2024 season - Wisconsin Woodcock Research Project

UPDATE - 2/20/2024

With an early onset of spring here in central WI our thoughts of banding and more satellite transmitters are on our minds. We must order and purchase a couple new units in early March, so the need for more donations is now. Please consider making a donation today, $5, $10, $20 - or more will help our cause immensely.

Thank you, from the WI Woodcock Research Team.

UPDATE - 1/25/2024

In less than 2 months, woodcock will return to Wisconsin from the wintering grounds down south. Our research team will once again be banding males and females on their singing grounds in April and May. Our hopes are to deploy two or more satellite transmitters again this year. The equipment is expensive at $3,525 for 2 units.

To that end, we are once again implementing the GoFundMe page. Please consider another donation this year, or join our growing list of donors, none of this would be possible without your generous contributions. We will keep you informed on the progress of your investment in Wisconsin woodcock research on a Facebook Page the Wisconsin Woodcock Research Project.

Did you know one woodcock monitored flew 630 miles in a single night during migration? Or that they can fly at altitudes over 7,800 feet high? Recent technology has allowed researchers to verify these facts by attaching radio telemetry equipment to adult woodcock. This allows tracking of birds during migration, wintering grounds and spring singing and nesting areas. Wisconsin, an important producer of resident woodcock, is one state that has not taken advantage of this technology to date. Minnesota, Michigan and many states down south have done so. Wisconsin is now on board thanks to generous donors like you..

Wisconsin banders Mike Rutz and Ken Blomberg, in partnership with the UWSP student chapter of the Wildlife Society, WIDNR, Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) and the University of Maine Wildlife Department (who began the successful woodcockmigration.org) plan to attach this radio technology to more birds this spring in north central Wisconsin. Again, the technology is very expensive - at $3,525 for 2 radios. We hope to put radio technology on up to 4 birds this upcoming spring by way of this fundraiser.

So, would you, or your local RGS Chapter like to join us by contributing to what Mike likes to call our "Adopt a Woodcock" fundraiser? Any amount will help. I promise your donation will go directly to this project - a total volunteer group of banders and fans of woodcock. Donors will be kept appraised of our progress along the way. And the birds will be added to the woodcockmigration.org mapping system.

Thank you,

Ken M. Blomberg

Junction City, WI

PS - Mike and I have been members of RGS since the late 1970s and hopefully many of you may know us. If you're not a member of RGS, please consider joining now.