As if pre-dawn gaucho horseback rides into the duck hunting marsh, countless black clouds of doves flying back to roost, teal-sized picazuro pigeons charging into decoys, partridges flushing as hunters walk past rock-solid pointers isn’t enough, there’s the cultural immersion, hospitality, field asados, everything-but-the-moo cuts of delicious Argentine meats. But how do guests and staff describe the like-a-box-of-chocolates La Paz experience? What did they enjoy most, what’ll be forever remembered? Why’s it a great hunt for entire families, hunters and non-hunters alike? Whether you are considering a hunt south of the equator or just want to experience it vicariously, you’ll enjoy hearing the diverse perspectives of this great adventure.
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Boom! And welcome to The Big Honker Podcast’s Jeff Stanfield and the World-famous Andy Shaver (who’s the side-kick is still open to debate). The pitfalls of becoming small time mayor, the thrilling storm chases, calling the shots, scaling Stanfield Outfitters when the cackler migration changed, how The Big Honker’s success has changed their lives, the future of hunting, The First Family of Waterfowl video series and lots more, we cover ground like a wide-open freight train running through west Texas. A long-time listener myself, learned a lot about them didn’t yet know, mostly that they’re a couple genuine, down-to-earth Texans that hold the people they see in the mirror fully accountable.
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The Big Honker Podcast, The First Family of Waterfowling https://youtu.be/UjfERC4oyTM
It’s all about attitude. Whether galloping sidesaddle behind wailing foxhound packs or paddling quietly through cypress-studded swamps with he powerful labs, Mississippi born-and-raised Allison Crews is all in. A bonafide Swamp Witch, casting spells with her distinct sense of style, charm and contagious energy, Crews describes finding “gifts” while hunting, magic happening behind the levee, and gaining agency as a lady hunter. Ladies, dads, daughters, boyfriends, husbands: listen up!
Argentina’s Entres Rios Province lies between the Uruguay and Parana rivers, its flat topography covered with interspersed wetlands, woodlands, agriculture and shortgrass habitats, making it a rich location for hunting ducks, doves, wild pigeons, perdiz and more. While watching orange-capped hunters gleaning partridge behind rock-solid pointers, Ramsey does a deep dive into Argentina hunting culture with long-time Los Ceibos associate Patricio Geijo, covering past, present and future topics. Everything is on the table: small game hunting, bird dog traditions, exotic big game introductions, Cordoba dove declines, a burgeoning anti-hunting movement, historic estancias–and even ghosts! Whether you’ve been many times, considering a trip or just mildly interested, you’ll enjoy this fun and very informative episode.
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Los Ceibos Argentina Duck-Dove Combo https://www.getducks.com/hunts/argentina-duck-hunting-los-ceibos-combo/
Really no telling what interesting characters you’ll meet in the middle of a remote swamp, the incredible stories you’ll hear before a cozy fireplace. Today’s episode proves it. From a highly profitable “side business” his freshman year at military academy to homesteading remote Canada, from earning a newspaper covershot in Pamplona, Spain, to sipping a Coca-Cola during a Vietnam airstrike, he was an integral member of Ted Turner’s staff before TBS was a household name. More recently he was an Uber driver–but only for a single day. Charles Smithgall’s storied life has been anything but dull. A gifted speaker, Smithgall shares 4 Life Rules, describing an unwavering persistence that guided him through life. Y’all will not want this entertaining episode to end!
On the front porch of a rustic, swamp-encompassed, little red camphouse, hunters gathered around fedora-topped, pipe-smoking Destry Hoffard, admiring an older-than-most-people-in-camp Winchester Model 21 two-shooter he’d brought to duck hunt Argentina. In fact, everything he packed had the venerable patina of times past–especially his duck hunting mind-set. Born and raised in Illinois, Hoffard is a genuine American Picker (even though he hates that title). He tells a fascinating story about early influences, goose guiding near Cairo, Illinois, interesting finds, why that old gun is truly special, and why the good old days in America really were.
Chef Jean Paul Bourgeois grew up behind the boudin curtain, south of I-10 in Lousiana, always only minutes from the marsh. He remembers killing his first duck with a crack-barrel 20-gauge, a rite of passage into a circle of giants that acted differently in a duck blind than elsewhere. He remembers, too, making “happy plates” of local home-made cuisines his parents cooked and taught him to cook. Realizing later in life why those giants acted differently in the blind and how the soulful influence of regional cuisine improves the human spirit, he merged the two into a “real world” lifestyle now shared with the world via social media and Duck Camp Dinners. Like a best-you-ever-had, meat-heavy gumbo you can stand a spoon up in, this delicious episode will stick to your ribs for a very long time. Dig in!
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Life ain’t fair. While hanging deer stands near the Tex-Mex border on a scorching hot day, an otherwise welcomed breeze suddenly kicked up. The very last thing he remembers of his former life was a dust devil swirling lazily towards him. For only his third duck hunt in the 6 years since that fateful day, Kyle Grant chose to hunt with friends in a very remote Argentina location that was especially challenging. Because that’s the kind of guy he is. And it is there that he opened up, sharing this triumphant story, explaining the real secret to life. Folks, y’all do not want to miss this amazingly inspirational story! Because life is what you make of it.
Located in a massive wetland prone to natural water fluctuations that greatly affect waterfowl density and diversity–and so inconveniently far from Buenos Aires that you can’t hardly get there from here–Rio Salado nonetheless offers truly wild duck hunting experiences unavailable elsewhere in Argentina. In this Duck Season Somewhere episode, Ramsey hears clients describe their Rio Salado Argentina duck hunting experiences during a drought year. While “whys” and “whats” vary, they collectively prove the point that among real duck hunters birds of a feather definitely flock together.
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At the first-annual Delta Waterfowl Hunters Expo this past weekend, Delta Waterfowl announced their Million Duck campaign. That’s right. Forever a duck hunters organization, Delta Waterfowl is boldly raising the bar in waterfowl conservation! How relevant is a million ducks to the fall harvest? How will their plan be put into action–and annually implemented? What conservation strategies can produce a million ducks? In today’s episode, Delta Waterfowl’s Scott Petrie (COO and Chief Scientist) and Joel Brice (Chief Conservation Officer) explain. Something to get excited about!
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