MOJO’S Duck Season Somewhere Podcast
Ep 445. Building MOJO
“All I knew is that nobody was going to outwork me,” says Mojo founder Terry Denmon in describing his abrupt departure from federal government employment decades ago to become an engineering consultant that did not yet even have one single client. Many years later, a new fangled decoy concept dropped into his lap and while it’d be easy to say that the rest is history, it wouldn’t tell the entire story. Today’s episode is more about working hard, thinking outside the box and never quitting than it is about the world’s most recognized namebrand waterfowl decoy, with plenty pearls of wisdom about succeeding in the outdoor industry, other businesses and just life itself.
EP 444. Making Smoke
Back in the Big D and met with my buddy Brandon Roy, who cooks the best damned steak in Dallas. Because he’s posting sumptuous smoked meats daily, was surprised to learn how much he really cooks. We blaze through a bunch of good-to-know, expert griller topics including various meat selections and smoking the perfect brisket, covering differences among social media platforms and dealing with vegan trolls. We also talk about an upcoming Mexico hunt together.
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EP 443. All Waterfowl Sanctuaries Are Created Equal–Or Are They?
We all know that waterfowl sanctuary is an essential component to managing overwintering waterfowl, but is all waterfowl sanctuary created equal? What are the different sanctuary types? Which do mallards prefer? How quickly do mallards respond to Arkansas duck hunting disturbances, and how does their behavior change? How might private landowners and managers adapt to provide more hunting opportunities and still offer sanctuary? A recent graduate of University of Arkansas Monticello, Ethan Ditter researched sanctuary and land cover use patterns by mallards in Arkansas and explains his interesting findings. While some seem intuitive, you’ll find others hugely surprising.
EP 442. The TRUE Saga of Liver Eating Johnson
The landmark 1972 movie Jeremiah Johnson featuring Robert Redford should be mandatory viewing for every red-blooded American, and was based on a book entitled “Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver Eating Johnson.” But who was he really, and was his name even Johnson? From the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Nathan Bender tells us all about this part-man-part-myth historical figure. Where’d he come from, why’d he prefer Hawkins guns, what’d he do for money, why’d he fight the Crows and why’d he start eating their livers–or did he? Inspired into a history career by the original Jeremiah Johnson movie, he’s since become an authority on the topic. Following this interview, I returned to Mountain View Mallard’s lodge and rewatched the movie for the umpteenth time. Check it out.
EP 441. Hit-or-Miss Waterfowl Hunting in Wyoming
Kind of hard to complain about killing Wyoming greenhead limits when the temperatures are in mid-60s, but that’s not always the case. Seasonably warm weather made for hit-or-miss waterfowl hunting in Wyoming, but the show must go on–you don’t know unless you go, right?! A waterfowl hunting guide for 35 years, JJ Randolph is also a world-class storyteller and human being. He talks about starting Wyobraska–y’all ain’t going believe what he traded for his first blind–why he chose Wyoming, important influences, why this area usually overwinters so many ducks and geese, waterfowl plucking, hunting strategies, Wyobraska’s client retriever policy and much more. No wonder this hunt sells out as quickly as it does.
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EP 440. Reinvented in the Wild West
The quote above door reads, “Back to the New West. The Wild West I leave to you.” While many people have traveled since forever to Cody, Wyoming, to discover the Wild West, many came to disappear or to be reinvented. From the Buffalo Bill Center of the Wild West, Mckracken Research Library, Eric Rossborough provides entertaining accounts of some colorful personalities that did just that, explaining why back in the day locals never asked new folks’ names or origins. An amazing storyteller, Rossborough’s character descriptions will have you at times laughing out loud and at other times shaking your head in disbelief.
EP 439. Goose Hunting in Minnesota
It’s a balmy 12 degrees outside, but inside a blind the size of some small homes, burning heaters have things toasty. We’re fixing to throw steaks and eggs on the griddle, too! Hunting guide Duncan Abram talks about Minnesota goose hunting, describing how he got started honker hunting, why its a pretty big deal here, why they run such big blinds, what’s his blind breakfast specialty, and much more.
EP 438. The Real Minnesota Vikings
Y’all can chalk today’s episode up to interesting things I’ve never, ever before heard about in goose camp. Or anywhere. According to Elroy Belgaard, vikings–and we’re talking real deal Lief Erikson stuff here–visited Minnesota more than a hundred years preceding Christopher Columbus’s “discovery” of America. There’s plenty evidence to include rune stones, moring stones, and other stuff. Why were they here, what evidence exists, what do 10 human skeletons have to do with anything, why are some scientists naysayers, who were the knights of templar—and might there really exist a raiders-of-the-lost-ark-type treasure of epic proportions somewhere in central Minnesota?!
EP 437. Pennsylvania Duck Hunting
We’re about 20 miles from the historic Gettysburg Battlefield, the waterfowl hunting has been tough even by Pennsylvania standards, but we got it done. Ramsey meets with long-time friend Nate Metcalf and Jason Cramer to talk about Pennsylvania duck and goose hunting. No differently than bs’ing in duck blinds the world over, we get into some interesting topics to include historic homes, indian sex stones, famous college classmates, and more. The things you hear while duck hunting, huh?!
EP 436. Mississippi River Diver Hunting
Hunting from an open water blind wrapped in Christmas-smelling evergreens, we were surrounded by hundreds of longlined blocks to include many of Doc’s hand-carved “Cleveland-style” decoys, lines worth of Pat’s own functional art, and even Coop the Chicken Dog’s urn decoy thrown in for good measure–because you can never have too many decoys hunting divers on the mighty Mississippi River! Picking off bluebills, canvasbacks, buffleheads and occaisonal redheads from a nearby miles-long raft of divers, we sipped lukewarm coffee and solved world problems. Dyed-in-the-wool diver duck hunters Pat Gregory and Doc Leonard discuss old school Mississippi River diver hunting, describing what they most love about it, why they use hand-carved blocks, how it’s about more than just ducks, and what most defines this particular waterfowling experience. Good stuff to start the New Year!
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