Duck Season Somewhere

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 t...

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 p...

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...

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...

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 l...

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 F...

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 b...

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 beco...

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. Sea...

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 d...

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 Sauer...

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 Che...

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 ho...

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 m...

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...

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)?...

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...

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), Ram...

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? Ho...

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,...

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 Spanis...

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 h...

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-wi...

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...

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...