The North American Waterfowler

Duck Camp Conversations: Live from the Wall Tent

Three days of duck hunting, good friends, and plenty of stories from duck camp!

In this episode of the North American Waterfowler Podcast, we're doing things a little differently. Instead of recording from the usual studio, we're sitting down inside our wall tent during a three-day duck hunting trip.

We talk about our time in the field, the hunting, the challenges, and everything that makes spending a few days at duck camp so enjoyable. There's nothing quite like getting together with fellow waterfowlers after a day in the marsh to talk ducks, tell stories, and enjoy the experience.

Pull up a chair and join us for a conversation straight from duck camp!

Support the North American Waterfowler Podcast

A huge thank you to our partners who help make this podcast possible!

Presenting Sponsor – onX Hunt
Plan your hunts, scout new locations, and navigate the outdoors with confidence.
https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt

Retay Shotguns
Innovative shotguns built for serious waterfowl hunters.
https://www.retayusa.com

Slayer Duck Calls
Premium duck calls designed for waterfowl hunters.
https://www.slayercalls.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
Premium protection for your hunting partner.

Flight Day Ammunition
Ammunition built for waterfowl hunters.
Use code NAW at checkout.

Shotty Gear
Gear and apparel for the waterfowling lifestyle.
Use code FDH10 at checkout.

Join the North American Waterfowler Community

Become a member and enjoy exclusive content, live podcast recordings, giveaways, and more!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting

North American Waterfowler App:
https://www.thenorthamericanwaterfowler.com

Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the marsh!

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In this episode of the North American Waterfowler Podcast, I'm joined by returning guest Scott Vix, a longtime California waterfowler, former California State Duck Calling Champion, and three-time regional calling champion.

Scott brings decades of experience to a conversation about the art of duck calling and what it really takes to consistently work and finish ducks.

We discuss some of the biggest mistakes duck hunters make with their calls, how to read birds and adjust your calling strategies, when to get aggressive versus when to back off, and how to convince reluctant ducks to finish in the decoys. We also explore calling with multiple hunters, the differences between competitive calling styles, and how to choose the right duck call.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced duck hunter, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you become a more effective caller.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST & GET BONUS CONTENT

Join us on Patreon for live podcast recordings, exclusive content, and more!

https://www.patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting

OUR PARTNERS

onX Hunt – Proud sponsor of the North American Waterfowler Podcast.

https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt

Retay Shotguns – Innovative shotguns built for hunters.

https://www.retayusa.com

Slayer Duck Calls – Premium duck calls for serious waterfowl hunters.

https://www.slayercalls.com

TideWe – Hunting blinds, waders, and outdoor gear.

https://www.tidewe.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates – Premium protection for your hunting dog.

Flight Day Ammunition – Ammunition for waterfowl hunters.

Use code NAW

Shotty Gear – Waterfowl hunting apparel and gear.

Use code FDH10

FOLLOW & CONNECT

YouTube: Freelance Duck Hunting

Podcast: North American Waterfowler

Email: [email protected]

#DuckHunting #DuckCalling #WaterfowlHunting #DuckHuntingPodcast #NorthAmericanWaterfowler

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Contact Elliott: [email protected]

Support the Show: patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting

On this episode of the North American Waterfowler Podcast, I’m joined by Hunter Flanders, Director of Marketing for Retay Shotguns.

This isn’t an infomercial. We spend most of the episode getting to know Hunter and the path that eventually led him into the outdoor industry.

Hunter grew up in Wisconsin as a serious athlete and went on to play college basketball before transitioning away from sports and diving headfirst into hunting and the outdoors. We talk about growing up in Wisconsin, his family’s 200-year-old farm, hunting with his brothers, training his first retriever, the impact hunting had on him during some major changes in his life, and how he eventually turned his passion for the outdoors into a career.

We also get into his years working in outdoor television, his transition into marketing, how he eventually landed at Retay, the evolution of Retay shotguns, the Ace and Ace R, and why whitetail hunting still ranks at the top of his list.

A great conversation about hunting, family, dogs, careers, and building a life around the outdoors.

NORTH AMERICAN WATERFOWLER PARTNERS

Retay Shotguns
https://retayusa.com

Flight Day Ammunition
https://flightdayammo.com
Code: NAW10 for 10% off

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
https://mammothpet.com

Shotty Gear
https://shottygear.com
Code: FDH10 for 10% off

Slayer Duck Calls
https://slayercalls.com

TideWe
https://www.tidewe.com
Code: NAW18 for 18% off

WATCH THE PODCAST LIVE

Become a Patreon member and watch North American Waterfowler episodes recorded live:
https://www.patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting

One thing I caught from your intro: you said NAW10 for Flight Day and NAW18 for TideWe, so I used those current codes rather than the older NAW/other versions we’ve had in past partner info.

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Patreon hunt giveaway winner Walter Brown joins me from duck camp after spending the Big Duck Opener hunting with us. We recorded this episode right from our campsite overlooking the marsh after a great day that ended with a limit of ducks.

Walter and I talk about winning the Patreon hunt giveaway and how the trip came together, his history of hunting and fishing, and his years of experience training dogs and hunting with pointing Labs. We also break down our opening-day hunt, the birds we encountered, and how the morning unfolded.

A laid-back conversation from duck camp after a great day in the marsh.

Partners of the North American Waterfowler Podcast:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the North American Waterfowler Podcast, Elliott sits down with Matt and Joe from the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary to explore the incredible life and legacy of Jack Miner.

From his beginnings as a market hunter to establishing his waterfowl sanctuary in Kingsville, Ontario, Jack Miner's story became intertwined with the early history of waterfowl conservation and bird banding in North America.

We hear the story of Katie, the black duck that helped launch Miner's banding efforts, how band recoveries provided information about waterfowl migration, the growth of the sanctuary, and how Jack Miner's work continues more than a century later.

Matt and Joe also take us inside the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary today, including its bird banding, habitat work, education programs, and new technology being used to track waterfowl migration.

Learn more about the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Foundation:
jackminer.ca

50 Ducks:
50ducks.com

PARTNERS

onX Hunt
https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt

Retay Shotguns
https://retayusa.com

TideWe
https://www.tidewe.com
Promo Code: NAW18 — 18% off

Slayer Duck Calls
https://slayercalls.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
Search Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates on Amazon

Flight Day Ammunition
https://flightdayammo.com
Promo Code: NAW10 — 10% off

Shotty Gear
https://shottygear.com
Promo Code: FDH10

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the North American Waterfowler Podcast, I’m answering questions sent in by listeners.

We get into whether ducks actually get smarter as they migrate south, what I look for when scouting new public-land spots, choosing between a decoy and passing choke, and some advice for weekend warriors who don’t have time to scout during the week.

I also get into the new Kansas nonresident waterfowl regulations, why I’ve changed my thinking on nonresident restrictions, where I think residents should be prioritized, and some of the things I don’t like about the new rules.

Plus, I talk about my first duck, a hunt I’d like to do outside of waterfowl hunting, my favorite cigars, and a few other questions from listeners.

Thanks to the partners of the North American Waterfowler Podcast:

Retay Shotguns
https://retayusa.com

Slayer Duck Calls
https://slayercalls.com

TideWe
https://tidewe.com
Code: NAW18

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
https://mammothguardian.com

Flight Day Ammunition
https://flightday.com
Code: NAW10

Shotty Gear
https://shottygear.com
Code: FDH10

Download the North American Waterfowler App on iOS or Android to log your hunts, track harvest data, weather, dog retrieves, hunter pressure and more.

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The 2026 teal season is officially in the books!

In this episode, I recap our third and final weekend of teal season—a weekend that had a little bit of everything. We camped out, watched massive storms roll through, experienced a major temperature drop behind a cold front, and hoped all of that weather would bring a new push of teal into the area.

I break down how the weekend unfolded, what we saw before and after the front, how the hunting turned out, and put a bow on three straight weekends of chasing early-season teal.

PARTNERS

Retay Shotguns
https://retayusa.com

Slayer Duck Calls
https://slayercalls.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
https://mammothpet.com\

Flight Day Ammunition
https://flightdayammo.com
Code: NAW10

Shotty Gear
https://shottygear.com
Code: FDH10

TideWe
https://www.tidewe.com

NAW18

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 teal season is down to its final weekend.

In this episode, I’m on the road headed back to teal camp for the third and final weekend of the season. Before we get there, I recap our second weekend of teal hunting—three more hunts, what we saw, how the birds behaved, and some of the incredible moments that made it another memorable weekend.

Now the question is whether there are any teal left.

The reports I’m hearing suggest that a lot of the birds have already moved out of the area. But there’s a cold front forecast to arrive Saturday night, and I’m holding out hope that it brings one last push of migrating blue-winged teal for the final day of our season.

We’ll find out soon enough.

THE NORTH AMERICAN WATERFOWLER PARTNERS

Retay Shotguns
https://retayusa.com

Slayer Duck Calls
https://slayercalls.com

TideWe
https://www.tidewe.com

Use Code: NAW18

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
https://mammothpetproducts.com

Flight Day Ammunition
https://flightdayammo.com
Use code: NAW

Shotty Gear
https://shottygear.com
Use code: FDH10

I can also tighten that opening into a more Spotify/Apple Podcasts-style description if you want it shorter and punchier.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contact Elliott: [email protected]

Support the Show: http://www.patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting

Has duck migration really changed over the last 60+ years?

Waterfowl hunters have debated it for years. Are ducks staying farther north? Has migration shifted east or west? Are the birds simply not going where they used to?

In this special collaborative episode with the Ducks Unlimited Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Mike Brasher, Dr. Heath Hagy, and Dr. Lisa Webb to break down the Verheijen Studies—research that used decades of band recovery data to examine changes in waterfowl migration and distribution from October through January.

The researchers looked at 15 species in the original study and then took a deeper look at mallards, northern pintails, and blue-winged teal.

What they found is fascinating and in some cases, surprising.

We also discuss the question every duck hunter is going to ask: WHY have these changes occurred? Weather? Habitat? Agricultural food sources? Something else?

The current research tells us what has changed. The next phase of their work is attempting to determine why.

This episode gets technical at times, but if you care about ducks, migration, and the future of waterfowl hunting, this is one you won't want to miss.

A special collaboration between the North American Waterfowler Podcast and the Ducks Unlimited Podcast.

PARTNERS

TideWe — https://www.tidewe.com
Code NAW18 for 18% off

Slayer Duck Calls — https://www.slayercalls.com

Retay Shotguns — https://www.retayusa.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates — https://mammothpet.com

Flight Day Ammunition — https://flightdayammo.com
Code FDH10

Shotty Gear — https://shottygear.com
Code FDH10

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opening weekend of teal season is officially in the books, and I’m recording this one straight from the truck on the drive home.

It was a hot one—literally. We spent the weekend sweating through some brutal early-season weather, but the teal cooperated and we had a ton of success. In this episode, I recap the entire weekend: what we saw, how the birds worked, the hunts that went right, the things we learned, and what opening weekend looked like from the marsh.

And somehow, after an already successful weekend, we finished it off with one of the best teal hunts I’ve ever been a part of.

No studio and no big production on this one. Just a road-home conversation while everything from the weekend is still fresh in my mind.

Opening weekend is here. Duck season has begun.

Flight Day Ammunition
https://www.flightdayammo.com
Code: NAW10

Shotty Gear
https://shottygear.com
Code: FDH10

TIDEWE
https://www.tidewe.com
Code: FDH18

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
https://mammothpet.com

Slayer Calls
https://www.slayercalls.com

Retay USA
https://www.retayusa.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices