Episode #243 Spencer Lewis, The Wetland Gypsy, and the Dark Side of Waterfowl Social Media

In this episode, Elliott sits down with Spencer Lewis, better known as The Wetland Gypsy, for an honest and wide ranging conversation about modern waterfowl hunting, social media, and changing priorities.

Spencer shares the origin of the Wetland Gypsy name, his upbringing in Texas, and how he found hunting without growing up in a traditional hunting family. He walks through his early days duck hunting out of a canoe, buying his first boat, and how traveling the Central Flyway completely reshaped his understanding of waterfowl hunting.

The conversation dives into Spencer’s unexpected rise on TikTok through viral mudboat videos, how social media changed the way he hunted, and why constant pressure, competition, and ego within the waterfowl space have started to drain the joy from the sport. Elliott and Spencer talk candidly about hunting pressure, OnX, traveling hunters, public versus private land, and why it feels harder every year to simply find birds.

They also discuss fatherhood, shifting priorities, and why Spencer is intentionally stepping back from being known as a waterfowl influencer. The episode closes with thoughts on respect for the resource, ethics, humility in hunting, and what really matters as seasons and stages of life change.

This is a thoughtful conversation about ducks, identity, family, and what happens when passion meets burnout.

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