Send us a text

A season can feel long until the last decoy hits the bag. We wrap a wild ride across public land and rice country with honest grades, clean takeaways, and a few unforgettable moments: a Scotch triple on teal, specks finishing over water with six decoys, and a retriever turning chaos into calm. We talk about why the 20 gauge clicked this year, how fog and flooding scattered ducks into new pockets, and the simple habits that helped us beat refuge averages more often than not.

Caeton breaks down the grind of chasing birds on public even with rice leases in hand, and how a steady dog quietly adds birds by saving minutes when flights are short. Landon shares consecutive spec limits on public and what lighter spreads and smarter calling can do when pressure is high, plus a candid look at how potential limit changes could help keep birds uneducated. Colin closes strong in Southern California, logs a 4.2-bird average, and moves north with stats, optimism, and a plan to chase turkey, stripers, and new refuges. Houn from Foulmouth TV finally gets water on the rice, flips the switch mid-December, celebrates a 12-year-old’s first limit and a banded pintail, and explains why you never leave ducks to chase ducks when the blind’s hot.

We also get practical: de-skunking a dog without making it worse, patterning a 20 vs 12 with the shells you actually shoot, tracking wind, sun, and pressure in a hunt log, and setting up youth hunts with safe footing and guns that fit. The throughline is discipline—hide better, call less, shoot cleaner, and let data and patience do the heavy lifting.

If the season felt short, the lessons didn’t. Hit play, ride along for the wins and the misses, then tell us your biggest takeaway from 2026. Subscribe, share with your hunting crew, and drop a review to help more waterfowlers find the show.

Send us a text

A century-old duck club, a family ranch under the big sky, and a season that swings from teal swarms to a 360-class elk—this conversation with Clay is a full tour of a hunter’s year. We kick off at Newman Gun Club in California’s grasslands, where cabins ring a well-kept marsh and members measure time by the migration. Clay shares how he grew up in the blind, earned his own membership, and why even a down duck year can feel rich when the roads are graveled, the water’s right, and the clubhouse hums on closing weekend.

We shift north to Montana, where his family’s 6,000-acre ranch sits above rolling breaks and winter grass. Clay breaks down his best bull yet, explaining rough green scoring, what it might mean for the books, and how weather, patience, and timing decided the day. He gets candid about the realities of tags—points, odds, landowner advantages, and why draws feel tighter post-2020. Along the way, he compares the rush of a finishing flock to the adrenaline spike of a close elk encounter, and why bow season during the rut can be the most electric window on the calendar.

There’s practical insight throughout: how teal and wigeon shape a Central Valley strap, why mallards remain a prized rarity at the club, what out-of-state trips to Washington, Arkansas timber, and Missouri taught him, and how farming almonds and walnuts frames a workable hunting season. We wrap with the future—food plots for deer recovery, stewardship of water and roads at Newman, and the community that keeps both places alive. Hit play for a story that blends public refuge grit, private club tradition, and mountain country grit into one season-long arc.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow ForTheFowlers on Instagram, then subscribe, rate, and leave a quick review. Tell us your pick: ducks or big game—what gives you the bigger rush?

Send us a text

The trailer rocks, the coffee’s too strong, and the alarms are set for a time no one sane would choose—perfect conditions to get honest about duck season. We invited Pete back to camp to trade stories, argue about draws, and unpack what keeps us chasing birds when January feels long and warm.

We start with the heart of it: camaraderie and craft. From picking a refuge spot to building a spread that makes mallards stall at 15 yards, there’s joy in the process. But we don’t dodge the pain points. Electronic reservations create weird outcomes, and we sketch practical fixes: night-before blind assignments, cleaner communication for sweat-line hunters, and less incentive to stack and burn multiple top draws. Fairness and clarity make the 4 a.m. grind worth it.

Then we stare down the elephant on the feed. YouTube can teach better calling and concealment, but Instagram’s pile pics and stunt culture undercut the ethic. We break down the viral mute swan boat video—why moving-boat shots cross the safety line, and how that kind of content harms every hunter. Along the way, we share warden encounters that clarified the basics: plugs, shell counts, and fast species ID on tight limits. Mistakes happen; ownership and learning keep the tradition strong.

As the season closes, we get tactical. If a third of the calendar had to go, early, mid, or late—what’s the smart cut in a warm, high-water year? We compare favorite refuges by habitat and access, and sketch off-season goals that actually move the needle: consistent loads and chokes, better patterning, motion decoys that turn glass into life, and exploring new marsh with a neglected mud boat. It’s a grounded, gear-smart, safety-first conversation for hunters who love the work as much as the birds.

If this hits home, follow along, share it with your blind crew, and drop a rating or review so more waterfowlers can find the show. Got a guest idea or a hot take on draw reform? Email us and let’s keep the conversation moving.