Inaugural Women’s Waterfowl Hunt to Become an Annual Happening

An article from WWA’s Words From The Wardens.

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s January, 2024 eNewsletter. 

By DNR Conservation Warden Meghan Jensen

The first month of the new year is perfect timing to thank the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association for officially hosting the first-ever Women’s Learn to Waterfowl Hunt.

So successful was the October 2023 weekend event that talks are underway among all event partners to make the inaugural weekend an annual event. In addition to WWA, those who made this educational and fun weekend a reality were the Wis. Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – which also provided the event a home at the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge.

Given the event being in its first year, organizers wanted to make sure the event provided a quality experience for participants, so enrollment was limited to six participants.  Mentors were recruited based on their passion for waterfowl hunting, management and their ability to help provide a genuine learning experience for participants.  The event had an all-star lineup of eight mentors who represented the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Participants Easy To Find

Little recruitment was needed to be done to fill the six spots occupied by women from three states.  Participants’ hunting backgrounds varied, but all were new to waterfowl hunting and wanted to learn more.

On Saturday, mentors and participants came together for the classroom portion of the event.  While there, participants learned about waterfowl identification, hunting regulations, hunting equipment and methods, waterfowl habitat, wing shooting and scouting. As an added feature, they even got to try various types of waterfowl dishes at lunch.  The classroom portion included a combination of traditional classroom learning and hands-on activities.  This day also allowed mentors and participants to get to know each other and build networks for future waterfowl hunting endeavors.

Sunday was the big day – time to hunt! Mentors and participants were paired and had an opportunity to scout their assigned hunting area the day before so that they would be ready to go early the next day.  The Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge provided the ideal location for the learn to hunt as it has a designated area of the refuge that can be used for events such as this learn to hunt.  The area had a variety of waterfowl. Participants got to experience what so many of the mentors said they loved about waterfowl hunting. And that was watching the marsh come alive!

If experiencing the marsh come alive and seeing all the beauty the refuge had to offer wasn’t enough, three of the participants were able to harvest their first birds!  This was an exciting time for all mentors and participants of the learn to hunt as all celebrated the hunter’s accomplishments.  After hunting in the morning, the group came back together and learned how to clean their birds while they shared stories from the field.

Want To Be a Mentor?

We want to grow this event. Organizers have ideas how to make it even more valuable for participants.  Organizers also are hoping to expand the enrollment and need more mentors. We are looking for women passionate about waterfowl hunting and want to help create a safe and welcoming environment for other women interested in the sport.  If you, or someone you know, may be interested in serving as a mentor, please reach out to me, DNR Conservation Warden Meghan Jensen, at meghan.jensen@wisconsin.gov or Todd Schaller at c217tazman@gmail.com.

Likewise, if you know women who would love to learn more about waterfowl hunting but don’t know how to get involved, please have them reach out to Todd Schaller.

Thanks again to everyone who helped make this event successful by helping to introduce more women to the wonderful world of waterfowl hunting!