Ducks Unlimited Podcast

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Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
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Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

What if supporting waterfowl conservation was as simple as rounding up your everyday purchases?

Recorded live from DUX 2026, host Jimbo Robinson sits down with Zach Frasier of Elev8 to discuss DU Roundup, a new fundraising platform designed to make supporting Ducks Unlimited easier than ever. 

The conversation explores how the program works, why micro-donations can create a meaningful impact when combined across thousands of supporters, and how modern giving habits are changing the way conservation organizations engage members. Zach also shares insights into the technology behind the platform, donor security, and the philosophy of making charitable giving more accessible for everyday supporters. 

Beyond the technology, the discussion highlights the importance of philanthropy, building conservation habits, and creating new pathways for people to support Ducks Unlimited’s mission regardless of their giving level.

Topics Covered

• What DU Roundup is and how it works
• Turning everyday purchases into conservation support
• The role of micro-donations in fundraising
• Donor engagement and modern philanthropy
• Security and payment processing behind the platform
• Building new conservation giving habits
• DUX 2026 and community support
• The future of digital fundraising for conservation

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

SPONSORS:

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.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Savage Arms - https://savagearms.com
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

Hunters have observed and debated changes in duck migration and winter distributions for as long as both have existed. Now, new research helps answer some of the biggest questions.

In this special collaboration between the Ducks Unlimited Podcast and the North American Waterfowler Podcast, DU's Senior Waterfowl Scientist, Dr. Mike Brasher, joins Elliott Snider; Dr. Lisa Webb, Supervisor, USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program; and Dr. Heath Hagy, Project Leader, USFWS Habitat and Population Evaluation Team, to break down the findings of two recent studies that shed light on this captivating and hotly contested topic. 

The studies and conversation explore more than 60 years of waterfowl band recovery, harvest survey, and distribution data to examine whether ducks are wintering farther north than they once did. The group discusses what the studies found, where migration patterns appear to be changing, where they're not, and why answering these questions is far more complicated than many people realize. 

Topics Covered

• Are ducks wintering farther north?
• What 60 years of band recovery data reveals
• Differences between mallards, pintails, and blue-winged teal
• Why migration changes vary by species and month
• The role of weather, habitat, and agriculture
• What hunters see versus what large-scale datasets show
• How migration science is studied and evaluated
• What questions still remain unanswered
• How none of this would be possible without hunters

Access to the study evaluating changes in 15 species of ducks: https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.22521

Access to the more detailed study on changes in mallards, pintails, and blue-winged teal: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.11331

Access to the DU Magazine article and additional maps: Understanding Waterfowl: Ducks on the Move | Ducks Unlimited

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

SPONSORS:

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.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Savage Arms - https://savagearms.com
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

Few books have shaped the understanding of waterfowl history like The Outlaw Gunner.

In this episode, host Katie Burke sits down with Joe Walsh, son of legendary author Dr. Harry M. Walsh, to discuss one of the most influential books ever written about Chesapeake Bay waterfowling and market hunting.

Joe shares stories about his father’s life, his deep connections to the Eastern Shore watermen and market gunners, and the passion that drove him to preserve their stories before they were lost forever. The conversation explores everything from punt guns and battery guns to sink boxes, gunning lights, and the unique culture that developed around waterfowling on the Chesapeake.

The discussion also highlights Harry Walsh’s role in preserving waterfowling heritage, his early collecting efforts, his relationship with Ducks Unlimited, and the conservation ethic that ultimately emerged from witnessing the decline of waterfowl populations and traditional hunting communities.

Topics Covered

• The story behind The Outlaw Gunner
• Harry Walsh’s life and conservation legacy
• Market hunting on the Chesapeake Bay
• Punt guns, battery guns, and sink boxes
• Gunning lights and historical hunting methods
• Eastern Shore waterfowling culture
• Preserving hunting heritage through collecting
• The origins of the Waterfowl Festival
• How conservation ethics evolved over time

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

SPONSORS:

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.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Savage Arms - https://savagearms.com
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

Katie Burke welcomes returning guest Dan Thiel to discuss the founder of Ducks Unlimited, Joseph P. Knapp. In telling the history of Knapp, the two discuss the creation of More Game Birds for America and the evolution that inspired the same group to create Ducks Unlimited. The pair layout out the timeline of events plus Knapp’s role that ultimately lead to our organizations’ creation.
 
Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

SPONSORS:

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.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Savage Arms - https://savagearms.com
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

A few weeks ago, the Klamath Basin was facing a potentially devastating botulism outbreak. Today, there’s some much-needed good news.

Dr. Mike Brasher, DU's Senior Waterfowl Scientist, reconnects with Jeff McCreary, Director of Operations for the Western Region, to share an important update from the Klamath Basin and the efforts that helped prevent a catastrophic die-off of ducks.

Following months of drought, low snowpack, declining water levels, and an emerging botulism outbreak, conservation partners, water users, agencies, and tribes worked together to move critical water into the Klamath Refuges. Combined with cooler temperatures and rain, those efforts dramatically improved conditions and halted this year's botulism threat. As a result, tens of thousands of newly hatched ducks will be taking flight this fall, boosting the hopes of duck hunters throughout the flyway. 

Topics Covered

• What changed in the Klamath Basin since the last update
• How collaborative water management helped stop a larger outbreak
• Why additional water made such a difference
• The role of cooler weather and rainfall
• Waterfowl production estimates for the region
• What this means for Pacific Flyway hunters this fall
• The future of the flow-through water concept
• Why DU’s conservation work matters on the ground

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

SPONSORS:

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.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Savage Arms - https://savagearms.com
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

Set yourself up for a successful season by tuning in to this expert discussion of the latest Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey results.

Waterfowl specialists from Ducks Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and guest panelists from across North America share what the numbers mean for bird populations, habitat conditions, and hunting prospects for the 2026-2027 season. Stay ahead of the season with timely insights from the experts who help shape waterfowl conservation and management.

Special thanks to our partners in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, and state and provincial member agencies of the Pacific, Central, Mississippi, and Atlantic Flyway Councils that lead the programs through which these vital data are collected.

LEARN MORE: https://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-surveys

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

SPONSORS:

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.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Savage Arms - https://savagearms.com
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

The future of waterfowl hunting depends on more than ducks. It depends on community, storytelling, and getting new people involved.

Recorded live from the Duck Den at DUX 2026, host Jimbo Robinson sits down with the team behind Split Reed: Zach, Brennan, and Max. The conversation explores how a digital waterfowl publication grew into a community-driven platform focused on hunting, conservation, storytelling, and helping new hunters find their place in the sport.

The group discusses the origins of Split Reed, the success of the Road Duck Tour series, public land hunting culture, and why authentic storytelling continues to resonate in an increasingly crowded digital world. Along the way, they share thoughts on recruiting young hunters, building friendships through waterfowling, and why community is still the most important part of the sport.

Topics Covered

• The origin and mission of Split Reed
• Building a waterfowl-focused media community
• The Road Duck Tour series
• Public land duck hunting and DIY adventures
• Storytelling in modern hunting culture
• Recruiting and inspiring new hunters
• Waterfowl industry friendships and partnerships
• Why community remains central to waterfowling
• DUX 2026 highlights and favorite products

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

SPONSORS:

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.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Savage Arms - https://savagearms.com
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

We welcome Dan Thiel back to the podcast for the second part of the series discussing the history and formation of Ducks Unlimited. In this episode, Dan and host, Katie Burke, take a side bar and chat about the influence of Jay “Ding” Darling on waterfowl and wetland conservation in the United States. The pair discuss Darling’s pivotal role in creating the Federal Duck Stamp program and other works ultimately influencing the direction of DU.

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

SPONSORS:

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.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Savage Arms - https://savagearms.com
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

What happens when a Louisiana duck hunter builds one of the fastest-growing HVAC companies in the region and turns a small convenience store into a destination for hunters?

Host Wade Shoemaker sits down with Seth Chapman, owner of Chapman’s Air Conditioning and Perry Outfitters, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, waterfowl hunting, social media, and the values that guide both his businesses and his life.

Seth shares stories from growing up in coastal Louisiana, hunting the marshes around Pecan Island, and learning the outdoors from his father and generations before him. The conversation explores everything from building a company from a single service truck to managing dozens of employees, opening Perry Outfitters, and creating a community centered around hunting and the outdoors.

Along the way, Seth reflects on how duck hunting has changed over the years, memorable hunts with family and friends, social media's role in modern outdoor culture, and why authenticity still matters in an increasingly online world.

Topics Covered

• Growing up hunting in coastal Louisiana
• Life around Pecan Island and Vermilion Parish
• Building Chapman’s Air Conditioning from scratch
• The creation and growth of Perry Outfitters
• Changes in Louisiana duck hunting over the years
• Memorable hunts and waterfowl traditions
• Social media and outdoor culture
• Why authenticity matters in hunting and business
• Balancing family, work, and the outdoors

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

SPONSORS:

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.

The 2026 duck numbers are out, and there are a few surprises.

In this special update, Dr. Mike Brasher gives a quick breakdown of the newly released Waterfowl Population Status Report and highlights the most important takeaways for duck hunters. Be sure to click here and check out our website for more information.

In this episode:

• Total duck numbers remained relatively stable. 
• Mallards declined to their lowest estimate in decades. 
• Prairie pond numbers improved from last year. 
• Most other duck species were relatively unchanged. 
• Early signs point to improved duck production this year. 

For the full breakdown and expert analysis, tune in to the Waterfowl Season Outlook livestream on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026 @ 6pm CDT.

Ducks Unlimited salutes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, and the member agencies of the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific flyway councils for their ongoing leadership in conducting the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey

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

SPONSORS:

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.