MOJO’S Duck Season Somewhere Podcast
Laird Hamberlin, Safari Club International or SCI
While at Mississippi hunting camp, Laird Hamberlin, Safari Club International CEO meets with Ramsey Russell. Laird describes his introductions to hunting, who and what he remembers most from his earlier days. He and Ramsey discuss SCI’s history, the pivotal role SCI plays as the largest pro-hunting and pro-wildlife organization on earth, how SCI benefits hunters and wildlife. It’s an informal and insightful discussion that all hunters will appreciate.
Related Links:
Wren and Ivy
BC Rogers of Wren & Ivy retraces his origins to duck hunting among family and friends in cypress-studded, Mississippi Delta oxbows. How did those endearing influences effect him as a hunter, husband, and father? And what role did they eventually play in his development of a successful outdoor product line that embraces both classic styling and modern functionality? In today’s episode, we learn that beneath layers of leather and waxed cotton is an enduring tribute to family.
Related Links:
Different Times, Bill Brewster
Bill Brewster, former Oklahoma Congressman and retired lobbyist, meets with Ramsey Russell at SCI Convention. They discuss wildlife topics ranging from quail hunting back in the good old days to the future of hunting. Bill tells about the time he went to the White House before dawn with shotguns and hip boots to take a US President duck hunting. Those were different times, for sure.
Mississippi Gumbo
In its present incarnation, gumbo is a combination of past and present, a delicious mixture of foolproof goodness in a pot. What constitutes “real gumbo” varies widely among regions, zipcodes, camps – even family members. But it’s all good. Benny Marascalco was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, a region that’s as unique unto itself as roux. In today’s episode of Duck Season Somewhere, he and Ramsey catch up in a conversation that winds like Old Man River through a host of regional topics including duck hunting, habitat, beaver trapping, finding ancient arrowheads, and finally, Benny’s long-time passion for making really great gumbo. Whether you’ve made gumbo for generations or just getting started, you’re sure to enjoy today’s conversation.
Related Links:
Benny’s Gumbo Pages (20-plus years ago)
Retrieving Freedom
At age 30, Trent Dirks is a relative newcomer to duck hunting. Trent tells Ramsey Russell about coping with PTSD after returning from active duty in Afghanistan. How did Retrieving Freedom service dog, Tracer, help him find life purpose and then lead him to waterfowl hunting 4 years ago? Scott Dewey professionally trained competitive retrievers for over a decade before co-founding Retrieving Freedom. What are these service dogs trained to do, and how are they trained? Ramsey, Trent and Scott share a great conversation at SCI convention, it’s an interesting episode you’ll not want to miss.
Related Links:
Lee Kjos, BOSS Shotshells, STOKED!
Lee Kjos is STOKED about the new website launch and this season’s extensive, new BOSS Shotshells product line! Everyone is – and it’s downright contagious! Like a red, white and blue cyclone sweeping through a deserted mining town, he and Ramsey Russell plow full-steam-ahead through a range of duck hunting topics. Wondering whether the Canadian border will be open to hunters, the two plan a specklebelly hunt together just in case.
Related Links:
The Boys of Rio Salado: The Good Old Days of Waterfowling Still Exist
Just A Mallard? Think Again
Just a mallard? There are about 13 mallard-like subspecies worldwide to include Mallard, Mottled Duck, American Black Duck and Mexican Duck right here in the good ol’ USA. How similar are North American mallard-like species and what are their common origins? Is the American Black Duck really becoming extinct due to hybridization with mallards, and are hybrids easily distinguished? What’s the difference between “New World” and “Old World” mallards and, importantly, how might this distinction impact duck hunting as we know it? Dr. Philip Lavretsky is a wildlife geneticist from the University of Texas at El Paso. A seasoned duck hunter, he answers these questions and more. “Whether you’re a die-hard mallard purist or next-duck-over-the decoys hunter, an ardent species collector or duck nerd, this is likely one of the most thought provoking duck topics you’ve heard in a long while,” says Ramsey Russell.
Our Truest Selves While Hunting
Stalking small game while barefooted, the young boy supplemented his family’s mealtime protein intake, but remembers dreaming way back then of one day hunting leopards. Mentored, in part, by the most iconic archer in history, that boy has since hunted far and wide, and loves duck hunting. Steve Comus has been Editor-in-Chief for Safari Club International’s Safari Magazine for over 2 decades. “We are our truest selves while hunting,” he explains. With experience – and humility – that can only be gleaned from 70-plus years hunting, Steve shares some surprisingly interesting perspectives in this episode of Duck Season Somewhere.
Quack Rack
Quack Rack’s Garrett Walker and Ramsey catch up before the world starts spinning full-swing again. Recalling a couple fun past hunts together in Idaho and Oklahoma, they remember the great folks and other things that made those hunts memorable. Garrett tells about his becoming a duck hunter and how a simple work-smarter-not-harder idea quickly became one of the most recognizable name-brands in waterfowl hunting. He describes how it feels to be American Made, especially during the recent China Flu pandemic – and why this has always been personally important. They wonder what the future holds, how the pandemic might effect outdoor product supply and marketing, and then begin planning future hunts together.
Related Links:
John Devney, Delta Waterfowl
It’s late-May, the Dakota prairies are in great shape. Already there are bright yellow, little mallard and pintail fuzzballs on the scene, preparing for the flight south this fall. John Devney of Delta Waterfowl is an avid duck hunter, a natural born communicator. He and Ramsey talk about favorite North American duck species (it’ll probably surprise you) and favorite places to duck hunt in the US. Low on the water and coming in hot like decoying ringnecks, their conversation dives into lots of interesting waterfowl hunting topics. What’s going on with specklebellies in the Deep South as compared to the Pacific Flyway? What’s happening with pintails – they’re probably shooting too many in Mexico, right?! And what about all of today’s many modern hardcore hunters traveling to Canada – that’s certainly impacting the fall flight, huh? Federal stimulus dollars galore are being spent to mitigate coronavirus, but how will the 2020 Pandemic affect waterfowl conservation efforts, such as banding and censusing? All of that and more in today’s episode of Duck Season Somewhere.
Related Links:
As strong advocates of conservation, GetDucks.com supports the following organizations:
On GetDucks.com
Get Ducks Brochure
Want to receive a new GetDucks.com Brochure?
The new 36-page, full color GetDucks.com brochure is loaded with photography from the world’s best duck hunting adventures, to include trip summaries, available bird species, testimonial reviews and much more.
View NEW Full-color brochure online: Ramsey Russell’s GetDucks.com Catalog Contact us to receive a hi-res printed copy.