FowlWeather Podcast

My friends across duck country, I ask you one question, are the duck done for? Are you willing to let duck populations fade into oblivion. We talk about the weather and how it affects duck migration a-lot on the FowlWeather Podcast, but we know one thing for sure, if ducks are never produced, it does not matter what the weather does, ducks that don’t hatch can’t come south each duck season. We also know that ducks need wetlands to produce more ducks. But here we are, the USFWS for some reason is advancing a proposal that could reduce the 1.7M acres of wetland easements that they hold. And remember these are wetland easements paid for with your Duck Stamp dollars, and as far as we can see, they may be gone in the coming years, wetlands possibly gone forever. With over half of the prairie pothole wetlands already gone and duck numbers struggling, we don’t want to lose more acres. As noted on the FowlWeather social media posts and on this Monday mornings episode, we were working to get waterfowl experts on to dissect and help us learn about what is happening with FWS prairie pothole wetland easements and we aimed high because we have both Dr. Scott Stephens, Senior Director of Conservation Strategy and Dr. Mike Brasher, Senior Waterfowl Scientist with us tonight. Both of Ducks Unlimited, these men are passionate duck hunter-conservationists and we are honored to have them on the FowlWeather Podcast to help us learn about this important topic. The way I like to state it when people ask about this potential FWS policy change…… the FowlWeatherPodcast position and what we tell them is this “this all could be worse than bad”.

In this episode we are going to talk to you through 3 lenses, why you should be curious, why you should be concerned, and why you should be excited about the coming duck season. Among the general themes you will hear about breeding ground conditions, the coming El Nino, policy surrounding waterfowl conservation and management, more local state policies about draw systems and habitat management, and the state of waterfowl education and science in US.

Montana is a destination for many, but it doesn’t run on its own. Heather Harris is the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks as Grassland & Wetland Coordinator for the state. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Trent University, that’s in Canada, and her M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Mississippi State University. She grew up in Northern Ontario where she spent most of her time outdoors. She spends a good portion of her spare time hunting turkey, waterfowl, upland birds and big game and training her bird dog Riggs. She also happens to be DrMike’s sister-in-law so this one is fun! Join us for another great interview on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Chesapeake Bay is the birthplace of American waterfowling. The bounty…the abundant fish, shellfish, and waterfowl made being a waterman a reality, but the bounty of the bay and its watershed, also made it a place to live and thrive. As populations grew in the Chesapeake watershed so did the pollution and other environmental problems; waterfowl are still abundant in the bay, but are the hay days of the bay gone forever? Can we bring it back to its glory days? Today we meet with two great guys from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, that know a lot about the Chesapeake Grayson Haynes, Government Affairs Advisor, and Jim Kauffman, Pennsylvania Field Representative and Wildlife Health Coordinator.

Situated just off the North Shore of Oneida Lake sits Toad Harbor Taxidermy. We meet with avid duck hunter and taxidermist Matt Colesante. Matt focuses on realism in his mounts, separating his great mounts from just good mounts of others. We sit down w/ Matt, his father Rip, and son Connor, 3 generations of taxidermist and duck hunters, in the shop to talk waterfowl taxidermy, tricks and tips for getting a good mount to the taxidermist, and his evolution from the love of ducks to a premier taxidermist of the region.

Some are calling it a Godzilla El Niño, a Super El Niño of monster proportions, but will it all unfold as told? In 2015, NASA scientists coined the informal term Godzilla El Niño to describe a weather pattern that massively distorts the jet stream and causes extreme global temperatures. DrMike dives deep into what the coming El Niño means for the summer growing season, duck production, duck migration, and duck hunting conditions. Plus, a turkey season bust, farm news, and planting and hunting plans for the 2026 season.

Coastal North Carolina is rich in waterfowling history and Ed Farley, hailing from the Matamuskeet region exemplifies the NC state motto Esse Quam Videri, the motto in Latin reads as genuine, honest, and disciplined, rather than just appearing to be so. Ed Farley, Manager of Conservation Programs for VA, NC, SC, and GA grew up with wetlands and ducks in his blood and followed that tradition into a career that benefits all the great people across duck country USA. Today we join Ed to hear his story of waterfowl wonderment and growing into an impactful hunter-conservationist.

Minnesota has seen substantial challenges in keeping wetlands and grass on the landscape for ducks. With this, duck numbers and duck hunter numbers have plummeted. The Living Lake Initiative restores and protects wetlands and shallow lakes in Minnesota and Iowa, focusing on enhancing water quality and habitat for waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region. We meet with Jake Chronister of the Living Lakes Initiative to learn more.

Time to talk turkey tactics. Like duck hunting the calling, the interaction with the bird is what makes turkey hunting more than just shooting. Today, with turkey season closing in the south, going at mid-latitudes, and still yet to open in many places in the north, DrMike talks turkey killin’ tactics. Whether you didn’t get your birds and your season is closed, you are in mid-battle with a bird you just can’t kill, or you are dreaming of those misty woods, just getting green to hear your first gobble of the season, this is your episode. Join us for turkey time tactics.

Mistakes are easy to make, but with lessons learned Ryan DuLaney brings a wealth of information to the FowlWeather Podcast. What are the most common mistakes in waterfowl habitat management and what are the easiest wins to get ducks in front of your blind. With diverse experience managing private lands, Ryan rejoins us to talk lower Miss water woes, failing farms under a crushing economy, mallard decline in the Delta, but most of all – growing season tips for duck hunting success.

Policy wizard, John Devney of Delta Waterfowl joins the FowlWeather Podcast for a review of financial woes of our USFWS National Wildlife Refuge system. He defined delayed infrastructure and why our refuges aren’t keeping up. What can be done? Not much if you don’t have funds to keep up with critical wetland infrastructure, don’t have the staff necessary to properly manage duck habitat, and you don’t have access to enough places to hunt.

With ducks moving back north it is time to start thinking about habitat and habitat management for the coming growing season. DrMike hits the hot button habitat decision-matrix for the coming season. What conditions to create? What foods to grow? and how it all goes down on public v. private lands. Plus, we dive into some prairie conditions updates and what the coming spring and summer will bring for breeding ducks.

We meet with Dr. Scott Stephens, Senior Director of Conservation Strategies with Ducks Unlimited. A staunch advocate for wetlands conservation, Scott details the accomplishments made and the challenges ahead to helping sustain ducks and duck habitat across duck country in the USA and Canada. A long-time waterfowler, we dig deep into the weeds with Dr. Stephens about what is needed to make the prairies and boreal tick and keep producing ducks.

For some it was the season of the storm, for others the best season they can remember, others the worst season ever, the winter that has not yet happened. The 3rd year of the FowlWeather Podcast brought us a welcome calming of the fake news by other podcasts, drought but ducks for many, and the corn conversation came to a head. We also recognized once again that weather plays a major role in duck migration timing and the later-season Duck Shuffle, plus that telemetry doesn’t tell us everything. Today we dissect these hot topics for the year and analyze how well long-term duck migration forecast played out throughout Duck Country.

In the boot room of camp, Chris Beckman (Beckman Game Calls) and Forrest Carvajal (Pond Creek Duck Calls) talk finding honey holes, social media monsters and heros, BPOP changes, weather, flooded corn, and more, plus your last duck migration forecast of the season – did the ducks move? Find out, all today on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Winter storm Fern bears down on duck country USA and the FowlWeather Podcast team is here with a Special Edition: Weather Alert episode to help your hunt through the storm. Will it makes duck migrate farther south or just a big Duck Shuffle? Will the cold break before the end of January? Who gets the snow and who gets the ice, where are the ducks now and where will they be by late January, all today on this mid-week storm update.

The FowlWeather Podcast team travels to Arkansas to hunt with Chris Beckman of Beckman Game Calls. Hatchie Coon is a hunt club with history. A sit-down w DrMikeand Chris Beckman at Hatchie Coon Hunting and Fishing Club drills deep down into what makes duck country USA the place to be. There is more to be positive about in duck country USA than social media shows. All that and our exclusive duck migration forecast, all this week with video on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Well-intentioned but missing the mark, we dissect Senator John Kennedy’s Corn Letter to the USFWS. That, a thank you to the FowlWeather Podcast listenership, and your duck migration forecast, all this week on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Join us in Part 2, of Merg Squad 3.0, Bard, Frack and DrMike are joined by deer enthusiast (and duck hunter) Jack...roast duck, goose sausage, and bourbon fueled conversation...maybe more deer than ducks, but always great conversation with good friends.

The Corn Episode Part 2.2 digs deep into the legalities of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and what constitutes baiting when hunting migratory birds with Mike Oropallo lawyer and Partner with Barclay Damon LLP.