Duck Season Somewhere

Hearing loss might be the most ignored problem in waterfowl hunting--because you don't notice until it's too late. But a single shot or three aint that bad, huh? Dr. Grace Sturdivant of OtoPro grew up around the same guns and traditions most of us did. Now as an audiologist, she seeing firsthand what unprotected shooting actually does. She explains how damage happens each time you pull the trigger...

Millions of low-lying acres within the Arkansas-Louisiana-Mississippi Delta have been cleared, farmed, and reforested--all within a couple generations. Most happened within my lifetime, truth be told. Retired forester Mike Oliver and I met at ground zero back in the day. He joins me to reflect on the intent behind large-scale reforestation efforts, the programs and partners that delivered it, and...

Dusty roads, endless grain fields, and a quiet stretch of Pacific estuary--real Mexico, where life moves slower and the hunting hits fast.  One minute it's still and shimmering with winter warmth...the next, ducks pouring suddenly into your lap; doves streaking overhead. Between flights: hand-squeezed margaritas, authentic local fare, and stories shared, friendships forged, within deep shade. Toda...

Located in the cradle of North America's waterfowling, the Great South Bay didn't just produce hunters. It produced traditions. Steven Jay Sanford grew up in the heart of Long Island's waterfowl hunting culture, where low-slung gunning boats, hand-carved decoys and words like "shovin' oar" still mean something. Carrying forward a way of life shaped by tide, wind, and the salty men that worked--and...

In Mexico, a minute isn't 60 seconds. It's a mindset. Especially during the Mazatlan "Honeymoon Duck Hunt ."  Sitting down around a lively swimming pool with happy hunters and smiling wives, we talk about their experiences between rounds of salted-rim margaritas, ice cold cervezas, various chips and dips--fantastic shooting, better company, and a pace of life that feels a whole lot different than...

Most duck hunters chase birds. Justin Reif decoded to attract them with habitat. Like a lot of landowners, he hit the wall--bad advice, costly mistakes--both in terms of money and lackluster duck appeal--and no clear system for managing waterfowl habitat that actually worked, that ensured continuity. So he built one. Create the X App . This conversation ain't about app technology either. We get in...

Hang on, folks! Boots-on-the-ground, day-to-day working on Capital Hill is a fast-paced, action-packed grind and Gabriella Huffman comes in blazing hot on this one! She unpacks lots of need-to-know topics to look out for in the world of conservation and hunting--the kinds of stuff that ain't being talked about on corporate media channels, like data centers, democrat versus republican, ethanol corn...

Caleb Dunn was born and raised on the banks of famous Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, and duck hunting there are among his earliest memories. We discuss Reelfoot Lake duck hunting, local traditions, how they've shaped his approach to duck hunting all the way into Alberta, where he guides for Ranchland Outfitters .   Visit the Legendary Brands That Make MOJO's Duck Season Somewhere Podcast Possible: MOJO...

Law enforcement officers and first responders run towards the worse day in someone else's life. Most of us only see the flashing lights. We don't see what they carry home. Veteran officer Clint Hatch pulls back the curtain of the realities of policing --the calls you can't forget, the pressure first responders quietly carry, the breaking point and the moment faith becomes more than background nois...

A duck die-off in southern Arkansas brought Dr. Lisa Kercher from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital roaring into camp in her 4-wheel-drive mobile lab the very next morning. We talk about how scientists investigate waterfowl die-offs, what H5N1 means for wild ducks and geese, how influenza spreads among waterfowl and flyways, and the real risks to hunters and our beloved retrievers. A straight...

Angie Kokes hunts closer than most hunters dare--sometimes within feet. In today's conversation, she shares the discipline behind spear hunting--and how she got started hunting so close she can literally reach out and touch critters--the criticism that comes with it, and the conviction that keeps her moving forward. What begins as a chance encounter in an Newark airport--with me walking around a b...

In Part 2, Texas historian Robert Sawyer recalls the characters, hunts, heartbreaks, humor and human moments that defined Texas waterfowl hunting's old guard. We did into a changing world, forgotten migrations, friendships forged in blinds, and lessons that modern hunters may be in danger of losing. Some stories made the books. Others didn't. All of them remind us that waterfowling has forever mor...

March 5, 1836, Night is falling. Inside the Alamo, fewer than 200 men wait behind adobe walls.  They're surrounded by thousands of enemy forces. What were they thinking? What did it sound like in those final hours? Andrew Minter is one of the most compelling tour guides I've ever met--a man who doesn't just recite history, he walks you into it. Stripping away the Hollywood veneer, we stand in fron...

Texas waterfowl history doesn't live in regulations or record books--it exists among old timers sitting in kitchens, truck seats, coffee shops and duck blinds. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, historian Rob Sawyer shares how he tracked down the been-there-done-that yesteryear hunters who shaped Texas duck hunting and convinced them to tell their stories before they were lost. Long pauses and occas...

Three-peat World Goose Calling Champion John Walls is locked up in today's conversation, going well beyond stage routines and trophies. Tracing his path from boyhood hunts to mentor to the contest spotlight, he breaks down the real differences between competition calling and hunting live geese. Pressure and restraint in the goose pit, one-goose limits, success defined, what modern hunters risk los...

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan--a continent-wide, multidisciplinary, science-based partnership--is the envy of the world. But are key elements silently eroding? Are there future assurances? Jim Sedinger, Rick Kaminski, and Dan Connelly introduce concept for the North American Waterfowl Science Center and explain why it exists: to rebuild expertise, coordinate continental research, me...

Slower-than-hoped for duck seasons make for tough post-season social media discussions among duck hunters. Some says it's flooded corn further north of them. Others say there's other death-by-a-thousand-cut reasons. And since it's sometimes hard--and exhausting-- to make sense of my-way-or-the-highway arguing online, why not let listeners hear varied perspectives? Decide for themselves. Everyone w...

Lazy S-ing like a fat cottonmouth through low-lying country, Lac Calebasse's drought-induced water levels were so low during a recent duck hunt that fluted cypress butts shined like stark naked old ladies when Dale Bordelon's spotlight beams shined on them and our way to the duck blind, the prop chopping coon-tail most and churning mud the entire time. It was right here that Bayou Beast Calls orig...

Adding water to corn--and other hot crops--has been around awhile, but has recently caused a stir. Some say it's short-stopping ducks. Especially mallards. Others say it's among countless changes both good and bad that have redistributed waterfowl in the Mississippi flyway. At least in recent years. Tony Vandemore, Ira McCauley and Justin Martin weigh in. In no particular order we discuss hot-crop...

Mid-January and the past 4 days have been a blur of parched South Texas earth, mesquite and prickly pear teeming with dirt-tank ducks--to include a couple special bands--sandhill cranes, mourning doves, white-tailed deer, good eats and good times around campfire. Wrapping up a couples-trip, SpeckOps 's Luke Bledsoe and I kick back at the 501 Ranch to catch up about everything--and it's a bunch--th...

John Lynch devoted his life to understanding birds, flyways, and fragile wetland habitats--work that shaped modern waterfowl conservation, earning him recognition as the "father of flyway biologists." But to his daughter, today's guest Mary Courville, he was simply Dad. Mrs. Courville shares the man behind the legend--field stories, family memories, and the quiet values that guided his life and wo...

Ducks. Food. Hunting. More food. Friendships. Family. Traditions. And open doors. That's what cajun hospitality is all about. Big John Hebert and I wrap a 3- or 4-day duck hunting tour of his homeland with a conversation covering all of it---the local lay of the land, a never quit mentality but why marsh hunting is a young man's game, the perfect gumbo trio to include his dad's famous "grassy gumb...

Following a great morning duck hunt among ancient cypress--and post-hunt hoghead cheese, boudin and oyster poboys on the tailgate--Big John Hebert and I join friends Chester Begnaud, Paul Begnaud and Mike Clay at a floating camp house in Henderson Swamp. With over 125 years worth of Louisiana duck hunting under their belt, topics include past times, memorable local hunters, changes since Louisiana...

Her recent Federal Duck Stamp entry sparked this conversation with Jenn Kokal, host of  The Bible Explained podcast. We trace her path from wildlife art and stewardship--to include her thoughts about hunting--to Scripture, a life calling, and a daily podcast that's changing how people engage God's Word--by listening. This episode's about faith, obedience, creation, how God often connects the dots...

Has duck migration stopped making sense--or has it just stopped matching our assumptions? Dr. Bradley Cohen returns to break down what the latest-greatest GPS data, field observations and long-term research reveals about migrational timing, pre- and post-winter equinox movement, hunting pressure, planted food sources, sanctuary, and shifting waterfowl distribution. We dig deep into what hunters ma...