MN Waterfowl Symposium & Conserv Awards banquet is Feb 7

[Goldfish]

"other uses of waterfowl besides meat"

Aka just watch all the birds, don't shoot them, so that there will be twice as many next year, which you aren't supposed to shoot...

[h2ofwlr]

FYI

The MWA is pleased to announce the 2015 inductees to the Minnesota Waterfowl Hall of Fame
February 4, 2015

We’ll formally induct this year’s class at our annual awards banquet on Saturday night, but we’d like to unveil now this year’s class of inductees to the Minnesota Waterfowl Hall of Fame.IMG_9198 1

As you know, Minnesota’s waterfowling tradition is a rich one, and we’re the envy of many other states in the nation. Part of the reason for that rich and deep tradition is because of the people who have been so instrumental in creating the conservation movement we know today.

Following are the names of the inductees, and brief bios. Next week, we’ll post images of all of the new inductees.

Herman Becker
The name Herman Becker is synonymous with Minnesota’s Heron Lake. Becker, who passed away in 2009, was a guide on the lake for more than 50 years. In addition, he was a devout waterfowl conservationist. During Becker’s lifetime, the lake went from a fantastic waterfowl lake to one that had been ditched, drained, and encroached upon. Becker won many awards for his conservation efforts, and was a devoted member of the Heron Lake Watershed Restoration Association.

George Herter
George Herter was the driving force behind the conversion of his family’s heirloom hardware store into a mail-order shop for sportsmen. Herter’s today provides a wide range of outdoor equipment, from waterproof boots and waders to decoy bags and ammunition storage boxes.

Carl Madsen
Many people consider Carl Madsen, a longtime wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as the “father of the private lands program.” Madsen was a biologist with the USFWS in Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wisconsin from 1967 to 2004.

John Molkenbur
John Molkenbur co-founded the White Bear Lake Chapter of Ducks Unlimited in 1979, and in 1990 officially formed the Minnesota Duck and Goose Callers Association. A retired mail carrier and school bus driver, Molkenbur has won a number of conservation awards over the years. He’s the president of the Wood Duck Society, has served on the MWA board of directors, and co-founded MWA’s East Metro Chapter.

Richard Plasschaert
Dick Plasschaert long dreamed of becoming a wildlife artist. Over the years, he’s won a variety of art contests, including the 1981 federal duck stamp contest, which propelled his art career. He’s donated thousands of wildlife prints to conservation groups, and lives with his wife in Waseca.

Ron Schara
Ron Schara is an award winning journalist and outdoors personality. He was the longtime outdoor columnist for the Star Tribune and is a well-known TV personality with his show, Minnesota Bound. Ron has worked with many conservation groups in the state and nation to raise money for conservation, and currently serves on the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.

Dave Vesall
Dave Vesall spent more than 40 years with the Minnesota DNR, eventually working his way up the ranks to become director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife. He’s one of the originators of the state’s wildlife management area program, working with other like-minded people to create the Save the Wetlands program in 1951. Vesall passed away in 2004, and several years ago had a WMA in Lake qui Parle County named after him.

[mulefarm]

Do you have to or have been a member of the MWA to be in the MWA hall of fame?

[h2ofwlr]

No. As it's not the MWA's hall of fame. It is the MN Waterfowl Hall of Fame. Meaning the idea is to pay tribute to those in MN that have made a difference in MN's outdoors and water fowling communities. The MWA just hosts it.

[h2ofwlr]

Watch the Symposium here via digital recording.

Here is a link to the morning session: http://www.ustream.tv/manage-show/events/6574965

Here is a link to the afternoon session: http://www.ustream.tv/manage-show/events/6575060

[cstemig]

Thanks for the info and the links

[Trigger]

So where there a lot of blue hairs there representing the anti-hunters?

[Fish Felon]

I'm sure there were Trigger. I missed it but it's the same shit every year. Landwehr talks about potential ways to increase hunting opportunities and the blue hairs take their turn saying we're shooting too many ducks. Inevitably Al slowly gets up out of his chair with his shirt tucked into his whitey-tighties and asks if there's been any discussions about dropping the wood duck limit from 3 to 2 because of some anecdotal evidence from his wood duck boxes...the sole reason for asking this is actually just so he can make a point of mentioning how many WDB's he maintains to a room full of 'conservation-minded' duck hunters (i.e. they're terrible at duck hunting).

The real question is how they're going to try and stop the teal season this year now that the their BS excuse of too many mistake ducks being shot is off the table after the other states released their numbers?

It must suck when the hard numbers are against you and pretty much the exact opposite of the prediction you beat over everyone's head?

I'd be willing to bet the MWA brass is praying for a catastrophic plunge in BTW numbers so they have something to cling too that'll make their past logic less idiotic.

As you know, Minnesota’s waterfowling tradition is a rich one, and we’re the envy of many other states in the nation.

I didn't know. That must be why the number of duck hunters is plunging and we export more hunters than any other state?

Part of the reason for that rich and deep tradition is because of the people who have been so instrumental in creating the conservation movement we know today.

What conservation movement?

The reason for that tradition is geography. MN is a state historically rich in resources conducive to a lot of people going duck hunting. As those resources have dwindled so have hunters.