Wolf Lake Success Story (Continued) Throughout the Winter, Water Levels Remained Low to Help Remove Invasive Fish, Such As Common Carp, from Wolf Lake

Spring 2012 Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Special points of interest: BRINGING BACK THE • Stevie Grussendorf wins the Jimmy Robinson Award • Minnesota DU at the BIRDS -WOLF LAKE Northwest Sportshow • World’s Largest DU Event SUCCESS STORY • 2012 State Convention Photographs

• Swan Lake Update

Inside this issue: Chairman’s 2 Chatter Thousands of waterfowl loaf on Wolf Lake on March 13, 2012, during Jimmy Robinson 3 the spring migration (photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Award Winner

MN DU at North- 4 west Sportshow Minnesota Artist’s 5 Corner

Wolf Lake 6 Success Story Teal, pintails, gadwalls, and mallards working Project Hall of 8 the mudflats this Fame—Swan Lake spring after the State Convention 10 Wolf Lake drawdown (photo Photos courtesy of the Minnesota DU 11 U.S. Fish and News Wildlife Service).

World’s Largest 13 More on Wolf Lake, a DU Living Lakes project, on Page 6 DU Event

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Page 2 Spring 2012

State Chairman’s Chatter Hi all,

I’ve just returned from a week of travel and did a quick check of the woods and lakes around my home. I found a hen hoody (Hooded Merganser) sitting on a clutch of eggs, Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Phlox blooming (morels should be popping shortly) - all wonderful signs of spring. As I’m writing this note, we are well into the spring banquet season and Ducks Unlimited’s 75th anniversary celebration. 2012 is off to a wonderful start - thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and staff. As an organization, the efforts of our volunteers, big or small, are always appreciated. So in this edition of Cattails, I wanted to highlight the truly outstanding contributions of our most dedicated volunteers and chapters Dave Flink, State Chair from around the state.

Your Minnesota DU 2011 – MNDU Award Winners State Committee Every year at the State Convention we recognize the outstanding service of our volunteers.

State Chair Here are the award winners for 2011: Dave Flink Hutchinson, MN The Landowski Award is named after Al and Rosie Landowski, who as a team made 320-587-4246 wonderful contributions to MNDU. This year’s Landowski award winner is Paul (Teresa) [email protected] and Greg (Michele) Erickson of Garrison for their outstanding leadership with the Mille Lacs fishing contest and the Garrison Chapter of DU (see photograph of Greg and Paul on State Council Chair Page 12 and article on the fishing contest on Page 13). Less Ness Chisago City, MN 651-257-6413 Tommy Nelson was a volunteer leader who worked tirelessly with chapters to help pro- [email protected] mote recruitment and net/net performance while attending over 50 events each year. This year’s Tommy Nelson Award winner is a volunteer I worked with as a Regional Vice State Chair Elect Chair in SW Minnesota a few years ago. He’s 30 years old and has been an Area Chair, Tim Roble State Convention Chair, and now holds the SW Regional Vice Chair position. Congratula- Frazee, MN 218-334-4701 tions to Joey Schlagel and his wife, Pam! [email protected] Our last State Award is named after Minnesota’s outdoor legend Jimmy Robinson. This State Treasurer award commemorates a volunteer or staff member who has sustained a lifelong commit- Dan Scheffler ment to MNDU. The Jimmy Robinson Award is the highest award a MNDU contribu- Northfield, MN tor can achieve. This year’s award was given to a most deserving individual, Stevie Grus- 507-291-0311 sendorf. Stevie runs our state office and is MNDU’s greatest ambassador (see photos and [email protected] article on Page 3). State Volunteer Recruitment Coord. Outgoing State Convention Chairs deserve a Dale Lusti Buffalo, MN round of applause 763-682-3468 I also wanted to note the achievements of this year’s outgoing State Convention Chairs, [email protected] Bob and Karen Sorenson. “B&K”, as I refer to them, are truly MNDU’s super duo. The State Convention Chairs two have been MNDU’s State Greenwing Chairs, Bob has been a RVC, and they just Bob and Karen Sorenson wrapped up their two-year term as MNDU’s State Convention Chairs, doing an out- Albert Lea, MN standing job. But don’t think these two volunteers are close to retiring. Bob and Karen 507-373-4931 were heavily involved with the Freeborn County 40th Anniversary event this past April. At [email protected] the event, B&K helped secure five Life Sponsors or Major Donor upgrades…but there’s more! B&K have also graciously accepted the position of State Sponsor Chair. I’m excited State Major Gift Chair Russ Klint to be able to walk in the shadow of such dedicated volunteers. Thank you, B&K, for all you Benson, MN have done and will continue to do!!!!! 320-239-4322 [email protected] State Chairman’s Chatter is continued on Page 14.

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Spring 2012 Page 3

How Do You Make Thirteen Grown Men Cry?

How do you make thirteen grown men cry—the answer is: you award Stevie Grussendorf the Jimmy Robinson Award. Stevie has worked for Minnesota DU for 29 years as Volunteer Services Assistant and State Office Coordinator. The Jimmy Robinson Award is named for the famous shooter, conservationist, author, and hunter, who was raised in Minnesota and hunted with notable figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable, and Bing Crosby. The award is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by Minnesota DU. The Jimmy Robin- son Award was given to Stevie at the Minnesota DU State Convention in February. Stevie The operation of giving the award to Stevie had to be TOP SECRET, because Stevie knows everything that goes on with Minnesota DU. This required that only a few people know the has worked recipient until the award was presented. The ruse was so complete that they even had to for pick Bob and Karen Sorenson to be the fake award recipients, so Stevie wouldn’t know she was going to get the award. Even after she won, she kept saying that Bob and Karen were Minnesota supposed to be getting it. DU for over

Stevie has been the tireless assistant to State Chairs, Regional Directors, and just about eve- 29 years. ryone within the state organization. She is instrumental in putting together the State Con- vention and coordinates all the state office activities. Stevie is best known for the kind word she has for everyone and for knowing a little about everyone’s family.

Congratulations Stevie! The award couldn’t have gone to a harder-working, more knowledgeable, and caring person than you!

Former State Chairs and former and current Regional Directors were in attendance for the award presentation.

Former RD Bill Allen gives Stevie a hug right after the award announce- ment at the Minnesota Former Regional Director Bill Allen poses DU State with Stevie and her Jimmy Robinson Award Convention. plaque.

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Page 4 Spring 2012

15,000 to 20,000 Minnesota DU at the Northwest Sportshow

attendees came By Scott Schmidt, Special Events Chair through the The 2012 Northwest Sportshow was held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on March 28th – Minnesota DU April 1st. This year’s show attendance was 28,329. The attendance was down 23% from last year, due to the extremely nice weather. room at the five- Minnesota DU had a huge presence at the show, with displays, games, and volunteers occupying a day show. large room. I don’t know how many people came through our room, but I would say that a large percentage of the total attendance does check us out (50 - 75% would be my guess), so I think a fair number would be 15,000 to 20,000 over the 5-day show.

Our main focus areas for the show were DU in Minnesota (our conservation efforts), volunteer recruitment, increased membership, Greenwing activities, silent auction/SBA, and, of course, having fun! This year we did really well on our auction and SBA; for the whole show, we had a net of over $13,000.

We had conservation displays showing a number of local Minnesota projects. We also had information about DU’s Living Lakes Initiative and Grasslands For Tomorrow programs on display, along with other conservation information.

Over the course of the show, we had 500 Greenwings participate in our painting activity. This year they could paint a piggy bank in the form of a wood duck house. It was a huge hit with the kids. We also gave waterfowl ID posters, DU pins and Greenwing stickers to all of the kids that visited the DU Beanbag toss room. We had three beanbag toss games set up for anyone to come and play. The Northwest participants Sportshow also has a kids scavenger hunt, and we were one of the stops for that activity.

We also teamed up with North Country Woodshop out of Burnsville, MN. Their staff set up and gave a duck-call- making demonstration., showing how to make a duck call from start to finish.

To make an event like this work, you need some dedicated volunteers. The room that we had at the show was much larger than your standard 10x10 booth. We had a room consisting of over 4,400 sq. feet of floor space and requiring over 50 volunteers to help cover the five‐day show. The components of the DU room included: 1) Main counter area (silent auction and sales), 2) Greenwing activities area, and 3) Conservation info/volunteer recruitment area (at least one volunteer staffed this area to in- teract with the public).

Photos courtesy of DU Volunteer Justin Morrissey. Former Regional Director Bill Allen shows one of the raffle guns to a couple of attendees. Bill was one of 50 MNDU volunteers at the

Children enjoying the beanbag toss for fun and One of the Greenwing activities was piggy bank prizes duck house painting.

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Spring 2012 Page 5

Minnesota Artists’ Corner—Ron Van Glider

Ron Van Gilder earned his bachelor’s degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, focusing on graphic design and printmaking. A keen interest in life drawing resulted in his winning the school’s figure-drawing competition his senior year. Ron feels the knowledge gained through the study of human anatomy increased his ability to accurately represent the structure of animals. Ron continues to develop his skills in figure drawing by working with live models on a regular basis.

After graduating from college, Ron was drafted and served three years in the Army during the Vietnam War. He trained at the military photography school and, because of his college degree in design, he was assigned to the United States Military Academy at West Point as a photographer. Photography would become invaluable as a reference-gathering tool for his future work.

Ron believes the popularity of his art is the result of painting from his own per- sonal experiences. He thoroughly enjoys the outdoors and is an avid sportsman. Most of his hunts are photographic rather than traditional, but his name does appear in the Boone and Crockett Club’s of the North American Big Game. “My paintings reflect these encounters and are my way of sharing the experience. I hope that others will appreciate the places and subjects I find so enjoyable to paint.”

With nearly 150 limited editions in print, Van Gilder’s success is indisputable. The public and critics alike have praised his works and bestowed upon him numerous awards and honors. He has been named the Artist of the Year by the Boy Scouts of America, the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, Minnesota Ducks Unlimited, and the Wildlife Heritage Foun- dation. Ducks Unlimited has twice named him Flyway Artist of the Year and in 1990, he was given DU’s highest artistic honor as the International Artist of the Year. He has also designed state duck stamps for Minnesota and Maine. In 2008, a book, “Brushes with Nature – The Art of Ron Van Gilder”, was released covering his amazing artistic career. Van Glider’s classic style of large waves rolling through bul- rushes shows through in his “At His Best” image.

As a dedicated sportsman, Van Gilder is involved in efforts to assist in the preservation and reclamation of natural habitats. This dedication inspired the restora- tion of a marsh on his own property in central Minne- sota where he lives with his wife, Holly, and their son, Forrest.

Photos and biography courtesy of Wild Wings, LLC, Lake City, Minnesota http://www.wildwings.com/

One of Ron’s newest paintings is titled “Boundary Waters – Bluebills”. It shows a flock of lesser scaup swimming on a lake in a classic Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) scene with granite outcrops in the background.

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Page 6 Spring 2012

Bringing Back the Birds—Wolf Lake Enhancement Success Story

Ducks and geese found Wolf Lake Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) in Cottonwood County a great place to stop and refuel this past spring. The once-degraded shallow lake and nearby wetlands were enhanced by Ducks Unlimited and its partners to reveal a healthy wetland system with abundant vegetation, clear water and improved habitat for waterfowl and other birds.

"At the height of the migration, we had several thousand ducks and geese come through Wolf Lake. The bird use is greater than any other year that our staff remembers," said Scott Ral- ston, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Partners for Fish and Wildlife program. "With new improvements, we also hope to hold more birds as local breeders and see many more broods using the restored wetlands this summer."

The key to shallow lake enhancement is the periodic, temporary removal of water from the lake. This simulates natural droughts and causes beneficial fish winterkill events. Active water- level management also simulates natural wetland hydrology that rejuvenates the aquatic ecology. This is exactly what DU and the USFWS Windom Wetland Manage- ment District set out to do when they collaborated in 2009. DU designed three water control structures, a pump station and a fish barrier for the three-wetland system on the WPA. Crews completed construction in July 2011 and water was removed from the wetlands to initiate the rejuvenation process. “The bird use is greater than any other year our staff remembers.”

June 2011 drawdown to remove July 2011, drawdown complete; invasive fish, consolidate sedi- 100% of basin is covered with ment, allow plants to germinate, newly germinated bulrush, cattail, and rejuvenate the overall arrowhead, and other emergent aquatic ecology of the lake plant species

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Spring 2012 Page 7

Bringing back the Birds—Wolf Lake Success Story (continued) Throughout the winter, water levels remained low to help remove invasive fish, such as common carp, from Wolf Lake. However, the mild winter this year posed some management challenges. "This winter was abnormally mild and, by February, which should have been our coldest month, we bored some test holes and found only 4-6 inches of ice over about 18 inches of open water in South Marsh. We knew we still had surviving fish with that much water left under the ice, and we knew we had to act fast to remove them before spring melt when remaining fish could then move back upstream into Wolf Lake," Ralston said. Diving ducks, including canvasbacks, lesser scaup, To solve the problem, USFWS and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources redheads, and ring-necked ducks, using a deeper por- (DNR) applied rotenone under ice to ensure a complete fish kill. With the system fish free, tion of Wolf Lake this managers can focus on using the new water control structures to raise or lower water lev- spring. els on any of the three wetlands to maximize conditions for waterfowl.

"Our partners and the public users of Wolf Lake WPA are excited to see the habitat and bird response to our enhancement efforts," said Josh Kavanagh, DU biologist. "When we get the right infrastructure in place and develop a sound management plan, we often see immediate results." “It is

"It is amazing how these systems can bounce back after years of stagnant water and unpro- amazing how ductive habitat; the vegetation response from the drawdown on Wolf Lake last summer was phenomenal, and migrating waterfowl are finding abundant food resources in the newly these systems flooded basin this spring," said Rob Baden, assistant area wildlife manager with the Minne- sota DNR. can bounce

Managers are now letting water fill the basins on the WPA through snowmelt and runoff. back.” As predicted, spring migrating waterfowl are using the basins to rest and feed as they travel to the breeding grounds. Arrowhead tubers and invertebrates are providing the fuel these birds need to arrive on the breeding grounds in good health and ready to nest. The downstream fish barrier will prevent carp and other rough fish from recolonizing the basins and negatively impacting the system.

Funding for construction of the Wolf Lake project was provided by a state grant from the Outdoor Heritage Fund as recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, as well as a federal grant through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Additional support was provided by Ducks Unlimited, USFWS, Minnesota DNR, Cottonwood County Game and Fish League, Fox Lake Conserva- tion League and Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Min- nesota Resources.

White-fronted geese (specklebellies) and gadwalls rise from Wolf Lake (photographs courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Page 8 Spring 2012

PROJECT HALL OF FAME—SWAN LAKE Ducks Unlimited has been earliest projects in Minne- arch concrete pipes in down- doing projects in Minnesota sota. It was completed in stream road crossings. The since 1985. There are liter- 1988 with the help of the project cost for DU was ally hundreds of DU projects Minnesota DNR. The pro- $330,630, which is a large scattered across the state. In ject consisted of construc- amount even by today’s fact, many of the water con- tioning one large water con- standards. trol structures on waterfowl trol structure and improving production areas (WPAs) the outlet channel. Swan Lake is located in the and state wildlife manage- prairie pothole area of ment areas (WMAs) were The steel weir structure Nicollet County, 15 miles designed and built as Ducks includes 1,835 square feet of northwest of Mankato. It is Unlimited projects. This sheet piling and includes one of Minnesota’s most column is a regular feature eight stop-log bays (see pho- storied waterfowl lakes and The project sign at the pub- devoted to describing some tograph below). The inlet is surrounded by duck clubs. lic access and water control of these older projects. channel (from lake to struc- Part of its allure is its large structure location on the ture) is 42 feet wide and size: it is 9,346 acres in size, south end of the lake. The Swan Lake project was 1,075 feet long. It also in- with an average depth of one of Ducks Unlimited’s cluded four 138” by 88” only 4 feet and a maximum depth of 8 feet.

A photograph from the shore shows some of the stands of cattails sur- rounding the lake. (Photo courtesy of MnDNR Shallow Lakes Program)

The Swan Lake water control structure is one of the largest built by Ducks Unlimited in the state of Minnesota. The grate and railing on the top allow access to the other side of the channel.

This recent aerial photograph shows the extensive amount of emergent vegetation in the lake. (Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR)

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Spring 2012 Page 9

PROJECT HALL OF FAME—SWAN LAKE (CONTINUED)

Swan Lake is considered the largest glaciated depressional freshwater prairie wetland in the United States. The lake, however, has a relatively small watershed, so it does not have some of the problems of other prairie wetlands, namely excessive agricul- tural pollution and severe water level bounces for too much inflow from farmland drainage. This characteristic results in relatively clear water as seen in the photo below. The shallow depth and clear water create perfect conditions for a great diver- sity and abundance of vegetation throughout the basin. The 2010 Wildlife Lake Habi- tat Survey Report by the DNR found vegetation at over 97 percent of the sampled points and many locations where they could not sample because of the thick emer-

Swan Lake is one of the most famous of Minnesota’s shallow lakes.

A waterfowl survey flight shows the abundance of submerged vegetation on the lake. The white dots are waterfowl. (Photo courtesy of MnDNR Shallow Lakes Program)

gent vegetation. Wild celery and sago pond- weed, two favorites of canvasbacks, were found at almost 60 percent of the sample points.

DNR used the DU-built outlet and water control structure to lower the water levels in the lake to fight carp in 2005 and 2006. The fight to rid the lake of carp has apparently been success- ful. To prevent carp from reentering the lake, DU is engineering a fish barrier adaptation for the weir structure to prevent carp from getting past the structure from downstream. DU is again partnering with the DNR to install the fish barrier.

This photograph shows one of the extensive beds of bulrush in the lake. Also note the submerged vegetation in the bottom foreground. (Photo courtesy of MnDNR Shallow Lakes Program)

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Page 10 Spring 2012

2012 State Convention Photos

The Minnesota DU State Convention was held on February 10, 11 and 12, 2012, at Craguns Resort in Brainerd.

Photos courtesy of DU Volunteer, Barb Sizer

Attendees visit and view the numerous silent auction items The Deputy Commissioner for the Minnesota DNR, Dave Schad, in the main room of the 2012 State Convention. addressed the convention attendees on Saturday morning.

The costume contest winners: Jacob Roble with his Red The University of Minnesota Duluth committee Solo Cup and Scott Kokoeshke as Larry the Cable Guy

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Spring 2012 Page 11

Aldinger Steps Up to be Metro Regional Vice Chair Bill Aldinger recently stepped up to help Minnesota Ducks Unlimited in the Metro area by taking on the position of Metro Regional Vice Chair. In this position, he will work with Mike Minnesota Dvorak, the “new” Regional Director for the Metro area. Together, they are trying to in- DU is vigorate the DU volunteer network in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and suburban areas. “taking Bill has a long history and extensive experience with Minnesota Ducks Unlimited. He started with the organization in 1989 with the Woodbury Chapter. He has since held many posi- an tions with MNDU, culminating in the State Chair position for 2005 and 2006, then on to the all hands on Board of Directors as an At-Large Member. He is cur- rently also an Emeritus Board Member and State Feather deck” Society Chair. His day job is with Slumberland Furni- ture, as a Franchise Business Consultant. He has been approach with Slumberland for 38 years. to

With Bill stepping up to help in the Metro area, Minne- the Metro sota DU is taking an “all hands on deck” approach to area. fundraising in the Metro area. If you want to help, Bill’s contact info is: New Regional Vice Bill Aldinger Chair (RVC) for the 755 Parkside Drive Metro area, Bill Vadnais Heights, MN 55127 Aldinger, seen here accepting an award at 651-482-1181 the State Convention. [email protected]

Volunteer Spotlight—Tim Oie

Tim Oie has 25 years of volunteer experience with DU. He has been the Area Chairman for the Elk River Chapter and, as a Zone Chairman, he was instrumental in starting the Zimmerman DU chapter. The reason for Tim’s commitment is best described in his own words: “One of the “I am very proud of being a part of DU because of what they do to help pre- greatest serve our wetlands and habitat in general. There are other organizations that do similar work to what we do with DU, but I have been and still am very proud to be things a part of this organization because of their efforts and perseverance. I started going to DU events with my dad when I was 6 or 7. We would go to the Anoka banquet. I about DU remember when I was 10, my dad bought me a ticket on a duck boat and, sure enough, I won it. We had driven a small car to the event, so we had to run home is the and get our truck to bring it home. dedication of

“I started out volunteering about 25 years ago. Some years later I went to the Elk its River banquet and talked to some of the guys, and the next year, I was asked to be the ticket chairman. This was just after I got married, and I would be at meetings volunteers.” once or twice a week, so finally my wife, Linda, joined in and started helping at the events, and has been doing do ever since. My family has been very supportive of my commitment to DU. Now my son, Justin, is following in my footsteps as a DU volunteer and that makes me very proud.

“The one thing that drives me as a DU volunteer more than anything is my love of all wildlife and the desire to pass this on to future generations.” Tim and son, Justin, planning their next DU event.

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Page 12 Spring 2012

2012 State Convention Photos

The Minnesota DU State Convention awards and truck winner photogrphs

The Central Region Award winners with RD Terry Kostinec (front right).

Tommy Nelson Award winner Joey Schlagle (holding Landowski Leadership Award winners—Greg and Paul plaque) accepting his award from DU President John New- Erickson with Northern Regional Director, Scott Anderson. man (left), Dave Flink (right), and Brad Jensen (far right).

Dave Flink (left) and Terry Kostinec (right) present the 2012 Waterfowl Conservation Officer of the The winner of the Chevy Truck at the 2012 State Con- Year Award to CO Richard Reller. vention was Robyn Abner from Benson, Minnesota.

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Spring 2012 Page 13

World’s Largest Ducks Unlimited Event The world’s largest DU event took place on February 18, 2012, when 3,087 people attended the Fishing For Ducks ice fishing tournament on Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison, MN. The event netted almost $100,000 for the ducks. Nearly 200 volunteers helped put the event together, from drilling holes in the ice to taking down the tents. A highlight for the volunteers was a volunteer appreciation Don’t miss dinner that evening after the fishing tournament was complete. The dinner also raised money for Ducks Unlimited. the 2013 Below is an aerial photo of the event, showing the over 3,000 attendees filling the area around the center event tent event on and trailers. The teardrop shape of the contestant February 16, area was due to a pressure ridge running along the 2013 east side of the event area. One great thing about this event is the ability to park on the ice near the fishing area. Con- testants are not, however, al- lowed to return to the event area if they go to their vehicles during fishing time.

Mistakes Can Happen By Ron Stromstad, Sr. Director of Development

Ducks Unlimited is very good at virtually everything we do. We take great pride in excel- lence and accuracy. We don’t always get it right, though.

At this year’s State Convention, I stood in for fellow Development Director Adam DeHaan, who couldn’t be present. It was great fun to be among my Minnesota friends again; however, when emceeing the Major Sponsor Awards and announcing upgrades for major sponsors, I inadvertently called the wrong name to receive the Heritage Award for the Fox Lake Conservation League. I should have introduced President Tim Eisenmenger to accept the award. On top of their Heritage Award, they also pledged an upgrade to Diamond Heritage Status!

The Fox Lake Conservation League has been, and continues to be, a wonderful supporter of the conservation mission of Ducks Unlimited. I’d simply like to publicly apologize to Tim Eisenmenger for not recog- nizing him as President of a great organization supporting Ducks Unlimited.

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

You are Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Es- MINNESOTA DUCKS tablished in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres, UNLIMITED thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the conti- nent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works to- 6101 Kaymar Drive ward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, Edina, MN 55436 tomorrow and forever.

Phone: 952-820-8174 Email: [email protected]

ducks.org

DU President John Newman (aka The Alligator Hunter) with Greenwings at the Minne- sota State Convention. President Newman had just told them a story about hunting alli- gators on his duck club property in southern Louisiana. As anyone who has met him can attest, the President tells a great story and maybe even stretches the truth a bit. For articles and inserts please send to Cattails Editor:

Brian Ross 14380 Memorywood Drive State Chairman’s Chatter (Continued from Page 2) Baxter, MN 56425 DU recognizes Top- Minnesota Top 25 8. Des Moines River Phone: 218-825-0996 9. Meeker County E-mail: Minnesota Chapters Chapters [email protected] 10. Metro/St Paul as President’s Elite This year ,MNDU recognized 11. Lake Crystal the top grassroots chapters by 12. Buffalo During 2011, 60 out of underwriting a portion of a 2,700 chapters nationally 12ga Stoeger O/U to be used 13. Rosemount raised more than $100,000 as a fundraiser at their 2012 14. Freeborn County net. Minnesota had three event. I would like to recog- 15. Southern Minnesota nize the following chapters as 16. Roseville chapters in this category: Minnesota’s Top 25. (We had 17. Pelican Rapids

a tie in the top 25, so you will 18. Koronis Lake Christina note there are 26 chapters 19. West Central Garrison listed.) 20. Winona County West Hennepin 1. Christina Lake 21. Rich Spring 2. Garrison 22. St Cloud Sponsors 3. Fergus Falls Area 23. Northern Cass County 4. Marsh Lake 24. New Prague 5. Northfield 25. Prairie Benson 6. St Croix Valley 26. Morrison Cty 7. Frozen North

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited