News & Information for Ducks Unlimited Members Volume 12 • Issue 2012

Coming soon to a County Treasurer’s Office near you: TOPEKA – With the passing of Senate Bill 300 and signature by the Governor, Kansas Ducks Unlimited has been allowed to provide its members a new way of showing their support for DU. Known as a “distinctive license plate,” the new DU license plates will be available as an option to anyone who wishes to pay a tax-deductible annual royalty fee to KS DU. These new plate options are just like the college logo plates currently available. And, the best part is the proceeds of the royalty fee go directly to KS DU, just like any local chapter event. The plate numbers will assigned randomly by the Dept of Revenue – you may not choose your “favorite” number. The plates will have the DU duck head emblem on the left side and the words “Ducks Unlimited” on the bottom.

How will all this go down?1. DU must sell 500 royalty fees before the State will produce any KS DU license plates.2. The Ducks Unlimited website is gearing up to allow you to pay your first year $35 royalty fee for as many automobiles and trucks under 20,000 lbs GW as you desire. You may view the “not quite ready for prime time” version on the website by going to either the main website (www.ducks.org) and checking for “Kansas DU License Plates” in New This Week section, or the KS DU website (www.ducks.org/ks) and checking for “Kansas DU License Plates” in Recent Kansas Stories. (continued on page 7)

New Kansas DU License Tags:Show Your Support for the Ducks Everywhere You Go...

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Memphis, TN — “If it were not for three-quarters of a century of dedication and work by DU volunteers, staff and partners, the magic that the prairie-and wetlands elsewhere- can produce would be greatly diminished,” says Michael Furtman, author of The Ducks Unlimited Story. While great progress has been made over the past 75 years, Ducks Unlimited’s work must continue in order to ensure that future generations will have a chance to experience the splendor of wetlands and waterfowl. “Our challenges pale in comparison to those faced daily by the splendid birds that inspire this grand organization - the magnificent migrations across the continent twice a year, the struggle to remain healthy while winging those thousands of miles so that when they return to their breeding grounds, they are fit to reproduce. And yet they persist. Ducks do not have it in them to give up.” “Nor does Ducks Unlimited,” exclaims Furtman. “DU will not give up because those who belong to it and work for it cannot imagine a world-will not allow a world - in which autumn skies are not filled with skeins of waterfowl.”

DU: a 75-year Conservation LegacyWater on the Ground, Ducks in the Air

DUCKS UNLIMITED

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My daughter commented to me last night that my knees “make a lot of noise” cracking every time I stand up. My son reminds me of my continued hair loss each time he’s home visiting from college. I explain it is all part of the aging process and although mine isn’t beautiful, Ducks Unlimited seems to improve dramatically every year. What a fantastic time to be a Kansas DU member! It has been a record breaking year in many ways for the Sunflower State as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of National DU. I want to begin by expressing what an enjoyable year it has been serving as State Chairman and to let you know “Kansas Hospitality” is alive and well. I attend-ed over 25 events and in every single situation, I was warmly welcomed while experiencing an energy that makes our organization the envy of other not-for-prof-it groups. Our volunteers are dedicated to the cause and event attendees know that every dollar they invest will be used to further the great work DU performs. From Dodge City to Pittsburg, Seneca to Wichita and all the stops in between, it was the year of record events. I was fortunate to celebrate Hutchinson’s 50th anniversary banquet and recognize Merl Sellers for completing his Life Sponsor pledge. In Hiawatha I enjoyed the rebirth of the local chapter under the guidance of Jacquie Kerl. My hometown of Pratt had record breaking attendance (225) at the fairgrounds where I watched rodeos as a youngster. In Ft. Scott I shared a table with the lady chefs who cooked all day to feed the DU attendees and one of the chefs was pleasantly surprised winning a gun. Garnett had standing room only attendance while A/C Kelby Cox informed me of the superior underwriting efforts his committee attained (every item was paid for prior to the doors opening)! Despite a beautiful spring day, Mike Bulk’s Seneca committee nudged the crowd to bid and tried new activities for their guests. At Great Bend’s SNO event, folks were in a fevered frenzy trying to decide which merchandise they wanted to put on their “take home” list. The excitement was even more rampant among our young colle-giate chapters at Pittsburg State (A/C Zach Collard) and Kansas State (25 committee people strong) which turned in record years. K-State again enjoyed its second year as a Sweet 16 chapter nationally. Ad-ditionally, Fort Hays State is starting a new chapter this year. I truly wish I could make it to all the events but more importantly I am en-couraging you to attend a local banquet this fall or next spring. I mentioned records earlier and one of those was the amount raised in the state. Kansas chapters improved to $1,176,000 just missing out on the $1.2 million goal we had our sights set on. It’s a lofty goal we put on paper two years ago but I have a feeling we’ll do it this year. Another record that fell was the number of major donor life spon-sors that pledged up to $10,000 to further DU’s work. The money these folks accrued attending events and being bronze sponsors

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count toward that pledge just as it would for you. Congratulations to Westar Energy, Randy Zimmerman, Tom & Diane Blackler, Wal-ter & Mary Bradley, Michael and Natasha Bulk, Mike Creel, Scott & Katherine Creel, Todd & Stephanie Herthel, Christy & Dr. Mat-thew Mayo, Nick & Mellissa Neff, Kenton & Sharon Thompson, Gary & Dawn Upah, Eric Van Beber and Cargill for stepping up to the plate. The year is not over and Kansas DU would love to boast

25 Life Sponsors by December 31st. You are an excellent candidate to make this move! Additionally, three families are upgrading their life sponsorships by pledging another $10,000. Thanks to Clint & Christina Mans, Kent & Beth Montei, and Bruce & Janeal Wanamaker for their incredible commitment. Even our Feather Society and Sponsor ranks are seeing a banner year. Four individuals have notified DU that they are including the ducks in some fash-ion in their wills. Feather Society Chair Jeff Neal is working hard to remind folks that this takes no money out of pocket to do….it’s just remembering to include DU in the event of your death. Spon-sor Chair Bob Hammond is reporting YTD we are 51 sponsors ahead of where Kansas DU was a year ago! A small donation goes a long way when cou-

pled with others desiring to make a difference. Our only road bump this year came when Regional Director Barry Allen called me in April to let me know he was taking a lateral move to Montana. Barry’s effort these past ten years has carried Kansas DU to unimaginable new heights. We wish his family well. With every gray cloud there is a silver lining – we are finding ours in Barry’s replace-ment. Read more about our new RD Josh Williams in this edition. As for the upcoming year our tasks remain the same. We need to continue to add members who will further the DU cause. We also need to recruit volunteers to help with the local chapters and increase the amount we can raise for the habitat. This is not work, it’s all fun, so consider taking the plunge if upi are not a volunteer already. Our efforts will never be fully completed but it’s nice to know we are making progress. Please review the updates from KDWPT in this newsletter to understand how your dollars are making a huge differ-ence in Kansas. From Jamestown to Perry to Slate Creek and Neo-sho, DU is focused on improving the migration stops for our feath-ered friends throughout the Sunflower State despite a very dry 2012. January 1 will end my tenure as State Chair but Kansas DU will con-tinue to thrive under Chair Elect Mark Schlegel and other dedicated volunteers. My last request of you is to please make a point to attend an upcoming event to view all of the fantastic 75th Anniversary merchan-dise. And if by chance I am in the crowd, please come up to shake my hand so that I can personally thank you for your support of the ducks. I’ll be the one with thinning hair and creaky knees – just ask my kids!

Thinning Hair and Creaky Knees - by Gary Mellard, State Chairman Major Donor Goal Update You might recall our goal of 75 in the 75th which our State Chairman Gary Mel-lard outlined in this publication last year. Our state goal was 75 NEW Sponsors/Life Sponsors, Upgrades or Feather members. This is one way that Kansas Ducks Unlim-ited can make a difference in putting more resources on the ground for the ducks. Goal Commitments: (as of August 2012) Major Donor Life Sponsors:Have - 15; Goal - 25Upgrade Major Donor Sponsors:Have - 3; Goal - 5 Feather Society New MembersHave- 4; Goal - 10New Sponsors (Bronze, Silver, Gold) Have - 51; Goal - 50 Perhaps you are considering becoming a Life Sponsor, Upgrade or Feather Society member; it’s a fairly simple process and a great way to support your local chapter, Kansas Ducks Unlimited and the ducks. A Life Sponsor is a $10,000 commitment to Ducks Unlimited, payable over 5 years. This represents a significant contribution

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K a n s a s P r a i r i e W i n g sDucks Unlimited is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to conserving wetland habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. DU was incorporated by a group of farsighted conservationists on Jan. 29, 1937. Membership in the organization is $35 minimum, which includes a subscription to the national Ducks Unlimited magazine. As the organiztion’s official publication, Kansas Prairie Wings has a circulation of 15,000. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Similarities between the name Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and those of advertisers are coincidental and do not indicate mutual affiliation unless clearly stated. Members who have moved should send new address information and current membership number to national headquarters on POD Form 3578. Kansas Prairie Wings is printed annually. Please direct comments to the State Chairman Gary Mellard.

Dave Casper, Editor • email: dcasper2@cox.net

Another Feather in the Hat for Kansas DUby Jeff Neal, State Feather Society Chairman For those of you who were at the State Convention earlier this year, you may have caught some of the buzz about the DU Feather Society. Not only did we get to hear a presentation from DU Na-tional’s Byron Liles and “pin” our two newest members, but we were also told of the first ever incentive for new Feath-er Society enrollments. The Kansas Regional Directors have generously thrown their support behind this effort by committing to an award for new Feather Society commitments. The rules are simple...the committee with the most new Feather Society enrollments in calendar year 2012 will receive a free gun for use at an upcoming event. The contest will run until the end of the year and winning chapter is to be announced at next year’s State Convention. So far

to DU’s conservation efforts on the ground across North America. And now, thanks to DU’s cumulative giving program, becom-ing a Life Sponsor is easier than ever. With DU’s cumulative giving program, past-giving totals can be applied to your Life Sponsorship pledge. For example, if you’ve been a DU Spon-sor for 20 years, your total cumulative giving would be $5,000 (20 x $250). That means a pledge of the remaining $5,000 ($10,000 - $5,000) is all it would take for you to become a Life Sponsor. And the pledge is still payable over 5 years! If you’re interested in becoming a Life Sponsor, or if you’d like to learn more about your cumulative giving, please con-tact Major Gifts Chair Bob Saathoff: (785) 272-7125 or email: bobsaathoff@yahoo.com

To become a Bronze ($250), Silver ($500) or Gold ($1,000) Sponsor - contact Bob Hammond at (620) 364-4059 or rohammo@wcnoc.com With Feather Society questions - contact Jeff Neal at (785) 285-2998 or email: jfneal1998@yahoo.com

we have enrollments from the Blackjack and Topeka chapters and I understand a couple more are “in the works”. BUT, it’s not too late! Remember, it’s the committee with the MOST new enroll-ments...so get your team together and get a gun for your event! I believe that with your help, we can launch Kansas to the top of the nation in new enrollments. Heck, we’re off to a great start already!Now the good part: The Feather Society, like other forms of contribution, supports the mission of the organization. However; unlike some of the other methods of giving, offers a unique level of flexibility for the donor. The gift is committed to early on, but not realized until the death of the bene-factor. This makes the Feather Society a perfect fit for estate planning and know-ing that you are making a lasting differ-ence for the ducks, the environment and future generations.

Beyond a doubt, we are all commit-ted to the cause. We give for various reasons, in different manners and at dif-ferent levels. I think that it is impor-tant to realize that ANY contribution to the organization is great, and none is to be taken for granted. The enrollment can come in the form of a fixed dollar amount, specific property (land, gun collections, etc...) or a percentage of your estate. No amount is too large and certainly none too small. More information on the program can be found at:http://www.ducks.org/how-to-help/estate-planning/feather-society Or by contacting: Jon Rich (901) 758-3763 email: jrich@ducks.org

Thanks for all you do and here’s to making 2012 the best ever in Kansas Feather Society enrollments.

A new source of state revenue is past state duck stamp prints that have been newly matted and framed. This limited edition Iowa Canada Goose stamp print can be purchased for your event or by the general public by sending a check for $50, which includes shipping, made pay-able to DU, by December 1, to state art chairman: Bruce Wanamaker 6420 West 125th Overland Park, KS 66209

Limited Edition Stamp Prints On Sale Now!

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Perry Wildlife Area Project Planned Ducks Unlimited is very happy to announce the initiation of planning and fundraising activities for a proposed project on the Perry Wildlife Area. DU staff will work closely with Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism staff to design, fund and implement a project near the north end of the Perry WA. The proposed project will include a pumping station in the Delaware River that would potentially provide a source of water to fill and manage both Northwest Marsh and Reichart Marsh. The project will benefit at least 241 acres of seasonal wetland habitat, provid-ing migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl and additional hunting opportunities, particularly in drought years when these two marsh complexes might otherwise be dry. DU is also planning a series of “con-servation cocktail” events in Topeka, Leavenworth, Lawrence and Johnson County. The purpose of the events is to provide conservation information to DU volunteers and donors about not only this project, but DU’s objectives throughout Kansas and how these im-portant projects fit into the big picture of North American waterfowl conser-vation. DU will be actively promoting this project as an opportunity for ma-jor donors to step forward and support DU’s conservation work not only in Kansas, but also the prairie pothole region, DU’s highest priority in North America. Major donors who step forward to support this effort will have the op-portunity to be recognized for their support not only on a cairn to be placed on the Perry Wildlife Area, but also on a perma-nently protected wetland in the prairie pothole region. Please stay tuned for more information on this exciting opportunity.

DU Submits NAWCA Proposal for Jamestown Wildlife Area in late July Ducks Unlimited submitted a North American Wetlands Con-servation Act proposal to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a series of projects on Jamestown Wildlife Area. The $957,000 proposal includes requested funding for a series of projects on both Jamestown Wildlife Area and the nearby Talmo Marsh unit. If approved, the grant includes funding to acquire approximately 1,000 acres on the Talmo Marsh Unit and to raise Gamekeeper Dam approximately 18 inches, which would flood an additional 600 acres of shallow marsh habitat. Several other projects are

Ducks Unlimited’s conservation priorities in Kansas are focused on protection, restoration and enhancement of playa lakes, moist soil marshes and associated habitats, particularly regionally significant wetland complexes. Wetlands in Kansas provide critical stop-over and refueling habitats for waterfowl in the Central Flyway, especially during spring

migration. Our wetland conservation efforts benefit waterfowl, other wildlife and the people of Kansas. DU’s goal is to secure the future of Kansas as a key wintering and migration area for waterfowl in North America.

included in the proposal. The Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism, The Nature Conservancy, Westar Energy and several other conservation organizations and local governmen-tal agencies are partners in this ambitious proposal. The Talmo Marsh project is particularly exciting. The marsh is one of the original state owned marshes granted to Kansas by the federal government when the state was created. However, Kansas sub-sequently sold the marsh to generate funds to start Emporia State University. The marsh is a unique salt marsh, containing salty and freshwater habitats. The marsh was drained many years

ago. Acquisition of the site would al-low KDWPT to fully restore the site, creating a diverse mix of aquatic hab-itats that will be highly attractive to waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, ring-necked pheasants, and many oth-er species of wildlife. If the proposal is approved, funding will be available in the spring of 2013 to begin project activities.

Additional Wetlands to be Enhanced on Quivira National Wildlife Refuge Ducks Unlimited is pleased to announce another phase of wetland enhancement on Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has secured a $75,000 grant through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to implement another phase of wetland enhancement work on this large wildlife refuge. Ducks Unlimited partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a previous phase of this work, contributing both cash and in-kind as-sistance to help the Service enhance several hundred acres of shal-low water habitat. In addition to providing habitat to thousands of waterfowl, wetlands on Quivira are also important habitat for the endangered whooping crane, the endangered least tern and the state threatened snowy plover. Approximately 760 acres of shallow wa-ter marsh habitat will be enhanced as part of this latest phase of the project. In addition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other im-portant funding partners involved in this project include the George Stumps Wetland Trust and Conoco Phillips.

photo by Dave Casper

that another seasonal wetland was within minutes of Emporia. My involvement with DU continued with the Flint Hills chapter helping Rolland Trahoon, Brian Zweygardt, Kirby Smith and others. I also helped organize the Emporia State University Chapter with classmate Matt Farmer. He is now KDWPT assistant wildlife area manager at Jamestown Wildlife Area. Following college, employment pushed me to western Kansas. I have spent the last five years in Colby maintaining my volunteer in-volvement with DU on several committees. My Dad (Steve) has be-come the area chairman of the Cloud County chapter. Offering what

assistance I can from far away, I have maintained connections there. The five in our household have maintained memberships through his chapter. When we heard the news of Barry’s departure, like most of you, we quickly understood the lead-ership we were losing. Fortunately, I was able to study under Barry during my time in eastern Kansas. Additionally my application to DU was easily explained, well received, and supported among my family. Since my recent July hire date, I have been out and about as much as possible. Preparing my family for the busy Fall schedule and creating a functional home workspace has occupied much of the first month. I feel I am prepared at this point and I am extremely excited about another success-

ful year with Ducks Unlimited. My motivation has always centered around the passion the volunteers carry with them in everything they do. That being said, you can understand my excite-ment to be involved daily (instead of once a year) with all of you. In closing, I would like to share what some recent road time has offered me. As I look back on my experiences, it amazes me the pro-found effect harvesting a drake gadwall as a teenager can have on the lives of an entire family. I am proud and honored to be working for all of you and am looking forward to meeting you soon. I hope this fall brings you success at your events, in the field, and with life.

My name is Josh Williams and I am the new Regional Director for Ducks Unlimited in Western Kansas. Unfortunately, my presence is at a cost. The regional shifting that has ocurred in the state is a result of the loss of Barry Allen who has accepted the same duties in Mon-tana and is still fighting for the ducks. I will be covering the western half of the state while John Ritchey (Central KS) and Russ Hawley (Eastern KS) continue to work with our fine volunteers. I am a native Kansan growing up in north-central Kansas (Con-cordia). My outdoor obsession began stomping through the pheasant fields with my Dad at age five. Farm pond fishing was also a favorite of mine before I could handle a gun. My passion for waterfowl came after walking through a grass patch for pheasants and I noticed several ducks sit-ting on a waterhole in a green wheat field. A friend and I crawled close enough to get several shots and fortunately we had two ducks. It was not until that evening, after consulting a waterfowl identi-fication book, that I was able to identify them as gadwalls. The following fall I made it a point to start targeting ducks and living only minutes from Jamestown Wildlife Area, the opportunity to ac-complish my goal was readily available! With my new found interest in waterfowl, my Dad made it a point to get us involved with the local Ducks Unlimited chapter. My experience and efforts to be successs-ful were confined to a 10’ canoe we used for hunting. Unfortunately it left me with very few ducks. A completely overwhelming exercise is teaching yourself to waterfowl hunt! Nonetheless, persistence paid off and success began to follow! Due to the vast experiences I had in that canoe, I knew biology was a course directive of mine once I graduated high school. I continued my education at Emporia State University and continued to feed my-self with as much waterfowl information as possible. It was handy

Meet the new Kansas DU Regional Director

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One of those days by RD John Ritchey

As a Regional Director, it’s common to receive phone calls from Area Chairman regarding issues with their pending banquet. As their event gets closer, calls be-come more frequent with questions and concerns. Most often they involve problems with merchandise either broken or missing. So when Luke Seitz, Area Chairman for the Ellsworth chapter called me at 7 am, as I had just left to travel to Ellsworth for their first Sportsman’s Night Out event, I didn’t think anything different. The following our conversation. Luke: John, we have a problem. John: I am sure it will be OK, what’s the prob-lem. Luke: The VFW Hall (I am paying attention a bit more closely now) It’s not there anymore! John: (Mental-ly replaying last nights weather and not remembering any severe storms). What do you mean its not there anymore?

Luke: (Who serves on the volunteer fire department) I just spent the last few hours fighting a fire at the VFW and it’s a complete loss. John: (who has now pulled over on I-70) Did we have any merchandise in the building? Luke: No, thank goodness, we weren’t unpacking until this morning. John: I guess we will have to reschedule. Can you ask the committee to contact the people they sold tickets to, and tell them due to the fire, the event will be rescheduled. Luke: Yes, and I’m sure everyone knows already, and the news crews are here doing a story right now. The event was rescheduled, and no one was injured. But it just goes to show that you never know what kind of phone call you will receive from dedicated volunteers. The Smoky Hill Chapter’s annual banquet will be held on November 3, 2012 at the American Legion this year.

(continued from cover page)3. Once the website “goes live”, you will simply click a button at the bottom of the page to pay your $35 per vehicle to DU. You will be emailed a paid receipt and a statement that you have been authorized to purchase your plate by DU.4. Once we have obtained at least 500 vehicle royalties and after January 1, 2013, you will be able to take both of these emails to your County Treasurer Motor Vehicle Registration Office to apply for a DU plate.5. You will need to fill out any additional forms and pay all fees required by law at your County Treasurer Motor Vehicle Registration Office.6. Once the State starts producing plates, renewal royalties will be paid directly to your County Treasurer Motor Ve-hicle Registration Office. One stop shopping! The Coun-ties will send the royalty fee proceeds directly to DU every month. It is vital that everyone who wishes to own a KS DU li-cense plates pay their royalty fees ASAP. Without the 500 initial royalties, the State will not produce the plates – pe-riod, no ifs, ands, or buts – that is in the Senate Bill in black and white. Keep checking the DU or KS DU websites – when the KS DU license plate “goes live”, hit that button and buy your royalties. You may have picked up that the $35 annual royalty fee is the same as the cost of many DU banquet tickets. That number was not chosen by accident! We want everyone to leave a DU event with something – in this case, it is a KS DU license plate! We owe a special thanks to Representative Kyle Hoffman of Coldwater for introducing House Bill 2432 which introduced the Kan-sas Ducks Unlimited distinctive license plate. The bills wording got rolled into Senate Bill 300. Your KS DU state leadership team personally testified in favor of HB 2432 and sent written testimony in favor of SB 300. This is a wonderful way to show your support of DU and it can have a significant impact on our annual income as you renew your DU plates. Don’t put it off any longer – support DU now with your new Kansas DU license plate!

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With a generous donation from Yamaha, Kansas DU had a statewide grand prize package giveaway in 2011. Up for grabs was a Yamaha Grizzly 550 EPS ATV, plus a waterfowling package that includes Primos duck calls, Avery finisher blind, a case of Remington shotgun shells and a camo quad parka by Whitewater Outdoors. In total, the prize package was worth over $10,000!

The 2011 State Grand Prize Winner Announced

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The 2011 Grand Prize Winner was John McNellis, of Manhattan

Each Kansas DU chapter sold a special edition knife, and the high bidder for each knife was issued one ticket in the grand prize drawing. The lucky winner was John Mc-Nellis, of Manhattan. Kansas Ducks Un-limited would like to thank Yamaha for their generous donation and recognize Monty Pe-terson, of Brooks Yamaha Inc. of Manhattan for their presentation of the machine.

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Kansas DU Sponsor Growthby Bob Hammond, State Sponsor Chair Kansas DU is enjoying impressive growth in the number of new sponsors this year. For FY11, 875 sponsor members stepped up to make a minimum donation of $250. By July 1 of this year, the state is enjoy-ing an increase of 51 as the Sunflower State boasts a total of 926 sponsors. As for the future, the 2013 to 2015 Business Plan Goal is for each chapter to increase the number of sponsors by only two per year. That encouraging goal would increase the number of Sponsors by 150, assuming 75 Chapters. When speaking of sponsors the first ques-tion I always ask is, “Why is the DU Spon-sor Program so important in our efforts to restore and develop wetlands?” It is obvious to see when one looks at the dollars raised through the sponsor program. Last year the total was over $231,500 in Kansas alone.

To provide a different view on the impor-tance of the sponsor program, consider this fact. Last year our total grass roots income for the state was $1,132,950. $231,500 of that came from the sponsor program. You’ll see that 20 percent of our income was de-rived from sponsor members. In addition to the dollars raised annually, our sponsor members quite often become life sponsors

later in life and often leave a legacy by gift-ing a portion of their estate to DU through the use of the Feather Society. All are very positive steps to assist DU. To become a Bronze Sponsor, the invest-ment is $250. You will receive your Spon-sor decals and membership package from National DU. You will also receive your Kansas Sponsor Print of the year. If writ-ing a check for the full amount is not an op-tion, you may use the recurring investment program as a convenient way to make a monthly gift and make a difference towards conserving North America’s most threat-ened wetlands. This investment option is only $20.84 per month and can be done by bank draft or credit card. There is MORE good news. By becoming a Ducks Unlimited Sponsor today you’ll save one acre of wetlands in North America. It’s no surprise that Sponsors are critical to the success of Ducks Unlimited mission!

2012-13 Kansas Sponsor Print“Southern Comfort” by George Lockwood

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Discover Card & Ducks Unlimited Join Forces Discover and Ducks Unlimited an-nounced during the 75th Annual DU National Convention the launch of an af-finity credit card designed to offer U.S. members of DU rewarding Discover card benefits. With this announcement, Dis-cover is now the official credit card of Ducks Unlimited. The new custom-designed DU Discover card features Discover’s generous flag-ship cash rewards program, which also gives access to ShopDiscover, a popular online shopping portal offering 5%-20% Cashback Bonus on purchases at more than 200 online retailers. Discover also has added DU to its list of charitable part-ners, which allows for any Discover card-member to donate their Cashback Bonus to the organization in support of wetlands conservation. DU and Discover are finalizing an incen-tive program to compensate chapters forthe participation of new Discover card ap-plicants utilizing the zip code and the lo-cal chapter it is assigned to. For every new account opened and every purchase made, Discover will make a contribution to DU at no additional cost to you.

For more information visit:www.discover.com/DucksUnlimited

or call 1-800-DISCOVER (347-2683)

New Kansas DU License Tags: Show Your Support!

For the Ducks… In July, 21 Leavenworth DU volunteers hiked together to hand-seed three tons of Japanese millet at various Perry wetland habitats. These members and Greenwings targeted the 1,000 acres Perry Wildlife Management Area to especially foster duck conservation. Wetland inhabitants include wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, and migra-tory birds, the latter whose numbers depend upon the size of reachable habitat.

Afterwards some members banded 64 wood ducks as well as refreshed the paint on PWMA information signs, all super-vised by PWMA Manager Dustin Men-garelli. These 2012 activities expanded the successful seeding that was accomplished last year, which the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks recognized in a letter as saving thousands of dollars in conservation allocations. Other on-going efforts to en-sure safe, ample habitat for ducks include fund-raising for a new pump system.

Kansas New Chapter Targets for FY13Updated July 24, 2012

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Alma

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Paola

Atwood Norton

Beloit

Eureka

Holton

DeSotoRussell

Peabody

Abilene

Madison

Sabetha

Gardner

Wakeeney

Stockton

Winfield

Neodesha

Ness City

Jamestown

Centralia

Frankfort

Scott City

Belleville

Wellington

Washington Marysville

Garden City

Minneapolis

Phillipsburg Smith Center

Valley Center

Wichita

Kansas City§̈¦I70

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GIS Lab, NHQDucks Unlimited, Inc.July 24, 2012

Kansas New Chapter Targets for FY13Updated July 24, 2012

Total: 33 Priority Leve 1 (17) Priority Level 2 (16)U U

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As waterfowl were migrating north, it was also time for the annual Kansas Ducks Unlimited State Convention, held February 17-19, 2012 at the Ramada Ho-tel and Conference Center in Hutchinson. The Ramada has hosted the convention for the past several years and has served as a great migration destination for DU members to converge each February. The 2012 Convention kicked off with a Duck Fever Party on Friday evening that allowed committee members from across the state a chance to see how this event works and how they might host one in their own community. Saturday morning was filled with work-shops and business meetings, designed to educate and entertain the volunteers with the latest local, state and national DU related information. Saturday eve-ning began with a Major Donor Recep-tion, followed by huge banquet featuring live and silent auctions with the latest and greatest DU items in the state and national package. Also that evening, the state award winners were recognized for their outstanding efforts during the 2011 fiscal year. Congratulations to all who won awards in 2011 and thank you to all who helped Kansas DU make sure that waterfowl will fill the skys, today, tomor-row and forever!

2012 Kansas DU State Convention

Above, Rob Unruh (center) Jamestown Wildlife Area Man-

ager, is honored for his service with a decoy

presented by all three Regional Directors and

State Chairman Gary Mellard.

Right, raffle girl Laura Rice holds an adorable

black lab puppy that was sold during the

banquets live auction.

Above, Terrell Black was awarded the District Chairman of the Year Award for 2011.

Left, a the “Pink Mallard Award” was presented to depart-ing Regional Director Barry Allen (left) by Rodney Ringer.

KS DU members migrate to Hutchinson again...

Left, the coveted 2011 Area Chairman of the Year Award was presented to Steve Gerlach of the Lindsborg chapter for his committee’s outstanding efforts last year. Congratulations Steve!

Chapter Award %UpCheyenne B-Quivira Teal 2Clay County Teal 3Shawnee Mission Teal 2Jayhawk Wood Duck 170 Rice County Wood Duck 5Lake Afton Wood Duck 9KS River Ducks Wood Duck 6 McPherson Pintail 10South Central Pintail 36Seward Co Pintail 10Ark City Pintail 77Seneca Area Pintail 96Salt Creek Pintail 12Leavenworth Mallard 13 Parsons Mallard 55Independence Mallard 36Wyandotte Co Mallard 19Linn County Mallard 51SE District Mallard 104Blackjack Mallard 9Big Lake Mallard 35NW Kansas Mallard 51K-State Mallard 52Cheyenne B Mallard 182Hutchinson Mallard 15El Dorado Mallard 22Marion Mallard 95Wichita Canvasback 47Kiowa County Canvasback 39John Redmond Canvasback 12 Garnett Canada Goose 27Pratt Canada Goose 40Gyp Hills Canada Goose 26 Flint Hills Snow Goose 27Smoky Valley Snow Goose 28

New ChaptersMarais des Cygnes Teal 39Ninnescah Mallard 65KS031 Wood Duck 56 Wings & Warriors Pintail 49

ChapterAwardsWinners

Above, Kirby Smith, Flint Hills Chapter received the Snow-

goose award and had a 27% increase in 2011!

Above right, Mike & Lisa Marie Deveau of the Fort Riley Chap-

ter receive the Pintail award.Right, the Garnett Chapter was

awarded the Canada Goose award with a 27% increase.

2013 DU State Convention Date Set Don’t miss the 2013 State Convention, February 15-17, at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center in Hutchinson (previously the Grand Prairie Hotel). All DU members and anyone wanting to join us for some fun are welcome! Make

plans early by reserving a room at the Ramada Hotel in Hutchinson (800) 362-5018, where we have a block of rooms at a very discounted rate! Please use the early registration form online at ks.ducks.org to help us prepare for your arrival.

For additional questions please contact your Regional Director.

Above, the Black Jack Chapter earned

the Mallard award.

Right, the Pratt Chapter was awarded

the Canada Goose after having been

awarded the Mallard award for the past

three years.

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Above, the Leavenworth Chapter was awarded the Mallard decoy for their 13% increase over the previous year.

photography by Dave Casper

F O R T H E M E M B E R S O F K A N S A S D U

K A N S A S P R A I R I E W I N G S N E W S L E T T E R

D U R e g i o n a l N e w s D U D i s t r i c t N e w s

KS Regional Director Wins National Recognition Barry Allen was awarded the “Top RD” for Region 2. This award is based on an objective comparison of all RD Regions across the country in a variety of categories. The top candidate is then selected based on performance in those categories. The candidates then go into a pool for the National Top Regional Di-rector of the Year. Some of the highlights of Barry and his volunteer team’s very successful accomplishments are a $182,611 increase in event income or 28% growth. This also earned Barry a top 10 finish nationally, and a national award for an increase of over $100,000. Barry’s region also increased 10% in sponsors and 13% in event at-tendance, both of which added to the region’s overall increases. Barry has been in his region a nearly 9 years and he has worked extremely hard to build a great team and do the right things needed to help Kansas DU grow. That leadership earned him Sr. Regional Director status in 2011. It is with great pleasure to recognize Barry as Region 2’s Top RD. Congratulations Barry!

Eastern Kansas Regional Summaryby Russ Hawley, Eastern Kansas Regional Director Two years ago, I stepped foot into Allen Fieldhouse for my first Jayhawk basketball game with Darren Griffith. Previously, I heard a rumor that the moment you step into the gym, you can’t help but catch a fever, so called, the “phog”. To my surprise, these crazy Jay-hawk fans were right. Moments into the game, a feeling of passion, excitement, dedication and motivation came over me; I succumbed to the fever. This unique fever is similar to that of Kansas Ducks Unlimited volunteers. Each fiscal year, I am excited to jump head first into the Fall Banquet Season. It never ceases to amaze me the capabilities of Ducks Unlimited volunteers. More specifically, the fever of Kansas DU volunteers continues to grow and spread across the state. With the anticipated excitement of the 75th Anniversary and dedicated volunteers, we set a welcoming record for the state of Kansas in 2012 and will continue this momentum into the fall 2013 banquet season! Yates Center demonstrated a great net/net increase under the lead-ership of the three amigos (Kelby Cox, Luke Galemore, and Justin Shahan). Their Dinner event competed head to head with the KU Championship basketball game this past March. Both the “phog” and the DU fever were alive in Yates Center as there was standing room only during the live auction. The live auction was led by the 2011 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion, Yates Center native Charly Cummings. Last year, the DU fire was also fueled by an outstanding banquet in Parsons, Kansas. The devotion of the Parsons committee precedes the banquet with having every item underwritten. The banquet was a sure success before guests even walked through the door. Another lesson learned about the DU fever; never underestimate the power of small numbers. A natural feeling of anxiety came over me has a total of 40 bidder numbers stepped through the door at the Shawnee Mission Dinner event. However, the dedication and eager-ness of Scott Solomon and the committee in Shawnee Mission hosted a record setting live auction. It just goes to show, the DU passion of our volunteers directly expedites an increase in Grassroots Funding.

Central Kansas Regional Summaryby John Ritchey, Senior Regional Director, Central Kansas Kansas Ducks Unlimited volunteers and members, thank you for another great year for conservation! We as a state have been up eight out of the last nine years and in this economic climate is a great accomplishment! Hats off to all the volunteers for putting these events together and making them a success, without all of your hard work, none of the work that we do for North America’s Waterfowl would be possible. Thanks to the members for supporting this noble cause and making sure that waterfowl will fill the sky, today, tomorrow and forever! A couple of chapter highlights. The Manhattan Chapter im-proved with the leadership of Area Chairman Dave Casper by increasing enough to build another 16 acres of wetlands. Bill Jenkins Area Chairman of Goodland had their best ever banquet and when all the expenses were paid, topped $63,000. Thank you Bill and the committee members of Northwest Kansas for all you have done and will continue to do for the ducks. Cheyenne Bottoms Chapter (Hoisington) had a fantastic year doubling the amounts from their previous year. Thank You, Area Chairwom-an Kim Schneweis for your dedication to the cause and the will-ingness of your committee to go the extra mile. Finally a huge “Quack” goes out to the Salina Area. It has been a long road, but we have finally turned the corner and are making great strides to wetland restoration. Thank You Area Chairman Chad Peterson and Troy Ross for all the work that you and your committee are doing. As I have said before, none of this is possible with out the dedication and passion of great volunteers!

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Smoky Valley Chapter Keeping Things Festiveby District Chairman, Mike Link There is a common theme when walking into Smoky Valley’s annual banquet, the hall is packed and the atmosphere is festive. Area Chairman James Cook and the committee work hard to or-ganize an event that everyone will enjoy from the time they enter to the time they leave. Smoky Valley held their seventh annual banquet back on March 3. For the fifth straight year, Smoky Valley increased there net fund-raising dollars by at least 15 percent over the previous year. When you ask James how he continues the success, he would tell you it’s all about the committee. Everyone on the committee has a passion for Ducks Unlimited. They are willing to work hard to make the banquet festive and enjoyable for members while at the same time raising dollars to conserve more land. Their goal is to always earn a chapter award. Last year they were the first chapter to qualify for the “Snow Goose” award. Great job to the Smoky Valley Chapter!The following chapters will having events soon:Hutchinson Ducks Unlimited - Saturday, September 29Harvey County Ducks Unlimited - Thursday, October 4 Mcpherson Ducks Unlimited - Thursday, November 8Thank you to all the volunteers that help make these events possible!

Southeast Kansas Chapters Going Strongby District Chairman, Mark Kauth The Neosho Valley/Iola Chapter had another strong turnout for their banquet in February. Their success in part is credited to hav-ing a dedicated committee that tries to think oustside the box. You will more than likely find items there that may not be found at other area banquets. They also cater items to women such as a 38 special Pink Lady & Lavender Lady pistols. This extra effort has paid off for their chapter. The Ft. Scott Chapter, under the direction of Chris Tourtillott, expects to pack the halls again for a fall banquet. The food there is always good and plenty of gun raffles to be found. Terry Barno and his committee in Chanute have been busy plan-ning for their Fall Banquet as well. One of Chanute’s strong points is they always have a large number of sponsors. Way to go Chanute. Be sure and check for a banquet in your area at- www. ducks.org

Johnson County District Newsby District Chairman, Grant Martin Greetings from northeast Kansas and the home of the one of the President’s Elite chapters in the country for 2012, the South Johnson County chapter. Ducks Unlimited regognized these top 100 chapters nationwide at the 75th Aniversary convention this past May in Nash-ville, TN. Gary Mellard, area chariman, was on hand to accept the award on behalf of the chapter and said, “ It is truly an honor to be in the top 100. However, the credit must go to our committee members who volunteer their time to make our events a success; and those who attend and invest their monies in order to benefit conservation.” The chapter held another successful banquet in March which was enhanced by the large number of life sponsor commitments pledged that night. This was attained by actively pursuing those individuals who were close in lifetime giving numbers and then providing them the option to split up their payments on a five year giving plan. Those who made the life sponsor committment were surprised by how small the payments were stretched out over this five year time period. The dog days of summer brought another “Fun Shoot” at Powder Creek Shooting Park in Shawnee, KS. Those in attendance were able to compete for prizes. A small silent auction along with some walk around raffles was held. Once again, success! Mother Nature was so kind to give a break in the heat for that evening, even with the gun barrels scorching and the clay busting. On September 20th, 2012, the chapter will hold a SNO at Bass Pro in Olathe, KS. Once again, expectations are high for a fun filled event with many in attendance. The chapter would like to thank all of those who have come to their events and showed their support. It will ensure that we will continue to have conservation habitat on the ground and waterfowl filling the sky.

Northeast Kansas DU News by District Chairman, David J. Paul 2012 will go down in history as one of the hottest and driest summers in a very long time but this hasn’t impacted DU events in Northeast Kansas. All three chapters (Atchison, Hiawatha and Leavenworth) hosted DU spring events and planning is well under-way for fall events. The Hiawatha DU Chapter (Area Chair, Jacquelyn Kerl) and her committee hosted another successful Sportsman Night Out this spring. It was remarkable that Jacquie was able to plan for this event as she and her husband were eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new Greenwing into the family. I am happy to report that Raegan Jo arrived on May 24 and weighed 8 lbs 14 oz. Congratulations!! The Leavenworth DU Chapter (Area Chair, Jeff Irvine) continues hold both spring and fall fun shoots, a SNO in late summer and an annual banquet in late Fall. Leavenworth’s dedicated committee (composed of both civilian and military folks) is the backbone of this great chapter and these events wouldn’t occur without their support. This spring the chapter hosted another successful Spring Fun Shoot. In July this chapter continued to support DU’s primary legacy of habitat conservation by again seeding Japanese millet in several marshes in and around Valley Falls. In August, anoth-er successful SNO was held and in late September, the Fall Fun Shoot will be held. Leavenworth’s annual dinner/banquet will be held on November 3. The Atchison DU Chapter (Area Chair, Dave Paul) hosted a suc-cessful Atchison/Leavenworth/Hiawatha Sponsor Dinner in March. Atchison and Leavenworth alternate as host sites for this annual event. I strongly recommend to other DU chapters throughout Kan-sas to team up with another chapter within their local area and alter-nate as host sites for this event. The Sponsor Dinner is a special way to recognize your sponsors. This chapter continues to seek out new committee members. New committee members and fresh ideas are always a welcome change to any chapter. The SBA program con-tinues to flourish in the Atchison area and this chapter continues to be awarded the free SBA gun since DU National implemented this incentive. Planning is well underway for the Atchison area annual dinner/banquet which will be held on October 13.

OK, you’ve probably determined by now that there is nothing bet-ter than the Kansas DU fever. However, this fever becomes pre-mier when the commitment of our volunteers causes it to spread. Jefferson County Ducks Unlimited proudly hosted a second event in FY12, their first annual Sportsman’s Night Out Party in Valley Falls. Eric and Megan Belveal are a great DU team as their num-ber of events continues to increase and their devotion to DU makes them all a success. Wetland conservation that serves as local habitat for migratory ducks drives the passion, dedication and eagerness of Kansas DU volunteers. There’s nothing better than experiencing the benefits of wetland conservation firsthand. Phillip Buser not only had a record setting duck harvest season at Marais des Cygnes, but his dinner event proved to be very successful with almost a $4,000 dollar in-crease in FY12. It is events like this one in Linn County that con-tinue to expand wetland conservation. Last, but definitely not least, we kicked off the FY13 fall banquet season in August with the second annual Cabela’s Waterfowl Call-ing Contest in Kansas City. It was hosted and run by the Wyandotte County chapter and proved to be a great success. DU volunteers from all over Eastern Kansas come to support the event and do a little shopping to gear-up for duck season. Lynne Rozine provides the glue that not only holds the Wyandotte Chapter together, but countless chapters across Kansas!

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F O R T H E M E M B E R S O F K A N S A S D U

K A N S A S P R A I R I E W I N G S N E W S L E T T E R

K a n s a s D U N e w s S t a t e B u s i n e s s P l a n 2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 5

This State Business Plan was developed by a cross section of state volunteers and staff of Kansas Ducks Unlimited. The action plans herein will guide KS DU to meet our stated goals. This plan defines what our organization will become in the years ahead. Plan performance will be evaluated at all leadership sessions. It will be refined and improved continuously. As volunteers of KS DU, we are all account-able for the performance of the plan. KS DU needs to annually increase its perfor-mance and improve public awareness as it supports DU’s habitat goals. Recruitment and retention of volunteers of all ages is the number one priority for all of KS DU. This is the primary focus of KS DU and needs to occur at every op-portunity and at all levels. Volunteers are DU’s most important asset and are critical to the success of our mission. The longev-ity and success of KS DU depends on the ability to recruit and retain volunteers.

Volunteer, Recruitment & Leadership Focus

#1 Goal: Recruit & Develop at least 2 net new volunteers into every chapter each year: How: A successful committee continuous-ly recruits through personal invitations, at-tendee surveys, recruitment events, mail-ings, and other efforts. Every volunteer should strive to personally recruit at least one other volunteer “each one reach one”. In addition, seek new members that can bring contacts and skill sets valuable to the committee’s success. Who: Area Committee Members with the support of District Chairs and the State Recruitment ChairWhen: Annually and Continuously

#2 Goal: Improve Organizational Effectiveness:How: Appoint a Flyway Chair to oversee and mentor their team of DCs and Area Chairs in each Regional Director’s re-gion. Review the number and location of districts, seek recommitment from the ex-isting senior leadership, recruit additional candidates to fill gaps in the leadership structure and provide effective training.

Hold district meetings for all districts each year.Who: State Chair and State Chair Elect, assisted by State Council, ACs and RDsWhen: By January 1, 2013 and continu-ously thereafter

#3 Goal: Develop and Improve Kansas DU Cummunications:How: Create and distribute leadership manual, utilize social media, conduct reg-ular (at least quarterly) conference calls for State Officers with a separate regular (at least quarterly) conference call with FCs and DCs, and distribute RD monthly com-munications. Appoint a Communications Chair to assist at the state level including updates to the DU & KDWP websites to include current DU events, conservation accomplishments, leadership structure, job descriptions and contact information. Who: State Chair and State Chair Elect, assisted by Communications Chair, FCs, DCs, ACs and RDs.When: ContinuouslyEvent & Efficiencies Focus

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#4 Goal: Start 15 Net New Chapters Net-ting at Least $5,000 Each: 3 in 2013, 6 in 2014, and 6 in 2015:How: Hold bi-annual Flyway tactical plan-ning meetings. Hold recruitment events and form area committees in the targeted areas. This includes college chapters. Leadership will work with existing chap-ters to strengthen the committees and keep them operating.Who: FCs, DCs, ACs and RDsWhen: Annually#5 Goal: Every Chapter Achieve at Least

“As Kansas Ducks Unlimited meets the goals of this plan it will result in over 6,700 additional new acres in 3 years. This is over 10.5 square miles of critical wetlands habitat conserved and restored.”

60% Net/Net:How: Plan and execute every event to achieve 60 percent efficiency through the use of planning tools, budgeting and under-writing.Who: ACs supported by DCs and RDsWhen: Annually

Membership Focus

#6 Goal: Increase Attendance at Events by at Least 5% (or Fill the Hall) Each Year:How: “Fill the hall” through face-to-face ticket sales, invitations, posters, adver-tising, social media, properly completed tickets from events, secondary events and experiments with new event types.Who: Area Committees with support from DCs and RDsWhen: Annually

#7 Goal: Increase Sponsors by 2 Net Per Chapter Per Year: How: If possible, appoint a committee-level Sponsor Chair. Develop a prospect list and everyone simply ask. Distribute and utilize the DU Sponsor Manual. Who: Area Committee supported by the State Sponsor ChairWhen: Annually

#8 Goal: Increase Legacy Greenwing Memberships by at Least 50 Each Year: How: Recruit Greenwings by events, tables and signups. Promote project rec-ognition sites. Target parents and grand-parents.Who: Area Committees supported by the State Greenwing ChairWhen: Annually

#9 Goal: Secure 25 New Life Sponsors/Upgrades and 2 New Feather Society Pledges Per Year:How: Start a state level committee to con-duct an annual campaign, hold Major Do-nor events, utilize the Cumulative Giving Program, and hold a Major Donor recep-tion at the State Convention. Educate vol-unteers about the Major Donor Program within all levels of the organization. Who: State Campaign Chair, Director of Development and Area CommitteesWhen: Annually

For the nearly a decade I had the greatest job in the world. I got up every day, more enthusiastic than the day before. How many people can honestly say that? Not many! But I did and the reason was sim-ple…….I worked with the most passion-ate, driven and successful DU volunteers in the country! That is what sets KS DU apart from all other states. Your energy and passion is what fueled my fire to get up each day and do more than “we” did the day before. In the past 10 years KS DU went from a $650,000 fund raising entity to a juggernaut in the conservation arena raising $1.2 MILLION in 2012! It has been a great ride and I can’t thank you enough for allowing me and my fam-ily to be a part of something so special. DU really is a “family” and it’s no more evident than in Kansas. Many of you are close personal friends of mine and my family and those friendships will not go

away. Waterfowl are migratory and so are we. We won’t let a little thing like 1,000 miles separate those bonds. I also want to give a big shout out to my staff partners John Ritchey and Russ Haw-ley for always being there on those late night phone calls, coming back from the far reaches of the state. You guys are the best! Many memories from my travels across Kansas are indelibly etched in my head and will stay with me for a life time. I must have killed at least a zillion bugs with my wind shield driving back and forth across the state and dodged hundreds of large animals, mostly deer, but occasionally a few cows and even once a horse (thank-fully I never hit any of them). None of us will ever forget where we were on May 4, 2007 when the F5 tornado took aim on Greensburg. I was only miles from the storm with Roger Zettl, Terrell Black,

Gary Charbonneau and a handful of other great volunteers trying to put the finish-ing touches on a very successful banquet in Sun City. Gives me chills just thinking about that night as I write this piece. I know and expect KS DU will continue to do great things and I will be watch-ing closely from afar. I will be the first to congratulate you each time you are recog-nized nationally and I know that will be often. Thanks again for being the best in the country at what we do, raising money for DU’s noble conservation mission! Forever grateful. Barry Allen Barry has recently accepted a Regional Director position with Monatana DU and we wish him the very best of luck! He will be greatly missed by his friends here in KS. Barry’s new contact info is: 2 Vigilante Trail, Reed Point, MT 59069 phone (406) 780-0523

The State Business Plan for 2013-2015

I am an avid waterfowl hunter, and have been hunting for more than 20 years. I hunt at least 30 to 40 days of the season including spring snow goose. This past season, I had an accident that I would like to share with other waterfowl hunters, so they do not make the same mistakes I made. This could save your life. I hunt the Missouri River and last De-cember 17, I had a life changing event. A hunting companion shot a bird and I stepped out of the boat to retrieve it. I was walking in about two feet of water on a sand bar in the middle of the river like I have done thousands of times. This time things went south quickly as the sand gave way under my feet, dropping me into the river and pulling me into the channel. I was heading down river and the only thought I had was to get out of my wad-ers in fear they would fill up with water. I was struggling to get them off and only able to get my left foot out, all while at-tempting to swim to the shore with my wader on my right foot, which by the way, is very tough!

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Meanwhile, my hunting partner could not find the key to start my boat and once he did, he pushed the boat off the sand bar and then beached the boat onto another sand bar, further delaying my rescue. I was now about 800 yards down stream and the river was taking me around a cor-ner. I finally managed to get my right wader boot off and was holding the wad-ers under my arms which allowed me to float as I continued drifting and waiting for help. My hands and feet became numb and my extremities were failing to work properly. My breathing started to get more difficult and I expected the worst at that point. Then suddenly, from out of nowhere, my part-ner came around the corner in my boat. I was so cold I could not lift my hand to get in the boat, so he grabbed me and pulled me in, saving my life. I was not wearing a wader belt or in-flatable life jacket nor had I showed my partner the basic operational features of my boat. Having been given a second chance, I am

telling my story so others will hopefully learn from my mistakes and practice safe-ty while hunting in extreme conditions. I was always a believer in “that couldn’t happen to me,” but now I know diffent-ly. I hope I can make you aware of how quickly things can change in any situa-tion, regardless of your experience. I now wear a CO2 inflatable belt life pre-server system and all parties in my boat wear life jackets when driving, and every-one knows how to operate my boat when they come aboard. Sometimes it’s the small things can make a big difference.

My Near Death Hunting Experience by Gene P. Chartier

Interested in attending a DU event in your area?

Visit our website to find out when the chapters in your area will be hosting

their next event:

www.ks.ducks.org

Kansas DU Volunteers – The Best in the Country! by Barry Allen, departing Kansas Regional Director

Become A SPONSOR • Save an Acre of WetlandBy becoming a Ducks Unlimited Sponsor today, you’ll save one acre of wetlands in North America.

It’s no surprise that Sponsors are critical to the success of Ducks Unlimited’s mission!

The value of your sponsorship is greater than $250—you are becoming a steward for the future of wetlands and waterfowl and preserving our beloved sport of waterfowl hunting. And you’re saving far

more than just one acre—you are laying the foundation for other like-minded conservationists to build on with their donations and their time.

Take advantage of our monthly giving program, and for about $21 per month, you can become a DU Bronze Sponsor. That’s less than 70¢ per day!

F O R T H E M E M B E R S O F K A N S A S D U

K A N S A S P R A I R I E W I N G S N E W S L E T T E R

K a n s a s D U N e w s D U N a t i o n a l C o n v e n t i o nNational Convention 2012 - Nashville, TN The 75th Anniversary Ducks Unlimited National Convention was a tremendous suc-cess this May, and KSDU was well represented. We had a great time and met super people, all the while learning a lot about DU, the new programs, the successes of many chapters/states and the passion of our volunteers and staff. We watched the new DU videos and are prepared to carry their messages to our fellow volunteers and people on the street who need to learn about DU, conservation and our mission. One of the highlights of the event was the number of college chapters represented in-cluding Sweet 16 chapter -Kansas State University, challenging all of the volunteers to make a stand with them for the ducks. On the same stage, three major donors pledged $25 MILLION EACH for the 75th anniversary. Yes, there was passion in that ballroom. Kansas delegates also had the opportunity to meet the 75th anniversary artists and get their autographs, and the past national presidents were also on hand for book signings on Wednesday night.

In addition to the convention program and presen-tations, the state pin traders were on a mission to complete their 75th anniversary state pin set. Part of that fun was evident at Hospitality Central. What a great way to meet fellow volunteers from across the nation. Of course, you had to enjoy Nashville: the Country Music Hall of Fame, Studio B, a Grand Ole Opry private concert just for DU, golf, shoot-ing sports, shopping and so much more. Hopefully attending a DU National Convention is on your bucket list. A great time was had by all. 2013’s con-vention will be in Portland, OR and 2014 will be in St. Louis so mark your calendars!

Peter Coors (left) celebrated with his favorite beverage at the convention enjoying a photo

opportunity with State Chairman Gary Mellard and his wife Annette.

A notice of a Ducks Unlimited chapter committee meeting print-ed in the local newspaper led to over 30 years of volunteer commit-ment for Michael and RuthEllen Simpson. The year was 1981. The Simpsons had just opened The Finishing Touch framing business in Pittsburg, KS. They had helped during the previous fall to start a DU chapter in Ft. Scott, where they were living. Thus began life as DU committee members, with each of them serving in every possible position. Michael soon became the MC at every banquet, while RuthEllen mastered the “blue sheet” and manned the front door.

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Their commitment led to district, zone and state chair duties for Michael while RuthEllen coordinated the state special projects mer-chandise and edited the state newsletter. Through the years, they also planned nearly a dozen state conventions. Their daughters, Beth and Sara, attended their first DU banquets at the young age of six months. As soon as they could help, they too pitched in on the committee. Next was serving on the National Board of Directors, first as Re-gional Vice President representing Kansas and Oklahoma. Then, as Senior Regional Vice President for Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, Michael served on the Executive Board and DU Canada Board. His national committee assignment was the conser-vation committee. He is currently on the Emeritus Board. Beyond volunteering, the Simpsons are Sponsors in Perpetuity,

From Frames to Feathers - the story of a DU volunteer family and their business of helping the DucksDUMAC Life Sponsors, John E. Walker Society, and the Feather Society. Beth and Sara were among the first 500 Legacy Green-wings in the U.S. Besides all of their volunteer work, the Simpsons are also vendors for DU. Their business, The Finishing Touch of Pittsburg KS, Inc., is a retail and wholesale custom picture framing company. They pro-duce thousands of picture frames for a variety of wholesale clients. Ducks Unlimited is one of their larger clients where a myriad of ser-vices are provided. The website finishingtouchpk.com is where you can order past years’ state prints for event sales and the popular easel programs at a wholesale rate. Over 300 images are available from nine states. These same prints are now also available to the general pub-lic at a separate website, artwarehousecentral.com for $150. When a print sells, $50 is sent to DU in the state where the print originated. These two sites are turning unused print inventory into dollars for the ducks. The Finishing Touch is the first, and so far only, company al-lowed by DU National to sell directly to the public. The Finishing Touch had funded the underwriting of the KS DU Sponsor Prints for the past two years, including this year’s print “Southern Comfort” by George Lockwood. Few people are aware of the many ways the Simpson family and The Finishing Touch assist DU both as volunteers and vendors. They have successfully introduced many innovative programs that are now common practice on all levels. They anticipate many more years of helping DU grow and fulfill their mission of raising dollars for wetland habitat.

The 2012 Kansas Sponsor Print is titled“Southern Comfort” by George Lockwood

The 2011 Kansas Sponsor Print was titled“Reflections of Autumn” by George Lockwood

F O R T H E M E M B E R S O F K A N S A S D U

D i s t r i c t N e w sEastern Kansas District Newsby District Chairman, Darren Griffith Area Chairman Derek Sears of the Blackjack Chapter in Baldwin City spearheaded a blowout event at The Lodge that was the high-est grossing event in that chapter’s history. Derek and his com-mittee are always working on ways to decrease banquet costs and should be commended for their creativity. Zach Bachman, chair of the Jayhawk Chapter in Lawrence, along with his committee held a magnificent banquet at the stunning Oread Hotel in Lawrence. The Jayhawk Chapter will be starting a new era with the introduction of Scott Ozier as the new area chair starting in the fall of 2012. Chris Jeter, the director of the KU Chapter, is excited about the prospects ahead of the committee in 2012. Under Chris’ direc-tion the committee has implemented the SBA Program, which has produced great results for the ducks. Great work to Chris and his group. Eric Belveal, area chairman of the Perry chapter, did a great job with last year’s banquet, and they also held a new second event that will bolster the chapter’s numbers. Great job to Eric and his committee for the hard work and dedication to help the ducks.

News from the Capitol District by District Chairman, Jeff Neal Long-time committee member, state convention regular and newly minted Area Chair Jason Tarwater has hit the ground run-ning in Topeka and we’re looking for great things. Jason (fresh off a return from the North Dakota early honker sea-son) is leading the Topeka Committee towards another great year. This summer he and a few committee diehards held the 3rd An-nual Catfish Tournament at Lake Perry. The committee and an-glers braved the summer heat and, in addition to catching a few fish, raised a few dollars for the Duck Factory. Combining these funds with a Mule Deer “Commissioner’s Tag” that the committee drew and subsequently sold, the Topeka chapter is up $8,000 before the banquet. Jason’s message to other volunteers, “If you and your folks want to kick back and ENJOY a banquet rather than work one...come see us on September 21st at the Holidome in Topeka.” In other news, The Oregon Trail Committee is being headed up by Justin Reamer. Justin is another long-time volunteer (and for-mer Topeka area chair), and we are lucky to have him rejoin the ranks. Look forward to big things from the Oregon Trail group as they already have plans for a golf tournament as well as a “new” banquet at a “new” facility in Rossville. If you’ve not been to a Rossville event, make sure to mark you calendar.

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Kansas attendees included: Front two rows - left to right - Russ Hawley, Ruthellen & Mike Simpson, Annette & Gary Mellard, Paul-lette & Mark Schlegel, Deb Krocheski, Sara, Griffin, Josh & Jackson Wallace. Back 2 rows: Bob Saathoff, Jake Krocheski, Janeal & Bruce Wanamaker, Kent & Beth Montei.

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I N S I D E

DU Member News...3

Project Update.........4

DU State News.........6

St. Convention.........8

Regional News.......10

KS Business Plan...13

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.1 Waterfowl WayMemphis, TN 38120

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDDucks Unlimited Inc.

POSTMASTER: If undeliverable, do not return.

The Kansas DU Legacy Greenwing ProgramLeave Your Legacy...

The Legacy Greenwing Program is a bridge between Ducks Unlimited’s habitat conservation and youth programs. Open to youth up to age 17, for a one-time contributoin of $200 (pays Greenwing member-ship thru age 17 and adult membership through age 21). The Legacy Greenwing membership funds are committed to a waterfowl habitat project in Kansas, and your child or grandchild’s name will be cast in a bronze plaque and placed in a rock cairn, forver located at the project site. This membership forever links your contribution and your child’s name to DU’s central mission of waterfowl habitat conservation.

Project FundingKansas Ducks Unlimited has committed to rasing

funds which will be matched by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Therefore, all

of the Legacy Greenwings memberships signed up will help the completion of this project. All Legacy

Greenwings signed up will be placed on the Dedica-tion Plaque at the next “Dedicated Project” in Kansas.

A color photograph of the plaque with your childs engraved name will be sent to you upon project completion. Thank you

for your tax-deductible contribution. It will truly leave a legacy.

Location: to be determined. The project will lie within the Central US in the heart of Kansas and which is part of a major migration route of the Central Flyway.

___ my check for a $200 Legacy Greenwing membership is enclosed.___ VISA ___ MC ___ Discover ___ AM EXCard Number ___________________________ Expiration Date _____________Name on Card _____________________________ Signature ____________________________________Legacy Greenwing’s Name (print clearly) ____________________________________________________Address __________________________ City ________________ State ____ Zip ____ Phone __________Credit for DU Chapter - Chapter Name ______________________ Chapter # _______________________

Mail to: KS DU Legacy Greenwing, Attn: Josh Williams, 380 S. Chickamunga, Colby KS 67701

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