Another End to a Wisconsin Season

[Andrew L.]

Always a bitter sweet time of year. Bitter in that Wisconsin season is over and finals are upon me but sweet to look back on this seasons memories and look forward to out of state trips.

Thanks to some great adjustments in the school schedule I was able to get out more this year than I have ever before, according to my records 49 times. I also got the opportunity to hunt with some great freinds as usual but also made some new ones afield.
Duck hunting this year was struggle. Warm weather and bad winds kept most of our usual spots dry, until of course last week when duck closed . Goose season was the best that I have had. There were only a few days in the fields this year we did not walk out with limits.
This year also marked the first year I was able to get Austin on triple digits of birds, something a few years back I could not even fathom.

I hope everyone has as much fun or is still having as much fun as I did this year. Here are a few pictures to remember the season by.

Early Dove hunting is a great way to warm up for the real deal. And literally I mean warm up, way to hot for me. A nice solo limit in the afternoon after classes.

Early Goose Season in Septmber offered a few good shoots.

As the regular goose season started things started to really heat up.

Quick hunt with fellow DU Volunteers

This hunt was one of my favorites from the year. This field was FULL of geese but it lied near a highway and near a subdivision. After gaining permission from the landowner and notifying the local police department we were given the green light.

The police frequently receive calls for hunters on this property even after being told multiple times hunting is legal here. So the chief sent out an officer for the morning to ensure the residents we were legal and hunting safely. Pretty sure he enjoyed the morning just as much as we did . A shot of the dogs getting a few with the officer watching on.

Another great mid-week hunt with 2 local DU Chairmen who I invited with me. We were all lucky enough to leave the field that day with some jewlery.

The North Zone opener in Wisconsin is always a great weekend. A good friend was raised in Northern Wisconsin and his parents welcome us in every year. The food alone is worth going for!
Not only did the birds cooperate that day but the marsh was covered in this for the afternoon

The Weekends Take

I was lucky enough to be able to host the DU TV Crew. It normally would have been an in and out day but with camera and weary birds it was a bit tough.

My life goal is now to study and properly manage the sea duck population on Lake Michigan. I will be working hard again this offseason to get a seperate season similar to the east coast.

Hopefully you all enjoyed seeing a few of my highlights as much as I enjoy seeing yours.

Now its time to get some sleep for an upcoming east coast trip after Christmas and a mid-January road trip to Arkansas and Texas!

 

[tod osier]

Sounds like a great year! Cute lil' pony ya got there too.

T

 

[Al Hansen]

No doubt about it, Andrew, you and your crew had a magnificent year with geese being your forte'. I sure did enjoy your pictures. You did one thing much better than I ever could have, however, and that was still maintain grades while in college and duck/goose hunting.
You sure had a nice collection of Long-tails. Congrats!
Al

 

[Chris Finch]

gotta love finals, i have dynamic earth and physics today, ugh. but only marine ecology on friday and then four weeks off for christmas. but our season goes to january 21 for duck so i have four full weeks to chase them and then a few more weeks for late season goose.

good luck with yours and nice pics

 

[tgentry]

Chris, I have 1 in college and another going soon so I say this with all sincerity. GET BACK TO STUDYING!!!!! Hehehehehe. Trip.

 

[Eric Dellamater]

Hey Andrew,

nice looking batch of pics you have there. Thanks for sharing.

As far as the Sea Duck season goes for lake MI, I would like to try and help with that effort. I know there are other guys thinking the same thing. There is a movement afoot already (you may have known that) Anyhow, feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this or need anything.

Finally, interesting way you have your layout, mind taking some more pics of that? You don't travel down the road like that do you? I assume you twist it to go out on the water like that? I am looking for a new way to carry my layout as well. Thanks.

 

[Andrew L.]

Hey Andrew,

nice looking batch of pics you have there. Thanks for sharing.

As far as the Sea Duck season goes for lake MI, I would like to try and help with that effort. I know there are other guys thinking the same thing. There is a movement afoot already (you may have known that) Anyhow, feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this or need anything.

Finally, interesting way you have your layout, mind taking some more pics of that? You don't travel down the road like that do you? I assume you twist it to go out on the water like that? I am looking for a new way to carry my layout as well. Thanks.

Eric,

Thanks for noting your support of the sea duck season. We will need all the help we can get. I was the one who presented in front of the Natural Resources Board to get this ball rolling last year. I think out next point of approach is to start some sort of coalition of lake hunters. I am working with a few others on getting a meeting set up for February. I will for sure keep you in touch on where this is going.

The boat is not mine but I will try and get some more shots from Paul of it. It is simply made of 2x4's and attached to the salmon fishing rail and does not swing. We do travel down the road like this. There is a lip along the back that keeps the layout from sliding back and then a ratchet strap on each side keeps it in place nicely.

 

[Carl]

Dynamic earth & Physics and Marine Ecology, interesting mix. I've probably asked before, but what's your major???

 

[Andrew L.]

Conservation and Environmental Science

 

[Carl]

Cool. I graduated with a BS in Wildlife Sciences. They were just starting the Env. Sciences program when I was graduating. Env. Science is a good track, gives you options in employment.

 

[Andrew L.]

Yeah thats what I am hoping for. I did not want to take the warden track and be one of 60 graduates for 2 or 3 openings. Still not sure what I am going to do once I am done next Fall though

 

[tod osier]

Yeah thats what I am hoping for. I did not want to take the warden track and be one of 60 graduates for 2 or 3 openings. Still not sure what I am going to do once I am done next Fall though

Grad school.

 

[Andrew L.]

No doubt about it, Andrew, you and your crew had a magnificent year with geese being your forte'. I sure did enjoy your pictures. You did one thing much better than I ever could have, however, and that was still maintain grades while in college and duck/goose hunting.
You sure had a nice collection of Long-tails. Congrats!
Al

Al, maintain is a good word . Not that fall grades are maintained but i just have to work that much harder in the spring. My advisor finally stopped asking why i take fewer classes in the fall.

 

[Andrew L.]

Yeah thats what I am hoping for. I did not want to take the warden track and be one of 60 graduates for 2 or 3 openings. Still not sure what I am going to do once I am done next Fall though

Grad school.

I know. This is becoming more of a reality in my head but after i finally made a major decision by the time im done ill have been in school for 5 1/2 years, im ready to do something else

 

[tod osier]

Yeah thats what I am hoping for. I did not want to take the warden track and be one of 60 graduates for 2 or 3 openings. Still not sure what I am going to do once I am done next Fall though

Grad school.

I know. This is becoming more of a reality in my head but after i finally made a major decision by the time im done ill have been in school for 5 1/2 years, im ready to do something else

If you have the grades and passion grad school can be an excellent choice and the advanced degree gives you more options. Grad school is not school as you have experianced it, it could not be further from the undergrad experiance.

 

[Jim Boyer]

What a nice series of pictures. I really like the license plate!

Many, many years ago, I attended "grad" school at Kansas University. I majored in Quail Hunting 101 (lasted one semester).
--------

 

[Chris Finch]

im a bio major and am graduating in the spring.
im done with school so definetly no grad work, im tired of watching all my money go to school

i would like to work for the dep, but there on no jobs on the east coast.
there are a few out west.

i am planned to get a lab tech position at a hospital so i can pick my hours (nights and sundays during duck season , then i am going to volunteer with the dep. a lot of my friends have seasonal work with them and a few work in the fisheries department. that will give me some experience, then when i have some money saved up i hope i can get one of the jobs out west which is where i want to live anyway.

 

[tod osier]

im a bio major and am graduating in the spring.
im done with school so definetly no grad work, im tired of watching all my money go to school

i would like to work for the dep, but there on no jobs on the east coast.
there are a few out west.

i am planned to get a lab tech position at a hospital so i can pick my hours (nights and sundays during duck season , then i am going to volunteer with the dep. a lot of my friends have seasonal work with them and a few work in the fisheries department. that will give me some experience, then when i have some money saved up i hope i can get one of the jobs out west which is where i want to live anyway.

No student in the sciences actually pays to go to grad school and, in fact, you get paid a modest amount to do so. So the argument that you don't want to pay any more isn't valid. The argument that you don't want to go to school anymore may be, but graduate school isn't school as you know it.

If you have the drive and grades from undergrad, an advanced degree would give you some nice options working at the state or federal level in fisheries. The lifestyle, be it working with state or feds is also very good and the work rewarding.

As far as your thoughts on "out West", you are very wise.

 

[Chris Finch]

my grades are good, il prabably graduate with deans list, but i am just done with academics. i like getting home from work and just being done, wether it be from making a stone walls then going haying after work, with my back hurting and my fingers cut up, i dont care.

when i get home from school i still have at least 3 hours of home work, then i have to plan what to do for research and hope my animals are alive everyday i go to school. dead animals means very bad grades

school is just way to much stress the work never ends plus i have already run out of interesting classes. i would have loved to take more on invertebrates or herpetology but they dont offer them and the school wont accepted 99% of transferred credits.

 

[tod osier]

my grades are good, il prabably graduate with deans list, but i am just done with academics. i like getting home from work and just being done, wether it be from making a stone walls then going haying after work, with my back hurting and my fingers cut up, i dont care.

when i get home from school i still have at least 3 hours of home work, then i have to plan what to do for research and hope my animals are alive everyday i go to school. dead animals means very bad grades

school is just way to much stress the work never ends plus i have already run out of interesting classes. i would have loved to take more on invertebrates or herpetology but they dont offer them and the school wont accepted 99% of transferred credits.

Many of your comments are why I suggested aiming for a State of Federal job, since there is often (but not always) a good balance of work adn personal life there, better than most academic jobs.

If minimizing stress and responsibility is your main goal, then yes no more school is a good way to go. I would encourage you to consider that in jobs that use your science background the amont of stress and responsibility correlate strongly and postively with your ability to direct your day-to-day activities. You need to find your personal sweet spot.

If you want to go west, be packed and leave May 15th with a plan, otherwise I think you will find it will get harder with every passing day.