One of the most prestigious waterfowl hunting clubs in the country, the Winous Point Shooting Club is also dedicated to wetlands and waterfowl research, and to introducing kids to the wild side of the marshes of the Sandusky Bay Region.
Devon Grosswiler, 10, a fifth grader at Danbury Elementary School in Danbury Twp., was thrilled to touch a female cardinal being held by Thomas Bartlett of the U.S. Geological Survey. One of dozens of birds trapped and banded by Bartlett for the A Day on the Wild Side program at the Winous Point Shooting Club, the youngster liberated the bird a few minutes later.
PORT CLINTON, OHIO
One of the most prestigious waterfowl hunting clubs in the country, the Winous Point Shooting Club is also dedicated to wetlands and waterfowl research, and to introducing kids to the wild side of the marshes of the Sandusky Bay Region.
A gaggle of junior high school youngsters were invited for the inaugural A Day on the Wild Side program, developed by the Ottawa County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Winous Point Marsh Conservancy. The youngsters weren't shy about pulling the trigger on a shotgun, releasing a banded hummingbird, building a wood duck box or cruising the muck and mire of a real, honest-to-goodness wetlands.
"Just getting kids outdoors is a major part of the program," said Carol Benner of the OCSWCD. To give the junior high school kids a unique experience, and an education about marshland, a consortium of groups had five stations introducing them to water quality, invasive marsh species, trapping and wildlife management. They helped Tom Bartlett of the U.S. Geological Survey release songbirds that had been netted and banded, shot with bows and shotguns, rode in a pirogue-style hunting boat, built wood duck or bluebird nesting boxes and played a tune on a duck call.
Fred Zink of Zink Calls in Port Clinton brought each kid a duck call and showed them how to talk like a mallard, making a pizza lunch a very noisy affair. They also went home with hats, T-shirts and a new respect for Ohio's wetlands.
"We had a lot of help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ohio Division of Wildlife," said Benner. "The folks at Winous Point Shooting Club were tremendous. There was a $20 fee, all of the kids had to volunteer and we wanted to limit the day to 30. We couldn't do it. We had 38 youngsters for the special day."
Bartlett, who said the USGS has been banding birds since the 1930s, gets a kick from putting a live songbird in someone's hands for release.
"We were doing a banding a while back, and a grandmother in her 80s brought her grand kids to learn about our program," said Bartlett. "She was just as excited as the kids, and was in tears - the good kind - after releasing a songbird."
The youngsters gently cradled the birds after they were banded, using Barlett's special grip to prevent injuring the birds, which ranged from cardinals and catbirds to tiny hummingbirds caught in nets positioned around the club grounds. Few were as excited as Devon Grosswiler, 10, of Danbury Twp., who danced a jig after setting free a female cardinal.
"That was so cool," said the youngster. "I want to do it again and again."
Winous Point Club hunts ducks for two months, manages wildlife and marshland all year
Building a bluebird nesting box at the A Day on the Wild Side program at Sandusky Bay's Winous Point Shooting Club is Cierra McClure, 13, of Gibsonburg Middle School. As she screws together the pieces, the 13-year-old is getting a helping hand from the club's Opie Rohrer.PORT CLINTON, OHIO
The Winous Point Shooting Club is known world-wide as a premier waterfowl hunting club on Sandusky Bay. Established in 1856, it is the oldest continuously operated waterfowl hunting club in America.
Ohio's duck hunting season is only 60 days, though, while the WPSC is busy year-round.
The club's Winous Point Marsh Conservancy arm is at the forefront of marsh and waterfowl research on its sprawling wetlands, which are intensively managed to benefit wildlife. The WPMC hosts youth events, brings in researchers from colleges and conservation groups and works on "a slew of projects," said marsh manager and WPMC director John Simpson.
"We really enjoyed the A Day on the Wild Side program, because we want kids to get excited about the outdoors," said Simpson. "To interest them in hunting or fishing, or just being out in the marsh, is a very good thing. We want to pass along the importance of wetlands and wildlife."
The waterfowl club is heavily involved in marsh research that annually involves five to 10 graduate students, most from Ohio State University. Two or three college interns are signed on each summer as research assistants. The club works hand-in-hand with experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited and other conservation groups.
It's biggest challenge in recent years, said Simpson, has been the control of an invasive grass, Phragmites australis. It is dominating marshes in the Great Lakes region, much to the detriment of waterfowl and other wildlife. WPSC has spent almost $250,000 on herbicides in the last two years to clear a 550-acre area of the noxious plant.
"It's a never-ending battle," said Simpson. "We're working with federal, state and local partners, as well as other landowners, to make it happen."