Retreating from fast-paced, frenetic Seattle to tranquil Olympic Peninsula settings seemed the perfect escape even though their friends thought they were crazy. And there was just one question–how in the heck would they make a living? Now decades later, Captain Dave and Tiffany Drewry recount building a life and the hugely successful Peninsula Sportsman guide service in their Washington State Pacific paradise, describing unique island culture, nearby Port Townsend, sea duck species, hunting techniques, food, hospitality, inevitable changes.
Learned during a recent visit the Washington State leads the nation in oyster production–and I love oysters, ate them the entire week! Hama Hama Oysters has been operating for 6 generations. Over a huge sampler of oysters, clams and mussels, Adam James describes his family’s history in oyster and timber production, telling how the two go hand in hand. He explains what it takes to produce great crops, the surprising origins of his bivalved crops, why there’s an oyster renaissance underway throughout the United States and–few surprises here–why he especially loves seaduck hunters.
Washington State’s waterfowl resources are extremely diverse, and managing a full suite of dabblers, divers, seaducks and geese is a daunting task to say the least. The recent closure of the Harlequin duck season in Washington was extremely controversial. Washington State was for many years the only place in the continental United States that harlequin ducks could still be harvested. Prized by collectors as special trophies, it was a pretty big deal. Kyle Spragens is Washington State’s waterfowl manager. We discuss why Harlequin duck season was closed, doing a deep dive into this subject, other extremely interesting species and need-to-know topics. Are Harlequins an indicator of more changes to come? Tune in to find out.
Should waterfowl hunting guides and outfitters have licensing requirements? Is the waterfowl guiding industry really the Wild West?Should there be some form of professional oversight to weed out the worse from the best? What might those minimal requirements be? And how might a professional outfitter society benefit hunting, local and client hunters, habitat and waterfowl resources? Alberta Professional Outfitter Society’s Corey Jarvis, Jeana Schuurman and Rob Reynolds answer these questions and much more in today’s informative episode.
More Info:
A 7th-generation Baytown Texan, Shannon Tompkins was an outdoor journalist that highlighted Texas hunting and fishing for over 40 years. He recalls growing up duck hunting, describing his mentors and LeFour’s Model 12; places like the sprawling Barrow’s Ranch during its heyday, the infamous cardiac pond, Los Patos; bygone times like when Texas was the foremost US snow goose hunting destination. A self-described dinosaur in today’s duck hunting world, Tompkins cites several instances of “shifting baselines” regards Texas duck hunting then versus now.
What won’t our beloved retrievers do for us? To-the-horizon, full-blast retrieves across wide open fields or across frigid waters to recover downed waterfowl seem their singular life missive. Our ride-or-die duck hunting partners will do absolutely anything to live up to our expectations, requiring they be high-performance athletes instead of just pets. When Char Dawg’s professional trainer, Alan Sandifer, made the switch to Inukshuk Professional Dog Food, we did, too. Rocket-fuel results were immediate–improved performance outputs, shorter recovery times, glossier coat, ceaseless energy reserves. Inukshuk’s Brian Conoley explains the origins of this Canadian-made, if-you-know-you-know professional dog food that’s dominating serious retriever owner-trainer circles throughout the United States, how it differs from popular hype-marketed name brand dog foods, why it’s producing such spectacular results, and where you can get some to try. Whether you want to feed your retrieving machine the absolute best available or actually save money while doing so, do not miss listening to this important episode about retrieving dog nutrition!
More Info:
For 20 years, Rob Reynolds and his wife Lori have operated Ranchland Outfitters. Their reputation for delivering best-of-best Alberta waterfowl hunting experiences is unrivaled. But why? Rob describes the random events leading him into this business, his family’s deep-seated roots in Alberta, how and why he’s amassed hunting from Alberta’s boreal forest clear down to the US border, what the waterfowl hunting’s like in September-October and—get this–what its like in mid-December when hunting many thousands greenheads and honkers that never, ever fly south! He also tells about why he’s not allowed in the kitchen when his Louisiana clients cook gumbo!
Related Link:
Alberta Canada Duck and Goose Hunting at Ranchland Outfitters
“When Jake scouts, he always finds a great hunt. Always,” says Northern Skies Outfitters Matt Schauer. Visiting between incredible fall hunts, he introduces me to a couple of his top goose guides, Jake Slimp and Jeremy Bolanbarker–who were inducted to the business at an extremely young age. How’d they find their way into a year-round waterfowl guiding gig, what do they like most about it, and what’s their secrets for producing happy clients day in and day out? Real goose guide stuff. Enjoy.
Related Link:
Saskatchewan Canada Duck and Goose Hunting with Northern Skies Outfitters
Hailing from the Red River valley that forms the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma and only about an hour-and-a-half from downtown Dallas, Dakota Stowers is a long-time waterfowl guide. And when he’s not guiding waterfowl hunts in Oklahoma? He guides deer, turkeys, wild hogs and doves. He and his wife, Summer, talk about getting into the business, lessons learned from an old outfitter mentor, what it takes to run a successful year-round business. Good stuff.
Related Link:
Waterfowl Hunt Oklahoma at Mesquite Hollow Outfitters with Dakota and Summer Stowers. Contact at (903) 815-9842.
“Find a job that interferes with your real life, not the other way around,” someone once told Isaiah Bateel. And he did just that. He’s now traveled through 50 states and several counties doing the things that matter most–hunting, fishing, hiking. Talking about how and why he crafted his lifestyle, he talks about some of his hunting and fishing adventures and shares his fairly unique take on the social media.