Ducks Unlimited Podcast

Into the 1920s, the Federal government endured growing pains in its new-found regulatory responsibilities for waterfowl harvest. Then, the 1930s brought a Dust Bowl, Great Depression, and catalysts for conservation, eventually producing the Duck Stamp Act, National Wildlife Refuge expansions, Pittman-Robertson Act, and organizations such as DU. Dr. Mike Brasher resumes his discussion with Ken Babcock and Dale Humburg about the history of waterfowl harvest management.
Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]
SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Spring is one of the most important—and most overlooked—periods in the waterfowl annual cycle. In this episode, host Dr. Mike Brasher sits down with the creators of Waterfowl Management Academy to discuss how private landowners can dramatically improve duck habitat by making simple adjustments in late winter and spring.
Guests Kale Flaspohler, Mike Flaspohler, and Dan Crigler bring more than 70 years of combined experience in wetland management, public land habitat work, and private land technical guidance. Their new online platform—WaterfowlManagement.com—is designed to bring that expertise directly to landowners and managers who want to improve their wetlands.
In this episode:
What Waterfowl Management Academy is and why they built it
Why spring habitat is critical for ducks, from migration to nesting
Moist-soil management fundamentals and how timing influences results
Protein, invertebrates, and the nutritional demands of breeding birds
Why pulling boards right after season misses the most important window
How private land (75–80% of remaining wetlands) can change population outcomes
Regional considerations: Midwest vs. Gulf Coast vs. flyway-wide applications
How simple changes like holding water longer can support shorebirds & waterbirds
Mentorship, trial‑and‑error, and the value of lifelong learning in habitat work
What’s next for WMA and how landowners can get hands‑on guidance
Whether you’re a wetland manager, private landowner, or someone wanting to “give back” to ducks after hunting season, this episode can change how you think about habitat.
Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]
SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

The Chesapeake Bay is home to some of the richest decoy and waterfowling traditions in North America — and today’s guest, Chad Tragakis, is one of its most passionate historians.
Chad is a longtime decoy collector, writer, editor for Decoy Magazine, and a respected storyteller of the makers, clubs, boats, and communities that built the decoy culture along the Atlantic Flyway. Host Katie Burke sits down with Chad for a wide-ranging conversation that explores the origins of collecting, the legacy of iconic craftsmen, and the unique waterman traditions that still shape the region today.
In this episode:
How a $20 scoter decoy started Chad’s lifelong passion
The foundational books every new collector should read
Chesapeake Bay as the “decoy capital of the world”
Sink boxes, sporting yachts, and the golden era of upper-bay gunning
Why the region produced tens of thousands of working decoys
Haver de Grace vs. Northeast River styles — what sets them apart
How form, tradition, and community shape regional carving
Charlie Joiner’s legacy & what he learned from Mitchell and the Ward Brothers
The culture of shop visits, mentorship, and generational knowledge
Advice for beginning collectors & why building a library matters
The importance of preserving working decoys as American folk art
This episode is a celebration of craftsmanship, history, and the people who keep America’s decoy tradition alive.
Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]
SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Following legal challenges to early attempts at Federal protection of migratory birds, policy makers and conservation leaders sought alternative avenues for establishing Federal jurisdiction. Dale Humburg and Ken Babcock rejoin Dr. Mike Brasher to discuss the Migratory Bird Treaty Act becoming law in 1918, its role in a landmark Supreme Court case, and its emergence as the foundation for regulated waterfowl harvest and migratory bird management.
Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]
SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

West Texas guide, podcaster, storyteller, and full‑time chaos manager — Andy Shaver — joins the DU Podcast.

Hosts Jimbo Robinson and Matt Harrison sit down with Andy for a fast‑moving, hilarious, and insightful conversation about guiding specklebelly hunts, running the wildly successful Big Honker Podcast, building an outfitting operation, and navigating life at Stanfield Outfitters.
From dove season to specks, jiu‑jitsu to podcast growth, and from flatbed‑trailer disasters to rookie‑guide bloopers, Andy brings the candid honesty and humor that Big Honker listeners love.
In this episode:
How Andy became a full‑time guide at Stanfield Outfitters
The origin story of The Big Honker Podcast and how it evolved
Why geese > ducks (according to Andy)
Running 90+ days of hunts and keeping clients happy
The rise of specklebelly hunting in West Texas
What guides look for when hiring new staff
“Post and ghost” — how Andy handles online comments
Jiu‑jitsu, cauliflower ear, and letting his wife drain it
Best guide stories & funniest client moments
What show season looks like for outfitters today
Why Oklahoma became “the rat race”
Life after season: Mexico, turkey season, baseball coaching & podcast grind
If you like hunting stories, honesty, and behind‑the‑scenes truth from a veteran guide, this episode delivers.
Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]
SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.