Bob Keeney is a 5th-generation duck hunter from Tuckerton, New Jersey. It was supposedly here, in what was formerly one of America's largest waterfowl market hubs, that the earliest incarnations of hand-carved waterfowl decoys originated. It was here, for sure, that the deadly Barnegat Bay sneakbox hunting tradition began. What is a Barnegat Bay sneakbox, how's it used, and how'd Keeney learn to make them at a very young age? What's the traditional Barnegat Bay decoy rig, how important are black...
Jan 25, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 96
Mike Braun learned both duck hunting and decoy carving the old-fashioned way. He was taught by his dad at a very young age. A self-described contemporary artist, he competes at the highest levels but also builds one-of-a-kind traditional gunners that distinctly reflect his New Jersey heritage. How old was Braun when his dad starting taking him duck hunting and what was his first duck? What unique bird species at the World Show inspired him start carving, when did it become a full-time vocation, ...
Jan 22, 2021•50 min•Ep. 95
Dave Faith is a Game Warden for New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, but previously conducted waterfowl-related field biology. He's also an avid hunter. How'd he get started duck hunting in New Jersey, what motivates him, and what species does he most like to chase? How much hunting opportunity even exists in a state with over 9 million citizens (3x times the population of, say, Mississippi)? What are some of the waterfowl projects he worked on? What are some of the wildlife law enforcement...
Jan 20, 2021•45 min•Ep. 94
Following a frosty morning duck hunt along a heavily wooded, trout stream-sized river - and full to the gills from mountains of home-cooked eats - Ramsey visits with buddies Dave Beck and Tyler Coleman of Kanati's Elite Taxidermy. They talk about Pennsylvania duck hunting, especially black ducks, but then wade chest deep into the everything-you-need-know waters of professional waterfowl taxidermy. What are typical Pennsylvania duck hunting set-ups, what species are usually targeted and how consi...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 93
Right about the time you think you've seen and done it all, you walk into a Western New York duck blind. Eleven long finger-shaped lakes were carved into the Appalachian foothills by retreating glaciers, and every square foot of their perimeter is now occupied by summer cottages. Following a diver duck hunt within skipped stone distance of a home (and while waiting on pizza and buffalo wings), Ramsey Russell discusses waterfowling with today's guests, Keith Crowell and Louie Scafetta. How does w...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 92
For father-son championship decoy carvers, Mark and Luke Costilow, duck hunting is very much a year-round hands-on tradition. Following a huge supper of Canada goose Italian soup and freshly harvested, pan-seared mallards at their Coffee Creek Marsh Hunting Club, Ramsey Russell and they settle in front of wood burning stove, visiting about Ohio duck hunting. What are their duck hunting origins? How'd they get into decoy carving and what were their influences? Do they ever hunt over plastics, and...
Jan 13, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 91
As the 2020 North America Waterfowl Tour resumes, Ramsey's first stop is Arkansas, where he falls in with a group of passionate full-time, all-specklebelly-nothing-but-specklebelly D-I-Y hunters headed by today's guest, Aaron Carter. How'd this small circle of Mississippi friends become specialized in Arkansas white-fronted geese? In a region predominated by affluent clubs and expensive leases, how'd they develop their hunting areas? And what creepy event lead them to their present housing situa...
Jan 11, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 90
The traveling waterfowler's life is full of surprises. Who even knew there was sandhill crane hunting in New Mexico?! Somewhere south of Roswell, New Mexico, Ramsey has an open-mic, roundtable discussion with hosts David Maestas, The Finisher , Josh Darnell, Caleb and Matt Brewer. How'd Ramsey and Maestas's duck hunt on the Rio Grande River compare to normal? What's the distinction between Spanish, Mexican and New Mexican foods? How'd the boys get into sandhill crane hunting, how are they hunted...
Jan 08, 2021•48 min•Ep. 89
Waders shucked and air-drying on side of the truck, a beautiful Mexican Mallard pair rests on the tailgate. Closer to Mexico than to Pheonix, Ramsey Russell meets with local hunter Colin Shepherd, recounting the days' events and discussing Arizona duck hunting while endless miles of train boxcars keep rolling past. What characterizes typical Arizona duck hunting, how'd Shepherd get started duck hunting in the state where 4 deserts converge, and what really hooked him on it? What other wingshooti...
Jan 06, 2021•40 min•Ep. 88
Like 44 slugs whizzing by in old-day Tombstone, this episode potentially packs real wallop. Arizona's Migratory Game Bird Coordinator, John Odell, and Ramsey Russell have hung their waders to dry and continue building on last week's fascinating episode, exploring a variety of topics. Their conversation eventually stumbles into the kitchen, where the grease gets hot. Whether squirrels or green-winged teal, what's small game hunting's significance in the great scheme of things? Has the grocery sup...
Jan 04, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 87
Chalk this episode up to fascinating thing learned while duck hunting along Arizona's Salt River. John Odell is Arizona's Migratory Game Bird Coordinator and holds the claim to fame as first known hunter achieving a little known North American Slam - you won't guess it in a million years. Along the way, he tells a thought-provoking story about his dad' last buck. What make Arizona one of the most unique landscapes in North America, and what are the predominate duck species bagged? Why do small g...
Dec 30, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 86
On the bank of the Salt River, just outside of Mesa, Arizona, Ramsey visits with Steve Comus, the Senior Editor of Safari Club Magazine for over 2 decades. As usual, meeting with such an experienced hunter always makes for an interesting conversation. What shotgun does Steve usually hunt with, and why does he think using a 410 is cheating? Why does he usually hunt over a single decoy that's older than even himself and how's it work? Why did Walter Cronkite present him an aware back when, and for...
Dec 28, 2020•40 min•Ep. 85
Following a beautiful morning's duck hunt on the south end of Utah's Great Salt Lake, local historian Jack Ray describes to Ramsey Russell the history of the Rudy Duck Club and other venerable duck camps in the basin. The sign above them reads, "So fowl and fair a day I have not see." Why were so many great duck camps established way back when and why do they still exist? Located in one of the driest states in the US, how are many of these properties managed and, importantly, what would likely h...
Dec 23, 2020•41 min•Ep. 84
Following a couple exciting days hunting swans and ducks together in Utah, Chad Yamane and Ramsey Russell share a couple cold beers before supper and talk about those memorable hunts. How are swans hunted in Utah, what gear is required and what pointers does Chad have for swan hunters? What was the weather like and why might the Utah swan season be abruptly closed within upcoming days, weeks? What distinctly Utah hunting style was deployed to shoot ducks out on the Great Salt Lake and how'd this...
Dec 21, 2020•34 min•Ep. 83
Rich Hansen is a field biologist and State Banding Coordinator in Utah. He and Ramsey discuss swan hunting and the important of Great Salt Lake associated wetlands to swan conservation. Why is this region vital to North American swans and how many swans pass through Utah? How did swan hunting originate in the United States? Importantly, why is swan hunting vital to this waterfowl species conservation? How many swan hunting permits are issued in Utah and how is species harvest regulated? This inf...
Dec 18, 2020•45 min•Ep. 82
Y'all better buckle up and hang on! Mississippi historian and story-teller-of-epic-proportions, Hank Burdine is back, and this times going as fast and furious as an almost late-for-shooting-time hunter tearing down a gravel road! This colorful episode touches on memorable people, places and times throughout the Mississippi Delta like only Hank can tell it. What's so special about the Mississippi Delta, how'd Hank get his start duck hunting and what's changed since those glory days? Where or what...
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 81
New England sea duck hunting is an obvious destination for hunters looking to travel beyond their own backyards because it offers a much different experience and diversity of unique species than most other places within the US. To long-time New England sea duck hunting guide and USHuntList outfitter, Captain Reilly McCue, connecting clients with dream species to include eiders, long-tailed ducks, black ducks, brant and red-breasted mergansers is like putting together an elaborate puzzle. He reli...
Dec 14, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 80
Following a fun morning duck hunt on Utah public land, Kevin Booth and Ramsey visit at the shop. Kevin grew up hunting in Utah with his dad, but it was his sons that drug him back into it. With a fervor. His Out of Cache knife hobby-business began as one of many do-it-yourself projects that kept he and his sons busy during the off season to include long-tail motors and much more. How'd his sons pull him back into duck hunting and why do they really spend so much time in the shop? Where'd the nam...
Dec 11, 2020•54 min•Ep. 79
Seann Robinson, from Lufkin, Texas, describes himself as a late-start duck hunter of sorts. Deer hunting is the big thing in east Texas pineywoods, but he eventually found himself gravitating towards waterfowl. He hunts them primarily on public lands. He and his wife, Ira, enjoy the whole hunting camp aura. And that's exactly what inspired them recently dipping into the American Dream with Ira's Salsa. How'd Seann get started hunting and what's the hunting like in eastern Texas? What are his and...
Dec 09, 2020•56 min•Ep. 78
This episode begins with special guest, Joseph Richard, a 97 year-old US Navy Veteran briefly recalling the events of December 7, 1941. He was there. What does he remember from that infamous day in history? Does he consider himself a hero? Sobering thoughts. Then, Bigwater and Ramsey Russell recount the first leg of the ongoing 2020 North American Waterfowl Tour, discussing some highlights. What inspired Ramsey to make such an undertaking? Where's he hunted so far and who'd he hunt with? Any sur...
Dec 07, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 77
Matt McCormick and Brady Davis invite Ramsey Russell into their wheelhouse of Gallatin River Valley goose hunting near Bozeman, Montana. The local waterfowling culture is all about big honkers and ducks over local grain-fields, but pretty much takes a backseat to big game hunting, fly fishing and other plentiful outdoor activities. Following a pound-sized moose burgers supper and cold beer, they soon get to the heart of things. See, nobody comes to Bozeman by accident, and once there, few people...
Dec 04, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 76
While watching Canada geese trading along the Yellowstone River from his back porch, innovator Bruce Kania tells Ramsey Russell about "the business of inventing." Influenced by a grandmother that taught him to snare rabbits, he grew up archery hunting in Wisconsin, became a young muskie guide, and eventually moved to Montana to chase elk. His Biohaven Floating Island technology is distributed worldwide, cleans water, increases fishery productivity and is even a scalable solution for water qualit...
Dec 02, 2020•49 min•Ep. 75
Ramsey Russell, Forrest Russell and long-time family friend Ian Munn get together during Mississippi's duck season opener weekend to recall past times hunting together at the same duck camp and worldwide since forever. "Nice Shot Mr. Ian" originated during a discussion with Ramsey's sons at camp and has since haunted him for decades. There's plenty more similar stories, way too many for one sitting. They're the kinds of stories that can be told only after hunting for nearly 3 decades. And that's...
Nov 30, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 74
Following a couple days event-filled mornings hunting snow geese, honkers and ducks, Ramsey meets with new friends Tom Mau and Monte Brekhus in Kenmare, North Dakota. Kenmare is genuine small-town America and the self-proclaimed Snow Goose Capitol of The United States. It says so on a sign, the water tower in center of town is adorned with geese, and the local football team is named the Honkers. What's it like growing up here? Why is goose hunting integral to the local culture and what attracts ...
Nov 27, 2020•48 min•Ep. 73
Ramsey Russell shifts gears during the 2020-2021 North American Tour - and after a couple weeks sitting in duck and goose blinds, stretching his legs to chase North Dakota pheasants feels great! Todays guests, Ringneck Resort's Shaine Swenson and Clayton Mayer talk about their own hunting origins and what it takes to organize a hunt like this. What advantages does North Dakota offer over South Dakota? What's a normal hunting day like and why are they flexible? When do the seasons run? How does R...
Nov 25, 2020•41 min•Ep. 72
As we continue with this two-part series, Collier's hunting reputation has achieved heroic proportions. His circle of friends includes governors, generals, senators. But along with the railroads to whom Collier has supplied bear meat comes the clearcutting of the region's virgin forests and subsequent decimation of bear populations. But it's when Collier transitions from market hunter to bear guide that he garners the attention of the most famous big game hunter in America. What was the most per...
Nov 23, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 71
It's unseasonably single-digit windchills and bone-chilling cold when Ramsey jumps into the blind with Dirty Bird Outfitters' Nick Marcyes for their 3rd- or 4th Annual "Where's-Matt-At Hunt" together in North Dakota - way different than preceding visits! Undeterred, Nick rolls with the punches and develops a winning game plan for DBO guests. What did Canadian border closures do to license sales in North Dakota and could Nick tell a difference? How do the ducks and geese respond to these unseason...
Nov 20, 2020•36 min•Ep. 70
Today's guest credits duck hunting back in Mississippi's South Delta - that required long, gumbo mud hikes with his dad, across bean fields that stretched for as far as he could see - for his developing an appreciation for "working smarter not harder." He recalls the expansion of federal refuges in the Mississippi Delta and, as one of their employees, public relations fiascos and law enforcement challenges. What was it like hunting the Mississippi Delta back in the good ol' days? How'd he start ...
Nov 18, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 69
Holt Collier is among the most legendary figures in American hunting history that you've probably never even heard of. Proving once and for all that truth is stranger than fiction, and far more interesting, the story takes place in a primordial Mississippi delta wilderness that was vanquished during Collier's lifetime. Born a slave, Collier later became closely associated with some of the most powerful political figures in America through his unrivaled reputation as a hunter. What was Holt Colli...
Nov 16, 2020•52 min•Ep. 68
File this one under interesting things learned in a duck blind during Ramsey's 2020-2021 North American Tour. Following a fun diver hunt among friends in blustery North Dakota, where lively duck blind banter ensued between volleys, Ramsey Russell and Chris Nicolai warm their fingers around cups of hot coffee back at camp where they get down to the serious business of talking waterfowl management and implications. Nicolai is now Waterfowl Scientist at Delta Waterfowl. Formerly with US Fish and Wi...
Nov 13, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 67
