So I finally decided to stop just reading about WWFF and actually go do one. Got a nature reference picked out, its a state wildlife management area about 20 minutes from my house, KFF-XXXX number registered and everything. Planning to run QRP with my KX2 and a wire antenna thrown up in a tree.

My question is really about the logging. I know you need 44 QSOs minimum to get the full activation credit but im not 100% sure about what info I actually need to capture per contact. Obviously callsign, time, frequency, mode... but does the exchange have to be anything specific or do people just do a normal signal report exchange? I've seen some people mention giving out the reference number during the contact and others don't seem to bother on every QSO.

Also wondering about spotting myself on the WWFF spotting network vs pota spots. Can you use both? Feels like a dumb question but I genuinely dont know. Any advice from folks who've done a bunch of these appreciated, dont want to mess up the logging and have to redo it.

Congrats on taking the plunge, WWFF is a great program. For the exchange you dont need anything formal, just the usual signal report works fine. What matters is that you announce your reference number at the beginning of each transmission or at least every few calls so the hunters can log it. Something like CQ WWFF de [your call] activating KFF-whatever. Most people log it in their notes and the chasers appreciate hearing it regularly.

On the spotting thing yes you can absolutely use both. A lot of WWFF refs are also POTA parks so there's overlap anyway. The more spots the better honestly, I've had activations take off once I hit both networks. WWFF has its own spot page at wwff.co and the hunters there are a different crowd sometimes, more European chasers in my experience which can be nice for the log.

44 QSOs sounds like a lot but in my experience once you get spotted it goes pretty fast on 40 or 20. Good luck tomorrow, post back and let us know how it went.

yeah what he said about the spotting, use everything available. also just a heads up that ADIF export from whatever logger you use makes uploading to the WWFF logbook way less painful. i use HAMRS in the field and it exports clean enough that i havent had issues. the 44 QSO thing tripped me up my first time too because i finished the day with like 41 and felt robbed lol. ended up going back out the next weekend to the same spot and combined the logs which i think you can do? anyway have fun out there