Seeking Woodie…..
This week, we had the pleasure of Wisconsin Outdoor Writer Paul Smith of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel joining us for a wood duck hunt in the northern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest in Sheboygan County. Paul is a long-time friend and needs no introduction as a superior outdoor journalist and field photographer.
But, in the event you didn’t know, he is a many time winner of national awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) and several other organizations. Twice, he was recognized at the OWAA national awards banquet for having submitted the best story of the year. That, of course, goes to only one writer annually.
Scott Heitman hangs tight to cover while waiting for wood ducks in the Kettle Moraine Northern Unit Tuesday.
Photo by Paul Smith
I am in the field again today after my buck. But this blog will focus mainly on the photography of Smith as Scott Heitman, John Ellis, and I waited for wood ducks with Dylan and Micah in a small creek meandering through the oak ridges of the northern unit. Annually, this pack-in hunt is taken early in the southern zone season. Woodies will flee Wisconsin with the first cold weather and we have to make hay when the sun shines….or the ducks are still here. The hunt proves a nice contrast to our walk-in hunts in the northern zone. Last week, we had a great hunt in Vilas County targeting mallards.
Dylan takes to the creek with the sound of a shotgun report that didn’t connect.
Photo by Paul Smith
Our southern hunt had a different outcome, but the woodies were here. We left New Berlin at 4:30 am, rendezvoused with Smith at 5:00 in route, and pulled in to a secluded parking area well before first light. After a 15 minute hike in to a shallow, meandering creek, we placed six wood duck decoys, and settled in to watch a new morning arrive. Paul would man the camera, John would call, and Scott and I would wait to see if Woody dropped in.
Dick Ellis and Micah wait for the arrival of wood ducks.
Photo by Paul Smith
When guests do arrive, it’s quite a thrill. The wood ducks use the oak ridges and small creeks to rest and feed on acorns. As the world lightens, you can often hear their shrill calls on the skies, and in fact, John on this morning had an ongoing conversation with two drakes that were roosted in the trees around us. Over two hours, we also saw approximately 10 ducks on the wing in several flocks or singles that flirted with the decoys, but we only took one shot that didn’t connect.
Dick Ellis and Micah stand vigil over the decoys in Sheboygan County.
Photo by Paul Smith
Our best morning on this “Horse Shoe” creek saw 4 wood ducks down and several others missed. On this day we would leave empty handed, except for the Smith photos. Anyway, can you really lose when you’re watching the sun rise over near peak fall colors, in Kettle Moraine country, and listening to the sounds of woody on the wing, geese in flight, and the distant ridge-top conversation of rooting turkeys? No, you can’t.
During past hunts on Horseshoe Creek, wood ducks found the hunters waiting when they dropped in to the decoys expecting a breakfast of acorns.
Photo by Dick Ellis
I have to tell you about the fastest ad sale in our short history. I asked the owner of DJ’s Transmissions in Milwaukee if I could introduce OWO to him for possible advertising. I had heard his ad on radio targeting truck owners and deer hunters. I sent him via e-mail our information and he was onboard an hour later. An employee walked in while OWO was on the computer screen. Seems he had tried to take the last copy of our September-October issue in an Oconomowoc Kwik Trip and had it ripped out of his hands by another patron. Now don’t fight in Kwik Trip, unless it’s a Bear fan, but get your copy early at a Kwik Trip nearest you statewide, or any of Wisconsin’s 44 Menards stores.
Kwik Trip Outdoors is also looking for your photos and stories. Do you know where we started our wood duck hunt, like almost every hunt? Kwik Trip.…this time in Germantown. For me, it was coffee, and, oh man, a breakfast egg and sausage sandwich. I double dare you to try that. I double dog dare you. KT is helping to bring this paper to you at no cost. Bombard them before and after your hunting and fishing trips. Not because they need it; the Germantown store was jammed at 5:00 am, but because they’re that good and you will never regret it. But it is a good 'thank you' to them for handing you OWO.
Also, in addition to DJ’s Transmissions, we welcome Lynch Truck Centers, Remington, and other advertisers to be acknowledged appropriately soon. Thanks for looking at our advertisers when you need the products or services they’re spotlighting.
Thanks too, for connecting with On Wisconsin Outdoors. More than 21,000 Unique Visitors connected with our website in September, leaving in their wake more than 480,000 “Hits”. We appreciate it.
Shoot straight. I had better; I will be in a tree Friday afternoon as you read this.
Dick Ellis