Midwest Flyways Podcast

There was a time when hunting required no permission. If you could reach the marsh, you could hunt it. In this episode, we explore how that changed—and why.   As waterfowl populations collapsed in the late 1800s, states began asking a new question: who owns the wildlife? What followed was the birth of the hunting license—an idea that sparked resistance, challenged tradition, and reshaped the futur...

This week on Sports Guyz Only, the law offices of Kolles and Kolles are officially open. Gavin fights tooth and nail to make the Kaprizov contract make sense. Nathaniel sits back and enjoys the show while Carter adds fuel to the fire.   We also discuss the change baseball has seen with the pitch clock. Is it changing the way the game is played for the better? We’re seeing a whole new era in pitchi...

In this episode, Cal, Joey, and Carter dive deep into waterfowl culture, breaking down the truth about goose calls, why gear matters (and when it doesn’t), and how different regions shape the way hunters hunt.   But this one goes way beyond hunting. The guys get real about chasing passions, building Midwest Flyways over the past decade, and what it actually takes to balance family, work, and an ob...

The guyz are back—well, mostly. With Cal out, Nathaniel, Gavin and Carter dive into a packed week in sports. From the Minnesota Wild battling the Dallas Stars in a gritty playoff series to heated debates about physicality, dirty play, and whether fighting still belongs in hockey.   They also break down the growing frustration with NBA officiating, foul-baiting, and how it’s impacting the flow of t...

This week Joey Vassallo and Cal Ness are joined by our friend, Logan Webster. Earlier this year, Logan was invited to hunt a very special and unknown spot in the gulf and he tells us all about his experience. This is the type of place you can really only dream about and hearing a first hand account of all the little details that go into making a truly one of a kind hunting experience. Above all, h...

In this Ten Minute Tuesday History Lesson episode, Cal traces the full evolution of the shotgun and how it shaped waterfowl hunting from the earliest days of market hunting to today.   We start in the pre-1800s era of flintlock muskets, smoothbores, and punt guns—when ducks were harvested for survival and commerce, not sport. From there, we move into the birth of the true shotgun in Europe with ea...

This week on Sports Guyz Only, we’re lucky to be joined in studio by our good buddy Logan Webster. Logan spent 4 and a half years photographing all sorts of sporting events and media happenings from press conferences to football, basketball and you name it for the University of Arkansas. He got a good look at the grind that is collegiate athletics across the board. We hear all about his experience...

This week on the Midwest Flyways Podcast, Joey Vassallo and Cal Ness break down one of the biggest waterfowl conversations Minnesota has seen in years: the Minnesota Duck Summit.   Held in Nicollet near Swan Lake, the summit brought together more than 300 hunters, conservationists, biologists, and agency officials to ask a simple question: where have all the ducks gone? Joey and Cal dive into the...

We wanted to give you guys all a small example of what we’re doing and talking about on Flyways Hunt Club every week! What we’ve learned a month into Flyways Hunt Club is that there is still a passionate community of waterfowl hunters that are eager to learn, grow, and connect with other hunters! We’ve seen people exchanging buddy hunts, talking about specific hunting questions, and sharing their...

Joey Vassallo and Cal Ness are back this week with a Ten Minute Tuesday that was brought to us by one of our listeners! They asked: what was your top a-ha moment as a waterfowl hunter? Joey and Cal break down a couple of things each that stand out to them as significant moments where they learned something that really shifted their thinking about duck and goose hunting and how to be more successfu...

An explosive episode unfolds as Gavin wages war over NBA defensive ratings with Cal, Carter, Luka and Ant all caught in the crossfire. We recap March Madness and we all come to terms with the fact that Cal, our college basketball expert, actually might have known a thing or two about college basketball. Carter stays busy double checking everyone’s wild claims and statistics and some don’t like the...

Well, well, well the wild man returns. Derek Helms, Adventure guide extraordinaire sits down with Joey to catch up about life, ducks, and new adventures. Derek has always been a visionary and his newest gig is something he cooked up in a crazy way. Joey and Derek also weigh in a little bit about the duck summit in MN and what could come of that. Never miss a Derek Helms episode, they are always go...

Why did pintail limits drop… even when hunters were still seeing birds?   In this Midwest Flyways history episode, we break down one of the most debated topics in duck hunting history — the rise, fall, and ongoing management of the northern pintail. From booming populations in the 1950s to sharp declines in the 1960s and 70s, this episode dives deep into the moment when hunters and biologists coll...

We recorded this episode on April Fools, and the guys kick things off the right way—by having a little fun at Nathaniel’s expense.   The episode opens with a classic setup, baiting Gavin into a passionate rant about LeBron James. Just when he’s fully bought in, the conversation flips back on him—drawing some interesting comparisons to his recent big bets. Let’s just say, not everyone saw where thi...

The times they are a-changin’. At least they are in Saskatchewan for non resident duck hunters. We discuss the new regulations on American hunters and why it’s happening. In the midst of this, Joey and Cal also have the MN Duck Summit and they prep for their hopes at that and what it could bring forth. Thanks so much for listening and be sure to subscribe and review!   Join Flyways Hunt Club and g...

In this MWF History Lesson, we dive into the evolution of duck decoys—from the earliest hand-carved wooden blocks to today’s mass-produced plastics—and how each phase changed the way hunters approach the game. What started as simple tools rooted in Indigenous tradition grew into a craft, an industry, and eventually a collector’s market worth millions.   We break down the golden age of carving, hig...

We are all back in studio and Nathaniel rejoins coming off a poolside week in Vegas (for work) watching March Madness on the mega screens. It turns out Cal, our resident college basketball expert is fired, effective immediately. We relive the first weekend of tournament basketball and talk Big Ten DOMINANCE with 6 teams making the Sweet 16! Carter won’t stop talking about the 100 leg parlay that S...

This week we talk about a bunch of different topics including a conversation about Eiders becoming lost at seas during storms and ending up taking refuge on passing ships. We also talk snow goose season and when that itch starts to set in during the off season. We round things out with a close race to the top of the Say What?! Leaderboard. Thanks so much for listening and be sure to subscribe and...

This week on Ten Minute Tuesday, we dive into the history of waterfowl banding and how it transformed conservation in North America. From early pioneers like Jack Miner to the millions of ducks banded over the past century, these little bands have revealed the true story of migration, survival, and harvest. Banding turned guesswork into data—mapping flyways, shaping hunting regulations, and helpin...

Well, well, well. Carter gets his biggest dream to come true by bringing Kyler Murray to the Minnesota Vikings. Gavin is in agony and we review where this leaves the Vikings and the state of the NFC North. We also talk some our other favorite resolutions and then we break down our favorite upsets and games for the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. March Madness is officially here! Thanks so much f...

For the last few months we’ve been busy planning and working on the next adventure for Midwest Flyways, and we’re so pumped to share that the Flyways Hunt Club is now live on Whop. Our new platform will have exclusive giveaways, access to The Vault, live weekly podcasts, discounts on merch, calling lessons and more. Support us by clicking the link above! We also talk snow goose season and play Say...

Reminder, the Flyways Hunt Club is live now and you can join at the link here! Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club   This week for Ten Minute Tuesday, we’re back with another one of Cal’s history lessons. This time, we’ll be going through the lead shot ban and how that change took place over a few years. After decades of having become accustom to shooting lead and relyin...

What a weird NFL world we live in now, where teams make deals before deals are able to be made and then back out of those deals before you can blink. This week the boyz are in studio talking the Maxx Crosby situation and how shady the Ravens were through the trade process. This is also one of the craziest times of the year in the NFL as players and relocating and taking their talents to new cities...

Well, we’ve been working on something for a while now and it’s time we fill you guys in. We’ve been so grateful to be able to share our waterfowl journey with all of you and we suppose it’s time we shake things up. We discuss what is coming next for us after a decade of Midwest Flyways and how you can be a part of our journey going forward. We also discuss a plan for getting people into waterfowl...

This week for Ten Minute Tuesday we play Say What?! With Gavin and Nathaniel, who some of you may know from Spirts Guyz Only. Carter throws out some wild scenarios, including a crazy story about a ringneck in Tallahassee. Probably the “coolest” ringneck ever. We try our best to figure out what kind of sick game he’s playing. Are you guys any better than we are at this? Thanks for listening and be...