Duck Season Somewhere

EP 483. Waterfowl Habitat Management: Rethinking "Seed Mentality" (Part 1)

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's something we know intuitively--waterfowl need water. And they mostly eat seeds, right? But has transforming natural floodplain ecosystems that su...

EP 482. The Shotgun Conservationist

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"How do I pay Mother Nature to make wild animals instead?" asks Brant McDuff from Brooklyn, New York, who grew up shooting shotguns, didn't start hunt...

EP 481. Speaking Truth To Power: Bio-political Mississippi Wildlife Management

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ricky Mathews is a fearless force of nature when it comes to doing right by Mississippi's treasured wildlife resources and the people, like himself, t...

EP 480. Boone and Crockett Club: Fair Chase Ethos Then and Now

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Smart as he may have been, nearly everything ol' Grandad taught about fair chase hunting ethics originated in the late-1800s when yesteryear hunters f...

EP 479. Lake Pickle

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"I grew up on Andy Griffith and Primo's Truth About Hunting," says Lake Pickle while humbly describing his specifically singular dream job--to be a Pr...

EP 478. Favored Gauges, Shot Sizes and Chokes for Waterfowl: BOSS Shotshells Updates

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fellow Mississippian, Aaron Carter of Boss Shotshells, and I take it to the plug discussing Arkansas speckledbellied goose hunting, our favorite water...

EP 477. Duck Season by the Numbers: Estimating North America Duck Populations and Harvests

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whether good years or bad, North American duck hunters probably harvest more ducks annually than the remainder of the world combined. There, I said it...

EP 476. California Leads Nation's Duck Harvest Thanks to CWA

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While America's most populated state is ofentimes characterized by its big blue-city progressive politics, California consistly harvests more ducks th...

EP 475. Talking Ducks with Devney

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sifting through random solving-duck-world topics like we duck hunters do is a lot like poking glowing embers around late-night campfires. Hardly anyon...

EP 474. Ducking Roadtrips and Red Ruddy Ducks

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Heath Hoogerhyde hails from Michigan, but his quests for waterfowl hunting experiences take him far beyond his home state's mitten-shaped borders. Thr...

EP 473. Bayou Beast Living

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After enjoying plates of steaming-hot boudin and digging through fresh batches of made-from-hand cane duck and Oiu Caille (spotted goose) calls, long-...

EP 472. Are We Killing Too Many Ducks? Better Understanding Duck Population Management

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Regarded by many as the absolute go-to guy when it comes to empirically describing North America's duck populations, Dr. Todd Arnold is at University ...

EP 471. Alabama Rock Hunter

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Northern Alabama is the largest Easter egg hunt in the world," says Shade Murrah in explaining why serious rock hounds are already leaving muddy trac...

EP 470. Talking Arkansas Mallards with Dr. Doug Osborne

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Doug Osborne from University of Arkansas Monticello peels off from his research lab to catch us up on duck banding projects and what's being learn...

EP 469. Beyond the Trigger Pulls in Nayarit Mexico

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wrapping up an epic 3-week stretch hunting ducks and doves in Nayarit, Mexico, Ramsey breaks from shooting white-winged doves to visit with his host, ...

EP 468. When Conservation Came to Mississippi

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Veteran wildlife biologist Cathy Shropshire was integral to black bear reintroductions in Mississippi. As long-time coordinator of Mississippi Wildlif...

EP 467. Osage Basin--A Collaborative Approach to Habitat How-To

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trust me. Amid an increasingly shrinking, more highly fragmented landscape, one-plus-one habitat management equals 3, not 2.  To create larger landsc...

EP 466. The NEW Nayarit Mexico Duck Hunt Combo

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While putting boots on the ground last season, the authenticity, hunting quality, and surprisingly affordable all-inclusive rates of the new Nayarit M...

EP 465. US "Duck Factory" Productivity -- How Bad is It?

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's all about supply and demand, huh? So in the US, are we killing too many ducks in past seasons? Or producing too few? Discussing continental "duck...

EP 464. Duck Hunting in Mazatlan Mexico

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

  The cat's out of the bag--duck hunting Mazatlan Mexico is lots of fun for both hunters and non-hunters, usually selling out well in advance. But wh...

EP 463. Full Plume Photo

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Veterinarian Jen Barton was introduced to duck hunting by her husband, who later gifted her a camera, setting her life into a completely new orbit. Wh...

EP 462. How Is Waterfowl Migration and Distribution Changing?

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Deep South duck hunters, especially, have been saying it for years—ducks are short-stopping way north of historical wintering grounds. The migration...

EP 461. Wisconsin Waterfowl

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With 63,000 license holders, it's fair to say that waterfowl hunting is a pretty big deal in Wisconsin! Wisconsin Waterfowl Association was founded de...

EP 460. Going for the Gold

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amber English grew up around hunting and guns in Colorado, learning to shoot when she was only 6 years old. While her parents, uncle and aunt all shot...

EP 459. 50 Ducks

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anything can happen while duck hunting. Greer Smith probably isn't the only person the get stuck while hunting near Venice, Louisiana, but watching du...

EP 458. Outdoor Life Hunting Stories

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While growing up on a farm in rural Missouri, his dad had predicted he'd become a newspaper reporter. Probably because he intuitively knows the value ...

EP 457. BS'ing with Redbeard Between Roadtrips

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Between chasing waterfowl and promoting Voormi, my buddy Ryan Yarnell aka Tex aka Redbeard sees as much of North America through a truck windshield as...

EP 456. How Mallards Experience and Utilize the Landscape

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We all know duck habitat when we see it, but what do ducks "see"--how do our beloved mallards experience and utilize habitats at the landscale level b...

EP 455. Need-To-Know Backyard Conservation and Hunting Topics

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How has hunting changed in the United States since yesteryear--and why? Whether private or public lands, is it as easy to gain access? And how does th...

EP 454. Duckboats Renaissance

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Back in the internet stone ages way before social media platforms, old-school do-it-yourself duck hunters from around the world gathered in online com...

EP 453. Skelly Woods

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"I'd known about it forever," says John Williams, speaking about a large, diamond-in-the-rough bottomland hardwood tract along a river in Oklahoma, "A...

EP 452. The Feather Thief

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is it true that "man is seldom content to witness nature...he must posess it?" What is it about beautiful feathers that so obsesses some of us? Truth ...

EP 451. Cape Barren Goose Hunting in Tasmania

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rare in terms of the extremely small geograpic area they can be hunted relative to earth--and trust me, it's one helluva long trip just getting there ...

EP 450. Carter's Big Island: Location, Location, Location--and Commitment

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After a mallards-galore Kansas timber hunt--and I'm talking mallard flocks spilling over the treetops like tossed dice into the coffee-colored opening...

EP 449. Old School Functionality That Fits Our Lifestyle and Lasts a Lifetime

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Form or function? Because long before waterfowl hunting clothing became a conspicuous corporate camo fashion statement, generations of savvy duck kill...

EP 448. Five Minutes: 300 Seconds That Changed My Life

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Five minutes isn't much time. But 300 seconds probably seems like an eternity when your life depends on it happening. A duck hunter from Minnesota, Ja...

EP 447. Form Follows Function at Voormi

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After a thousand-plus wears, Voormi's High-E Hoodie and other products like the 2-pocket hoodie and base layers, have become essential, must-pack stap...

EP 446. Is the Mallard Migration Shifting? Or Is Something Else Possibly Happening?

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In December's "Where the Hell are the Mallards" (EP 434), Dr. Michael Schummer described waning migrations of "Halloween mallards," that subset of Nor...

Ep 445. Building MOJO

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"All I knew is that nobody was going to outwork me," says Mojo founder Terry Denmon in describing his abrupt departure from federal government employm...

EP 444. Making Smoke

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Back in the Big D and met with my buddy Brandon Roy, who cooks the best damned steak in Dallas. Because he's posting sumptuous smoked meats daily, was...

EP 443. All Waterfowl Sanctuaries Are Created Equal--Or Are They?

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We all know that waterfowl sanctuary is an essential component to managing overwintering waterfowl, but is all waterfowl sanctuary created equal? What...

EP 442. The TRUE Saga of Liver Eating Johnson

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The landmark 1972 movie Jeremiah Johnson featuring Robert Redford should be mandatory viewing for every red-blooded American, and was based on a book ...

EP 441. Hit-or-Miss Waterfowl Hunting in Wyoming

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kind of hard to complain about killing Wyoming greenhead limits when the temperatures are in mid-60s, but that's not always the case. Seasonably warm ...

EP 440. Reinvented in the Wild West

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The quote above door reads, "Back to the New West. The Wild West I leave to you."  While many people have traveled since forever to Cody, Wyoming, to...

EP 439. Goose Hunting in Minnesota

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's a balmy 12 degrees outside, but inside a blind the size of some small homes, burning heaters have things toasty. We're fixing to throw steaks and...

EP 438. The Real Minnesota Vikings

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Y'all can chalk today's episode up to interesting things I've never, ever before heard about in goose camp. Or anywhere. According to Elroy Belgaard, ...

EP 437. Pennsylvania Duck Hunting

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're about 20 miles from the historic Gettysburg Battlefield, the waterfowl hunting has been tough even by Pennsylvania standards, but we got it done...

EP 436. Mississippi River Diver Hunting

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hunting from an open water blind wrapped in Christmas-smelling evergreens, we were surrounded by hundreds of longlined blocks to include many of Doc's...

EP 435. Sam's First Duck Hunt

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up deer hunting, dove hunting and fishing with a couple brothers in West Alabama, Sara Burkhalter was just one of the boys, which we talk abou...

EP 434. Where the Hell Are the Ducks?!

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's the week of Christmas. Coast to coast, north to south, everyone seems frustrated while awaiting south-bound ducks, asking themselves where in the...

EP 433. Waterfowl Eyesight: Seeing Things for What They Really Are

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How well do ducks and geese really see--and how can understanding this make you a more effective waterfowl hunter? Dr. Bradley Cohen from Tennessee Te...

EP 432. Oregon Duck Hunt

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ramsey scratches Oregon off the duck hunting list, leaving on Virginia and West Virginia remaining. He recounts his visit with host Brandon Potter, wh...

EP 431. Building a World Waterfowl Collection

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Building a world waterfowl collection--and we're talking everything--is a daunting challenge. But for hunter-scientist-curator Andy Englis, it's just ...

EP 430. Australia Outback Goose Camp

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's as hot while goose hunting as when cutting summertime Mississippi grass, plus there's plenty dangerous critters in the field and water, but geese...

EP 429. Chasing Living, Breathing Waterfowl Fossils

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Waterfowl geneticist, Dr. Phil Lavretsky, Ramsey and others hunting the Australia Outback for magpie geese, whistling ducks and other endemic duck spe...

EP 428. Family Duck Hunting Traditions Down Under

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Three generations of Australian duck hunters--grandfather Ray, son Glenn, and granddaughter Kareena--describe their family's duck hunting traditions D...

EP 427. Washington Sea Duck Hunting Pioneers

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Way back before trophy sea duck hunting went mainstream due to the internet and North American species contests--and in a region where the almighty ma...

EP 426. SPECIAL Into the Vault 2023

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

DU's Logan Nevins and I talk about Michigan waterfowl hunting, public land duck hunting here versus there, Memphis barbecue and more before jumping In...

EP 425. A Pacific Paradise Duck Hunting Lifestyle

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Retreating from fast-paced, frenetic Seattle to tranquil Olympic Peninsula settings seemed the perfect escape even though their friends thought they w...

EP 424. Hama Hama Oysters a 6th-Generation Family Tradition

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Learned during a recent visit the Washington State leads the nation in oyster production--and I love oysters, ate them the entire week! Hama Hama Oyst...

EP 423. Harlequin Ducks in the Balance in Washington State

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Washington State's waterfowl resources are extremely diverse, and managing a full suite of dabblers, divers, seaducks and geese is a daunting task to ...

EP 422. "Taming the Wild West" of Guide and Outfitting Industry

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should waterfowl hunting guides and outfitters have licensing requirements? Is the waterfowl guiding industry really the Wild West?Should there be som...

EP 421. Shifting Baselines in Texas

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A 7th-generation Baytown Texan, Shannon Tompkins was an outdoor journalist that highlighted Texas hunting and fishing for over 40 years. He recalls gr...

EP 420. Feed the Beast--Inukshuk Professional Dog Food

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What won't our beloved retrievers do for us? To-the-horizon, full-blast retrieves across wide open fields or across frigid waters to recover downed wa...

EP 419. Best-of-Best Alberta Canada Waterfowl Outfitter

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For 20 years, Rob Reynolds and his wife Lori have operated Ranchland Outfitters. Their reputation for delivering best-of-best Alberta waterfowl huntin...

EP 418. Saskatchewan Goose Guides

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"When Jake scouts, he always finds a great hunt. Always," says Northern Skies Outfitters Matt Schauer. Visiting between incredible fall hunts, he intr...

EP 417. Oklahoma Waterfowl Hunting Guide

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hailing from the Red River valley that forms the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma and only about an hour-and-a-half from downtown Dallas, Dakota St...

EP 416. A Radical Sabbatical Lifestyle

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Find a job that interferes with your real life, not the other way around," someone once told Isaiah Bateel. And he did just that. He's now traveled t...

EP 415. High Seas Adventures

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Navigating giant ships was not only a dream come true for John Dunaway, it was destiny. His family had done similarly for generations. An avid Texas w...

EP 414. Moonlighting as Duck Guides in Saskatchewan

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The sky overhead is filled with more decoying snow geese than stars, birds are cleaned, scouting's completed and it'll soon be time to start dinner. F...

Ep 413. HuntProof

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mornings turn into seasons turn into years, and before we know it our entire hunting lifetime--the best of times spent with family, friends and retrie...

EP 412. Peru Duck Hunting (Part 2): The Guides

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For a week we crawled up Andes Mountains switchback trails and along Pacific Ocean estuaries while duck hunting in Peru, but were it not for our tour ...

EP 411. Pacific Flyway Glory Days

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The oldest waterfowl decoys on earth were discovered in the Pacific Flyway. There are century-plus-years-old hunting clubs, and pit blind hunting may ...

EP 410. From the Vault: Lynyrd Skynyrd Remembered

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On October 19, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd was inarguably the greatest rock band touring the USA and played what was their final concert in Greenville, South...

EP 409. The Tarpon Club and E.H.R. "Ned" Green

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1899, the Tarpon Club in gulf-coastal Texas was the most expensive, expansive and exclusive club in the world, its membership dubbed the "First Fou...

EP 408. Peru Duck Hunting (Part 1) with Jake Latendresse

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We only thought we'd seen and done a lot together until videographer, Jake Latendresse and I went duck hunting in Peru. From nearly 16,000 feet high i...

EP 407. Operation Stoned Duck (Part 3): The Aftermath

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On October 17, 2007, the hammer finally came down on young Sam Necaise, who believed himself bulletproof. It came in the form of "every green game war...

EP 406. Texas Barbecue Religion

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It was right here--this exact location--in downtown Houston that I found smoke-infused religion. Purveyor of real Texas barbecue and former world-cham...

EP 405. Farming Rice and Ducks in the Garwood Prairie--But for How Much Longer?

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since arriving to Texas from Europe 4 generations ago, Slade Schiurring's family has produced rice on Texas's fabled Garwood Prairie. Waterfowl, too! ...

EP 404. Operation Stoned Duck (Part 2): "The Mouse"

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Necaise grew up deer hunting in south Mississippi with his dad. In many ways, his younger days remind me of my own. Maybe similar to yours, too. B...

EP 403. The Texas Sting, 1986

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"It effects lives. Like tumbling dominoes, it affects relationships," says Gene Campbell about the fateful event. Y'all know my friend, Gene Campbell ...

EP 402. The Briscoe Kid

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

September road-tripping through Southeast Texas during teal season means bs'ing with my long-time friend and onliest non-bourbon-drinking buddy, call ...

EP 401. Operation Stoned Duck (Part 1): "The Cat"

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kennie Prince lurked deep beneath the surface, operating deep undercover, penetrating nefarious poaching rings that illegally ransacked wildlife resou...

EP 400. SPECIAL: Participate in the New duckDNA Program

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"It's a true moment of discovery in waterfowl science," says Michael Brasher, DU Senior Waterfowl Scientist. And the program relies on North American ...

EP 399. Mississippi Outdoor Hall of Famers

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A sign reads, "Rule Number 1: No tales told on this islands shall be repeated on the mainland!" The Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum in Leland, Mi...

EP 398. Texas Blue-winged Teal Hunting

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It doesn't happen by accident. A lot goes into making a successful, season-long blue-winged teal hunt like this reality. Today, Steve Biggers of Rocky...

EP 397. Who is Ramsey Russell?

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"I want to interview you," it was stated while we were elbow deep into world-class Memphis BBQ. Continuing he said, "On your podcast, I mean. Because ...

EP 396. Mississippi Teal Opener with My People

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Mississippi teal opener was lackluster except for the fact that I was joined by both sons, Forrest and Duncan, and our long-time Mr. Ian for the f...

EP 395. SPECIAL: Proposed Traffic Jam at Favored Alabama WMA

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To alleviate burgeoning traffic, 10 possible traffic routes have been proposed for a new Tennessee River bridge in Decatur, a northern Alabama town.  ...

EP 394. Behind the Levee

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Behind the levee is magical; a wonderland if hunting and fishing wild, mostly untamable places in the Deep South is your thing. Long-time friend and s...

EP 393. Let's Go Fishing with Bill Dance

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Luring that fish from his world into mine was life changing," remembers American outdoors legend Bill Dance when describing earliest fishing memories...

EP 392. The South Africa Duck Hunt Collectors

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wingshooting South Africa is an amazingly immersive tour encompassing ducks, geese, and upland game birds spanning 3 provinces--from Jo'berg to the In...

EP 391. Atlantic Flyway Management Considerations

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Atlantic Flyway mallard and Canada goose limits have doubled for the upcoming season! But why? US Fish and Wildlife Service's Atlantic Flyway Represen...

EP 390. Illinois River Decoy Carver

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For Illinois River decoy carver, Pat Gregory, carving gunning waterfowl decoys is a family tradition that reflects where, what and how he, his ancesto...

EP 389. Tetra Hearing's Family Traditions

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listen up! Tetra Hearing revolutionized hearing technology by perfecting protection and enhancing targeted listening. American hunters responded and t...

EP 388. Importing Trophy Birds Across US Borders

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

International duck hunts are great ways to extend hunting season, see more world, put your hands on new waterfowl species.  Whether collecting experi...

EP 387. Mountain View Mallards

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Shoshone River, the world-famous Big Horn River and the Clark's Fork of the Yellow Stone River make northeast Wyoming special. Especially when it ...

EP 386. The Outlaw Gunner's Son

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"He wasn't just telling history and collecting stuff. He was writing about a lot of people he grew up with, collecting many things he'd actually used ...

EP 385. The Grand Prairie, Arkansas

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When and why did the great State of Arkansas become synonymous with mallard ducks? Describing land features then and now, and legendary properties, hu...

EP 384. The Eider Godfather

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Eight-two year-young Phil Stanton cut his teenaged duck hunting teeth hunting among salty, yesteryear watermen that braved Massachusetts's rocky coast...