Ducks Unlimited Podcast

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Join host Dr. Mike Brasher and guest Cason Short, owner/operator of the Bill Byers Hunter Club, for a recap of an early season white-fronted goose hunt recently featured on DU TV. Hear in-depth accounts of how the hunts unfolded, adaptations made to ensure quality footage, and perspective...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Dr. Richard Webby, faculty member at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and global expert on influenza viruses, joins Drs. Mike Brasher, Karen Waldrop, and DU staff for a look back on the 2022 Avian Flu outbreak. In this science-heavy episode we ask where it came from, is it here to sta...

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 Rusty Creasey, manager of the Coca Cola Club in northeast Arkansas. Creasey has been managing the Coca Cola Club for 20 years and brings a wealth of habitat management knowledge to the discussion. From beaver dams to snakes, planting rice crops in the wood...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Sarah Fleming, DU’s Director of Conservation Programs for the Northeastern U.S., gives an update on habitats in eastern North America, including the Great Lakes, eastern Canada, and northeastern U.S. Conditions were mostly fair to good as the breeding season got underway, but drought has...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Effective waterfowl habitat is often made, not born. On this DU Podcast, Texas’ Thunderbird Hunting Club manager Todd Steele takes you inside the world of moist soil wetlands management. He tells his secrets for attracting ducks and keeping them happy throughout the season.   www.ducks.or...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  In this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host Katie Burke is joined by wildlife artist Joe Hautman. They discuss Joe's impressive six-time winning streak at the federal duck stamp competition. They also delve into Joe's love for the outdoors and how his upbringing in Minnesota, inf...

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, repeat guest John Stevens discusses Callapalooza, an event that celebrates the art of duck and goose calling. Stevens, a three-time world duck-calling champion , talks about the hard work that goes into organizing the event and making it a f...

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 Linda Powell, director of media relations for Mossberg. The pair talk about Powell’s 27-year career in media relations in the outdoor industry. Powell offers guidance for anyone wanting to work in the outdoor/gun industry and how she prioritizes relationsh...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  On this episode of Ducks Unlimited podcast, host Katie Burke interviews Master Carver Jerry Talton. In this interview, Talton talks about how he got interested in carving decoys and shares his experience of growing up in the outdoors and his introduction to hunting and fishing. Growing up...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Brad Bortner, retired Chief of the Division of Migratory Bird Management for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, joins the podcast to discuss his 38-year career in wildlife conservation and provide advice to those interested in pursuing a similar path. Bortner shares his experiences and c...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  In this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host John Gordon welcomes guests Chase Gartner, the owner-operator of Nomad Outfitters and Kristian Lilley, of Aberdeen Wild Wings from Scotland. The conversation centers around snow goose hunting in the Arkansas Delta, with the guests shari...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  In this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host Katie Burke interviews author Steve Knutson about his book " Minnesota Duck Camps: 160 Years of History and Tradition ". Knutson shares his background in duck hunting and how he got into the outdoors and waterfowl as a child growing up...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Host Dr. Mike Brasher discusses the important role of auctioneers for Ducks Unlimited. They are joined by Junior Staggs, an auctioneer and instructor at Auctioneer University, who shares his story of overcoming stage fright to become an auctioneer. DU's Director of Event Marketing and Fie...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Host Dr. Mike Brasher is joined by Brian Hepworth, Director of Operations for the Prairie and Boreal, Ducks Unlimited Canada, as well Dr. Fritz Reid (retired), to discuss breeding habitat conditions in Prairie Canada, Boreal, California, and other duck-producing regions in the Pacific Fly...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  The DU Podcast visits with Dr. Brian Davis, Mississippi State University, and Dr. Phil Lavretsky, University of Texas El Paso, to discuss the latest discoveries in duck genetics and how these are changing our traditional view of mallard populations. New research shows westward expansion o...

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 Jim Ronquest, vice president of development for Drake Waterfowl, to chat about exciting new gear for duck and goose hunters from Drake. Ronquest touches on his duck season last year, the rumor mill of duck production, and the two chat about some changes in...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Gigi Hopkins is the author of Massachusetts Masterpieces: The Decoy as Art and a guest on the Ducks Unlimited podcast. She grew up in a family of birders and hunters in Dover, Massachusetts. Through Philip de Normandy, she was introduced to the world of decoys. Gigi is now a respected res...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  In this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host John Gordon interviews Doug Pike about the Houston waterfowling culture. Throughout the podcast, Doug shares stories of hunting the East and West sides of Houston, dives into the people and places of the region, and tells the story of h...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Dr. Scott Stephens, DU Canada, makes his return to the DU Podcast as he and host Dr. Mike Brasher discuss habitat conditions and duck observations across the Prairies. After a late spring, ducks are breeding, surveys are underway, and habitat conditions are trending in the right direction...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Kyle Spragens of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife joins the podcast for a look back on the 2022-23 season in the Pacific Northwest and a wide-ranging discussion about the hidden gems that Washington offers to waterfowl hunters. Items discussed include drought, 2022 duck producti...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Hosts Chris Jennings and Dr. Mike Brasher are joined by Jay Anglin, who covers the Great Lakes Region throughout the waterfowl season for DU’s highly popular Migration Alerts. Anglin details Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio hunting and habitat conditions as the...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Hosts Dr. Mike Brasher and Chris Jennings are joined by Dr. Heath Hagy, waterfowl ecologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for a deep dive into how this waterfowl season shaped up for Mississippi and Central Flyway hunters. The trio discuss the timeline of events from spring bree...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  Hunting seasons are winding down, ducks and geese are gearing up for breeding, and it’s never too early to think about prairie habitat conditions. Dr. Scott Stephens joins the show in glorious fashion to share insights on late winter snowpack, prairie moisture, and what needs to happen to...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  In recent weeks, avian flu has received increasing media coverage as new infections have been documented in mammals. Following from conversations with wildlife disease experts, observations from waterfowl managers, and new data from the field, this episode provides the latest on our under...

JOIN US AT THE 2026 DUCKS UNLIMITED EXPO! July 31 - August 2 at the RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER in Memphis, TN  We’ve all heard the stories or experienced it ourselves…bright moonlit nights affecting duck behaviors and making for tough hunting the next day. But what does science tell us about this phenomenon? Do ducks really move more during bright nights and less the next day? Starla Phelps, gradu...