FowlWeather Podcast

FowlWeather MIGRATION ALERT…we do not report ducks that have already shown up, we predict migration and provide FowlWeather MIGRATION ALERTS. MIGRATION ALERTS before that migration has even happened. This week, we also cover photoperiod vs. weather duck migration, how ducks are not bucks, and so much more, plus, your only duck migration forecast available. All this week on the FowlWeather Podcast.

What will this fall and winter season bring? Will it be ducky? Or are we in another lull until January, find out today in the first of two Long-term Weather Severity Forecasts! DrMike digs deep into data that predicts or winter weather, that and your weekly duck migration forecast.

Nick Hoffard is the General Manager of The Barker Ranch. A world class 2,000+ acre duck hunting club located in West Richland in Washington State. Tasked with wetland and hunt management of the ranch, Nick brings a wealth of expertise to the discussion w DrMike, today on the FowlWeather Podcast. That and your duck migration forecast, all today on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Public lands duck hunter, call maker, competition caller, and host of the Off The X podcast, we are joined by Forrest Carvajal. Learn what it takes to fool the ducks, but mostly, we talk ducks, duck hunting, and being positive about all that is duck country. That and your duck migration forecast, all this week on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Ducks don’t sit still and neither should you, do you need to chase them to the ends of the Earth?, goodness no, but when the time in right, strike and do it with strategy, do it with precision, do it the FowlWeather Podcast way. Hunt the ducks, hot from the north. But also sit some days out because fighting every day makes no sense, fight when the fight is right. That, your migration forecast, com...

The long awaited first duck migration forecast of the season, we also recap the Weather Severity Index and why it works so well, plus crop harvest is in full swing, will the dry continue in the east?, and some secrets to finding the duck honey hole, all today on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Today we cover “Use what you shoot 101”, the hurricane season meltdown, an October duck weather forecast, busy, busy episode; nearly on the eve of the 1st of October Orion greets us and the dawn, winter is on its way. We tackle it all head-on in an age when waterfowl should be respected, revered, and honored more than ever. Join us, for thoughts on duck country USA, and respect for all the ole hen...

Released on the first day of Fall, hints of Fall weather in the air and, in this episode, DrMike breaks down the migration, harvest numbers across the country, keeping faith in duck hunting, and a high-pressure system dubbed The Death Ridge. Hurricane season remains quiet, teal seasons are here, but numbers are down for many, how are folks fairing across the country for teal. All today on the Fowl...

It is Duck Season Somewhere. We are joined by Ramsey Russell. Quickly becoming a story telling legend. We dive deep with Ramsey about his beginnings, his take on the status of duck hunting in North America, and what’s his next adventure. We cover the culture of duck hunting, 3 pintail limit, are ducks doomed?, has the migration changed?, and what happens if we go to a 30-day season?. Join us for a...

Jacks Reef isn’t even an incorporated township, sitting along an old section of the Seneca River, now cut off by an addition to the Erie Canal and sitting in swamp country, USA, Jacks Reef is a long-gone entity from times past when mule drawn barges and brothels were the theme of the day. Nowadays, DrMike calls Jacks Reef home, in this episode DrMike takes on the critics, those calling him out for...

The Waterfowl Status Report is out; later than normal but still in time for the flyway meetings. Did the FowlWeather Podcast predict it correctly?, was the Mallard BPOP estimate down 10%? and May Pond by another 15% this year? In this BONUS episode DrMike breaks down the BPOP. Are we in a restrictive season in the MS flyway for 2026? Did the eastern Mallard population stay high enough for a 4 mall...

Harvest doesn’t matter, but it does. DrMike explains why harvest doesn’t matter, but also how it can and does for some species. 10 things you can do to save the ducks. We respond to your hate mail. We reflect on the past 2 years of the FowlWeather Podcast. We compare and contrast the North American and Europeans models of waterfowl conservation and hunting, plus a big announcement from the Beckman...

Read em’ and Weep – Facts Matter. The FowlWeather Podcast: The forecast to your next successful hunt!  What does the duck season for Fall and Winter 2025-2026 have in store for us? Will the ducks arrive on schedule like the good ole’ days or will it be another year of swatting mosquitoes and empty skies. It is pretty early but there are some tell tale signs showing up in the atmosphere, so DrMike...

Chris Beckman is a dedicated call maker from Louisiana. His claim-to-fame is his unique designs in his flagship call, The Edison, and making the first adjustable cut-down duck call, The Groundbreaker. We meet w/ Chris to talk about the evolution of the cut down and how his advancements in duck call design make his calls, really, really, really sound like a duck.

We welcome Ethan Dittmer to The FowlWeather Podcast Young Waterfowl Professional Series. Ethan Dittmer is a PhD student at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln working with Dr. Mark Vrtiska, Dr. Jay VonBank, and Tom Bidrowski on the Southeast Kansas Mallard GPS Project. This research focuses on the wintering ecology of mallards in the region, specifically their use of public lands, sanctuary areas...

Now is the time my friends to check in on your wetlands, growing season check-ins are critically important for intervention. Water conditions have been challenging for many this year with flooding of woods and croplands throughout the southeast and rains forcing late-drawdowns in the upper Midwest and into the northeastern US. Now more than ever is the time to take the time for a growing season ch...

The misinformation machine is at it again and blurting out words from the many corners of the coffee shop. Blurting out words without even trying. In this episode we detail how reward banding really works and how those data are used, the legals on flooded corn, and we once again revisit the idea of calendar vs. weather migrators. It’s all so easy, but y’all keep the conspiracy train running, makin...

We welcome Dr. Matt Dyson to The FowlWeather Podcast Young Waterfowl Professional Series. Matt is currently a Research Scientist with the Institute of Waterfowl and Wetlands Research of Ducks Unlimited Canada where he evaluates the behavioural and demographic responses of waterfowl to landscape change to improve conservation delivery. Matt joined IWWR in 2021. Matt’s doctoral research investigated...

Adaptive Harvest Management or AHM for setting waterfowl harvest regulations was formalized in 1995. It not only provides an objective decision-making tool, but it also helps improve our understanding of drivers of duck populations by testing competing models through time. Listen in today as DrMike details how AHM changed the duckseason setting process, plus a prairie drought update, hurricane sea...

Dr. Jim Dubovsky joins the FowlWeather Podcast to detail changes in the federal frameworks through time. DrJim details the history and evolution of seasons setting frameworks.

We welcome Dr. Blake-Bradshaw (Abby) to The FowlWeather Podcast Young Waterfowl Professional Series. Abby is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Forbes Biological Station located in Havana, IL where she conducts applied research across a variety of topics to inform management decisions. Current projects include studying how waterfowl respond to spatial and temporal changes in hunting intensity...

We welcome Tim Maron to The FowlWeather Podcast Young Waterfowl Professional Series. Tim is a graduate of SUNY ESF where DrMike teaches and currently working with Winous Point Marsh Conservancy where he has assisted duck banding, duck blind brushing, various wetland and waterbird projects, and assisted as a punter during the hunting season. In the Fall, Tim will matriculate at The Ohio State Unive...

Most folks know the Clint Eastwood movie, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Well this is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in population trends among species of waterfowl through time. Why do some species populations do well (The Good), why do some species cycle so strongly (The Bad), and why did some species populations tank and then never recover (The Ugly). First and foremost, we live on an amazin...

We welcome Grant Rhodes to The FowlWeather Podcast Young Waterfowl Professional Series. Grant is in Dr. Kevin Ringelman's avian ecology lab at the University of California Davis working collaboratively with the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. His research is focused on using drone-based methods to better understand waterfowl brood abundance and duckling survival in relation to habitat characterist...

Breeding waterfowl surveys do not predict mid-winter and migration surveys. Non-breeding season surveys have very specific objectives. They should not be compared to breeding waterfowl survey numbers. DrMike details why the USFWS breeding waterfowl and mid-winter surveys are Apples and Oranges…they are not comparable. DrMike goes off again! “I don’t have ducks, but they predicted ducks”…TEARS. Boo...