Save it for the Blind Podcast

California Waterfowl CEO Jake Messerli and VP of Advocacy Mark Hennelly provide the latest update on one of the most critical waterfowl habitats in California – Klamath. While the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge benefited from significant water deliveries organized by CWA and its partners, the refuge faces a dry year ahead. Jake and Mark outline the makings of a long-term solution, includin...

Mallard nesting at Grizzly Island, the story about CWA’s first biologist, and how research, banding, fundraising, and education all took shape Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Dr. Bob McLandress —past CWA president and one of the key figures in the organization’s early growth—for a look back at how California Waterfowl found its footing. Bob traces his path from Canada and Ducks Unlimit...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Chance Wadsworth , owner of Quill Creek Championship Calls , to talk goose calling from the inside out—how a chemistry background helped him design the Mach One , why he refuses to sell a call he hasn’t proven at a high level, and how contest calling sharpened the way he hunts real birds in Wisconsin. The conversation covers mentors, stage nerves, field...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Cory Overton for a data-driven look at what really happened during this season’s migration. Instead of relying on blind chatter and guesswork, Cory breaks down what tagged birds actually showed—how prolonged fog affected movement, why a warm winter kept birds north longer than usual, and how some California-marked ducks are spending more time in places l...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard wrap the season with a clean, property-by-property breakdown—January numbers, year-over-year changes, species quirks, and the big themes (fog, late rains, road work, king tides) that moved the needle across CWA hunts. Expect straight talk on mallards and pintail, why Staten keeps trending up, and how Goose Lake quietly turned in one of its best mixed-bag years. Januar...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Craig Wilson , owner of River Oaks Outdoors and a Senior World Duck Calling Champion to trace his path from SoCal refuge rat (Wister/Kern) to Idaho mallard country, and what that journey taught him about scouting, pressure, and staying calm on stage. Craig breaks down how to practice with purpose, the real differences between Main Street contests and mea...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard welcome Eben Herbert from the New Zealand Hunter Exchange to compare notes on waterfowling half a world apart—what shocked him about the Suisun Marsh , why California’s public access and species variety feel endless, and how late-season calling here differs from New Zealand’s “call hard, break ’em from the sky” approach. We hit rice country pits (illegal back home), f...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard welcome Cory Overton , California Waterfowl’s new Science Director , for a clear, field-level look at how modern telemetry is rewriting what we know about duck movements—and how that science feeds better habitat work and smarter regs. From the original PINSAT satellite project to today’s GPS/cellular tags and emerging smart bands , Cory explains what the data actually...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Dwight Jones , founder of Closaway Outfitters (Uruguay) and CEO of Okmulgee Fields Inc., to unpack a boutique, American-run operation built for wild birds, predictable shoots, and no-surprises pricing. From why shore blinds mean no waders , to how legal baiting and lead shape reliable duck hunts, to the perdiz over dogs that steal the show—this is a clea...

Carson Odegard sits down with Jeff Smith to break down December’s numbers across California Waterfowl properties—what got better, what got buried under water, and how long tule fog and rolling storms shifted bird behavior. From Staten Island’s goose grind to surprise surges at Potrero Hills and Goose Lake , this is your clear, no-spin field report. By the numbers (December): Staten Island — 3.44 b...

Merry Christmas! This episode drops right before the holiday—here’s to safe hunts, full straps, and time with your crew and family. Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard dig into listener questions—from “what time do you pack it in?” to the weather that really moves birds, why consistency (choke + ammo) beats tinkering, and how to tweak spreads when wind, fog, or pressure make ducks stubborn. They also hi...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Alex Keil , president of DEMERBOX , to unpack how a garage-built, Pelican-case speaker turned into a made-in-USA workhorse for hunters and outdoor crews. From Zac Brown’s early buy-in to today’s South Florida build shop, Alex walks through durability tests (yes, trucks and shotguns), smart features like USB-C/A charging , true ported sound with a waterpr...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Mark Regalbuto , CEO of MIGRA Ammunition , for a straight-shooting talk on California waterfowling and the nuts and bolts of building precision shotshells. They cover why California is richer duck country than most folks realize—ocean to marsh to rice—and how public-land access shapes the hunt. They also dig into navigating California ammo regulations, C...

Carson Odegard (fresh off dad duty) and Jeff Smith run a quick, no-nonsense update on how November hunts went across CWA properties—and what’s opening up for December. From Staten Island’s lights-out start to new rice blinds coming online (including veteran blinds ), this one’s your fast guide to where birds are working and how to grab a spot. What you’ll hear Carson’s back and lining up winter hu...

This week, Jeff sits down with Kevin Azzopardi and Jason Cline of Pardi Calls (Yuba City, CA) to trace how a family machine shop that built industrial turbocharger parts turned its precision tools toward duck and goose calls. Kevin and Jason break down the design choices that make their calls easy to run—and easy to maintain—plus what’s next from the shop. What’s inside Machine-shop roots → call-m...

Jeff sits down with Mike Cole —CWA Gold Benefactor, rice grower, lifelong duck hunter, and serious decoy collector—for a grounded, from-the-bootstraps story of how passion turns into habitat, community, and a legacy worth passing on. From carving lessons after school to developing clubs in the Butte Sink, Mike maps the moves, mistakes, and mileposts that shaped his waterfowl life—plus why he and h...

Jeff Smith checks in with three boots-on-the-ground voices to break down how California’s opener really went—and what to expect as November weather finally shows up. Guests include Garrett Spann (Manager, Yolo Wildlife Area ), Derek Seweck (Wildlife Habitat Manager, Upper Butte Basin ), and Orlando Rocha (Environmental Scientist, Grizzly Island Wildlife Area ). What you’ll hear Opener by the numbe...

Jeff sits down with Brian Huber and Jason Coslovich to unpack this summer’s banding push and preseason pintail work—what changed with more water on the landscape, how night-lighting in the Klamath Basin actually happens, and why your band reports keep California’s harvest models honest. What’s inside Sac Valley bounce-back: swim-in traps, summer water, and a strong run of molting mallards and wood...

Jeff sits down with a panel of California wildlife refuge managers to lay out what hunters can expect this season—water deliveries, flood-up timelines, food on the landscape, and how weather and pressure will shape bird movement from the opener through the late split. What you’ll hear Water & habitat status across key refuges: unit-by-unit flood-ups, moist-soil production, and sanctuary plans...

Director of Fundraising Jason Minsky joins Jeff Smith to break down how California Waterfowl keeps the lights on and the wetlands wet—banquets, sweepstakes, merch, and a statewide volunteer network that turns passion into real habitat, hunter access, and youth programs. From the 80th-anniversary celebrations to new “bingo + Let’s Make a Deal” nights, this one is a clear map for anyone who wants to...

Waterfowl historian Yancey Forest-Knowles closes the series with a tour of California’s fog belt and beyond— Humboldt Bay , the lagoons north and south of Crescent City, Laguna de Santa Rosa , and the Central Coast from Elkhorn Slough to Morro Bay. We trace how tides, eelgrass, railroads, and reclamation shaped these marshes—and what that means for today’s hunters. Episode highlights North Coast p...

Carson and Jeff sit down with John Veon (UC Davis PhD candidate, wetlands & waterfowl) and Andy Atkinson (manager, Bird Haven Ranch) to unpack a five-year experiment in integrated wetland management —using swales, shorter irrigations, and year-round connectivity to cut mosquito production while boosting macroinvertebrates and duck use. What you’ll learn Why the Valley needs a reset: California...

We’re celebrating 100 episodes of Save it for the Blind with a friendly, fast-paced trivia throwdown. Our hosts Jeff Smith & Carson Odegard welcome a stacked CWA panel— Brian Huber (Wood Duck Program Coordinator & Waterfowl Biologist), Jason Coslovich (Egg Salvage Program Coordinator & Waterfowl Biologist), and Kevin Vella (Regional Biologist & Land Trust Coordinator)—to test what...

Karl Gunzer , Director of Purina’s Sporting Dog Group, joins Jeff and Carson to trace his path from Montana duck hunter to California trainer to industry leader—and to lay out clear, field-tested basics for keeping a retriever healthy, steady, and ready for season. We also talk California’s under-appreciated waterfowl culture and public access opportunities that still produce strong hunts. Episode...

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with waterfowl historian Yancey Forest-Knowles to unpack the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta—its island clubs, levees and tides, and the public access that still lets you chase mallards and specks on big water today. What you’ll hear How the Delta was built — from early private island claims and hand-built levees to today’s twin pressures of saltwater intrusion...