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DCCL.ORG WINTER 2002 VOL. l
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Link to: Past Newsletters
ANNUAL MEETING – TUESDAY JANUARY 22
We have a follow-up to our November speaker, Charlie Luthin who spoke about wetlands within the state. Jeff Nania, Project Chairman for Wisconsin Waterfowlers will discuss numerous projects in the works and contemplated for restoring wetlands. Jeff has been instrumental in returning lands to marsh habitat. If you remember, Charlie complemented this organization for their actions. This will be a great follow-up to his presentation.
Also, we will award various annual awards for efforts in conservation and with the DCCL. See related article.
Our annual election of officers will also take place. Four directors will be elected. At this time four incumbent board members will seek reelection. Lowell Carter has decided to continue as an active League member but not run for another term. Our thanks to Lowell for his years as a very active director and past president of the League.
Incumbents running for three-year terms are;
Jerry Sands – Jerry has been very active in the League and includes his family in a number of League activities. His oldest son, Matthew, will someday become a candidate for Youth Member of the Year. Jerry was instrumental in setting up the League’s website and continues to serve as our Webmaster.
Don Sprang - Don has served the League in a number of ways. To some of us, he is the quiet leader of the group. He has been involved along with Rose Ann in a number of activities, from raising our pheasant and quail chicks to driving the tractor and being hands on in many League activities.
Tim Thompson – Tim has used his construction skills to augment various works at the farm, chaired our Fishing Expo, and worked on bird nesting boxes. He is currently the chair for this year’s banquet.
Dave Wilken – Serves as the League’s treasurer and was instrumental in the development of the League’s prairie. He has been involved in numerous League functions.
We also will have our annual longest tail contest, and the raffle this month will include a Benelli Nova shotgun, Motorola radios, and League items.
Meeting time is 7:30, and the location is the VFW Hall at 133 E. Lakeside, Madison.
BOY/GIRL SCOUT PROJECT
The League is looking to work with a Boy/Girl Scout group(s) for special projects. Potential projects include working to develop our prairie this spring and assisting with raising birds during the year. We also will be conducting our annual bird-nesting project, scheduled for late April or early May. Scouts are more than welcome to assist with this great cause. We plan to rebuild half of our pheasant pens this spring. Please contact one of the officers listed in this newsletter if you are interested in completing some conservation work or earning merit badge credit.
BROCK WOODS TO SPEAK IN FEBRUARY
Tentative, but at the time of this newsletter going to press either Brock Woods, from the DNR, will be our speaker or Bill Stokes, Outdoors author will be. Either one will be doing the February or March meeting. We will announce the February speaker in our February mini newsletter.
Brock is the DNR Specialist whose primary duty is working to help control and eventually to eliminate purple loosestrife. Purple loosestrife was discussed at our November meeting and is a timely subject for Brock to meet with us on. We are already committed to working with a Middleton teacher and her class for a special project at Mazomanie Wildlife Area, where loosestrife is beginning to choke off the wetlands there. Brock will discuss a project where over 1,000,000 (yes, that is one million) beetles can be raised in a moist, netted environment until they are old enough to be released to help devour the loosestrife.
LEAGUE’S WISH LIST FOR 2001
A great New Year for all members and a challenge to each of you to help your organization.
Also, a smooth recovery for League member Jim Connors, after some recent surgery.
League Calendar
January 19 Southern WI Chapter Trout Unlimited’s
18th Annual Icebreaker – Park Ponderosa
Tom Hendrick – 873-1623
January 22 Annual Meeting- Jeff Nania, Project Chair for
Wisconsin Waterfowlers – Wetland Restorations
133 E. Lakeside, Madison 7:30
January 25-26 Wisconsin Stewardship Network’s 2002 Conference
Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on the 25th
February 2 Badger Chapter of Federation of Flyfishers Conclave
Radisson Hotel,
February 11 Western Dane County DU Chapter Banquet – Pine Bluff
Contact Andy Mueller 347-3362
February 17 Safari Club International’s Banquet
February 22-24 Madison Fishing Expo
February 26 Membership Meeting
Brock Woods – Purple Loosestrife
March 26 Membership Meeting
Bill Stokes, Outdoors Author
April Conservation Congress Dane County Meeting
April 25 League's Annual Banquet
Late April or Early May Nest Building Project
Date and time to be announced
Feb 19 & Mar 19 Board of Director Meeting
7:00 Speedway Bar & Grill
YEAR IN REVIEW
The League helped with setup and ticket taking at the Madison Fishing Expo.
Scholarships were awarded to Andrew Heller, forestry major at UW-Stevens Point, Kevin Oimoen a wildlife management major at Point; Nick Docken, who began his first year at Point; and Ann Meyer who is a journalist major writing about nature at Point.
Numerous young candidates attended and graduated from two sessions offered by the League’s Hunter Education Program.
The League donated $1,500 to the Sugar River Watershed Association, which allowed the Association to receive an additional matching grant from the DNR for streambed work along the Sugar River.
League members built a number of fish lunkers for placement along the Sugar River.
Keith and Linda Waier co chaired another successful League Golf Outing.
The League’s Bird Release Day was the second Saturday in September and members and nonmembers in Dane and surrounding counties released 1700 pheasants and 600 quail.
Awarded Conservationist of the Year to LuAnn Kuzma. The Member of the Year Award went to two individuals, Ron Brinkmann and Don Putz, and Junior Member to Mitch Rundle.
Dwaine Rundle and crew hosted the League’s seventh annual banquet.
Nesting Structure Day was April 28. John Meier served as chair with help from Bid Schlotthauer and as always was well attended by families of the League.
The Wilken Prairie was spectacular this year and will continue to be a sight to behold for years to come. The fall colors were spectacular, and the prairie is good cover for wildlife in the area.
The League became a member of the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America (www.wlfa.org) affording League members rights to the Fund’s website, which acts as a watchdog for legislation from a national perspective that impacts hunting, fishing, and trapping rights.
Purchased a "new" tractor (1963) to replace our 1953 Ford. Increased horsepower allows for better use of equipment and membership’s time when operating the tractor.
Ed Fuss and crew continued to service our section for the Adopt-A-Highway program. During that time we took charge of a section closer to the League’s farm, near County J off Hwy 18.
Donated funds to the Wisconsin Conservation Warden Hall of Fame Museum.
League Historian Jack Bell continued to cull through League history to share with present day members so that we all may have a good understanding of League activities in the 1930s.
Gene Roark continues to represent the League as a board of director for the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame. The League is a charter member of this organization.
Board approved the League’s involvement with creating a demonstration plot of approximately 200’ along Pheasant Branch Creek. Board also approved financial assistance with this project.
The League created a demonstrative food plot of pheasant grass and sorghum. We must have planted it right as it continues to be used by pheasants and whitetail deer.
Numerous speakers such as Scot Stewart discussed the proposed muskie size limits on Madison lakes; wildlife photographer Scott Bianchini; Pat Durkin discussed whitetail hunting and Wisconsin’s regulations. Author Jim Chizek shared some of his old warden stories and there were other speakers.
The League’s Open House was attended by seventy members and offered a well-done meal by chief cooks Ed Brost and Dwaine Rundle. Ed Fuss and Tim Thompson rounded up the tables and chairs.
Ron Brinkmann and Don Putz continued to do a tremendous job as interim farm directors and continued to make a number of improvements to the pens, shed, and area.
Released 1700 pheasants and 600 quail to membership for distribution throughout Dane County and other parts.
RENEWAL NOTICE
If the year 2002 shows at the top of your mailing label, it means we have received your renewal for this new year. If we did not, but somehow missed it, please contact one of the directors.
If no date shows, then we have not heard from you, so please consider doing so soon. If you cannot locate the renewal notice that was mailed in mid-December, we have enclosed a copy of the renewal form in this newsletter. We will contact those members who have not renewed by early February, as we do value and need your membership. Thank you.
The Wisconsin Wetlands Association recently issued the publication "Wetland Restoration Handbook for Wisconsin Landowners." It is the first publication of its kind in the state of Wisconsin and it will be a useful guide for helping restore our state’s degraded wetlands. Copies are available to League members and others for $5.00. See the enclosed order form.