The North American Waterfowler

Contact Us: [email protected]

Support the Show:
Patreon.com/FreelanceDuckHunting

Partners:

Flight Day Ammunition
Premium non-toxic waterfowl ammunition.
Use code FDH10

Shotty Gear
Premium hunting gear built for serious waterfowlers.
Use code FDH10

Weatherby
Proudly carrying the Weatherby Element 2 in the marsh.

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
The safest way to transport your retriever.

In this episode of North American Waterfowler, Elliott recaps the annual Kansas River float trip, including high water conditions, storms, fishing, camping, and the adventures that unfolded along the way.

The main discussion centers around a social media debate sparked by a comment claiming that social media is the worst thing that ever happened to waterfowl hunting and that modern hunters are only chasing likes and clicks. Elliott examines both the positives and negatives of social media, including poor representation of hunters, rage-bait content, community building, mentorship, education, and conservation awareness. He also asks a larger question: Why do people hunt in the first place?

To wrap up the episode, Elliott introduces the new Ask Jobman feature available to Flatlander Kennels Patreon members and answers a listener question about properly introducing gunfire to a young retriever.

Topics Include:

Kansas River Float Trip Review

Social Media and Waterfowl Hunting

Ethics and Hunter Representation

Why People Hunt

Building Community Through Social Media

Ask Jobman

Introducing Dogs to Gunfire

Retriever Training Tips

Thanks for listening and supporting North American Waterfowler.

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

Contact Elliott:
[email protected]

Support the show:
Patreon.com/FreelanceDuckHunting

Partners:
Weatherby – Weatherby.com

Flight Day Ammunition – FlightDayammo.com
Use code NAW10

Shotty Gear – ShottyGear.com
Use code FDH10

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
mammothpet.com

Patreon member Hunter Johnson joins the North American Waterfowler Podcast to discuss waterfowl hunting on the Oregon coast. Growing up with a father who worked as a hunting and fishing guide, Hunter was practically raised in a duck blind and has spent a lifetime chasing ducks, geese, salmon, and sturgeon across the Pacific Northwest.

In this episode, Hunter explains how tides dictate nearly every aspect of his duck season, why incoming water can create incredible flights of birds, and what it's like hunting coastal marshes loaded with wigeon and pintails. We compare hunting in Oregon to hunting in the Midwest, discuss increasing public land hunting pressure, and explore why Oregon's waterfowl hunting opportunities are unlike anything most hunters experience.

We also discuss the proposed Oregon ballot measure that has many hunters and anglers concerned about the future of hunting, fishing, and animal ownership in the state.

Topics Covered:
• Oregon coastal waterfowl hunting
• Tidal marsh duck hunting
• Wigeon hunting
• Pintail hunting
• Public land hunting pressure
• Growing up with an outfitter father
• Oregon hunting legislation concerns
• Salmon, sturgeon, and Pacific Northwest fishing

If you've ever wondered what it's like to hunt ducks in a tidal marsh with thousands of wigeon overhead and tides controlling every movement of the birds, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

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Most duck hunters have flushed a Sora rail from the cattails at some point, but few know much about these secretive marsh birds.

In this episode, wildlife biologist Eamon Harrity joins the show to discuss the fascinating world of rails. We cover Sora migration, nesting habits, habitat needs, population trends, and the unique adaptations that allow these birds to thrive in dense wetland environments. Eamon also shares stories from his research on Ridgway's Rails and discusses some of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding rail behavior and conservation.

If you've ever heard the distinctive call of a Sora echoing across a marsh and wondered what you were hearing, this episode is for you.

Topics discussed:
• What exactly is a rail?
• Sora migration and wintering grounds
• Nesting and breeding behavior
• Why rails are so difficult to study
• How rails find isolated wetlands during migration
• Rail hunting history and regulations
• Wetland management and conservation
• The future of rail research

Follow the North American Waterfowler Podcast for new episodes every week.

Contact Elliott: [email protected]

Support the Show: Patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting

Partners of the Show

Flight Day Ammunition

www.flightday.com

Code NAW10

Shotty Gear

www.shottygear.com

Code: FDH10

Weatherby

www.weatherby.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Kennels

www.mammothpet.com

Search Mammoth Guardian Dog Create on Amazon

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For years I've watched American White Pelicans migrate through Kansas by the thousands and wondered what we really know about them. Where do they come from? How far do they travel? How do they breed? And what exactly are they doing when they're soaring thousands of feet overhead?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Aimee Van Tatenhove, a quantitative ecologist and former pelican researcher whose doctoral work focused on American White Pelicans around the Great Salt Lake. We discuss pelican migration, nesting colonies, feeding behavior, GPS tracking, bird strikes, avian flu, and some of the surprising things scientists have learned by following these birds across North America.

We also dive into the challenges facing the Great Salt Lake, including drought, water management, the proposed data center controversy, and why the future of the lake matters to millions of migratory birds.

Topics discussed:

Whether you're a waterfowl hunter, birder, conservationist, or simply someone who enjoys watching wildlife, this episode offers a fascinating look into one of North America's most remarkable birds.

Partners:

Shotty Gear – https://shottygear.com (Code: FDH10)

Weatherby – https://weatherby.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates – Available on Amazon and at https://mammothpet.com

Support the podcast and join our community:

Contact:
[email protected]

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In this episode, Elliott sits down with award winning wildlife artists Adam and Madison Grimm for a conversation that quickly becomes much bigger than art.

At just 19 years old, Madison Grimm is leading one of the most unique grassroots conservation efforts in North America. Through her nonprofit, Second Chance Flight, she rescues duck and upland bird eggs that would otherwise be destroyed during spring farming operations. Farmers across South Dakota now call Madison when they discover nests while haying or working fields, giving these birds a second chance at life.

Madison shares how the project began, the challenges of obtaining permits, the process of incubating and raising ducklings, and some of the incredible success stories that have come from the effort. Adam also discusses the role wildlife art plays in conservation and how their family's passion for waterfowl has evolved into a mission to help protect the resource.

This is a positive conservation story that every waterfowler should hear.

To learn more about Second Chance Flight or support their work, visit:
https://www.secondchanceflight.com

Contact Elliott:
[email protected]

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

Partners:

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

Shotty Gear
https://www.shottygear.com

Weatherby
https://www.weatherby.com

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

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

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

Contact Elliott: [email protected]

Support Elliott: patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting

In this solo episode, Elliott dives into how social media algorithms reward outrage, controversy, and conflict while often burying positive content. Using real examples from recent North American Waterfowler reels, he explores why discussions around topics like flooded corn, duck numbers, and harvest management seem to generate so much anger and division.

Elliott also shares the story of his long anticipated fishing trip into the Nebraska Sandhills with Aden. What started as a dream trip quickly turned into muddy water, high winds, a collapsed tent, and tough fishing. Despite the challenges, the experience served as a reminder of what really makes an outdoor adventure worthwhile.

Finally, Elliott breaks down the five traits he believes separate average waterfowl hunters from great ones, including scouting, calling, dog work, concealment, and persistence.

Topics Include:

• Social media and negativity in the waterfowl community

As always, thank you for listening and supporting The North American Waterfowler Podcast. Please leave a rating, review, and share the show with a fellow hunter.

Shotty Gear

Flight Day Ammunition

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates

TideWe

Weatherby

Patreon

The North American Waterfowler App

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Spencer Lewis returns to The North American Waterfowler Podcast for a wide ranging conversation on modern waterfowl culture, social media toxicity, public land pressure, hunting ethics, and the future of the waterfowl community. Spencer discusses the launch of his new Facebook group, The Humble Outdoorsman, and why he feels more optimistic and re-energized compared to our last conversation.

We also dive into loud boat culture, respect in the marsh, the challenges facing public land hunters, how online behavior has changed hunting communities, and why so many outdoorsmen seem burned out or frustrated. Along the way we discuss fatherhood, mentorship, social media algorithms, and the importance of maintaining perspective while navigating modern hunting culture.

This episode feels less like an interview and more like two hunters sitting around a fire trying to make sense of where waterfowling is headed.

Presented by:

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

Shotty Gear
https://www.shottygear.com

TideWe
https://www.tidewe.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
https://www.mammothpetproducts.com

Weatherby
https://weatherby.com

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

Contact Elliott: [email protected]

Support Elliott: Patreon.com/freelanceduckhunting

In this offseason Q&A episode of The North American Waterfowler Podcast, Elliott answers listener questions covering everything from duck population trends and migration patterns to hunt tests, old Freelance Duck Hunting seasons, favorite waterfowl species, El Niño vs La Niña hunting success, and future plans for Georgie’s bloodline.

Elliott also reflects on the evolution of FDH over the years, the changing dynamics of hunting partners and filming, why mallards remain king, and what made Season 3 of Freelance Duck Hunting such a special era. Plus discussion on river goose hunting setups, the Grand, the Master National, and how personal hunting experiences can sometimes distort perceptions of overall duck populations.

Presented by:

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

Shotty Gear
https://www.shottygear.com

TideWe
https://www.tidewe.com

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
https://www.mammothpetproducts.com

Weatherby
https://weatherby.com

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

Contact Elliott: [email protected]

Support the show: Patreon.com/Freelanceduckhunting

Jeff Coats, better known to many as “Pit Boss,” joins the podcast for a deep dive into a lifetime spent chasing ducks, training retrievers, guiding sea duck hunts, and living waterfowl culture since the early days of internet forums and VHS hunting videos. Jeff shares the story of how he went from football dreams and working blue collar jobs to becoming one of the most recognizable names in sea duck hunting on the East Coast.

We discuss the evolution of sea duck hunting, the rise of online waterfowl culture, old school duck boats, guiding on the Atlantic Ocean, close encounters with sharks while hunting, retriever training, AKC hunt tests, field trials, and what it takes to produce high level dogs. Jeff also opens up about the personal experiences that pushed him toward building a life on his own terms through guiding, dogs, and waterfowl hunting.

This episode is packed with stories, history, dog talk, and insight from someone who has truly lived the waterfowl lifestyle for decades.

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

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

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
https://www.mammothpetproducts.com

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

In this episode of The North American Waterfowler Podcast, Elliott sits down with Nate Verdin of Falling Tide TV for a wide ranging conversation about family, fatherhood, duck hunting culture, Louisiana marshes, public land, and the deeper reasons hunters stay connected to the outdoors.

The two discuss how becoming fathers changed their perspectives on life, faith, risk, and priorities. They also dive into childhood hunting memories, the emotional connection hunters have with wildlife, and the unique culture surrounding waterfowl hunting across different regions of the country.

Later in the episode, Elliott and Nate revisit the flooded corn conversation, discuss public land pressure, nonresident hunting, and the growing tensions within the waterfowl community.

This is less of a tactics episode and more of an honest conversation about hunting, identity, and the places that shape us.

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

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

Weatherby
https://www.weatherby.com

TideWe
https://www.tidewe.com
Code: NAW18

Mammoth Guardian Dog Crates
Search Mammoth Guardian Dog Crate on Amazon or visit:
https://www.mammothpet.com

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

Contact:
[email protected]

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