From a private goose camp somewhere in Canada, Scott Richard describes hunting ducks and geese in the Atlantic Flyway, going at it so hard that he might even have influenced changing Maryland's blind draw system. But that was before 1995 when he discovered Canada. He now seasonally spends lots of time entertaining friends and family at his long-time goose camp away from home. How does the goose hunting compare to back home, what are some interesting camp traditions, how have habitat conditions--...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 306
Deep in the remote equatorial Amazon River basin, virginal black coffee-colored waters are seething with toothed, rod-bending fishes to include not only colorful peacock bass and piranha, but even "a fish with ribs like a pig." Sounds like a paradise as described by my buddy Brent Mooreland of Acute Angling. An avid and well-travelled duck hunter himself, Brent tells about a world-famous associate he used to shotgun with before wading off chest-deep into Amazon peacock bass fishing adventures in...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 305
Mat Schauer's Northern Skies Outfitters in Saskatchewan, Canada exemplifies top-shelf hunting for ducks, Canada geese, snow geese and cranes. Taking time from his hectic fall schedule, he shares a few interesting things he's learned along the way to include mallard field feeding behaviors, snow goose inebriation, important client considerations, community involvement and lots more. Related Links: Saskatchewan Canada goose and Duck Hunting Podcast Sponsors: BOSS Shotshells https://bossshotshells....
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 304
A seasoned veteran wildlife conservation officer from BC, Randy Nelson compiled game warden stories from all U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions for his book, The Wildest Hunt. The scale of poaching in modern-day North America is hard to comprehend. Describing why and how he wrote the book, Nelson shares some interesting stories involving polar bears, salmon, eels, raptors, cacti, whooping cranes, waterfowl and deer. I'll bet some of these stories and facts are going to shock you, too! Podcast Spons...
Nov 04, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 303
Let's talk snow geese past, present and future. As long-time wildlife research scientist for Environment Canada, Dr. Ray Alisauskus's expertise is arctic geese. From a small cabin in prairie Canada, he describes snow goose-related activities keeping him busy during the fall, events leading to the now 24 years-old Light Goose Conservation Order, why the geese have been "winning" for the past couple decades, why mid-continent snow goose productivity is waning. What might it all mean? Importantly, ...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 302
Following 3 incredible days of waterfowling, Ramsey meets with Prairie Limits Outfitters partners Brian Cramer and Ben Webster. Located in Saskatchewan and now in its 5th successful season in business, Prairie Limits Outfitters delivers total-package waterfowl hunting experiences. Cramer and Webster describe forming their collective vision for their service, telling about how they met and what all goes into making dreams a reality for themselves and for guests. Whether looking for your next grea...
Oct 31, 2022•57 min•Ep. 301
Chef Ric Rosser plies his local-sourced, field-to-table culinary art among sprawling live oaks at the impressive Spread Oaks Ranch in coastal Texas. Rosser covers a variety of interesting topics to include charcuterie, cooking coots, aging ducks, organ meats, hunting, simple recipes. Whether meticulously tending his garden or curing meats in an on-premises 15th-century style smoke house, and whether cooking for his family or guests, his approach to food and to cooking remains the same. It's all ...
Oct 28, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 300
Following the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which outlawed commercial sale of wildlife, the American public's demand for wild-harvested tablefare continued -- and there were folks that were more than happy to feed this lucrative demand, supplying barrel- and boat-loads of wild ducks and geese through backwater channels. In the second of this 2-part series, historic author Robert K. Sawyer describes a transitioning America, especially as it pertains to Texas, grappling with wildlife food versus cons...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 299
Sandwiched between the massive lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba, the vast region colloquially known as the Interlake forms a giant migrator funnel for "Churchills" and other waterfowl. Goose hunting culture thrives here. Meeting with Troy Bennet and Dustin Dola over dinner, Ramsey gains insight into what its like growing up here, why goose hunting is so important, how waterfowl are hunted here versus other parts of Canada, and how local hunters may differ from some non-resident guests. He also begins...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 298
Ramsey swings through Joe Briscoe's call shop to get an update on Briscoe's new gadwall call and find out what in the world is taking him so long to complete the world-famous shoveler call prototype. Briscoe gives a good gadwall demo and describes using the baseball bats he keeps around - it ain't for baseball - before the two buddies part ways. Related Links: JB Custom Calls https://www.instagram.com/jbcustomcalls/ Podcast Sponsors: BOSS Shotshells https://bossshotshells.com/ Benelli Shotguns h...
Oct 21, 2022•50 min•Ep. 297
Preceding the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, waterfowl hunting was a huge industry in Texas and throughout the civilized United States. Everyday Americans went to the local market for wild-harvested tablefare. The finest restaurants fetched eye-popping prices for wildfowl. Business boomed. And wildfowl provided more than just meat! In the first of this special 2-part series, historian Robert K. Sawyer takes us on a deep dive into this interesting timeframe in American history, especially as it perta...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 296
Back to Oyster Bayou Hunting Club in Chambers County, Texas, Ramsey meets with Gene Campbell during an annual blue-winged teal hunting visit. Gene has been hunting the region since back in the 60s and is a treasure trove of entertaining information. Following a great hunt together, the couple hunting buddies discuss migrating blue-winged teal--and hummingbirds--alligators, long-time guide-staff, unique habitat management strategies. Podcast Sponsors: BOSS Shotshells https://bossshotshells.com/ B...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 295
D.I.'s Cajun Restaurant is an unassuming building out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by Tee Mamou Prairie rice fields in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. You know you're in the right place because the gravel-and-beer-cap parking lot is filled with locals that have eaten here for generations, enjoying live cajun music 3-4 nights weekly. Owner Sherry Fruge tells why and how she and her late husband, D.I., started the restaurant when farming got tough back in the '70s. Never dreaming that D.I.'s "sp...
Oct 13, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 294
In 1868, in the remote backwater reaches of south Louisiana's Avery Island, Edmund Mcllhenny invented Tabasco Sauce. While no one is sure how or why he came up with his proprietary elixir, the iconic company is now in its 6th generation of family ownership. Taking us down dark Louisiana bayous, historian Shane Bernard colorfully describes the Mcllehennys as businessmen, hunters and conservationists, telling amazing stories about the remote region; nutria rats, bears, plume hunting, duck hunting,...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 293
While chasing September blue-winged teal through coastal Louisiana and Texas, Ramsey meets hunters that take this special time of year very seriously. For most, it's as much real duck season as any other. Who are they? Where and how do they hunt? What does blue-winged teal season mean to them? Listen to find out. Podcast Sponsors: BOSS Shotshells https://bossshotshells.com/ Benelli Shotguns https://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/waterfowl-shotguns Tetra Hearing https://tetrahearing.com/ Kanati Wate...
Oct 07, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 292
For Jared Serigne, returning home to Chalmette, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina was an awakening. He didn't grow up duck hunting, but newfound awareness of the vast wetlands resource outside the levees eventually lead him into it. It was then that he began understanding that the land outside the levees was an imperiled part of Sportsman's Paradise. And that by using his professional film background he could do something about it. Related Link: Outside the Levees https://www.youtube.com/c/outsi...
Oct 05, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 291
Southeast Louisiana duck hunting spawned some of the most collectible decoy folk art in America. Fashioned from nearby natural materials, they were originally made to feed families, communities, and an entire culture. Brian Cheramie grew up on the banks of Bayou Lafourche, where at a young age he developed through his grandfather an interest in old wooden decoys and the legendary duck hunters who made them. But this fascinating story is about way more than decoys. In its telling, Cheramie colorf...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 290
Back in the day, describes Billy Johnson, Leland, Mississippi swelled to 4x its present population on Saturday nights. Live music and food carts on every corner down by the tracks. That was way back when a national magazine described this little Mississippi delta hamlet as "The Hell Hole of America." Things like blind tiger booze, chitlin circuit clubs, skin balls, cathouses and card games abounded. But real history was being made, too. Even a teenage delivery boy from Memphis later made a big n...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 289
Albertine Kimble has lived in Carlisle, Louisiana (population 1) for her entire life. From her stilted home a lofty 23 feet above the ground (for good reason), she remembers growing up nearby, what duck hunting was like back in her grandfather's day, hunting "French ducks" with her dad and brothers, earning the Duck Queen moniker. She describes how and why things have since changed in this vanishing paradise, suggesting possible remedies. With a limit of fresh, whole-picked blue-winged teal soak...
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 288
Now 80 years old, Sid "Boweevil" Laws has only been away from his Lake Washington home in the Mississippi Delta home for 8 years of his life. The river is integral to Boweevil's life and lifestyle. "Nowadays, it's about just being there," he says emotionally about duck hunting after first describing memorable times on the river, the few years spent away from home, "masacrating 'em" back in the day, finding out his name was number 3 on a list you don't want to be on, and more. Podcast Sponsors: B...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 287
There's more to South Africa than ducks, geese and guineafowl. Way more. Way bigger. Following an action-packed wingshooting spree in South Africa, Ramsey joins long-time friends and associates to scratch off a few non-feathered bucket-list biggies that have stalked his dreams during the years he first met the husband-wife team. Great conversation about the stuff most folks associate with South Africa. Podcast Sponsors: BOSS Shotshells https://bossshotshells.com/ Benelli Shotguns https://www.ben...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 286
From the Levee Board headquarters in Washington County, Mississippi, legendary storyteller and historian Hank Burdine tells about lifestyles and livings made "between the levees" of the nearby Mississippi River. Burdine's story winds like the mighty river itself through the extremely lucrative moonshine and tugboat industries, flowing as smoothly as only he can tell it! Bottoms up! Podcast Sponsors: BOSS Shotshells https://bossshotshells.com/ Benelli Shotguns https://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/...
Sep 19, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 285
Most folks might think spiral-horned beauties and dumbo-sized tuskers when the Dark Continent is mentioned, but South Africa surprisingly represents some of the world's best remaining wildfowl adventures, too. To provide full perspective of this amazing destination, Ramsey meets with South African associates and US clients. Similarities and differences, favorite species and foods, local customs, memorable days, and expectations versus reality are discussed, proving that in the world of duck hunt...
Sep 15, 2022•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 284
Founded in 1904, The Explorer's Club is a professional society dedicated to scientific explorations and field studies. The pinnacle of human achievements are represented among the long list of member accomplishments, places its flags have been planted - and they surely don't let just anyone in. For David DeBerard, membership at a young age was like throwing rocket fuel onto an already adventurous lifestyle for which he's extremely thankful. Bouncing full-throttle from one white-capped breaker to...
Sep 12, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 283
"..and then in the mid-80s they officially made it illegal to eat pygmies!" exclaimed our host during a post-hunt discussion over coffee. Back in South Africa for ducks, geese and game birds, Ramsey chats with long-time friend and associate Mike Curry. As quickly as incoming driven guineafowl flying like black-and-white cannonballs, the pair run through lots of interesting highlights and stories to include hardest-of-hard species Ramsey finally managed to scratch off his list, tomato chutney, ho...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 282
Dr. Wayne Capooth was "blooded into" small game hunting while a young Tennessee boy, remembers later gaining permission from swamp angels to duck hunt nearby haunts. His landmark book The Golden Age of Waterfowling is a historical account of Midsouth duck hunting culture emanating from the Chickasaw Bluffs in Memphis, Tennessee. It's the story of bygone times, changing landscapes, emerging technologies, and especially people; of famous market hunters and wealthy sportsmen whose passionate confli...
Sep 05, 2022•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 281
Immortalized in Nash Buckingham's De' Shootinest Gent'man and Other Stories , Mike and Lamar Boyd have lived and hunted Beaverdam Lake (what Nash referred to as the South Trails area) their entire lives. "When I was younger, I thought everyone had a Beaverdam," says Lamar. Mike Boyd was mentored into duck hunting by a farmhand named "Coon," describing what it was like back then. He then describes founding Beaver Dam Hunting Services, learning about the lake's storied history and eventually evolv...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 280
In the sleepy Mississippi Delta hamlet of Leland, walking through the front door and onto the creaking, century-old hardwood floors of the Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum is like stepping back into time, into the good ol' days: towering walls covered with ginormous fireplace-blackened deer heads, fishes, game animals big and small indigenous to the Great State of Mississippi; extensive displays of hunting gear, local duck and turkey calls, boats and outboards, clothing from back in Grandad'...
Aug 29, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 279
As if pre-dawn gaucho horseback rides into the duck hunting marsh, countless black clouds of doves flying back to roost, teal-sized picazuro pigeons charging into decoys, partridges flushing as hunters walk past rock-solid pointers isn't enough, there's the cultural immersion, hospitality, field asados, everything-but-the-moo cuts of delicious Argentine meats. But how do guests and staff describe the like-a-box-of-chocolates La Paz experience? What did they enjoy most, what'll be forever remembe...
Aug 25, 2022•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 278
Boom! And welcome to The Big Honker Podcast's Jeff Stanfield and the World-famous Andy Shaver (who's the side-kick is still open to debate). The pitfalls of becoming small time mayor, the thrilling storm chases, calling the shots, scaling Stanfield Outfitters when the cackler migration changed, how The Big Honker's success has changed their lives, the future of hunting, The First Family of Waterfowl video series and lots more, we cover ground like a wide-open freight train running through west T...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 277
