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In May 2017, Ramsey Russell was honored to meet with members of Field & Game Australia. During a week-long visit to Victoria Province preparing for the new GetDucks.com Australia duck hunting program, Ramsey provided the audience his perspectives on worldwide duck hunting, waterfowl habitat conservation, and hunting advocacy.

“I was surprised to learn that duck hunting in Australia is as similar to duck hunting in the United States as anywhere I’ve ever visited – camaraderie among hunters, great food, decoying black ducks that work to mojos and mallard calls in flooded green-timber stands of river red gums –  but at the same time worlds different – kangaroos bounding across fields, pink-eared ducks, and rude, unscrupulous anti hunters,” says Ramsey. “Half-way across the world or not, an anti-hunting problem in Australia is an anti-hunting problem worldwide, we’re all in the same boat,” he adds.

He was very pleased to learn that despite news reports to the contrary, Australia’s anti-hunters are nothing more than a very vocal minority.  “After harassing hunters and grabbing news headlines at public boat ramps during the opening days of Australia’s duck season, they pretty much return home to rail against everything else that doesn’t conform to their narrow-minded views,” Ramsey said.

Waterfowl management practices in Australia favor hunting opportunities and challenge many of the tenets under which waterfowl are managed in North America. Consider: there are many public hunting areas and they remain open for all legal hunting hours during an entire season to ensure maximum hunting opportunities. There are no possession limits. Likewise, hunters may clean birds and transport cleaned birds untagged without fear of legal reprisal, real wise-use conservation.

There’s a generous 10-duck per day bag limit, and in 2017 the season length in Victoria was 90 days. Because key species such as pacific black ducks and grey teal look similar, there’s no selective harvest of male “green heads”, and yet their populations thrive, especially in wet years. And on the driest continent on earth the key to increased waterfowl production is best revealed – wet years. Add water and ducks populations boom.

Ramsey reports that Australia’s robust hunting community is extremely fortunate to have an active organization such as Field & Game Australia. “They’re hands-one, pro-active, energetic and engaging on many critical fronts to include waterfowl habitat conservation, public education and lobbying for hunter rights,” said Ramsey.

The special dinner event took place in downtown Melbourne. An elegant 9-course gourmet dinner was accompanied by exquisitely paired wines. Menu items included regional delicacies such as quail, duck and kangaroo.

“An incredible meal among passionate waterfowlers and the opportunity to talk about duck hunting? I was in hog heaven,” admits Ramsey.

South of the border near Mazatlan, Mexico, the Pacific and Central flyways converge providing a tremendous variety of waterfowl and an irresistible bucket list addition for keen hunters.  I decided to go with Ramsey Russell’s GetDucks.com, as his operation on paper looked immensely professional and, in reality, it delivered so much more. Read full story: The Marvel of Mexico Duck Hunting 

Referenced Hunt: Mazatlan Mexico Duck Hunting

In this episode of the On The X podcast, J Paul Jackson, Rocky Leflore, Josh Webb, and Huston Kennedy are joined by the infamous Ramsey Russell. Ramsey is the owner of GetDucks.com and a waterfowl expert. Ramsey discusses his upcoming plans to follow the bluewing teal migration as they make their way to Mexico. This podcast is a “INFORMATION OVERLOAD” in dealing with bluewing teal. We all learned things we never knew about the little F-16’s.

The guys also all talk about where they were and what they were doing on 9-11-01. J Paul also talks about gun shy dogs in his dog training tip of the week. You don’t want to miss this podcast.

The next morning, we were off early for black brant hunting in Mexico, this time with Ramsey Russell himself. Ramsey is an exceptional hunter and a particularly interesting person, with a most wicked sense of humor; time with him is informative, but also definitely entertaining.  As an innovative call maker, my hunting partner Brad Jones (Willow Creek Custom Calls) had developed a new brant call, and we were anxious to see how effective it was.  Between Ramsey’s understanding of brant habits and Brad’s calling ability, our confidence level was high…The first flock of brant appeared suddenly. Skimming close to the water, the first dark V appeared at almost the instant the tide began to retreat. Instinctively, we began to calling unison…the birds began moving towards the decoys…

Read full story: Mexico Brant Hunting For Perfection in Mexico    Reference Hunt: Mexico Brant Hunting Combo

Many people talk about the rush they feel and bugling elk echo through the mountains or huge white-tail bucks crash through woodland brush, but at the proximity we were in while ocellated turkey hunting, the low drumming that gently escalated into the unique gobble and cluck of the ocellated turkey proved just as much of a adrenaline rush…then finally the whisper I had awaited, “Shoot.”

Read full story: Ocellated Turkey Hunting in the Land of Mayans  Referenced hunt: Ocellated turkey hunting Mexico

Intensely more beautiful in flight, blue-winged teal are much more than a harbinger of duck season. Steve Biggers’ Rocky Creek Retrievers.com/ Team Waterfowl outfit is regarded as holding more blue-winged teal than anybody. the insanely early migration of blue-wings puts so many birds here that Biggers bags between 1,500 to 2,000 most years for his clients, who flock to here from throughout the U.S.  Biggers’ camps consistently have good-as-it-gets blue-winged teal hunting, and the food is, well…Texas.  Homemade boudin, thick ribeyes, fried pork chops and smoked sausage. It’s as southern-good as shrimp and grits.  READ FULL STORY: GOOSE BUMPS AND CHILLS IN TEXAS HEAT (TEXAS TEAL HUNT)

Referenced USHuntList.com Hunt: Texas Teal Hunting Guides – Coastal Prairie

When you look at all the gear needed to waterfowl hunt…you quickly realize that guided duck hunts the best value.  It’s not an indulgence, as in big game hunting, it’s a bargain.  Ramsey vets USHuntList.com outfitters, and if they’re on the list he has been there boots on the ground and guarantees above all else that you will experience a true effort from the outfitter.  Ramsey selects one really great outfitter in each region and we are confident endorsing them. Read full story Road Trip: Bucket-List Duck Hunts Worth An Escape If The Migration Doesn’t Flow Your Way

Referenced Guided Duck Hunts: Louisiana Duck Hunting – Coastal Marsh at Venice,  Texas Duck Hunting – Gulf Coast Readheads & More,  Washington State Duck Hunting

Bagging exotic ducks and bonding with buddies, it doesn’t get any better than Argentina duck hunting. It never gets old. Just as a hunts starts to feel routine, whistling ducks show up, or pintail, or gorgeous Chiloe wigeon, or silver teal…”The expense is relative. It’s cheap compared to the duck club racket. Back home the only clubs that kill any amount of ducks you have to spend a quarter-million or more dollars just to join…and just the dues alone will pay for seven-day trip where you will kill more duck in seven days than in 10 years in the U.S., and no standing in freezing water with ice all over you.”  Read full story: Argentina duck hunt – The Thunder Down Under

Learn more about this hunt: Argentina Duck Hunt GetDucks.com Las Flores 

Ramsey Russell puts the skewered duck poppers on his grill with a sizzle and a smile.  The bacon wrap’s aroma whets the appetite of anyone within nose shot. Whiffs deepen, with meaty duck subnotes and a whisper of sweetness and tart wafting along after it. Pineapple maybe? Ginger? Both?

GetDucks.com duck hunt expert Russell, organizer of hunting adventures around the globe, was at that moment on his own Brandon back porch.

“I’m not a cook or a chef,” he said over savory samples threatening to…

Read full story: Hunter’s Duck-To-Delish Tips: Taste of The Wild Side

Mexico has been just such a mistress for North American hunters of late. Gringos love the oldest true south because across the border is hunting like we might have had it in the 1850s, in close proximity to blue-water beaches and big game fishing. From the giant Sonoran mule deer to the outsized largemouth bass and lights-out wingshooting, this is the affordable and not so very far away destination our fathers and grandfathers ventured to.

A few friends think I’m crazy to go to Mexico, but I think they are crazy not to. Mind your manners and your business, don’t venture into areas you are not supposed to, and it is just fine. I never felt threatened and have felt far more menaced in every large U.S. city I’ve ever been to.

And yes, my heart will always yearn for Argentina, particularly Patagonia. The warm people, the super-natural duck hunting, the roar of the stag. But doves? I will choose Mexico, margaritas, and more white-wingeds than I ever want to shoot, thank you sir. It is perhaps not the insane bird numbers of South America, but it is at times pretty damned close, and the bottom line is each morning and evening we shot absolutely all we and our shoulders wanted to shoot…all just 500 miles south of Tucson, Arizona. Does it get any better than that?  Package Details: Mexico White-Winged Dove Hunting

READ FULL STORY: Mexico White-Winged Dove Hunting: Mexico Redux