Today's special topic cuts deeper than science or partisan politics---it defends North American duck hunting's essential back bone, wetland health and abundance, continued public land access, and our legacy to future duck hunting generations. Right now, powerful forces are dismantling the foundations of North America's greatest success story--waterfowl hunting as you've known it your entire life. Most have scarcely even noticed. Decades of data and research, the programs and staff that keep duck...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 49 min
Get the grease HOT! We're walking through waist-deep river water in waders today, boys and girls, but the air is heavy with pollen, the weather's beautiful, spawning slabs are transitioning to shallow water--and the bite is underway! Near a fabled Mississippi lake that consistently produces some the largest slab crappie in America, I join John "Little Riddle" Blake, Jimmy "The Mayor" Dean, and John Harrison for stories and insights collectively representing well more than a century fishing these...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 575
In this no-holds-barred, part 1-of-2 conversation, Dr. Michael Schummer challenges dangerous misinformation circulating throughout our waterfowling community. From social media myths to conspiracy-fueled rhetoric directed towards waterfowl population modeling science, Schummer builds on FowlWeather Podcast Ep 74. Burning it All Down , calling for a return to truth, critical thinking, and trust in data that has undoubtably produced the most enviably successful waterfowl conservation model on eart...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 574
This past year was drier in Mazatlan, Mexico than it's been since 1964! Needless to say that with less water on the landscape there were fewer ducks. Given advanced notice, most guests came anyway and even had a great time. Because it's a total-experience adventure. While seasons come and go, today's guest made the absolute most of their Mazatlan duck hunting vacation, bringing home both bucket-list species and memories for a lifetime. Better believe that I was sure taking notes for future visit...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 573
Our colorful journey into Sparkleberry Swamp's remote reaches continues as 79-year-old Toy McCord reflects on how Sparkleberry—and duck hunting there—have changed over the decades. He discusses shifting migration patterns, evolving hunting ethics, and the growing pressures on swamp ecosystems. As a lifelong hunter, guide, and witness to the swamp’s transformation, Toy offers hard truths, old-school wisdom, and thoughtful considerations for future generations of Sparkelberry stewards and storytel...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 572
Outdoor legends Will Primos and Anthony Matarese Jr. break down the habits, mindset, and gear choices that separate good shooters from great ones. From mastering fundamentals to understanding ethical shot selection, their practical, no-nonsense advice that will help you become a more confident and capable shotgunner in the field. Biggest misconcenptions in shotgunning, most common mistakes, world-class shooting habits, practical tips, dominant eye, proper mount, lead distances, and more--we cove...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 571
Seventy-nine-year-old Mr. Toy McCord takes us deep into the heart of Sparkleberry Swamp—where he was raised, mentored, and shaped by wild water and duck hunting tradition. He shares vivid memories from his earliest days--like the time a 5-year-old Toy, his brothers and Dad were stranded in the swamp for days--the people who taught him the swamp’s secrets, and how his duck hunting passion became a way of life. With unforgettable stories, close calls, and reflections on a changing landscape, Mr. T...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 570
Been a real long time since catching up with buddies Brady Davis and Matt McCormick ( Ep 76. Of Hippies and Cowboys, Bozeman, MT ), but they've been busy since then--that's for danged sure! Like an Alberta clipper sweeping across open range, we race through a lot of fun topics---swapping 10-gauge for 28-gauge shotguns, running Chesapeake Bay retrievers in Montana, forming their Flying V companies, developing habitat, managing hunting pressure, collaborating with MeatEater, and their thoughts on ...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 569
Having south-of-the-border fun entailed an action-packed couple weeks in Nayarit, Mexico, but as usual it was about way, way more than just trigger pulls. Our appetites for ducks, doves, local eats and delicious margaritas satiated, Ramsey meets with hunters that came from throughout the US and even from far away as Denmark to hear their recollections of feathers, friendships and fond memories. Whether interested in extending your own duck hunting season, simply curious about why folks travel he...
Mar 27, 2025•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 568
onX Maps's Lake Pickle and I jump into the most powerful navigational app ever invented, exploring the many ways it's revolutionizing our hunting adventures. We discuss what sets it apart from other mapping tools, its key features for hunters, and how its used to put you on the X and then some. Lake shares real-world applications and experiences; popular features he and others most oftentimes use; describes the ways to gain the most function from the powerful onX app; and teases upcoming feature...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 567
Though he's built and managed wildlife habitat on Maryland's Eastern Shore for the past couple decades, Spencer Waller quickly points out that he's no wildlife biologist--but knows what ducks want, what ducks like to eat and how to make it happen. His heartbeat may be black mud marsh duck hunting, but he's in the business of helping landowners put together hunting properties across the Bay from unimaginably unbridled urban sprawl. Related Links: Orion Wildlife https://www.orionwildlife.com Visit...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 566
Goose hunting has been a pretty big deal on Maryland's eastern Shore since forever, and John Taylor's introductions began when first shaking hands with his high school sweetheart's dad. Cutting his teeth back in the days of "junk yard rigs," he remembers laying out a small fortune for a newfangled Eastern Shoreman goose call, later saying that "the Moratorium (the 6-year period that Canada goose hunting was closed) was the best thing that ever happened." Because that's when he earned his real Ph...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 565
What began as buck-fever-of-epic-proportions first deer hunt with a neighboring mentor began a lifelong passion for hunting and fishing worldwide for Alabama native and storyteller Clint Ward. From an elk hunt that culminated in a marriage proposal to nearly dying atop a British Columbia mountain, Ward shares colorful stories about how hunting experiences shaped his life and taught him what's most important in life. Related Links: Looking Back: Stories of Hunting, Fishing, Family and Faith https...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 564
In case you haven't noticed, North American duck populations--duck harvests--have declined from the highs of the late-90s. Dead hens don't lay eggs, for sure, but is the fix that simple? What are the root causes for these declines in waterfowl populations? How bad is it, why might it get way worse before it gets better, and what can we duck hunters really do about it? Scott Stephens, DU's Senior Director of Prairie and Boreal Forest Conservation, joins me to discuss. Visit MOJO’s Duck Season Som...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 563
Following in his father's footsteps, Joel Tavera joined the military and was fast-tracked into the sandbox of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He returned a different man, eventually gaining consciousness in a San Antonio, Texas military hospital where a very long-row-to-hoe recovery awaited. He's now an active waterfowl hunter, well on his way to achieving the North American slam, but past life events have shaped how he now sees duck hunting and life for what they're really, truly all about. Tavera's i...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 562
Off-the-beaten-path Azerbaijan duck hunting is a real duck hunt for real duck hunters. For many reasons. Following an eventful week, Ramsey recounts their adventure with US hunters who describe the hunting, people, hunting techniques, unique culture, foods, and other indelible take-aways from their immersive visit. Our Azeri associate wraps the episode, bringing context to duck hunting this part of the world. They came for ducks but left with a fascinating perspective of the duck hunting world b...
Mar 03, 2025•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 561
After a couple decades hiatus from quail hunting due to work and family commitments, hunting his family farm near West Point, Mississippi, brought disappointment to Mr. Jimmy Bryant. Gone were the wild bobwhite quail coveys of yesteryear. It began a lifelong commitment to restoring habitat, quail, and hunting culture that is now manifest in his world-class Prairie Wildlife facilities. Visit MOJO’s Duck Season Somewhere Podcast Sponsors: MOJO Outdoors Alberta Professional Outfitters Society Benel...
Feb 27, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 560
"Splash limits" offer hunters the option to bag any 3 ducks regardless of sex or species. Through 2025, the 2-tiered duck hunting pilot program in South Dakota and Nebraska gives hunters the choice of licenses entitling them to either convention bag limits or splash limits, and was intended to grow future waterfowl numbers. Dies it seem to be working as intended? Who would choose to bag fewer ducks, and why the heck do we need more duck hunters? Why did some states refrain from experimental part...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 559
"It's the art. It's the art more than anything else that's impacting people, connecting non-hunters to ducks," says 3-time Federal Duck Stamp Contest winner Adam Grimm. Grimm became the youngest federal duck stamp artist and has since won twice more, including the 2025 stamp that will depict a Spectacled Eider. An ardent waterfowl hunter himself, we discuss how hunting influences his art and vice versa, how "the million dollar duck" shaped his life and career, and much more. Visit MOJO’s Duck Se...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 558
If you think hunting is expensive now, just wait until you start taking your growing-like-a-weed youngsters to the blind! To make things worse, they outgrow last season's clothing quicker than it takes 'em to knock out a sleeve of white donuts! David and Camille Kent grew up hunting in generational hand-me-down clothes same as most. As parents themselves, they recognized a need to affordably keep children comfortable from the field to the fire pit. Their Bow and Arrow Outdoors company has a grow...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 557
Following an incredible full-of-firsts hunting visit to the United Kingdom, we meet in host James Maunder Taylor's game room, sharing tumblers of sloe gin and recounting the eventful, whirlwind trip. Don't know exactly what I'd been expecting, but it wasn't at all this--flighting ducks, moonlighting geese, punt gunning, driven woodcock, Chinese water deer, game biologists, renowned artists, absence of US-style migratory gamebird laws, strict adherence to long-standing hunting traditions. My real...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 556
Anna Van Nostrand grew up in Georgia hunting small game and deer with family, but her introductions to feathers--shotgunning, waterfowl, upland birds, retrievers and pointers--launched her full-steam ahead into the future with newfound purpose. After talking about our recent experiences at Safari Club International convention (hint, it's more than worlds-largest hunting show), we discuss getting involved into the waterfowl community, etiquette, becoming involved in the waterfowl hunting communit...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 555
BOOM! Our discussion with a last-of-a-dyring-breed punt gunner continues! Banned 107 years ago in the United States pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treat Act of 1918, punt gunning has since persisted in the United Kingdom. It's practiced by a few hardy old salts like Ginger Blayney, who gives us proper introduction. Where'd punt guns originate, what are the components of a punt gunning, under what environmental conditions are they most successfully used, and what are the dangers? What's an ideal ...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 554
Harkening a bygone era, Tom Beckbe's lifestyle products just keep getting better and better. Meeting with Tom Beckbe's Radcliffe Menge is always a great time, and in today's discussion he catches us up on the meteoric growth in several directions this small lifestyle company from Alabama has experienced for good reason in just a few short years. Whether a die-hard fan of legendary Tom Beckbe gear like myself or just curious as to what the waxed-cotton buzz is all about, you'll appreciate today's...
Feb 03, 2025•59 min•Ep. 553
Banned 107 years ago in the United States pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treat Act of 1918, punt gunning has since persisted in the United Kingdom. It's still practiced by a few hardy old salts like today's guest, Ginger Blayney, who gives us proper introduction. Where'd punt guns originate, what are the components of a punt gunning, under what environmental conditions are they most successfully used, and what are the dangers? What's an ideal waterfowl bag when using punt guns, what are punt gun...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 552
All the time and effort that goes into putting waterfowl on the strap--travel, scouting, walk-ins decoy placement, calling, early wake ups--all boils down to a crucial moment: the perfect trigger pull. Is your shotgun throwing its best pattern when that time comes? Joel Strickland went down a deep rabbit hole on the topic for his Surviving Duck Season YouTube series. Firing tens of thousands of rounds, using nearly every type of cartridge, choke and shotgun, exploring patterns and penetration, s...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 551
A die-hard Arkansas public land duck hunter since forever, Arkansan call maker Bryce Decker describes the stark realities and absurd challenges of public duck hunting Arkansas. How do thing seems different now than back in the good ol' days? When and why did it change and how do today's hunters differ from the old-timers that introduced Decker to hunting? What the heck is "shooting the raft," is it good or bad, and how might it be affecting hunt quality throughout Arkansas? Can anything be done ...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 550
British wildlife artist Terrence Lambert's work has been reproduced in more than 40 publications, selected for many of the world's most prestigious wildlife exhibitions, and collected by such prominent families as the McCartneys and Astors. A hunter and fisherman since boyhood, his story reflects a lifestyle we can all appreciate, and provides cultural context to traveling and hunting in the United Kingdom. Visit MOJO’s Duck Season Somewhere Podcast Sponsors: MOJO Outdoors Alberta Professional O...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 549
"Because the ducks aren't going to let you [overharvest them]," replied Mike Swan matter of factly when asked how there could still possibly be healthy waterfowl populations in the United Kingdom. The UK is not quite twice the size of Mississippi, bag limits and shooting hours are nonexistent, baiting is allowable, and anything with a bore diameter less than 2 inches is considered a shotgun--yes, they can still shoot 2-, 4-, and 8-gauge shotguns, and even punt gunning is still practiced by a few...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 548
Following an eventful morning duck hunt in the Louisiana marsh, Ramsey joins General Manager, Mike Baccigalopi and General Manager, Fred Stewart, to discuss their experiences at Oak Grove Hunting Club, that was founded in 1932. They provide interesting insights into the historic club, duck hunting and local culture in their little corner of Louisiana. Visit MOJO’s Duck Season Somewhere Podcast Sponsors: MOJO Outdoors Alberta Professional Outfitters Society Benelli Shotguns BOSS Shotshells Bow an...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 547
