MOJO’S Duck Season Somewhere Podcast
EP 465. US “Duck Factory” Productivity — How Bad is It?
It’s all about supply and demand, huh? So in the US, are we killing too many ducks in past seasons? Or producing too few? Discussing continental “duck factory” production is complex, but Ducks Unlimited biologists Scott Stephens and Johannes Walker have the numbers–how many fewer continental mallards exist? What factors influence the US and Canadian prairies’ ability to produce ducks? How does US habitat aceage compare to Canada? How dry is it, and how might this impact waterfowl productivity for years to come? How many acres nesting cover have been lost, and what do global commodity prices have to do with it? Because the simplest answer is usually best, do not miss this sobering episode.
Related Links:
2019 Wetlands Status and Trends Report provides scientific estimates of wetland area in the conterminous United States as well as change in area between 2009 and 2019. The report also discusses drivers of wetland change and recommendations to reduce future wetland loss.
Wetland loss increased by more than 50% since the previous study. 221,000 acres of wetlands were lost, primarily to uplands through drainage and fill. Wetland loss disproportionately affected vegetated wetlands, resulting in the loss of 670,000 acres of these wetlands. Salt marsh experienced the largest net percent reduction of any wetland category (2% or -70,000 acres) while freshwater forested experienced the largest loss by area. (-426,000 acres) Our Nation’s remaining wetlands are being transformed from vegetated wetlands, like salt marsh and swamp, to non-vegetated wetlands, like ponds, mudflats, and sand bars.
EP 464. Duck Hunting in Mazatlan Mexico
The cat’s out of the bag–duck hunting Mazatlan Mexico is lots of fun for both hunters and non-hunters, usually selling out well in advance. But why? What do customers have to say about this so-called “honeymoon duck hunt?” Whether curious about south-of-the-border duck hunting or possibly shopping your next shotgun-in-hand vacation, you (and your non-hunting spouse) will probably enjoy hearing what folks say about the hunting, species, local foods, lodging and other things to do. See links below for more.
Related Links:
More info: Mexico Duck Hunt in Mazatlan
EP 228. Mazatlan, Mexico and South-of-the-Border Duck Hunting
EP 229. Why “Honeymoon Duck Hunt” in Mazatlan, Mexico?
EP 345. Birds of a Feather Together: Mazatlan Mexico Duck Hunting
EP 463. Full Plume Photo
Veterinarian Jen Barton was introduced to duck hunting by her husband, who later gifted her a camera, setting her life into a completely new orbit. Whether swinging shotguns or lenses, Jen approaches duck hunting from a quality-versus-quantity perspective. Sharing her California hunting experiences, prefered ducks species for table fare and photography, favorite things about waterfowling, first magazine cover shot, Jen also describes growing up in middle-of-nowhere Illinois and introduces me to a historic waterfowl retriever breed.
Related Link:
Full Plumed Photo Instagram
EP 462. How Is Waterfowl Migration and Distribution Changing?
Deep South duck hunters, especially, have been saying it for years—ducks are short-stopping way north of historical wintering grounds. The migration is different. Distribution has changed. But is it true? And if so, how have waterfowl migration and distribution changed, does it differ among species, what are the causes? Importantly, how might it affect traditional, continental waterfowl conservation efforts—and duck hunting as we know it?! Armed with recent research findings (some based on SIXTY YEARS worth of U.S. harvest data), US Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Heath Hagy and I race headlong into this daunting topic, covering mallards, pintails, divers, white-fronted geese, blue-winged teal, and more. Much more. Hang on, folks. Y’all might find yourself reaching for the oh-shit bar on this one!
Related Links:
2019 Wetlands Status and Trends Report provides scientific estimates of wetland area in the conterminous United States as well as change in area between 2009 and 2019. The report also discusses drivers of wetland change and recommendations to reduce future wetland loss.
Wetland loss increased by more than 50% since the previous study. 221,000 acres of wetlands were lost, primarily to uplands through drainage and fill. Wetland loss disproportionately affected vegetated wetlands, resulting in the loss of 670,000 acres of these wetlands. Salt marsh experienced the largest net percent reduction of any wetland category (2% or -70,000 acres) while freshwater forested experienced the largest loss by area. (-426,000 acres) Our Nation’s remaining wetlands are being transformed from vegetated wetlands, like salt marsh and swamp, to non-vegetated wetlands, like ponds, mudflats, and sand bars
EP 461. Wisconsin Waterfowl
With 63,000 license holders, it’s fair to say that waterfowl hunting is a pretty big deal in Wisconsin! Wisconsin Waterfowl Association was founded decades ago to address waterfowl and habitat conservation at the local level. Executive Director Bruce Ross describes habitat projects that keep them busy, mission-critical partnerships, and the increased importance of Wisconsin waterfowl hunters in an ever-changing landscape.
Related Links:
Wisconsin Waterfowl Association wisducks.org
EP 460. Going for the Gold
Amber English grew up around hunting and guns in Colorado, learning to shoot when she was only 6 years old. While her parents, uncle and aunt all shot competitively, it wasn’t until after highschool gymnastics that she began doing so. Now a Captain in the US Army, she humbly describes choosing shotguns over rifles, shooting her way into international skeet shooting competitions, joining the Olypic Team, winning the gold (where she set a new Olympic record, by the way) and preparing to do it again. We also talk about traveling with firearms and, with the warning that I can miss with the absolute best of ’em, make plans to duck hunt together.
EP 459. 50 Ducks
Anything can happen while duck hunting. Greer Smith probably isn’t the only person the get stuck while hunting near Venice, Louisiana, but watching ducks fly overhead and wondering where they’d originated sent his life into a new orbit. “There’s a growing need for awareness,” says Greer, who grew up duck hunting in Georgia. Quitting his day job and putting plans into motion, he started 50 Ducks in hopes that he can spark an interest in waterfowl conservation among school children and the non-hunting community. This year he’s banding ducks in Sonora Mexico and at Jack Miner’s in Ontario. Greer eventually hopes to generate much needed revenues to fund waterfowl research projects. Along with a drake shoveler named Sir Dabble presently streaming his whereabouts from nature to computer monitors worldwide, he’s off to a danged good start! See related link below!
Related Links:
Use promo code “GetDucks” to recieve 10% discount on a 50 Ducks subscription!
EP 458. Outdoor Life Hunting Stories
While growing up on a farm in rural Missouri, his dad had predicted he’d become a newspaper reporter. Probably because he intuitively knows the value of a story. Sure enough, Andrew McKean’s colorful career eventually took him to Outdoor Life, where as the long-time hunting and conservation editor, he’s drilled into issues that affect wildlife, wildlands, and people. An incredible storyteller, McKean dives headlong into memorable hunting trips, like the time he recovered legendary Jim Corbet’s famous tiger hunting rifle from a British museum and retraced his steps through India, and the time he went on the very last caribou hunt to ever take place in Quebec. Borrowing from that last caribou hunt, he describes why some conservation groups consider the American Buffalo as practically extinct, and others’ plans to fix it. Outdoor Life was the last hunting magazine to have over a million subscribers. Everything is now digital, and making a career in the outdoor writing field these days is also discussed.
EP 457. BS’ing with Redbeard Between Roadtrips
Between chasing waterfowl and promoting Voormi, my buddy Ryan Yarnell aka Tex aka Redbeard sees as much of North America through a truck windshield as I do each year. Every now again our paths cross and we even get to hunt ducks together. In between roadtrips, Yarnell and I catch up, talking about Voormi’s new bibs and rain jacket, this past US duck season, driving the highways and byways, our hunting retrievers, snow geese, and duck hunting West Virginia. You know, pretty much the same nothing that all duck hunting buddies talk about.
EP 456. How Mallards Experience and Utilize the Landscape
We all know duck habitat when we see it, but what do ducks “see”–how do our beloved mallards experience and utilize habitats at the landscale level before, during and after hunting season? Could understanding this make us more productive hunters, better habitat managers and long-time conservationsists? Nick Masto (that’s Masto) is a duck hunter and recently completed his PhD at Tennessee Tech using the latest technologies. We do a deep dive into mallard habitat preferences on the wintering grounds and during fall/spring migrations, why they prefer these habitats, when they migrate, why they stop migrating, available forage on private versus public lands, hunting pressure influences, daily flight distances, the importance of early and late water on the landscape, sanctuary connectivity, landowner cooperatives and more. Whether a hunter, a waterfowl habitat manager, or both, you’ll likely appreciate seeing your hallowed stomping grounds through the eyes of wild mallards.
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