George Thompson, Director of Product Management, Benelli USA gives Ramsey an informative run-down of innovative Benelli shotgun developments. Benelli pioneered the inertia recoil system in 1967, initially hitting US markets under H&K distribution, but they have certainly come a long way since. How has the Benelli Super Black Eagle shotgun evolved since the first ones arrived in the US and what features stand out among conventional waterfowl killing sticks? What's driving growing demand for n...
May 10, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 126
Interested in wetland management for waterfowl (and I know from countless inbox requests for this topic that many of y'all are) then this 3-part series is right in your wheelhouse. It's no accident that we're dropping this series right now, when it's time to start readying your wetlands for next season! Regardless of where you hunt, better understanding waterfowl habitat needs will make you a more successful hunter. As USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Wildlife Biologist in the Missi...
May 06, 2021•48 min•Ep. 125
Mississippian Alex Littlejohn remembers "Tallahatchie tree line duck hunts" with family members as a youngster, after Canada geese ceased migrating to Mississippi. While in college, he guided duck hunts on South End Trails portion of Beaver Dam, the lake made famous by Nash Buckingham, and worked at Wild Rose Kennels. What was it like hunting at Beaver Dam Lake, what are some of his favorite memories, and what do ducks do in lightening storms? What his most endearing memory of a favorite uncle t...
May 03, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 124
"She's probably banded more ducks than any non-biologist in North America," said the mutual friend that introduced us. Liz Bourgeois grew up alongside 4 brothers, hunting the bayous of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. She was mentored by her father, who instilled in her a strong sense of conservation and unyielding independence. She now bands thousands of waterfowl annually, but finds purpose transferring those values to countless volunteers that know her only as a tireless fireball of enthusiastic ...
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 123
Preceding the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, duck hunting was not considered recreational. It was big business. Very big. Who was Florine "Pie" Champagne and how'd he start hunting ducks commercially? What was his daily quota, how'd he hunt and where'd all those ducks go? Where'd he get decoys and calls, and how big was his spread? What firearms did he favor and just how good were his shooting skills? What became of Pie after market hunting? And why does he remain Louisiana's most famous market...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 122
Dale Bordelon carries on Louisiana's bayou traditions by making 100% hand-made cane calls and everything else. In today's episode, we talk more about why he prefers hunting over things he hand-makes the way his ancestors did and about him duck hunting this past season with a century-old shotgun. Preceding an upcoming episode about Louisiana's most famous market hunter, Bordelon describes old decoys, how market gunners got their goods to make and much more. Episode Sponsors: BOSS Shotshells Benel...
Apr 22, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 121
In today's Duck Season Somewhere podcast episode, former modern-day Louisiana market hunter, Mr. Johnny Borrel, continues describing differences between today versus then. Why might there be fewer ducks in Louisiana? How has the landscape changed? How have duck hunters and the way they now hunt changed? How important is hunter concealment? What are Mr. Johnny's thoughts on shooting flying birds? What he can he tell from hunters' volleys from a distance? And does he have any regrets? From Avoyell...
Apr 19, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 120
Obregon Mexico duck hunting has been a barrel-burner flagship GetDucks destination for nearly a decade, usually booking out over a year in advance. But why? In today's Duck Season Somewhere podcast episode, Ramsey joins guests for frosty, post-hunt margaritas, listening to what they most enjoyed about waterfowl hunting where the Sea of Cortez meets the Sonora Desert. Who are they and where are they from? Why'd they choose this destination as bucket-list hunt worthy, and what will they most remem...
Apr 15, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 119
Maybe the good old days were different. To hear today's guest tell it, it wasn't a hundred years ago but during my own lifetime that salt and pepper were the only real Louisiana seasons abided. Everything was eaten, by necessity in many cases. Everything. And local wildlife markets thrived. Mr. Johnny Borrel from Avoyelles Parish began hunting at a very young age. He started market hunting in high school and tells us what it was like back then. When and why did he start selling wild ducks? Where...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 118
How did a small-town Tennessee girl end up in Sonora, Mexico and why does she still call it home 40 years later? When did she and her late husband decide to start Sonora, Mexico's very first duck hunting operation? What was their hallmark menu item, and who were among their guests? How'd she end up in the record books for a game bird previously believed to be extinct for more than a century? And how'd she really feel living south-of-the-border during the past 12 months especially? Mrs. Sharon Cr...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 117
Like gleaming gold nuggets to '49 boomtown miners, waterfowl leg bands are precious commodities coveted by some duck hunters. But to folks like Dr. Doug Osborne, these data points are a bonanza of much needed information. Who is Doug Osborne, and why'd he start The Osborne Lab at University of Arkansas at Monticello? Why is waterfowl banding on the wintering grounds important, and how does it differ from late-summer banding in Canada? How important are mallards to banding programs - and what's s...
Apr 05, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 116
Freshly returned from his first real "guided snow goose hunt" in Arkansas, Forrest Russell colorfully describes a school-of-hard-knocks lesson about choosing the right outfitter, and why rolling with good friends takes precedence over all else. Bigwater then asks Ramsey "questions from the inbox" as Duck Season Somewhere turns a year old. What was happening a year ago? First duck, leg bands, places he's hunted that he'd consider moving, and the only place he'd hunt if he had to? How's the pandem...
Apr 01, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 115
Despite other-worldly sightings, things like swamp dwelling kangaroos, unique pink-eared ducks, and beet-topped hamburgers, Australia duck hunting is more readily familiar to US duck hunters than elsewhere hunted worldwide. But they're constantly fighting tooth-and-nail to preserve it, and this year proved an uphill battle. Absolute madness. Who governs migratory bird management in Australia, and how are duck seasons set as compared to here in US? What waterfowl conservation activities are being...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 114
Originating in a North Dakota duck blind, where we were targeting divers instead of dry-field puddlers, this scaup discussion was a real eye-opener. Eric Smith cut his teeth on duck hunting while chasing scaup with his dad in northern Minnesota. Later involved in graduate research and scaup banding studies, he's remained fascinated by them ever since. How'd Smith fall into the scaup rabbit hole? How are scaup populations doing relative to redhead and canvasback populations? Why are daily bag lim...
Mar 25, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 113
Never mind shooting 20-duck, spoonie-and-teal-trifecta limits, drinking pool-side foo-foo drinks, and eating seafood dinners together. Everyone's first international vacation since the pandemic, it had immediately "felt normal" since walking into the beautiful Mazatlán resort, our duck camp away from home. But what's it really like down there? Ramsey Russell joins guests pool-side for candid conversations about their experiences. Why'd Ray and Claire return with their growing family for a real f...
Mar 22, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 112
After an epic final morning, with some beautiful cinnamon teal trophies icing down in the truck and a couple more carry-out world-class lunch burritos stretching their belts and weighing heavy on their eyelids, Ramsey meets with great friend-host Jon Wills at historic Stillbow Ranch lodge to recount the dozen days of hunting the Golden State. From San Francisco Bay and throughout the Sacramento Valley, what's Ramsey Russell remember most about his first California duck hunting experience? Who'd ...
Mar 16, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 111
Just imagine. At a time in history that wildlife resources and hunters need more not less, what could YOUR State Department of Natural Resources and Statewide Conservation Organizations do with FIFTY TO SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS?! OR MORE?! Acquire more public hunting land? Improve existing public-use properties for hunters (and non-hunters)? Better wildlife habitat management? More and better places for you and future generations to hunt, fish, and just enjoy the great outdoors?! Forever. And what ...
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 110
Right about the time you think you've seen and done it all in worldwide waterfowling, you jump into a California goose spread with Jonathon and Dillon White who show you the White Way. Gnarly, acre-sized flocks of snows and Aleutians overhead, the seething eye of a hurricane growing in ferocity and intensity with each spin, then oftentimes landing 15 yards away because there's no sense educating the entire flock you'll hunt all season. Instead we swiped a few crumbs from our laps, cherry-picking...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 109
Brain Huber is California Waterfowl Association's Waterfowl and Wood Duck Program Coordinator. Late one afternoon, he and I meet across the table at his hunting camp for a mid-blowing discussion about California waterfowl hunting and management, and to plan the next morning's wood duck hunt. Why are California's daily dark goose limits so much higher than in most other parts of the US? What CWA program has produced nearly a million wood ducks since implementation, and to whom does much credit go...
Mar 08, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 108
The orange sun melts slowly into the horizon on legendary Suisun Marsh, flocks of ducks are trading overhead and Yancey Forrest-Knowles speaks to the heart of California duck hunting times past, present and future. A lifetime duck hunter and former director of California Waterfowl Association, he is an articulate storyteller, a passionate waterfowl conservationist. What was duck hunting like when California became the 31st State and how's it since changed? Who was Duck-A-Minute Bill Banta and ho...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 107
File this one under "How One Sac Valley Duck Hunter's Idea Changed the Duck Hunting World. Forever." While pass shooting ducks with family members back in the real good ol' days while he was only a child, Andy Anderson likely never dreamed that his idea for attracting ducks in adult life - and that remained his closely guarded secret weapon for as long as possible - would hit the waterfowl hunting world like a giant meteor. But boy did it! Meeting at a farm headquarters just a few miles from whe...
Mar 01, 2021•52 min•Ep. 105
Following a kick-butt, pea-soup foggy morning rice field duck hunt, Casey Stafford of CCIC Outdoor Adventures and Ramsey Russell talk about waterfowl hunting in California's Sacramento Valley. What was it like growing up duck hunting this region, who were Casey's mentors and what were their backgrounds? Why is it that Sac Valley waterfowlers prefer foggy mornings? What's the specklebelly hunting like, what's a Tule Goose and what's the Sac Valley Goose Management Unit? And by the way, what the h...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 105
Goldeneyes and bluebills streaking low over the decoys from all directions, so fast and furious as to nearly be chaotic, but Arkansas buddy Ray Hathaway and myself, along with California hosts Corey Foskett and Guide Charlie Barberini of Golden State Guide Service paced ourselves, chipping away at drakes until reaching limits, heading in for breakfast burritos. After briefly visiting nearby San Francisco, we convened at Tanglefree Decoys HQ to talk about duck hunting in California, Tanglefree De...
Feb 22, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 104
There's a real storm brewing over the Susquehanna Flats near Havre de Grace, Maryland - and it ain't clouds of blackheads and canvasbacks like the good ol' days. It's about how and where who can hunt in these fabled public fowling waters. HB 0911 proposes limiting certain portions of the Flats to body booting only, and to exclude other regionally traditional duck hunting methods, such as layout boats (or any anchored boat for that matter). In today's special episode of Duck Season Somewhere, we ...
Feb 18, 2021•2 hr 25 min•Ep. 103
Located "between the flyways," Alabama may lack sheer waterfowl numbers, but cultural enthusiasm for duck hunting remains strong in Alabama. Today's guests, James Michael Moyer, Jason Russell, and Alabama Migratory Game Bird Coordinator, Seth Maddox, are living proof. How'd these guys get into duck hunting? When did Jason Russell start carving decoys, why's it important to him, and how has it become a family tradition? How are waterfowl hunting license sales doing in Alabama, and what's Alabama'...
Feb 15, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 102
Situated in a landscape predominated by long-leaf pines, pecan orchards and peanut fields, everything sprouting from soils the color of rusted farm implements, southwestern Georgia isn't the duck hunting universe's proverbial epicenter. But it's exactly where I fell in with the right group of friendly folks to experience a real Georgia duck hunt and genuine Deep South hunting camp hospitality. Seated around the table after a monstrous breakfast, in a charmingly old farmhouse that for decades has...
Feb 11, 2021•48 min•Ep. 101
I'd stopped by to paw their new pintail and swan calls. Never mind that it was Sunday morning, or that a cold, wet rain was falling outside. Turning off the lights, we then had to lock Allen Bliven's shop doors to stall customer traffic long enough to record uninterrupted. But it was worth it. How'd Allen and Julie Bliven begin duck hunting? And where'd 8 years-old Julie learn to kill her first duck that way? How'd they meet and why was it love at first sight - for Allen?! How'd they get into th...
Feb 08, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 100
Captain Todd Sauerwald is a modern-day waterman. Year-long he plies his trades on the Chesapeake Bay as tugboat captain, crab fisherman and, as owner-operator of Black Duck Outfitters, a professional duck hunting guide. And on his days off? Yeah, he recreationally fishes those same waters. For those wanting to experience layout boat hunting the historic Chesapeake Bay, he's your guy. What're Sauerwald's duck hunting roots and what lead him down this career path? What're the similarities and diff...
Feb 04, 2021•54 min•Ep. 99
Stepping into the shop is like walking into the past. Located about a 1/4-miles from the fabled Susquehanna River, it's as much museum as thriving decoy business. Smells of sawdust and fresh paint permeate the air; shelved decoys and pinned photos, a combination of yesteryear and present. Ramsey Russell meets with Captains Charles, Bobby and Joey Jobes, gaining insight into the halcyon days of Chesapeake Bay duck hunting and traditional decoy carving. How'd the brothers become decoy carvers and ...
Feb 01, 2021•51 min•Ep. 98
Following a 4-day stretch of American black duck limits, plenty other ducks and Atlantic brant kicked in for good measure, Ramsey Russell sits with hosts John Daffin and Jim White to sip rounds of "apple pie" and recount the past week's New Jersey duck hunting events. What were these 2 long-time buddies hunting origins, how'd they meet? They hunt similar habitats, targeting similar species, but how do their hunting styles differ? What's duck hunting really like in New Jersey, what are some of th...
Jan 28, 2021•55 min•Ep. 97
