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Black Tern Nesting at Rome Pond Project Update
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A few years ago WWA's lead AWA volunteer, Mike, undertook a project to
restore nesting habitat at Rome Pond Wildlife Area . He continues to experiment with combinations of floating platforms with sod in various locations as a means to provide vegetated platforms for nest success for the endangered Black Tern. A week ago Mike went out to check on this year's platforms
.
Read on...
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A quick update on what’s happening in the world of WWA's Habitat Committee:
GRANT UPDATE: We have three grants we’re working under right now:
Read on...
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Help Wanted: Wisconsin's Own Waterfowlers Expo
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The Expo we've mentioned once or twice is continuing to “build steam”: Steering Committee and support committees are meeting and looking for volunteers, possible sites, and developing programming options.
Read on...
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CARES Act Supports Charitable Giving
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In addition to providing significant funding for small businesses, the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act also created an attractive new reason to make charitable contributions - taxpayers who don't itemize can now deduct cash contributions of up to $300 ($600 for married couples) from their adjusted gross income, lowering their taxable income. The incentive applies to contributions made in 2020 and can be claimed on tax forms next year.
Also, if you itemize, for 2020 you can now deduct 100% of your charitable contributions from your adjusted gross income (that’s 60% more than previously). If you have a business, the 10% limit has increased to 25%.
Donate.
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Class A "Need Not be Present to Win" Raffles
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Throughout the year most of our chapters hold
Class A raffles
, many featuring multiple prizes and some extremely desirable guns (that you probably wouldn’t buy for yourself, but sure would like to own). If you can’t attend every event, and who can, you can still get in on a chance to win the chapter’s showcase prizes, most with great odds to win.
Check them all out here.
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This month's featured Class A is for our Midland Wings Chapter which will be drawn June 16 at Jugg's Hitching Post in West Bend. Tickets are $10 each, only 250 will be sold & you could win a
Rock Island Armory VR80 12ga Semi-Auto Shotgun with AR platform grip & stock and CA. Magazines!
Get your tickets here!
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Tom's Event Corner
By Interim RD Tom Seibert
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One small benefit of our “Stay at Home” order was that WWA’s chapters had some wonderful firearms in possession ready to raffle at their Spring events and now nowhere to go, so you are seeing these now hard-to-get (just check gun dealer’s shelves these days) at our
Virtual Events
or
Class A Raffles
.
Read on...
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Consider volunteering to help one of our Chapters make a difference by improving the wetlands, waterfowl, and wildlife in Wisconsin. Thanks for all your past and future support.
I want to help!
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WWA's UTV raffle is back for 2020! Grand prize Can Am HD 8 UTV & Karavan Trailer, 2nd prize Links Whitetail Safaris 3-day Archery Hunt and 3rd prize $500 Russell Moccasin Gift Certificate could be yours for just $10/ticket or 3 for $20. All proceeds benefit our mission.
Get your tickets here
.
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Sponsor Spotlight: Lucky Duck Premium Decoys
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Mark your calendars for the next WWA event near you and visit our
Events Calendar for everything happening in 2020 & beyond:
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Have an idea you want the wardens to answer in the new year?
Let us know!
Wetland Laws: How They Work and How Wardens Enforce Them
B
y Investigative Warden John Schreiber and Wetland Compliance Team Coordinator Emily Pedersen
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Ring, ring, ring; or nowadays, ding! The warden gets a text or call from a concerned citizen or the DNR Hotline, reporting a possible wetland violation, or wardens observe wetland and waterway violations while afield checking recreational user compliance.
Read on...
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Duncan Joseph DuCharme
By Bruce Urben, President
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Duncan initially carved decoys for his own family’s use while they hunted on the Delta marsh and Lake Manitoba. Duncan later began carving decoys for James Ford Bell (the founder of General Mills Co. and instrumental in the establishment of the Delta Waterfowl Research station) for his hunting camp at the Delta Marsh
.
Read on...
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Thank You to Our 2020 Sponsors & Donors
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Thanks to all those that have cherished the memory of a loved one by donating in memoriam to the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association. Those recently memorialized were:
- Mr. Randy McCoy - Donors: Multiple, view all here.
- Mr. Gordon Seibert - Donors: Jim Freck, Mike Depies, Dennis Guttmann, Greg Rausch
- Mr. Lawrence "Butch" Spaight - Donors: Jim Holwerda, Jeffrey & Katherine Nelson, Conservation Wardens of the Northern Region, Carol Mast, Richard & Cathy Bauman, Christopher & Stacy Spaight, Randy & Nichole Mittelstaedt, Thomas & Linda Cervero
- Mr. Glenn Zachow - Donors: Greg Rausch, Tony LaMacchia, Jim Freck, Mike Depies
- Mr. David E. Hughes - Donors: Mr. & Mrs. Jim Tavares, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Welch
- Mr. Joseph Porten- Donors: WWA 2018 Board of Directors and Staff
- Attorney Dan Fay - Donor: Dale W. Arenz
If you'd like to consider a lasting and meaningful memorial fund contribution for that friend, hunting partner, co-worker or relative with WWA, please
contact us
. Each contribution will offer:
- A personalized letter to the family of the deceased,
- A letter from WWA sent to the donor confirming contribution for tax purposes (address & individual donation amount must be supplied),
- The option for the donor to designate which WWA program they wish their contributions be put towards, and a listing in this section for the duration of one year
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The Wisconsin Waterfowl Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission focuses on wetland and upland habitat restoration, youth and adult environmental education and environmental- and hunter-based legislation.
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