Ducks Unlimited Podcast

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
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Sometimes the best outdoor products start with a simple question: “Why hasn’t anyone fixed this yet?”
Host Wade Shoemaker sits down with Gabe Fontenot, founder of Hunt Repellent, to talk about entrepreneurship, duck hunting traditions in Southwest Louisiana, and building one of the fastest-growing outdoor brands in the industry.
Growing up around the rice fields and marshes of Louisiana, Gabe developed a lifelong passion for waterfowl hunting. After finding success in corporate sales, he launched Hunt Repellent with a mission to create a DEET-free alternative designed specifically for outdoorsmen and women. The conversation covers the challenges of starting a company from scratch, navigating product development and EPA approval, growing a business at a rapid pace, and building a brand that resonates with hunters.
The discussion also explores family hunting traditions, teal hunting culture, entrepreneurship, customer service, and the lessons Gabe has learned while scaling a business and staying connected to the outdoors he loves.
Topics Covered
Growing up duck hunting in Southwest Louisiana
Teal season culture and rice field hunting
Building Hunt Repellent from the ground up
Developing a DEET-free insect repellent
Entrepreneurship and business growth
Balancing corporate experience with startup life
Perry Outfitters and serving local hunters
The future of Hunt Repellent
Why authenticity matters in business and hunting

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
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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.

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby

Some people spend a lifetime chasing ducks. Others spend a lifetime protecting what makes duck hunting possible.
Recorded live from DUX 2026, host Wade Shoemaker sits down with Fred Zink and Jim Ronquest, co-hosts of Ducks Unlimited TV, for a conversation about waterfowl hunting, conservation, friendship, and the evolution of the sport over the last several decades.
The discussion covers their experiences filming DUTV, the importance of habitat and conservation, changing migration patterns, memorable hunts, and the people who have helped shape modern waterfowl culture. Along the way, Fred and Jimbo reflect on decades of friendship, the role Ducks Unlimited plays in protecting the resource, and why time spent with family and friends matters more than a full strap of ducks.
The group also talks about new apparel collaborations, favorite hunting destinations, and what they’re most looking forward to in the upcoming season.
Topics Covered
The evolution of Ducks Unlimited TV
Friendship and lifelong hunting partnerships
Conservation and habitat management
Changes in duck migration and distribution
Private refuges and waterfowl habitat
Favorite hunting destinations across North America
New DU and Drake collaborations
Family, tradition, and hunting memories
Advice for the next generation of hunters

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
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.

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby

For the guys behind 24.7 Hunt, duck hunting is about a lot more than ducks.
Recorded live from DUX 2026, host Wade Shoemaker sits down with Ricky Nicholas, Ranar Moody, Darryl Moore, Darius Shine, and Aubrey Mack of 24.7 Hunt to talk about the culture, friendships, and shared passions that built one of the most recognizable communities in modern waterfowling.
The conversation covers everything from public land hunting and dog training to entrepreneurship, brand building, social media, and the influence of Southern hunting traditions. Along the way, the group explains how their different backgrounds came together through a shared love of duck hunting and why community remains at the center of everything they do.
They also discuss their new collaboration with Apex Ammunition, the evolution of the 24.7 Hunt brand, and the importance of staying authentic while introducing new hunters to the sport.
Topics Covered
The origins of 24.7 Hunt
Building a community through waterfowl hunting
Southern hunting culture and traditions
Public land hunting and lifelong friendships
The new Apex Ammunition collaboration
Why authenticity matters in hunting media
Dog training, fishing, and outdoor lifestyles
Raising the next generation of hunters
Conservation and stewardship

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
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.

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby

What if supporting waterfowl conservation was as simple as rounding up your everyday purchases?
Recorded live from DUX 2026, host Jimbo Robinson sits down with Zach Frasier of Elev8 to discuss DU Roundup, a new fundraising platform designed to make supporting Ducks Unlimited easier than ever. 
The conversation explores how the program works, why micro-donations can create a meaningful impact when combined across thousands of supporters, and how modern giving habits are changing the way conservation organizations engage members. Zach also shares insights into the technology behind the platform, donor security, and the philosophy of making charitable giving more accessible for everyday supporters. 
Beyond the technology, the discussion highlights the importance of philanthropy, building conservation habits, and creating new pathways for people to support Ducks Unlimited’s mission regardless of their giving level.
Topics Covered
What DU Roundup is and how it works
Turning everyday purchases into conservation support
The role of micro-donations in fundraising
Donor engagement and modern philanthropy
Security and payment processing behind the platform
Building new conservation giving habits
DUX 2026 and community support
The future of digital fundraising for conservation

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
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.

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby

Hunters have observed and debated changes in duck migration and winter distributions for as long as both have existed. Now, new research helps answer some of the biggest questions.
In this special collaboration between the Ducks Unlimited Podcast and the North American Waterfowler Podcast, DU's Senior Waterfowl Scientist, Dr. Mike Brasher, joins Elliott Snider; Dr. Lisa Webb, Supervisor, USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program; and Dr. Heath Hagy, Project Leader, USFWS Habitat and Population Evaluation Team, to break down the findings of two recent studies that shed light on this captivating and hotly contested topic. 

The studies and conversation explore more than 60 years of waterfowl band recovery, harvest survey, and distribution data to examine whether ducks are wintering farther north than they once did. The group discusses what the studies found, where migration patterns appear to be changing, where they're not, and why answering these questions is far more complicated than many people realize. 
Topics Covered
Are ducks wintering farther north?
What 60 years of band recovery data reveals
Differences between mallards, pintails, and blue-winged teal
Why migration changes vary by species and month
The role of weather, habitat, and agriculture
What hunters see versus what large-scale datasets show
How migration science is studied and evaluated
What questions still remain unanswered
How none of this would be possible without hunters
Access to the study evaluating changes in 15 species of ducks: https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.22521
Access to the more detailed study on changes in mallards, pintails, and blue-winged teal: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.11331
Access to the DU Magazine article and additional maps: Understanding Waterfowl: Ducks on the Move | Ducks Unlimited

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
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.

Monthly Sponsors:
North Dakota Tourism
Weatherby