Duck season is officially underway across the Mississippi and Central Flyways, and the guys break down what they’re seeing both locally and across the region. They share early-season observations, discuss emerging patterns, and offer insight into how conditions are shaping hunters’ experiences so far.

The conversation also turns to rules and regulations, including a preliminary proposal from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Arkansas’s upcoming two-year regulation cycle. Expect thoughtful discussion around non-resident participation, pressure management, season frameworks, and the ongoing effort to balance opportunity with a high-quality hunting experience.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine and Ducks Unlimited.

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Christian Frierson’s duck hunting journey started with 8-hour weekend hauls from northwest Louisiana to the legendary Dave Donaldson Black River WMA in northeast Arkansas. Those road-warrior trips forged an obsession that eventually carried him into the Red River bottoms of southwest Arkansas, where his family acquired a piece of ground with raw potential. What followed was a decade-long evolution from wide-eyed public-land hunter to a meticulous habitat manager and committed steward of the resource.

That same drive pushed Frierson to build the Designated Puller, an automatic jerk-rig system born from long days in the timber and a tinkerer’s mind.

In this episode, Frierson opens up about the early adventures that shaped him, the transformation of his family’s property, and the pressure-management strategies he uses to consistently hold ducks from opening day through the final buzzer.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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What does picking up trash at a public boat ramp have to do with reshaping the future of duck hunting? Arkansas hunter Ich Stewart joins the show to break down the rise of The Public Timber Project and how a simple cleanup effort became a movement, where it’s headed next, and a few big announcements that go far beyond trash bags and parking lots.

The guys also dive into a candid conversation about public-land hunting culture, the “us-versus-everybody” mindset, and what it will take to build a healthier, more united community in the woods and on the water.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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Duck hunters love to debate season dates and often, those opinions line up perfectly with their own decoy spread. But for those who manage habitat, timing isn’t just about convenience; it’s about biology, migration timing, and season-long sustainability for private and public land duck hunters. Aligning habitat strategies with season frameworks requires balance, collaboration, and a deeper understanding of what ducks need—and don't—before, during, and after the season.

Plus, David Schuessler, Ducks Unlimited’s National Director of Event Fundraising, joins us to talk about DU’s Into the Vault Auction — where hunters and collectors alike can bid on rare waterfowling treasures old and new, with every dollar supporting the wetlands and wildlife we all depend on.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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After a lengthy off-season, duck season is cracking open up north and knocking on the door down south. Reports out of Canada and the Dakotas are all over the map—mallards are spotty up there, but a few are finally filtering into Arkansas and beyond. Brent and Cason dive into what’s shaping the season ahead: mounting pressure on ducks that goes deeper than the gun, the idea of smaller limits for better hunts, and the “midpoint theory” that just happens to line up with this week. They wrap it all up the only way they know how—talking ducks, dirt, and a little SEC football chaos.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

The Standard Sportsman Duck Hunting Podcast

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In an era when unity could be our greatest asset, duck hunters seem increasingly divided not just over tactics but also over identity, ethics, and access. In this thought-provoking episode, Brent and Cason unpack the growing tensions within the waterfowling community and where that energy could be better spent.

Some of these debates carry weight, while others are rooted more in opinion than impact. From public vs. private land access to gear choices and regional rivalries, the hosts explore the key issues fueling division and, more importantly, challenge listeners to consider the bigger picture.

This episode is a timely call for collaboration over competition because the true measure of a waterfowler isn’t where or by what method they hunt, but how they contribute to the future of the sport.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has become one of the most talked-about wildlife issues in recent years—raising concern, questions, and plenty of debate. Arkansas and its neighboring states are racing to understand and control its spread after a surge in cases. In this episode, the guys trade duck blinds for deer woods, sitting down with Cory Gray and Ralph Meeker from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and Dr. Marcelo Jorge from the University of Georgia to unpack what the latest research tells us—and what it means for hunters and conservation across the region.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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A new chapter in Arkansas’s waterfowl story is being written. Through the generosity of David Snowden Jr., Merritt Dyke, and a few passionate supporters, a bold vision for the future of ducks and wetlands is coming to life. At the University of Arkansas–Monticello, Dr. Doug Osborne and his team are leading the charge with the creation of the Snowden Waterfowl Center of Excellence and the Dyke–Snowden Endowed Chair—a first-of-its-kind commitment to research that ties science to the soul of duck country.

Dr. Osborne joins the show to share how this effort took shape, the people and passion behind it, and what it means for the generations of hunters and conservationists who call the Mississippi Flyway home.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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Back in 2017, Arkansas native Austin Foster started experimenting in his shop with one goal — to build the ultimate turkey load. What began as tinkering turned into obsession: countless tests, tweaks, and trial runs until he landed on a shotshell that blew his hunting buddies away. Word spread fast, and before long Rocky Ridge Ammo Co. was born.

Today, the brand is redefining performance with premium, handcrafted TSS and stacked steel loads that waterfowlers swear by. In this episode, Foster shares how a backyard experiment became a booming business, breaks down the science behind high-end shells, and explains why the right ammo is worth every penny when the shot of a lifetime presents itself.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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Retired U.S. Army Colonel Shawn Daniel grew up chasing mallards in the Arkansas timber, and after eight combat deployments with the Rangers and a stop in the corporate world, he’s come full circle. Today, Daniel leads Darby’s Warrior Support, a nonprofit dedicated to introducing military special operators to the traditions and healing power of duck hunting.

In this powerful episode, Shawn shares how the camaraderie of the duck blind offers space for combat veterans to open up about their stories and struggles—before, during, and after those unforgettable Arkansas sunrises. It’s an emotional reminder that the impact of this sport reaches far beyond the harvest, fostering connection, purpose, and healing for those who’ve sacrificed so much.

For more information and how you can support the effort, please visit www.darbyswarriorsupport.org.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited. 

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