FowlWeather Podcast

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, comment on hunting success/or not, public lands biologist apathy for duck hunting, the northeast drought continues, the corn comment continues, all that and more, to...

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 mallards out there…all today on the FowlWeather Podcast.

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 FowlWeather Podcast.

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 fun, fact-filled episode of the FowlWeather Podcast.

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 being a NY kid. In this fun, packed, story telling episode, we also further dissect the BPOP survey and AHM reports along with a tropical update, all today...

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 mallard bag per day for 2026 in the Atlantic Flyway? Find out today in this important BONUS, BREAKING NEWS episode of the FowlWeather Podcast.  

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 Game Calls – FowlWeather Podcast collaboration. Hint – it involves duck calls – all today, on the FowlWeather Podcast.

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 sticks his neck out again to let us know what weather factors we should consider for our 25/26 duck season.

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, and various landcover types, as well as their broader movement patterns within and beyond Southeast Kansas. Ethan pursued a career in waterfowl research driven by his passion for duck hunting on public land and is committed to conducting...

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 check-in for problem plants and infrastructure issues. DrMike gives a priority checklist for your wetland and upcoming season, all this week on the FowlWeather Podcast.

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, making it all so much more difficult than it should be. A taste about how duck population models works and we also hit on the first hints of a La Nina...

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 the nesting ecology of ducks in the boreal forest and his Masters work was on the nesting and brood ecology of wood ducks in southern Ontario. Matt’s current research continues to advance our understanding of ducks through the evaluation and testing of m...

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 season, and more.

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 and evaluating temporal patterns in calling behavior of the federally listed Eastern black rail to inform future monitoring efforts for this cryptic wetland species. Abbycompleted her PhD at Tennessee Tech in Dr. Brad Cohen’s lab where she studied the influence of sanctuary disturbance, weat...

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 University under the guidance of Dr. Bob Gates. A passionate waterfowler and all around outdoorsman, Tim is excited to work with ground and aerial waterfowl survey data to see how well it corresponds with eBird data...

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 amazing continent with a diversity of waterfowl species to pursue, harvest, and eat. From Canada to the US, and into Central America and beyond, our waterfowl are a c...

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 characteristics and management actions in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region. Grant has extensive experience flying drones to survey waterfowl and waterbirds and is passionate about using drone-based methods to improve our survey designs and ultimately our conservation efforts.

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. BooHoo……NOoooo, JUST, NO!. Nobody predicted ducks in front of your blind. Just get out and hunt ducks when the weather is right, just get out and hunt when The FowlWeather Podcast predicts fresh ducks. Learn more about the purpose of migration and mid-winter...

We welcome Cory Highway to The FowlWeather Podcast Young Waterfowl Professional Series. Cory Highway is a Ph.D. student at Tennessee Tech University, working under the guidance of Dr. Bradley Cohen. His research centers on the ecology of wintering mallards in western Tennessee, with a particular focus on enhancing landscape connectivity for wintering waterfowl. A dedicated outdoorsman, Cory is passionate about conducting applied research that supports effective wetland and waterfowl conservation efforts.

Among the absolute cornerstones of waterfowl conservation and management is banding data. While recovery rates of bands on passerines like chickadees might be 2% at best, because waterfowl are harvested species, we have an abundance of recovery data to use in population modeling for tracking migration. Why is banding data so vital to waterfowl management in North America? Find out today on The FowlWeather Podcast. 

We welcome Hannah Sabatier, Hannah is our first Canadian born guest on the Young Waterfowl Professionals Series, hailing from Manitoba, she has been working on the prairie since 2018, but new to working with breeding waterfowl for the past 3 years.Hannah just completed her MS degree at UW Steven’s Point w Dr. Ben Sedinger on drone detection of waterfowl, and will be headed to work with Dr. Mitch Weegman at the U of Saskatchewan next. The recipient of the Sandi and Dave Ankney Scholarship administered through Delta Waterfowl Foundation and also the outstanding graduate student award at UW Stevens Point this

How does the USFWS and Canadian Wildlife Service track waterfowl harvest? How do they track the number of waterfowl hunters and their harvest? Today on The FowlWeather Podcast we cut through the BS to report the facts about how we keep track of duck harvest and hunter metrics. In response to a massive amount of misinformation coming across your wavelengths, The FowlWeather Podcast embarked on the 2025 DataStream Series. It can be attractive to find conspiracies that help explain what you observe as a duck hunter, or maybe you’ve even thought up some fun fake news yourself. The reality is that the ...

We welcome Dr. Ryan Askren, Ryan works to promote science-based, waterfowl management on the landscape through Five Oaks’ research and education program near Stuttgart, AR. He is principal investigator on several mallard movement ecology projects and research related to bottomland hardwood regeneration with the goal of improving our understanding of waterfowl-habitat relationships to inform better management.

In response to a massive amount of misinformation coming across your wavelengths,The FowlWeather Podcast embarked on the 2025 DataStream Series. It can be attractive to find conspiracies that help explain what you observe as a duck hunter, or maybe you’ve even thought up some fun fake news yourself. The reality is that the long history of data used in waterfowl conservation and management in North America is a success story that everyone deserves to hear. Bumps and bruises we have, but dedicated we are as the duck people across duck country USA; dedicated to the long-term health of ducks and duck hun...

All of us in the profession of Waterfowl and Wetlands science, conservation, and management came from somewhere, these are the stories of young, passionate conservationists that have made their passion for the ducks into a career. 

Catrina Terry is the waterfowl research scientist for Ducks Unlimited’s Great Plains Region. Catrina started with DU in May 2021 to head up the undergraduate research program and bring more opportunities to undergraduate students in the Great Plains Region.  With the help of graduate students and collaborators, Catrina is working on multiple research projects across the region that include: assessing wetland restoration...

With turkey seasons open across the south and turkeys starting to strut their stuff all the way to Canada there is no better time to talk turkeys. What do the experts have in common? How do they tag out wherever they go? Also, we tackle a tough one, why are turkeys tanking including a hypothesis that my own lab at ESF has started to tackle? Is it habitat, is it predators, is it disease, is it weather, is it all of the above simply tied together by genetic bottlenecks? Find out the secrets to the hunt and why turkeys are...

All you ever wanted to know about king greenhead in this 4 part series about the History of the North American Mallard. In our final episode in this series, we talk to Dr. Phil Lavretsky and PhD student Dominic Hockenbury about ongoing mallard genetics research in North America. Are wild mallards doomed by game-farm genetics? What is the future of the wild North American mallard?

All you ever wanted to know about king greenhead in this 4 part series about the History of the North American Mallard. In Part 3, we hit the highlights about changes to the mallard population through time and our historical and current approach to harvest management. Why did we have restrictive seasons before but not today? We also talk turkeys, the breakup of the Polar Vortex, and nasty narratives that must die, all this week on The FowlWeather Podcast.

All you ever wanted to know about king greenhead in this 4 part series about the History of the North American Mallard. In Part 2, we hit the highlights about what makes the greenhead population tick. What runs the mallard population? How does winter, spring, and summer make the mallard machine run? Dead hens don’t lay eggs, right? But fat hens do, and once those ducklings hatch, what do they need to find their way down the flyways. Find out here today on The FowlWeather Podcast.

All you ever wanted to know about king greenhead in this 4 part series about the History of the North American Mallard. Species split into black ducks, mottled ducks, Mexican ducks, and the greenheaded mallard. With 14 mallard like ducks across the globe the greenheaded mallard is the most widespread. We start out with a quick update on the Polar Vortex for our weather nerds, clean up some mallard mis-information still floating around, and then jump into the early evolution of the mallard in North America.

How did The FowlWeather Podcast long-term predictions about fall and winter weather affecting duck migration play out? Find out today on this jam packed episode of The FowlWeather Podcast. Do you nerd out about weather and duck migration? This is the episode for you!

The conspiracies, mis information, lack of judgement in comment, and tearing down of the waterfowl community must end. DrMike is fed up and digs through the latest and greatest of the idiocracy coming across your wave lengths about the state of waterfowl across North America…that and we dig into some of the latest mallard, redhead, and canvasback population models – is it guns or habitat that run duck numbers? If you ask others, it’s all a big unknown with wild speculation, but again, DrMike cuts through the BS and just reports the facts. Time to step up my friends...

Where the heck are the ducks? Well, there are less of them for sure. DrMike breaks down the polar plunge forecast, how food really matters, is your lease just junk, male to female ratios in the harvest and your duck migration forecast, all this week on The FowlWeather Podcast.

More of the Florida boys, tales of falling in the marsh, what happens in Florida on a cold front? Part 2 of the Floridians at the farm in Jack Reef.

Join us for Part 2 of this fun filled Kitchen Conversation, we learned so much about Florida from the Florida Boys. Among many things, mottled ducks and hybridization with game-farm mallards are on the menu in this episode of the Kitchen Conversation.

A naïve observer would think that everyone lies in the duck world. The biologists lie about numbers and locations of winter ducks, the hunters lie about not seeing ducks, the hunters lie about killing ducks, the non-profits lie about flooded corn to the north, the biologists lie about the number of ducks on the continent. Lies, Lies, Lies. DrMike cuts through the BS in another information packed episode, that more about what telemetry tells and does not tell us, and your duck migration forecast for the coming week.

Some Floridians do the reverse migration and come to the farm at Jacks Reef to talk ducks, gators, frozen iguanas, Mosquito Lagoon, and about a place called “the Zoo”.

Join us for another fun filled episode of the Kitchen Conversations, we learned so much about Florida duck hunting.

It has been days since the October sun and the real cold is coming. Reflection on the duck season and thoughts on the cold to come….we also rebut comments about Episode 67 – Why Every State Needs a Draw Hunt For Ducks. All you did was justify the comment…that, what do ducks do when it gets really cold?….and the week duck migration forecast…. all on this and more in this episode of The FowlWeather Podcast.

DrMike and DrNick Masto debate telemetry while driving around the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. DrMike works to not give away all his hunting spots, but the main point of the discussion between DrMike and DrNick is to showcase how scientists debate and discuss controversial topics. At the end of the day, we are all friends and focused on making the information we use to manage waterfowl better. We might not always agree, but do debate in a civil manner….most of the time…join DrMike and DrNick for another episode of the Kitchen Conversations (in the truck!).

Bring on the hate mail, but survey says….you need a draw hunt. DrMike details how surveys tell us what all hunters want, but what states are too afraid of the politics to pull the trigger on. Overcrowding, boat races, and swamp fights ta’ boot, gotta’ love a good ole duck hunt in the new age though, right?

Merry Christmas from The FowlWeather Podcast Team! The weather maps are red, showing warmer than average through Christmas, but does that mean cold barrels? The FowlWeather Podcast Team dissects the weather in detail, forecasts into January, we talk hunting ducks in the heat, thoughts on cleaning and eating ducks, and your duck migration forecast, all this week on The FowlWeather Podcast.

As our good friend and mentor Dr. Dave Ankney used to say “The Good Ole Days Are Now”. In this episode, From deer to wood ducks to turkeys and beyond, we have more to be thankful for than not. DrMike reflects with optimism and a passion for the ducks, the wetlands they depend on, and all the great duck people across duck country. All that, and another exciting duck migration forecast for the coming week.

We talk to biologists in South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, and Missouri about the state of duck migration so far this year. Great insights from the experts, where to find FowlWeather Podcast hoodies, hats, and stickers, the week 1 Listener Appreciation FowlWeather Podcast Sweepstakes winner is announced, and your migration forecast, all this week!

More of the Merg Squad at Bard’s Barndaminium – DrMike once again sits down with Frack and Bard to talk mergs and all things ducks in Jacks Reef country. We also have a bit of Merganser Trivia for y’all. Join us this week on another episode of the Kitchen Conversations, raw, mic’d up conversations with duck hunters across duck country, USA.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family and ducks! This week The FowlWeather Podcast team details the fattening patterns of ducks during migration and winter and how it can affect your duck hunting success. We also announce the first of five FowlWeather Podcast Sweepstakes prizes and the availability of FowlWeather hoodies open for online orders. Oh, and the cold continues as we forecast the best days to hunt in the coming week for fresh ducks, hot from the north!

An exciting migration forecast this week as the snow line advances south this week, with nearly all seasons now open, we compare our WSI between 2023 to 2024 to date, we also tackle the hard and very misunderstood topic, why is my greentree reservoir dry? That can’t be good for the ducks, right?

With so man different public draw systems out there, somebody must do it better than anyone else? Right, why are there so many systems? Is duck hunting so different that every state and province has to have a different system for allocating blinds? Dr. Mike dissects this heavy topic, plus a western front shakes its cold hand and drives ducks south, all this week on The FowlWeather Podcast.

The long-awaited Long-term Forecast Part 2. The results are IN! The FowlWeather Podcast Long-term Forecast Part 2 dives into what the rest of duck season looks like, when will the cold show, does Old Man winter hide in the Arctic once again this year, or make an appearance as an Alberta Clipper, what’s snow got to do with it all? All that, and this week’s duck migration forecast.

The FowlWeather Podcast team tackles how ducks move on the moon phase, duck hunting ethic revisited, and your migration forecast.

A duck camp kitchen conversation in North Dakota about duck hunting beginnings and the first waterfowl kitchen quiz. Waterfowl trivia for duck hunters.

The FowlWeather Podcast team is back in the home office after a successful ND trip to talk about duck senses, how well do ducks see? How do they pick you out in the marsh flying at 45mph, how do they find food in the wetland, how do they hear your call? And do ducks taste their food? All this, a polar vortex update and your migration forecast this week on The FowlWeather Migration Forecast

The FowlWeather Podcast team makes the first of 2 long-term forecasts for the season. What’s coming for cold and snow cover into December and January? Find out in this information packed episode, our North Dakota hunt, plus your weekly duck migration forecast.

We meet this week with Chris Nicolai to talk duck production, duck migration, and prairie conditions. A first, Pacific Flyway flight prediction, out of Alaska and cold into Oregan has ducks predicted on the move for the coming week in the west.

The Great Lakes contain 20% of the world’s freshwater but how many ducks do they hold? Has winter ice cover changed in the Great Lakes? We also talk with Ryan Dulaney of Wildlife Strategies about impacts of Florence and Helene on duck country in the MAV and what habitat is lookin’ like for the coming season. That and The FowlWeather Podcast exclusive duck migration forecast for the week!

Riding out Hurricane Helene in SC low country, a recap of changes in weather severity through time in the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways, how do game-farm mallard contribute to a declining migration?, a Baby Jager liver disease update, hurricane happenings, and our duck migration forecast.

When do ducks start to migrate? Why are there movements happening now in the absence of weather? Is GPS telemetry on ducks the panacea for all of our questions? Does telemetry tell hunters how to hunt? Does telemetry predict ducks in front of your blind?...all that and notes on the ticking time bomb of duck shooting rhetoric.

How does The FowlWeather Podcast team produce weekly migration forecasts? How do ducks react differently to weather severity and why? What goes into the long-term seasonal forecasts. We unveil the new diving duck migration forecasts, a tropical system update, more on mallards, and the anxiously awaited duck migration…all of this and much more on this weeks episode of The FowlWeather Podcast.

Wild rice and ducks go together, like, well…. wild rice and ducks. An important duck food, wild rice also pairs well with many duck dishes. DrMike talks with young entrepreneur, McKinley Dixon of Northern Latitude Foods, producers of organic wild rice from Idaho. A family business – they harvest wild rice by home made airboat, an airplane engine repurposed that captures rice brought to the wild lakes of northern Idaho, first likely brought into the lakes by ducks, the wild rice now thrives and so does Northern Latitude Foods. That, some updates on tropical systems, increasing drought, a La Nina update, and...

Finding faith in the fact that it will again get COLD, DrMike takes us through the current wetland conditions in the US, talks crop production and its impact on ducks, duck shooting rhetoric 101, the lazy Atlantic tropical storm season to date, and he meets with Ryan Burnett of Pattern Pros – an innovative company looking to make your waterfowl shooting more successful and satisfying.

The results are in my friends. Duck country is alive and well. The 2024 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, the BPOP, shows a total breeding duck population up 5% from 2023 in the traditional survey areas, but the devil is in the details. The harvest results are also in from the 2023- 2024 duck season and DrMike breaks down all these results on this special BONUS EPISODE of The FowlWeather Podcast.

Story telling with a dabble of science is on the menu in this last episode of the summer season before dive headlong into the Fall hunting seasons. Hold onto your summer shorts folks…..“Like a screaming jet those blue-wings ate my world like nothing I’d ever seen. Before I could move a barrel they shot through the decoys, but then they banked, they turned and did a 360 first going skyway, but then coming back down and back our way. The safety clicked, “get ready” said the brain, and those same words came out of my mouth by shear reaction. On the...

What will the 2024-2025 weather bring? It is still a long way off, but there are some strong trends developing. The meteorological Fall is September to November and first looks are coming into focus. The FowlWeather Podcast provides a first look at the coming season! Wealso cover how we make duck migration forecasts, where we make forecasts, and we introduce The FowlWeather Podcast photographer of the year, Matt Miseciwz.

The FowlWeather Podcast welcomes John Devney, policy guru with Delta Waterfowl Foundation to talk action on the prairies to conserve duck habitat. Policies differ greatly between the US and Canada, and John takes us down the rabbit hole about ways to conserve wetlands in prairie Canada. We also lean hard into what Delta is doing to study duck population biology to inform duck harvest policy and management.

The FowlWeather Podcast covers conditions on the Canadian Prairies with Frank Baldwin, Wildlife Biologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (Canadian Wildlife Service). We also hit on all things ducks and geese in his wonderful part of the world. Born and raised around the Oak Hammock Marsh area, Frank has a wonderful history and wealth of knowledge about arctic nesting geese and prairie ducks and all things Manitoba and beyond. Join us as we chat with Frank about the critical nesting grounds in Canada for ducks that distribute across the continent.

No single omnibus policy influences duck habitat more than the Farm Bill, we meet with Julia Peeples who spends much of her time on Capital Hill bringing forth the interests of ducks and duck people from across duck country to the decision-makers we all elect, we dig deep into the current Farm Bill, how it helps ducks (or doesn’t) and what to expect from the Farm Bill for the next five years…how will it help the ducks?

Sam Kucia is a passionate hunter-conservationist completing his PhD at South Dakota State University, located in NE SD. We cover wetland conditions this spring throughout his region, crop prices and CRP as drivers of conservation, wetland drainage, conservation challenges on the prairies, his experience last year after that early freeze followed by extreme warm, and much, much more including an amazing 160 class buck harvest story.

Breaking news on changes in pintail bag limits, your Duck Stamps at work, who funds wetland restoration, habitat management on refuges for ducks, duck hunt management, the ducky weather or lack of ducky weather last year, and food for ducks. With 20 years of experience at Iroquois NWR, Paul brings an amazing wealth of information about sustaining ducks, other wetland wildlife, and all the great people across duck country USA!

Hang on to your pants folks – in this episode we fly with Josh Osborn, observer for the Forbes Biological Station aerial waterfowl survey. Forbes Biological Station has been part of aerial inventories of waterfowl along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers since 1948. Come fly with us for an engaging interview with Josh who has a bird’s eye view of duck migration in a pretty cool part of duck country, USA!

The concluding episode of The FowlWeather Podcasts 2024 Wetland Management Series digs into the science of what makes a satisfied duck hunter and the techniques used on public and private lands to manage hunting disturbance. That, brief highlights of hot crops and more in this episode.

The FowlWeather Podcasts talks diversifying land management for waterfowl in Arkansas. What does it take to attract and hold ducks? What does it take to attract and hold a diversity of duck species? That and much more on this week’s episode with waterfowl habitat manager Ryan Dulaney of Wildlife Strategies and land agent with The Farmland Group.

In this series we are going to provide context about why actively managing restored wetlands is 100% necessary, actually critical. We are really excited to bring you this wetland management 101 cook book for your private lands or lease, but we will also highlight why the public hunting grounds that you visit should be actively managing their wetlands for waterfowl.

In this series we are going to provide context about why actively managing restored wetlands is 100% necessary, actually critical. We are really excited to bring you this wetland management 101 cook book for your private lands or lease, but we will also highlight why the public hunting grounds that you visit should be actively managing their wetlands for waterfowl.

In this episode of The FowlWeather Podcast we break down in easy to understand terms why hunting at the current levels doesn’t drive most waterfowl populations. Plain and simple language from DrMike, a scientist and duck hunter, brought to all our friends across duck country.

What makes a good duck call? What natural woods sound more like a duck than others? Single-reed or double-reed, what works best to fool those ole greenheads? We talk duck migration and lack of ducks this winter at James Callicutt’s camp in Mississippi, but we cover a-lotta ground about duck habitat management and duck calling. James Callicutt is kinda a big deal!

Where were the ducks last season? How does hunting disturbance redistribute ducks?  USFWS Waterfowl Biologist Dr. Heath Hagy joins The FowlWeather Podcast. Heath tells us about how he stole all Dr. Mike’s best research ideas, and that we agree on duck science about 10% of the time, but we agree on the most important thing that matters and that is a love for the resource and the conservation and management of the habitat on which ducks rely. Point is, discussion and debate drive learning, especially between Dr. Mike and Dr. Hagy.

The bootheel of Missouri is named for its state boundary line that looks like a boot heel. Here the Mississippi Alluvial Valley begins and is rich in waterfowling culture. Known for quality public land hunting we meet with good friend and long-time bootheel duck hunter, Chad Fisher and talk about hunt draws at Duck Creek, Otter Slough, and Ten Mile Pond. We also reminisce about our earlier days as duck hunters.

At the North American Ducks Symposium Dr.Mike meets with Stephen Sowell who manages Delta Waterfowl’s University Hunt Program – a way to introduce university students to waterfowl hunting, Dr.Mike and Stephen talk about the need to train the next generation and that definitely includes ensuring they have an understanding of waterfowl hunting culture across duck country USA.

Empty skies for everyone this season, but not all – find out where the ducks were at and how the weather stacked up for the 2023 – 2024 duck season compared to normal.

At the 9th North American Duck Symposium Dr.Mike meets with Ben Luukkonen and Dr. Phil Lavretsky about how mutt mallards may be affecting mallard migration to southern latitudes. Information presented for the first time just days before, PhD student Ben Luukkonen explains how mallards with game-farm genetics just act differently. Dr. Lavretsky outlines how mallard genetics have drastically changed in North America. A truly groundbreaking interview.

Corn is neither the solution nor the problem – THE CORN EPISODE – The FowlWeather Podcast team breaks it all down.

Duck season 2023-2024 was frustrating and disappointing to many but there is optimism too.

Warm and rain return to the south as we enter the final days of duck season 2023-2024.

In this episode we meet with, John Simpson, Executive Director of the Winous Point Shooting Club and Winous Point Marsh Conservancy in the duck cleaning, pluckin’ room. Towards the end we continue our discussion, as part of our In the Marsh Series with some good shooting, a quick chat about flooded corn and a nice flight of gadwall for some sporty shooting. 

Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Kitchen Conversations.

The big freeze and the future of ducks and duck hunting this January.

Clearing the clutter from the chatter, host DrMike takes a deep dive into the paper ducks controversy and this year’s historic El Nino and drought that has so many frustrated with duck season 2023-24.

Dr. Mike sits down w/ local waterfowling legends Matt Frackleton and Mike Bard over a platter of roast duck, venison, and pickled duck hearts and gizzard to talk ducks. They fancy themselves as the merganser kings of North America, but we talk duck hunting pressure, favorite hunting weather, and alternative uses for seagull carcasses.

Join us for the inaugural episode of the Kitchen Conversations.

A vision like no other; to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever, Ducks Unlimited is a true conservation champion.

Santa’s got a bag o’ ducks for y’all. But where are they and when will they migrate?

Around since 1911, Delta Waterfowl continues to be a strong advocate for duck conservation and duck hunters.

Shooting etiquette in the marsh – or not – we examine the art of sky busting in detail.

Gentleman, welcome to Gumbo - The first rule of Gumbo is Don’t Burn the Roux, the second rule of Gumbo is Don’t Burn the Roux.

Climate has always changed, but has it changed for the mallard? Has the weather that mallards see really changed that much across the last two generations of duck hunters? That, more and your late-November ducks migration forecast!

If you set the decoys right they will come? Maybe, or maybe you have to call just right, or not look at them when the pass over, or maybe they are just ducks being ducks. Find out today on The FowlWeather Podcast – plus your Monday duck migration forecast.

Believe it or not, when the duck population is greater, you shoot more ducks! Further, duck harvest at southern states is often linked to colder weather to the north. Plus your mid-November duck migration forecast. All this week on The FowlWeather Podcast – don’t miss it!

Will ducks do it dirty this season and make it a season to remember in the Deep South. Is the recent cold front to the north a pattern that will continue into December and January or will those gangs of Greenheads hang north again? Find out here on The FowlWeather Podcast – Seasonal Forecast Part 2.

Stalled ducks and how to hunt them, plus some science about what ducks eat and why…wanna kill more ducks, y’all might wanna know what ducks eat!