Wing shooting tips and waterfowl identification on tap at Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center in September
HORICON, Wis. – Fall is a busy time of year at the Horicon Marsh as hundreds of thousands of fall migrants pass through on their annual journey south toward warmer climes and open water.
Wildlife education staff at the marsh invite the public to two free evening educational programs that highlight the arriving waterfowl. No registration is required and all ages are welcome. The visitor center is located at N7725 Hwy 28, Horicon.
For more information please visit www.horiconmarsh.org or call 920-387-7893.
Sept. 15, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
How to be a more effective wing shooter. Join Mark Kakatsch and Todd Cook, who are both certified Advanced Wing Shooting instructors as they illustrate shooting techniques, differences in custom choke selection, proper patterning and more. Fall duck hunting seasons have started with the early teal season opening on September 1 and there is no better time to talk with the experts.
“By learning more effective shooting techniques you can reduce the number of wounded or lost game,” said Liz Herzmann, wildlife educator at Horicon. “Hunting winged game is truly an art and through practice it can be more thoroughly enjoyed by all.”
No registration is required and the program is free to the public. All ages are welcome. This is informational only; there will not be any actual shooting.
For more information on fall waterfowl seasons go to dnr.wi.gov and search, waterfowl. There are also a number of Learn to Hunt Waterfowl events that combine classroom learning with a hunt. For more info go to dnr.wi.gov and search for LTH.
September 22, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Waterfowl identification. Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, Paul Samerdyke, will lead a program teaching multiple methods for quick and easy waterfowl identification in hand, on the wing, and by sound. Fall migration is almost upon us and there is no better time to practice your ID skills.
“Proper waterfowl identification is extremely important for waterfowl hunters and bird watchers alike,” says Samerdyke. “Identifying the different species of waterfowl that visit Wisconsin and make Wisconsin home can be very interesting, exciting and with practice becomes second nature.”
If you’d like to practice some waterfowl identification at home, the Department of Natural Resources has an on-line quiz that helps the viewer identify some of Wisconsin’s more common waterfowl. Find the quiz at dnr.wi.gov, by searching for waterfowl.