There’s a certain kind of magic in Ely when duck season cracks open for the kids. The sun barely clears the Steptoe Valley mountains, the air bites just enough to wake you up, and the marsh is alive with the kind of sound that makes your heart race—wings cutting through cold air, calls echoing off the cattails, and a dozen kids trying to whisper but failing miserably. This is the Ely Youth Duck Opener—where mud, laughter, and mentorship come together better than any Saturday morning cartoon ever could.
This year’s hunt was powered by pure excitement and pizza—yes, pizza. Because when the shooting’s done and the decoys are packed, nothing hits like hot cheese and pepperoni after a morning in the blind. Volunteers from WHIN, parents, and NDOW staff came together to give the next generation of hunters a day they’ll never forget. For some, it was their first duck; for others, it was the first time they
