Ducks Unlimited Podcast

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  On this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host Matt Harrison is joined by co-host Dr. Mike Brasher and special guest Seth Dortch. Seth shares his background and deep connection to Ducks Unlimited, highlighting the importance of wildlife conservation. With a career focused on marketi...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  On this episode of the DU podcast, hosts Jimbo Robinson and Tim Fehringer welcome university chapter volunteers for the summer leadership summit, Third Term. With over 300 students attending from 80 different colleges, the summit promises to be an exciting and engaging event. Tune in to h...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Host Dr. Jerad Henson is joined by co-hosts Katie Burke, Derek Christians, Dr. Mike Brasher, and Matt Harrison in the new studio. They welcome guest Rob Southwick from Southwick Associates to discuss what motivates people to hunt, sharing new research on hunter personas for R3 and other i...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Chuck Black, the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Competition winner and wildlife artist, joins the Ducks Unlimited podcast to discuss his busy year and upcoming events. Chuck talks about the competition, his duties, and the transition to selling prints after the first day of sales. Tune in to hea...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  With duckDNA season 1 now in the books, DU teams up with Ramsey Russell of It’s Duck Season Somewhere and Dr. Phil Lavretsky to review early scientific insights, odd ducks, and the overall excitement around the project. Co-hosts Dr. Mike Brasher and Dr. Jerad Henson visit with Ramsey and...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  In this second part of host Katie Burke's interview with carver Guy Taplin, we explore his fascination with past American decoy carvers and his understanding of the landscape and place where they worked. He delves into his experiences in America and the influence of key figures like Henry...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Today on the Ducks Unlimited podcast, Katie Burke is joined by special guest Guy Taplin from Essex, England, to discuss waterfowl carving and the unique landscape of Essex. Taplin describes his early life growing up in the countryside during and after World War II and how he first became...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  On this special episode, Dr. Mike Brasher and Dr. Scott Stephens break down the freshly released U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2024 Waterfowl Population Status report and important changes coming to hunters. Listen in to find out which species increased, where the major surprises were, a...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Host Chris Jennings is joined by DU magazine contributor John Pollmann to discuss a popular topic – freelancing the prairies. Pollmann’s experiences as a South Dakota resident provides a different perspective to freelancing and the pair discuss common tactics, including best practices to...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  As waterfowlers peer ahead to the approaching hunting season, botulism has become a headline in the West and state agencies have released results from their 2024 waterfowl breeding population surveys. Today’s conversation begins with Jeff McCreary, DU’s director of operations for the West...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  So, you want to hunt that field where there’s a big feed? Time to start knocking on doors. Host Chris Jennings is joined by John Pollmann, freelance contributor to Ducks Unlimited magazine and ducks.org, to talk about the best, and worst ways to ask for permission. The pair also discuss s...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Dr. Mike Brasher is joined by Dr. Jerad Henson and DU conservation communications coordinator, Nathan Ratchford, to provide the latest update on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention new rules for bringing dogs into the U.S. Also discussed is the status of USDA APHIS guidelines fo...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Host Chris Jennings is joined by John Pollmann, freelance contributor to Ducks Unlimited magazine and ducks.org , to talk about the excitement of opening day of waterfowl season and ways to avoid making simple mistakes. As opening day continues to creep closer, there are several tactics m...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  After overwhelming response, duckDNA has officially returned for year 2! On this episode, Dr. Mike Brasher and Dr. Jerad Henson share this exciting news and what you need to know about the upcoming season. Also discussed are the forthcoming release of the breeding population survey, what...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Host Chris Jennings is joined by Mike Stewart, owner of Wildrose Kennels to discuss retriever training during the peak of summer heat. The conversation leads to a discussion on summer training for dogs, touching on different locations and the importance of adjusting training routines base...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  PART 2: On this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host Katie Burke sits down with Joe and Donna Tonelli, avid hunters, collectors, and historians. Joe shares his early introduction to hunting through family traditions, while Donna's expertise in writing about decoys and ducks adds d...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  PART 1: On this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host Katie Burke sits down with Joe and Donna Tonelli, avid hunters, collectors, and historians. Joe shares his early introduction to hunting through family traditions, while Donna's expertise in writing about decoys and ducks adds d...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Host Chris Jennings is joined by Beau Brooks, digital marketing specialist for Higdon Outdoors, to talk about the highly popular whistle. Brooks specializes in calling ducks with a whistle. He explains his best practices calling teal, wood ducks, wigeon, pintails, and mallards. Listeners...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  After 4 years of extended drought, spring and summer rains finally provide relief to the US and Canadian prairies, but what does it mean for the fall flight? Dr. Scott Stephens joins co-hosts Chris Jennings and Dr. Mike Brasher for a mid-July update on breeding habitat conditions across t...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Much has been said about increasing prevalence of game-farm genes in mallard populations, but evidence has been scarce on whether these genes produce differences in behavior and demography…until now. Pivotal research by Dr. Ben Luukkonen reveals that game-farm hybrids differ from wild mal...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Great Lakes mallards are an important source of local harvest for hunters in the region, but their population has declined by nearly 60% since 1997. Recently completed research sponsored by Ducks Unlimited and a host of other partners provides insights into the potential causes. In the fi...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Happy Independence Day, everyone! You inspire us to innovate and improve. We cannot wait to share these exciting new chapters with you and continue our journey together in preserving our wetlands and waterfowl for generations to come. Please don't ever hesitate to reach out with questions...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Every 2 years, there is a transition at the top of DU’s volunteer leadership, as the membership approves a new President and the outgoing president takes the helm as Chairman of the Board. On this episode, DU’s new President, Bob Spoerl, joins Chairman of the Board, Chuck Smith, and podca...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  On this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, Dr. Jerad Henson hosts Dr. Mike Brasher, senior waterfowl scientist, and Dr. Ellen Herbert, senior scientist for Sustainability and Nature-Based Solutions. They dive into the value of wetlands, discussing the importance of wetlands for water...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Thanks to a newly approved pintail harvest strategy, waterfowl hunters in the Lower 48 may soon have the opportunity for a 3-pintail bag limit for the first time since 1997. In this June roundup, Chris Jennings and Dr. Mike Brasher provide updates on the new strategy and what it might mea...