Upduck Podcast

Wisconsin’s new waterfowl hunting framework is officially set for 2026–2030. Tyler sits down with Wisconsin DNR Game Bird Ecologist Taylor Finger to break down what duck and goose hunters need to know heading into the coming seasons. They cover the return of the Mississippi River Canada goose opener to the regular duck opener, what stayed the same across Wisconsin’s north, south, and open-water zo...

What does a Pheasants Forever wetland easement biologist actually do—and why should duck hunters, deer hunters, upland hunters, and conservation-minded landowners care? This week, Nate Fore of Pheasants Forever joins the Upduck Podcast to break down wetland and floodplain easements, private-land habitat restoration, and the partnership between Pheasants Forever, NRCS, Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin Wa...

Professional dog trainer Dan Ihrke of Gun Dog Success joins the Upduck Podcast to talk puppy training, Puppy Foundations, steadiness, positive reinforcement, pressure, and building a better gun dog. Dan breaks down common mistakes amateur trainers make with young retrievers, why success and confidence matter, and how to simplify training when things fall apart. He also explains who the Puppy Found...

Tyler and Matt sit down with Cade & Luke McBride, founders of ReedSpeed, a new oil and lubricant built for duck calls and shotgun actions. Cade shares how his background in the chemical industry helped him create a product designed specifically for duck hunters, after nearly two years of testing and development. The goal was simple: make a light oil that keeps a duck call running clean without cha...

Tyler sits down with Spencer Jost from the Wisconsin DNR to talk about the new Waterfowl Wednesdays series and the upcoming free Intro to Waterfowl Calling Workshop. Spencer breaks down what hunters can expect from the June 10 calling class, including beginner-friendly instruction on duck calls, goose calls, basic cadence, calling technique, and the purpose behind different waterfowl sounds. The c...

Jeff is stepping away from being a weekly voice on the Upduck Podcast, but he is not going far. In this episode, Tyler and Jeff sit down for a short, honest conversation about Jeff’s decision to take a breather from the podcast as Shot Shell Hunting Systems continues to grow. After a big showing at the Open Season Expo and a wave of orders for his turkey rigs, Jeff has been spending late nights bu...

we sit down with Dean Johnson of The Tailgate Foodie to talk wild game cooking, food science, content creation, and how a Wisconsin ICU nurse turned a side hobby into a full-time business. Dean shares the unlikely story behind starting The Tailgate Foodie, how social media changed the direction of his business, and why creating seasoning blends for venison, duck, turkey, and other wild game became...

Tyler sits down with George Ermert, board member and policy chair of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, to break down what just happened with Wisconsin's Sandhill Crane hunt bill. The bill passed the State Assembly before stalling in the Senate. George explains the science behind a responsible Sandhill Crane hunt, the Eastern population numbers, USDA depredation tags, the coalition pushing this...

Scott Stipetich, Senior Precision Ag and Conservation Specialist for Pheasants Forever in Wisconsin, joins Tyler and Matt to unpack how yield and profitability data are reshaping habitat conservation on working farms. We dig into identifying marginal cropland, converting unprofitable acres into prairie strips, pollinator plantings, and wetland restoration, and why wider habitat corridors mean bett...

A major piece of legislation could have serious consequences for hunters, gun dog owners, and the future of dog training. In this episode of the Upduck Podcast, Tyler is joined by Chris Ingram of the United Kennel Club (UKC) to break down the controversial Greyhound Protection Act and its inclusion in the Farm Bill. While intended to target commercial greyhound racing, the bill’s broad language ma...

In this episode of the Upduck Podcast, we sit down with Bill Kehoe—President of Badger State HRC—to dive deep into the world of hunting retriever clubs, gun dog training, and the community behind it all. Bill shares his journey from getting his first Labrador Retriever to helping build one of Wisconsin’s HRC clubs, along with lessons learned from decades of training, hunting, and competing with re...

What happens when a luxury watch entrepreneur from New Jersey goes on his first duck hunt in Louisiana and immediately gets hooked? In this episode of the Upduck Podcast, the guys sit down with Christian of Theo & Harris to talk about his rapid-fire introduction to hunting, the culture shock of stepping into the outdoors, and why the experience hit deeper than he ever expected. They cover adult-on...

This week on the Upduck Podcast, we sit down with dog trainer, behavioral specialist, and hunter Sami Strutz to break down what really goes into building a great hunting dog. From common puppy mistakes to handler habits that quietly ruin dogs, Sami shares practical, real-world advice on training, behavior, and creating a dog that performs in the field and fits in the home. We dive into: The bigges...

This week on the Upduck Podcast, we sit down with Eric Forrester of Ghost Point Wirehairs to talk German Wirehaired Pointers, breeding and training bird dogs, NSTRA field trials, and the adventure of traveling out West to chase upland birds. From building a kennel to DIY bird hunting in big country, this episode is packed with bird dog insight, hunting stories, and practical advice for upland hunt...

Wisconsin waterfowl hunters—your window to speak up is open. We break down the Wisconsin DNR public input period for the 2026–2030 duck and goose season framework, how to submit the survey, and why more than “Facebook complaining” matters. We also hit the latest on a potential Wisconsin Sandhill crane hunt, the urgency around Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funding, and why the holiday goose hunt timin...

We’re joined by Alec Bekkers, Chair of the Wisconsin chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), for a wide-ranging conversation on what’s really happening with public land hunting. Alec shares how he got into hunting as an adult, why public land flipped a switch for him, and what BHA is doing to protect and expand access. We get into conservation vs preservation, why public land feels more cr...

No Jeff this week (stomach bug took him out), so Matt and Tyler hold down the mic with two guests who live at the intersection of service, dogs, and the outdoors: Brian Rollison (active duty Army armor officer) and Reid Parrish (Iraq & Afghanistan vet, full-time guide) from Hero to the Line. Hero to the Line is a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a simple mission and a massive impact: donate we...

This week on the Upduck Podcast, it’s a two-man show (no Matt) and we’re joined by Chris “The Hunting Traveler” Midgette for a wide-ranging conversation that hits hunting, travel, and gun dogs from every angle. Chris shares how years of living in airports and hotels shaped his handle, how moving from Virginia to Michigan opened up new hunting opportunities, and why sometimes the best reset is gett...

The Upduck crew is back with a full recap of Oklahoma Round Two—our second trip south chasing late-season ducks with RedBeards Waterfowl Outfitters. This year looked a lot different than last: warm temps, stale birds, teal chaos, ringneck action, and the kind of hunts that remind you why nothing in waterfowl is guaranteed. We break down all three hunts—from a ringer-loaded opener to a blink-and-yo...

n this episode of the UpDuck Podcast, we sit down with Mike Hagerty, better known online as Outdoors_Dad_Life, for an honest and deeply relatable conversation about raising kids in the outdoors — and what it really means to hunt with family. Mike shares his journey from growing up deer hunting in North Carolina, to serving 29 years in the U.S. Army, to now raising seven kids who hunt, fish, and li...

In this special short-form episode of the UpDuck Podcast, Tyler sits down with two guests for a raw, timely conversation about Wisconsin pheasant hunting, public land pressure, and the reality of DNR stocking. After heading out for a mid-week hunt, guest John Anderson witnesses something many hunters have only heard rumors about: vehicles actively following a DNR pheasant stocking truck and hunter...

Duck season is officially in the rearview mirror, and the boys sit down for an honest, no-guest season recap. From a frustrating early teal season and stagnant weather to late-season lockups, frozen fingers, and a few bright-spot hunts worth remembering, this episode covers it all. Jeff, Matt, and Tyler break down what they learned, what they’d do differently next year, biggest regrets, gear wins...

The final Migration Report of 2025 is here. With most of Wisconsin frozen out, access was everything. Tyler breaks down end-of-season bird movement in the Southeast and Southwest regions, recaps the North Zone closure, and highlights where hunters still found success on ducks and geese despite brutal conditions. We also cover the upcoming late Canada goose hunt in the Southern and Mississippi Rive...

Jeff and Tyler hold down the fort while Matt’s on the road, and this week they sit down with Phillip Jones of GAIM Virtual Shooting, the VR-powered shooting simulator that’s reshaping how hunters train, practice, and prepare for the field. Phillip walks through his wild journey—from growing up in the UK on traditional driven pheasant hunts, to serving in the British military, to moving to the U.S....

In this episode of the Migration Report, Tyler breaks down fresh updates from across Wisconsin as cold temps, snow, and rapid freeze-up reshape the waterfowl landscape. We cover real-time reports from the Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast regions — including diver activity on Green Bay, the end of the North Zone duck season, late-season honker patterns, and how fast-changing ice condi...