Discover how women find belonging, mentorship, and confidence by stepping into the outdoors together.

Host Bethany Beathard sits down with Jess Rice, founder of WildHERness, a women‑centered outdoor community built to empower beginners and seasoned outdoorswomen alike.

Together, they explore what community really means for women entering the outdoor world—breaking down barriers, building skills, and creating friendships that change lives. From learning to hunt or kayak to embracing homesteading and conservation, Jess shares how shared experiences help women grow stronger, braver, and more connected.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why women thrive when they learn outdoor skills together
• How Wilderness creates accessible, authentic adventure for every woman
• What mentorship looks like beyond hunting
• How shared first‑time outdoor experiences deepen confidence
• The role of conservation, motherhood, and mental health in outdoor life
• Practical ways women can find or build their own outdoor community

WildHERness - INSTAGRAM
WildHERness - WEBSITE

Subscribe and join this exciting journey to explore, learn, and grow together in the outdoor world.
Join the Ascend Instagram community at @duascend and http://www.ducks.org/ascend.

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

In this special tribute episode, we honor the life, impact, and legacy of John Gordon—Media Productions Manager at Ducks Unlimited, lifelong outdoorsman, storyteller, mentor, friend, and a familiar voice to DU Nation and the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. John’s passing in January of 2026 left a profound void in the waterfowling community he spent a lifetime uplifting.

Through stories and archival audio, we revisit John’s journey from his Mississippi roots to the Texas prairies that shaped his early hunting life, and eventually to his influential role at Ducks Unlimited where he helped bring DU Nation, DU Films, and countless conservation stories to life.

About John Gordon

• Born in Mississippi, later moving with his family to Kingwood, Texas, where he discovered goose hunting and the Texas coastal prairie that shaped his lifelong passion.
• Worked as a snow goose guide on the Katy, Texas prairie before joining Ducks Unlimited.
• Graduated from Mississippi State University with a BA in Communications.
• Served as a Senior Communications Specialist at Ducks Unlimited, coordinating production for DUTV, DU Nation, and Ascend. . 
• Frequent contributor and co‑host on the Ducks Unlimited Podcast, featuring conversations on retrievers, hunting heritage, and waterfowl history. 
• Recognized writer with published work in WILDFOWL, Outdoor Life, and more.

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

In this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host John Gordon sits down with Ray Voigt, former professional retriever trainer and current Purina senior specialist, and Karl Gunzer, Purina Sporting Dog Group Director, discussing all things dogs. They talk about their love for sporting breeds, canine nutrition, training tips, and the Bird Dog Hall of Fame. If you're a dog lover, this episode is a must-listen as they dive into the history and importance of sporting dogs.
 
Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Get a clear read on what drove Great Lakes hunting success this season—and how to adapt for spring snows, steelhead, and turkey.

Dr. Mike Brasher is joined by DU’s Chris Jennings and returning Great Lakes voice Jay Anglin (Northern Indiana, guides primarily in Michigan) to break down conditions, bird behavior, and practical lessons learned.

This episode is a boots‑on‑the‑ground season review from the Great Lakes region. Jay explains why he hunted fewer days but had better results by timing “the right days,” and why low water and inconsistent weather created a challenging year for local puddle ducks. The crew also digs into diver timing, late/odd Canada goose movement, big-water pressure from year‑round fishing, and the mindset shift that keeps hunts enjoyable even in down years.

Takeaways:

• Why “hunting the right days” (wind, timing, conditions) mattered more than grinding it out
• How drought/low water created short-lived habitat even after heavy rain bursts
• Diver storylines (especially redheads) vs. a slower mallard “burn” across key Great Lakes areas
• How big-water refuge behavior, boat traffic, and fishing pressure push ducks offshore
• The mystery of “late Canada geese” and why it didn’t match typical patterns
• What’s next: conservation order snow geese, spring movement, steelhead, and turkey plans

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Take a deeper dive into how state policy drives habitat conservation, promotes access, and protects our hunting and outdoor traditions.

Dr. Mike Brasher sits down with South Carolina State Senator Chip Campsen, DU’s Southern Region Director of Public Policy Ed Penny, and Wildlife Mississippi Executive Director James Cummins. They unpack proven tools like the South Carolina Conservation Bank, dedicated state funding models, and why respectful behavior and smart policy both matter for the future of hunting and fishing.

From perpetual conservation easements to college‑town river hunts and the role of Boone & Crockett, this episode shows how statehouses—and the people who vote them in—influence opportunities for every hunter and angler. 

Takeaways:

• How the South Carolina Conservation Bank leverages competitive grants and easements to protect ~500,000 acres—and why seed funding stretches dollars farther 
• Voluntary, perpetual easements: property‑rights friendly, customizable, and often paired with public access incentives 
• Why clustered easements (ACE Basin, Santee Delta) create ecosystem‑scale wins for waterfowl and wildlife 
• Dedicated state funding models (e.g., Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund) unlock big federal matches and local projects 
• Social license to hunt and fish: how hunter behavior, messaging, and policy safeguard opportunity beyond a constitutional “right” 
• CSF/NASC: bipartisan networks where state legislators swap playbooks that protect hunting, angling, and access 

 
Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

2009 World Duck Calling Champion Mike Anderson joins the DU Podcast to talk calls, calling and his favorite pastime, chasing river ducks.  Anderson takes us on his journey from childhood to putting in the time and road miles that lead to becoming World Champion. We also discuss his favorite competition and hunting style calls and how Rich-N-Tone founder Butch Richenback mentored him all the way to the top of the contest calling mountain.

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Learn how state-level decisions directly impact your seasons, access, opportunity, and conservation funding.

Host Dr. Mike Brasher sits down with Kaleigh Leager of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and Swanny Evans of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever—two policy professionals working daily inside state capitols to protect hunting, fishing, trapping, and shooting traditions.

Most hunters understand federal policy like the Duck Stamp or the Farm Bill. But far more decisions—from Sunday hunting to conservation funding and public‑land access—are made in state legislatures. This episode explains how the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses works, why states are “laboratories of democracy,” and how small bills can create big downstream impacts on opportunity.

In this episode:

• What the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and NASC network do
• How state bills—good and bad—spread across the country
• Why Sunday hunting reforms matter for access and R3
• Conservation funding: how license structures and federal match dollars really work
• Why discounted or free licenses can unintentionally hurt state wildlife agencies
• The case for resident‑rate licenses for nonresident college students
• How DU, PF/QF, and partners collaborate to stop harmful bills and advance positive ones

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Stop second-guessing yourself outdoors: learn what’s actually “icky,” what’s just noise, and how to build confidence fast.
 
Julia Stallings is joined by DU Ascend host Erin Crider and Maggie Williams (duck hunter and women-in-the-outdoors advocate) to talk real etiquette, safety, and community.

This episode gets honest (and funny) about the “icks” women run into in hunting and fishing culture—everything from performative photos to gear judgement. Erin and Maggie share practical ways to keep the outdoors welcoming: lead by example, teach without shaming, and prioritize safety when you’re alone on public land. You’ll also hear real talk on makeup, social media pressure, and how women are “redesigning what conservation looks like” through community and positivity.

• Why “duck in your mouth” photos turn people off—and what to do instead
• Makeup in the blind: do it or don’t, but don’t let it define you
• The fish photo ick: wide-angle, long-arming, and posing vs documenting the journey
• Safety on public land: why some women avoid pink and try not to “look like a girl” alone
• Gear talk that matters: fit challenges, cost, and what keeps new hunters coming back
• How to correct a newcomer without tearing them down (DMs, tone, and leading by example)

Subscribe and join this exciting journey to explore, learn, and grow together in the outdoor world.
Join the Ascend Instagram community at @duascend and http://www.ducks.org/ascend.

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Hosts Dr. Mike Brasher and Chris Jennings have a quick discussion on the basics of what separates these waterfowl types. Brasher explains anatomy, feeding types, and other differences between these ducks, while Jennings brings a handful of fun facts to the show. 

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Hear how a carver–painter duo learned the craft together, built a collection, and now run one of Illinois’ longest‑running decoy shows.

Host Katie Burke talks with John and Amy Sarver—carvers, collectors, and organizers of the Henry Decoy Show—about their path into waterfowl art, carving as a team, and growing a younger decoy community.

John grew up on the Illinois River surrounded by hunters and collectors, while Amy came from an artistic family with early exposure to Mississippi River decoys. They share how Pat Gregory pushed them into carving, how painting and sculpting became a shared language, and why they’re committed to keeping regional traditions alive. The pair also reflect on shows, mentors, travel hunts, and how inspiration from wild birds translates into their work.

Takeaways:

• How childhood exposure to Illinois and Mississippi River traditions shaped their collecting
• Why Pat Gregory’s push got the whole family carving—and why their first decoys “weren’t round”
• How Amy’s art background fuels both painting and wildlife study
• The history, growth, and youth engagement of the 58‑year‑old Henry Decoy Show
• Hunting trips—from Alaska to California—that influence their carving and painting
• What it’s like being featured carvers as a young team in the craft

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.