Midwest Flyways Podcast

In this episode of Ten Minute Tuesday, the guys dive into the forgotten history of Huron Lake, Minnesota-a place once known as the “Chesapeake of the West.”

Historical accounts describe as many as 700,000 canvasbacks gathering there during fall migration, attracting professional market hunters, wealthy sportsmen, guides, duck camps, and trainloads of harvested birds. At its peak, Huron Lake was considered one of the greatest waterfowl destinations in the country.

The guys get into the massive market hunting operation surrounding the lake. They also cover James Ford Bell, whose concern over declining hunting eventually helped push him toward waterfowl research that became connected to the beginnings of Delta Waterfowl. Along the way, there’s plenty of the usual joking around, including the equally devastating historical decline of canvasbacks and Burger Kings.

What ultimately changed Huron Lake wasn’t just hunting pressure-it was the disappearance of the surrounding habitat. With nearly all of the original wetlands in the watershed eventually drained, one of Minnesota’s greatest duck hunting destinations faded into relative obscurity. It’s a fascinating and frustrating look at just how different Minnesota waterfowl hunting once was.

Thanks for listening to the Midwest Flyways Podcast! Be sure to check out the Flyways Hunt Club for even more exclusive content every week.

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

This week on the Midwest Flyways Podcast, Matt Judy is back for the annual catch-up covering duck hunting, farming, Dive Bomb, dogs, and plenty of stories from the past year.

Matt talks about hunting ducks out of the creek behind his house, grinding through muddy potato fields, growing up around agriculture, and the surprising career he had with Driscoll's before eventually making the jump to Dive Bomb.

The guys also get into how Dive Bomb has grown while keeping its media and customer interaction in-house, what it's like working with the same crew for nearly a decade, and why personality has become such a big part of the brand.

Matt also clears the air on last year's chocolate lab controversy, talks about life with a dog boarding kennel, and tells the story of spending three hours chasing escaped sheep before finally tackling one in the creek.

Topics Covered:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_judy/

Thanks for listening to the Midwest Flyways Podcast! Be sure to check out the Flyways Hunt Club for even more exclusive content every week.

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

This week on Sports Guyz Only...

The guys start with Jalen Hurts' blood-clot situation and questions about Philadelphia's medical staff before Big Dom enters the conversation. From there, things completely derail into alleged mob ties, Gavin's former chemistry teacher who supposedly worked for organized crime, and a documentary claim that sends everyone down a rabbit hole about how many New Jersey homeowners might be living above something they absolutely do not want to find.

Eventually, football returns. The crew debates which NFL teams are actually for real, whether Saquon Barkley is starting to show the wear of back-to-back heavy workloads, and how much Christian McCaffrey's usage should change as he gets older. Caleb Williams also sparks one of the biggest debates of the show after brushing off questions about his hamstring injury. The guys argue over media responsibility, player maturity, how much criticism young quarterbacks should have to tolerate, and whether Caleb simply needs to stop reading the comments and grow up a little.

And, of course, another week means another round of NFL picks and locks, including some very questionable confidence in Tennessee.

Plus:

It's NBA opening-night overreactions, NFL arguments, fantasy football grudges, and a mob tangent that probably went several miles farther than anyone intended. Thanks so much for listening to Sports Guyz Only and be sure to subscribe and review!

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

This week on the Midwest Flyways Podcast, the guys are finally starting to see signs of new ducks showing up across Minnesota.

Despite temperatures pushing 90 degrees one weekend and dropping back into the 30s and 40s shortly after, Joey has been seeing a steady trickle of new birds including plenty of fully plumed mallards. The crew talks about what they're seeing locally, getting the pontoon blind ready, and what they hope the next few weeks of duck season will bring.

They also get into whether flooded timber could work as waterfowl habitat in Minnesota, why ducks use it so heavily in the South, and some of the challenges that would come with managing water and trees farther north.

Then Say What? takes over with a different twist - deciding whether names like the ruddy shelduck, cotton pygmy goose, and torrent duck are actually real birds before jumping into another round of waterfowl trivia.

Topics Covered:

Thanks for listening to the Midwest Flyways Podcast! Be sure to check out the Flyways Hunt Club for even more exclusive content every week.

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

In this episode of Ten Minute Tuesday, the guys dive into the story of one of the most famous shotguns in duck hunting history: Nash Buckingham’s legendary Bo Whoop. 

Buckingham was one of the biggest names in early American waterfowl culture, known for his outdoor writing, flooded timber hunts, and incredible reputation as a wingshooter. His custom A.H. Fox double gun became almost as famous as he was, thanks to its tight patterns, distinctive sound, and the stories Nash told about hunting with it.

The story takes a turn in 1948 when Nash accidentally left Bo Whoop sitting on the fender of a car after a duck hunt in Arkansas. By the time he returned, the gun was gone and it stayed missing for decades. More than 50 years later, an old broken-stock shotgun brought into a gunsmith’s shop turned out to have inscriptions tying it back to Buckingham. The guys break down how the gun was authenticated, the serial number mystery, and how a shotgun once bought for $50 eventually sold at auction for more than $200,000. 

Bo Whoop’s story eventually came full circle when it was donated to Ducks Unlimited and even returned to the marsh for another hunt decades after Nash lost it. It’s part mystery, part duck hunting history, and a great example of how certain guns, dogs, places, and stories become bigger than the hunts themselves.

Thanks for listening to the Midwest Flyways Podcast! Be sure to check out the Flyways Hunt Club for even more exclusive content every week.

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

(Code: Flyways) Stop saying "Huh?" with better hearing protection: Soundgear

Live Free: Turtlebox

Add motion to your spread: Flashback

Better Merch: /SHOP

This week on Sports Guyz Only...

The Vikings are 5-0, Brian Flores might deserve every dollar Minnesota can find, and the guys are starting to wonder just how far this defense can carry the team. There's more Justin Herbert trade talk, another Brian O'Neill appearance, and a debate over whether NFL teams should start paying elite coordinators like head coaches just to keep them in the building.

Then comes one of the strangest NFL endings of the season. The guys break down Washington getting into field-goal range against the Giants with a chance to win, only for the clock to expire without a kick ever happening. Carter initially puts Dan Quinn on the hot seat, Gavin digs into the actual play design, and the blame slowly shifts toward Jayden Daniels for turning what should have been a simple finish into complete chaos.

From there, it's a wider look around the NFL. Josh Allen and the Bills' wild game against the Rams leads to a conversation about knowing when to kill a play, while Matthew Stafford gets plenty of love for being one of the best late-game quarterbacks of his generation. The guys also build their early NFL power rankings, debate whether San Francisco belongs at No. 1, and try to figure out which teams actually look like Super Bowl contenders.

Plus:

It's bad clock management, NFL power rankings, fantasy football grudges, and enough questionable coaching ideas to fill an entire staff. Thanks so much for listening to Sports Guyz Only and be sure to subscribe and review!

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

(Code: Flyways) Stop saying "Huh?" with better hearing protection: Soundgear

Live Free: Turtlebox

Add motion to your spread: Flashback

Better Merch: /SHOP

This week on the Midwest Flyways Podcast, the guys address the controversy surrounding their Minnesota duck opener and add some context to what actually happened that morning.

After getting permission to hunt a private property, Cal and Joey arrived to find another group already set up on the water. They walk through the conversations with the landowners, the questions surrounding access and riparian rights, their attempt to work together with the other hunters, and why the situation became much more complicated once clips from the encounter started making the rounds online.

The goal isn't to pile on anybody or restart the argument. The guys explain what they could have handled differently, why they eventually moved farther away, and why they'd rather see more young hunters passionate about waterfowl than turn the entire situation into an online feud.

They also recap a tough goose hunt with two Flyways Hunt Club members, talk about a frustrating start to the season, and why a few bad hunts aren't enough to change how they feel about duck hunting.

Topics Covered:

Thanks for listening to the Midwest Flyways Podcast! Be sure to check out the Flyways Hunt Club for even more exclusive content every week.

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

(Code: Flyways) Stop saying "Huh?" with better hearing protection: Soundgear

Live Free: Turtlebox

Add motion to your spread: Flashback

Better Merch: /SHOP

This week on the Midwest Flyways Podcast, the guys sit down with Jordan Fromer from Duck Gun Chronicles and Duck Gun Wild Seasonings to talk duck hunting, content creation, wild food, and one of the craziest boat projects we've heard about.

Jordan shares how he taught himself to duck hunt and went 11 hunts before finally killing his first duck. From there, he built Duck Gun Chronicles, started a podcast, and eventually turned his passion for cooking wild game into Duck Gun Wild Seasonings.

The guys also get into the Timber Queen, Jordan's 43-foot wooden boat that he bought for $1 and rebuilt to follow the migration down the Mississippi River. They talk repairs, breakdowns, storms, losing a prop in the river, and why the entire project was worth it despite everything that went wrong.

The conversation wraps with duck and goose recipes, hunting etiquette, helping new hunters, and why keeping waterfowl hunting fun matters more than chasing limits.

Topics Covered:

Check out Jordan Fromer and Duck Gun:

Duck Gun Wild Seasonings: https://duckgunwildseasonings.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duckgunchronicles/

Thanks for listening to the Midwest Flyways Podcast! Be sure to check out the Flyways Hunt Club for even more exclusive content every week.

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

(Code: Flyways) Stop saying "Huh?" with better hearing protection: Soundgear

Live Free: Turtlebox

Add motion to your spread: Flashback

Better Merch: /SHOP

This week on Sports Guyz Only...

Then Cal gets presented with Brian O'Neill's latest grades, and things deteriorate quickly. Despite the numbers saying Minnesota's right tackle is playing great football, Cal has seen enough. What follows is a full offensive-line crashout about sacks, missed blocks, PFF grades, Cris Collinsworth, and the apparently unreasonable request that a 6'7" NFL tackle simply block the one guy standing in front of him without falling down.

The guys debate whether the Vikings' dominant defense can keep carrying an offense that still can't protect the quarterback and make predictions for where a 4-0 Minnesota team actually finishes this season.

Around the rest of the NFL, Bryce Young's resurgence sparks a bigger conversation about how quickly fans and media give up on young quarterbacks. Josh Allen's rough rookie season gets brought back up, and Brock Purdy's ridiculous start forces a few people in the room to officially admit they were wrong.

There's also another round of NFL picks and underdog locks, including the struggling Eagles, the surprisingly dangerous Panthers, Buffalo's receiver problem, and plenty of disagreement over which early-season records are actually real.

Plus:

It's Vikings rage, NFL overreactions, fantasy football arguments, and one of the most passionate explanations of offensive line play you'll ever hear. Thanks so much for listening to Sports Guyz Only and be sure to subscribe and review!

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

(Code: Flyways) Stop saying "Huh?" with better hearing protection: Soundgear

Live Free: Turtlebox

Add motion to your spread: Flashback

Better Merch: /SHOP

This week on the Midwest Flyways Podcast, Alex Langbell from Gundog Outdoors is back in the Game Fair studio for a wide-ranging conversation about hunting dogs, waterfowl hunting, building better products, and everything he's learned after more than 40 years chasing birds.

Alex talks about the growth of Gundog Outdoors and why he built the company around keeping hunting and working dogs safer in the field. He gets into new products, bringing more manufacturing back to the United States, and how years of hunting and his background as a firefighter continue to shape the gear he develops.

The guys also get into Alex's Montana property and the work he's doing to turn it into a better waterfowl property, including building a pond, planting food, managing water levels, and creating habitat that ducks actually want to use. That leads into plenty of duck hunting talk, from 28 gauges and .410s to small decoy spreads, river hunting, motion, and why sometimes doing the opposite of everyone else is exactly what pressured birds need.

The conversation also turns toward the culture around waterfowl hunting and how social media has changed it. Alex and the guys talk about competition, negativity online, why newer hunters can feel intimidated, and why the best hunters are usually the ones who can still enjoy a bad day instead of measuring every hunt by the size of the pile.

Toward the end, things get more personal as Alex talks about raising his daughter Sierra around hunting, making the outdoors fun for kids without forcing it, and why those early experiences can stick with them for life. The guys also share how hunting gave them direction during different points in their lives and why being outside became something much bigger than simply shooting ducks.

Topics Covered:

Check out Alex Langbell and Gundog Outdoors:
https://gundogoutdoors.com/
https://www.instagram.com/alex_langbell_outdoors/

Thanks for listening to the Midwest Flyways Podcast! Be sure to check out the Flyways Hunt Club for even more exclusive content every week.

Join Flyways Hunt Club and get 1 month free! Flyways Hunt Club

New Waterfowl Film out now! Out West | Waterfowl Hunting in Montana

Stay comfortable, dry and warm: First Lite

(Code MWF20) Go to OnXHunt to be better prepared for your hunt: OnX

Learn more about better ammo: Migra Ammunitions

Weatherby Sorix: Weatherby

Support Conservation: DU

(Code: Flyways) Stop saying "Huh?" with better hearing protection: Soundgear

Live Free: Turtlebox

Add motion to your spread: Flashback

Better Merch: /SHOP