Ducks Unlimited Podcast

The DU Podcast is expanding its reach and soon you’ll begin to hear shows focusing on the history of our waterfowling heritage. Katie Burke, manager of the Waterfowling Heritage Center, and Mallori Murphey, social media specialist, will be hosting heritage-oriented shows. These shows will include decoy carvers, collectors, call collectors, and the wide variety of other historical topics. This show introduces you to Katie and Mallori. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

With the hunting season in full swing in Canada and beginning to get underway in the U.S., we’re all clamoring for more information out of Prairie Canada, and the DU Podcast is happy to oblige. We are joined again by Pat Kehoe for a mid-October update on the status of waterfowl hunting, waterfowl migration, and weather conditions. Plus, what’s the status of hunter activity, and how are the birds responding? Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

It is well-documented that predators kill ducks and destroy millions of nests annually. What is less understood is how landscape features may interact to influence rates of predation and whether we can thwart predator success by more targeted and strategic habitat conservation efforts. Today, we visit with Samantha Fino, PhD Candidate and recipient of DU’s Bonnycastle Fellowship for Prairie Ecosystem Studies, to learn how her research is helping answer these questions. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Anthony Jones, DU digital media and marketing director, joins Chris Jennings on the podcast to talk about the various digital tools built by waterfowl hunters, for waterfowl hunters. The list of tools for duck and goose hunters includes the highly popular DU Migration Map, DU App, and the all-encompassing Waterfowl360.com. Jones gets into the details of each and shares other insights into how you can use these tools. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

While there is no doubt that non-hunters can be effective wildlife conservation professionals, our four guests share their beliefs and experiences with how active engagement in hunting helped them develop a deeper appreciation and connection to the resource. In this concluding episode about University Hunt Programs, we hear stories about visceral connection, emotional reward, and personal enlightenment that resulted from the conscious decision to hunt. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

In today’s university-based wildlife conservation programs, it is increasingly common for enrolled students to lack prior exposure to or experience with hunting. In response to this trend, initiatives commonly referred to as “University Hunt Programs” are being developed, whereby students are given an opportunity to learn about and participate in waterfowl hunting. On this episode, we are introduced to these programs by 4 guests that have been active participants in them. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

With continued closure of the Canadian border to non-essential travel, the DU Podcast is rejoined by Dr. Scott Stephens to hear about and live vicariously through his latest pursuits of migratory game birds in the Land of the Living Skies --- Saskatchewan. Always a great guest with informative content and entertaining exchanges, Dr. Stephens shares his successes and challenges in chasing (and calling) cranes, specks, and ducks. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Host Chris Jennings is joined by Josh Miller, product training specialist for SportDOG Brand and owner of River Stone Kennels. Miller explains his transition to becoming a full-time trainer, and shares his expertise in choosing dogs, utilizing training tools, and even becoming a duck hunter. The two discuss their first retrievers and how these specific dogs improved their training and hunting over the years. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Perhaps unbeknownst to many North American waterfowlers, the state of Washington year-in and year-out supports a respectable population of breeding waterfowl, mostly mallards, that contribute to early harvest in that state. Matt Wilson, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, joins the podcast to share insights on breeding waterfowl in Washington and provides an update on summer habitat conditions and what we might expect later this year. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Jay Anglin, Great Lakes Migration Editor for Waterfowl360.com joins the show to discuss some early hunting and habitat conditions across the Great Lakes. Anglin, based in Northern Indiana shares some insights on hunting conditions in his area and reports he has heard from other hunters in the Great Lakes Region. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

In the Upper Midwest, trematodes that are ingested through consumption of faucet snails are known to cause mortality in lesser scaup and other waterbirds every year, yet the effects of trematode infection on those birds that survive is not well understood. Cheyenne Beach, recipient of the Ed and Sally Futch Fellowship through Ducks Unlimited, joins the podcast to update us on her research that is investigating this very question. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Phil Bourjaily, Ducks Unlimited magazine shotgunning columnist joins the show to talk about goose guns. Bourjaily discusses what he prefers when it come to a solid, late-season goose gun and shares some slight modifications for hunters looking to find the perfect goose gun. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Duck energy days (DED) are discussed regularly among conservation and waterfowl managers, but what does that mean? In this episode, hosts Dr. Mike Brasher and Chris Jennings have an in-depth conversation about this metric used by conservation leaders across North America. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

George Thompson, director of product management for Benelli USA, joins the podcast to discuss Benelli’s new Benelli Best Surface Treatment (BE.ST). Thompson and host Chris Jennings talk about this new product, along with a breakdown of all Benelli’s waterfowl and upland shotguns. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Doug Schoenrock, DU President, joins the DU Podcast to share his experiences within the organization and how he rose through the volunteer ranks of the world’s leader in wetlands conservation. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Earlier this month the DU Podcast was joined by Larry Reynolds to discuss the results of LDWF’s early September teal survey as well observations of the damage and destruction left in the path of Hurricane Laura. Ducks Unlimited extends its support and prayers to all those affected by the storm and are wishing for a speedy and effective recovery. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

The worldwide pandemic upended nearly all traditional research projects and banding efforts for Arctic-nesting geese in 2020, but that won’t stop the DU Podcast from asking the questions you want to hear. Frank Baldwin, Wildlife Biologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, joins us to share a few insights on goose production in 2020 and an interesting side story on summer duck banding. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

During his research into hybridization between mallards and black ducks, Dr. Phil Lavretsky identified a mysterious genetic signature among mallards in North America. Playing the role of waterfowl detective, Phil and his colleagues uncovered the source of this signature and brought a surprising discovery to the world of waterfowl management. We explore this discovery and what it means in our concluding episode of this exciting series! Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Dr. Phil Lavretsky dives into the latest scientific findings on the prevalence of mallard hybridization with black ducks, mottled ducks, Mexican ducks, and what to look for when identifying hybrids. We also learn that rumors of the demise of the American Black Duck due to mallards have been greatly exaggerated. Phil delivers the good news in the field of genetics. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

The DU Podcast is joined by genetics expert, Dr. Phil Lavretsky of the University of Texas El Paso, to discuss genetics, the prevalence of hybridization in waterfowl, and their importance to waterfowl management. We also discuss mallards, their relationship to the many mallard-like ducks across the world, and what scientists have recently learned regarding the origin of “greenheads” in North America. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

We continue our discussion with Colorado State PhD student Casey Setash about her ongoing duck research in Colorado. Casey shares what she learned from her Master’s research in Colorado’s San Luis Valley about nesting and incubation habits of cinnamon teal. We also discuss her ongoing PhD research, in which she is studying a hay production practice known as “flood irrigation” and how it benefits breeding ducks. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

The drake cinnamon teal is arguably one of North America’s most distinctive and striking species of waterfowl, yet it’s one about which we know comparatively little. In this episode, we are joined by Casey Setash, a PhD student at Colorado State and one of only a few “experts” on this curious species, for a brief introduction to its ecology, distribution, and other interesting facts and unknowns. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Dr. Scott Stephens, Ducks Unlimited Canada, shares his teal hunting experiences and offers some insight to the migration in Manitoba. Stephens also discusses current weather conditions impacting teal and local hunters. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

John Pollmann, DU Magazine contributor discusses targeting teal and how to prepare for early season ducks. Pollmann, a South Dakota native, brings to light a few helpful tactics for targeting early-season puddlers in the Prairies and beyond. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Tom Dokken, owner of Dokken’s Oak Ridge Kennels, joins the DU Podcast to talk about exciting new products from SportDOG Brand. Dokken brings more than 45 years of retriever training experience to the podcast and he discusses the changes in training over that span. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Dr. Dale Wrubleski rejoins the DU Podcast to continue our discussion of the decline and recovery of the Delta Marsh. With common carp identified as the principle trouble-maker, scientists, engineers, and conservationists devised a plan to combat the problematic fish and restore Delta Marsh to its historical productivity. Join us to learn how the marsh has responded and what’s next for this fabled location. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

The Delta Marsh in southern Manitoba is the birthplace for some of the most foundational science upon which North American waterfowl management is built. It is also a place steeped in the traditions and history of waterfowling. Dr. Dale Wrubleski joins us to discuss some of this history and the long-term declines in habitat that have affected this area, ultimately leading to a discussion of recent restoration efforts for Delta Marsh. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Host Chris Jennings and Dr. Mike Brasher discuss waterfowl identification and its importance for not only waterfowl hunters, but also birders. Mike talks about identifying characteristics of certain species and shares a handful of helpful tips to improve your waterfowl identification. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

He’s harvested every species of waterfowl in North America except two, and he knows his way around the waterfowl landscapes of Canada like nobody else. Pat Kehoe, DU Canada’s Director of International Relationships, gives an update on late summer habitat conditions in Canada, the border closure, reduced hunting pressure in Canada, and his expectations for the 2020 Fall Flight. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Heading into fall, Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam joins the DU Podcast to discuss his thoughts on the upcoming waterfowl season, a few personal experiences, and provides a State of the Organization. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Is your retriever ready for opening day? Mike Stewart, owner of Wildrose Kennels joins the show to discuss some early-season training options to have them better prepared for the first few days afield. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

The DU Podcast kicks off with an introduction show and a re-introduction for many. Hosts Chris Jennings and Dr. Mike Brasher discuss the oddities of the current pandemic and how DU has reacted from a conservation perspective. The pair also discuss upcoming episodes and what listens should expect to hear throughout the fall. Please subscribe, rate, and review the DU Podcast and contact the DU Podcast via email at [email protected] with recommendations or questions.www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

Season 2: The Off Season is a wrap! Hosts Chris Jennings and Dr. Mike Brasher discuss the technical difficulties of publishing the show during the summer, and they talk about highlights from the season. The DU Podcast will take a break in August but will return with all-things waterfowl content in September. Catch up on all of Seasons 1 and 2 before September 1!www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Migratory Bird Hunters, Listen up! The DU Podcast welcomes back Brad Bortner and Larry Reynolds for an informative and unusually candid conversation about some concerning issues with the Harvest Information Program registration process and how it may influence the data. Importantly, we also discuss diagnosis of the issues and exploratory efforts that are underway to improve and modernize the HIP certification process.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Brad Bortner, retired Chief of the USFWS Division of Migratory Bird Management, and Larry Reynolds, Waterfowl Study Leader for Louisiana, join the show for a refresher on the Harvest Information Program. We review its importance for enabling hunting seasons, how it works, and why hunter participation in HIP is critical. This episode lays the foundation for a future discussion of potential changes to the HIP certification process.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Mike Stewart, owner of Wildrose Kennels, joins Chris Jennings on this podcast to discuss introductions. There’s a right way and a wrong way to introduce dogs, even puppies, to the world of duck and goose hunting. Stewart talks about introducing gunfire, water, blinds, decoys, and the various obstacles waterfowling presents.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Dr. Mike Brasher is joined by Johann Walker, director of operations Great Plains Region, for an update on current habitat conditions throughout the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region. Good conditions early in the summer have continued to provide suitable wetlands and associated habitats. Walker shares some insight as to what biologists are seeing in the field. www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Dr. Scott Stephens, director of operations Prairie and Boreal for DU Canada, joins host Dr. Mike Brasher to provide an update on breeding habitat conditions across Prairie Canada. The pair discuss late rains, which may not benefit nesting waterfowl, but will help brood rearing efforts. Stephens also discusses potential scenarios with border closures. www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Jim Ronquest, Rich-N-Tone Calls, joins host Chris Jennings for an off-season conversation. The two discuss summer calling tips, and Ronquest points out a few tactics callers should be doing this time of year to stay ready for duck season. They also dive into new duck calls, look back at last year’s duck season, and talk about the excitement of having new puppy. www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Hosts Chris Jennings and Dr. Mike Brasher discuss the numbers behind U.S. hunters in Canada and the hypothetical impacts on waterfowl if the border doesn't open for waterfowl season. Will U.S. hunters see more ducks? Brasher brings some interesting non-resident information from the Canadian Wildlife Service and the pair chat about potential what-if scenarios on the Dakotas.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

We continue our fascinating discussion about brood parasitism in waterfowl. In particular, Dr. John Eadie walks us through a most remarkable study of this phenomenon in wood ducks, using innovative tracking methods and state-of-the-art genetics to reveal previously unimaginable behaviors and unraveling long-standing mysteries in avian brood parasitism. You will never look at a wood duck box the same way again. www.ducks.org/dupodcast

We like to think of ducks as a fairly innocent and an honest group of species, but that isn’t always the case. Nesting hens of some ducks, along with other non-waterfowl species, often deposit their eggs in the nests of other individuals, in a practice known as avian brood parasitism. In this first episode of an exciting two-part series, we begin the discussion with our distinguished guest, Dr. John Eadie, UC Davis, as we explore this phenomenon and what we know about it. www.ducks.org/dupodcast

A screech owl hatched a couple of wood ducks? Nothing could go wrong there, could it? Listen in as we discuss this oddity of nature and other observations from an ongoing, large-scale study of wood ducks in the eastern United States. Clemson graduate student, Emily Miller and her research technicians, Sam Fishman and Jake Merendino, join Dr. Mike Brasher for this educational and entertaining discussion.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Host Chris Jennings is joined by Mike Stewart, owner of Wildrose Kennels to discuss retriever training during the peak of summer heat. Stewart brings to light several training, nutrition, and health tips to keep your retriever in shape and safe from heat stroke.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Phil Bourjaily, Ducks Unlimited magazine shotgunning columnist, joins Chris Jennings for a in-depth conversation about safety in the duck blind. Bourjaily stresses the importance of communicating safety rules and clearly defining what should and should not be done while hunting ducks and geese.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

The DU Podcast is joined by Mike Szymanski, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, to discuss the results of their 2020 Breeding Duck Survey. By all accounts the numbers are encouraging. The North Dakota wetland index was the 6th highest on record and the duck numbers were the 13th highest on record signaling a likely good year for duck production in that state. Join us on this episode to hear the details. www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Partnerships among public and private entities are the lifeblood for successful waterfowl conservation programs across North America. A long-time participant in one such partnership, Dean Harrigal, formerly of South Carolina DNR, joins the podcast to discuss a particularly noteworthy example and the landscape-scale wetland conservation that has resulted in the ACE Basin of South Carolina.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Dr. Mark Petrie, Director of Conservation Planning for DU’s Western Region, joins co-hosts Chris Jennings and Dr. Mike Brasher to discuss the double-edged sword of abundant populations of Arctic geese. On one hand, they provide expanded hunting opportunities, but on the other they also compete for the same food resources as ducks, presenting new challenges to hunters, habitat managers, and conservation planners.www.ducks.org/dupodcast

John Pollmann, Ducks Unlimited magazine freelance contributor and South Dakota resident, joins host Chris Jennings for an informative update on what the habitat conditions look like this summer in South Dakota, North Dakota, and eastern Montana. www.ducks.org/dupodcast

Jay Anglin joins host Chris Jennings to discuss a few calling tips for the summer, including tuning and cleaning your calls. Summer is the ideal time to get your calls into working order and Anglin even discusses shipping calls back to call makers for tuning and replacement parts. You want to address any calling issue now, rather than wait until opening day. www.ducks.org/dupodcast