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A century-old duck club, a family ranch under the big sky, and a season that swings from teal swarms to a 360-class elk—this conversation with Clay is a full tour of a hunter’s year. We kick off at Newman Gun Club in California’s grasslands, where cabins ring a well-kept marsh and members measure time by the migration. Clay shares how he grew up in the blind, earned his own membership, and why even a down duck year can feel rich when the roads are graveled, the water’s right, and the clubhouse hums on closing weekend.

We shift north to Montana, where his family’s 6,000-acre ranch sits above rolling breaks and winter grass. Clay breaks down his best bull yet, explaining rough green scoring, what it might mean for the books, and how weather, patience, and timing decided the day. He gets candid about the realities of tags—points, odds, landowner advantages, and why draws feel tighter post-2020. Along the way, he compares the rush of a finishing flock to the adrenaline spike of a close elk encounter, and why bow season during the rut can be the most electric window on the calendar.

There’s practical insight throughout: how teal and wigeon shape a Central Valley strap, why mallards remain a prized rarity at the club, what out-of-state trips to Washington, Arkansas timber, and Missouri taught him, and how farming almonds and walnuts frames a workable hunting season. We wrap with the future—food plots for deer recovery, stewardship of water and roads at Newman, and the community that keeps both places alive. Hit play for a story that blends public refuge grit, private club tradition, and mountain country grit into one season-long arc.

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The trailer rocks, the coffee’s too strong, and the alarms are set for a time no one sane would choose—perfect conditions to get honest about duck season. We invited Pete back to camp to trade stories, argue about draws, and unpack what keeps us chasing birds when January feels long and warm.

We start with the heart of it: camaraderie and craft. From picking a refuge spot to building a spread that makes mallards stall at 15 yards, there’s joy in the process. But we don’t dodge the pain points. Electronic reservations create weird outcomes, and we sketch practical fixes: night-before blind assignments, cleaner communication for sweat-line hunters, and less incentive to stack and burn multiple top draws. Fairness and clarity make the 4 a.m. grind worth it.

Then we stare down the elephant on the feed. YouTube can teach better calling and concealment, but Instagram’s pile pics and stunt culture undercut the ethic. We break down the viral mute swan boat video—why moving-boat shots cross the safety line, and how that kind of content harms every hunter. Along the way, we share warden encounters that clarified the basics: plugs, shell counts, and fast species ID on tight limits. Mistakes happen; ownership and learning keep the tradition strong.

As the season closes, we get tactical. If a third of the calendar had to go, early, mid, or late—what’s the smart cut in a warm, high-water year? We compare favorite refuges by habitat and access, and sketch off-season goals that actually move the needle: consistent loads and chokes, better patterning, motion decoys that turn glass into life, and exploring new marsh with a neglected mud boat. It’s a grounded, gear-smart, safety-first conversation for hunters who love the work as much as the birds.

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A high school shop class turned into a conservation engine, and the results are changing a community. We sit down with Zach Smith, an ag mechanics teacher from California’s Central Valley, whose students built 70 wood duck boxes, partnered with California Waterfowl, and headed into the Grasslands to install and maintain them alongside refuge staff. What started as a woodworking unit became a hands-on lesson in habitat, stewardship, and the power of public lands.

Zach walks us through the ag mechanics pathway—woodworking, welding, electrical, and sheet metal—and how those skills translate directly to wildlife projects with real outcomes. We dig into why wood duck boxes matter for cavity nesters, the best practices for placement and predator protection, and how monitoring can guide better decisions season after season. The students don’t just build in the shop; they join U.S. Fish and Wildlife to brush up blinds, restore pollinator gardens, and see firsthand how wetlands are managed across the Los Banos, Kesterson, and San Luis complexes.

There’s also a forward-looking twist: an Ag Technology track that introduces ACDC fundamentals, motor controls, and robotics opens the door to conservation tech. We talk about practical ways to pair sensors and data logging with nest box surveys and water quality monitoring—turning shop projects into STEM-driven field research. Along the way, perspectives on hunting evolve as students and staff connect license dollars, volunteer labor, and habitat outcomes. Even those who don’t hunt leave with marketable skills, a deeper respect for wetlands, and a clear sense of how to contribute.

If you care about duck hunting, wetlands, education, or the future of the skilled trades, this conversation delivers insight and inspiration from the marsh up. Tap play, then share the episode with someone who loves the Grasslands—or a teacher who might bring a program like this to life. Subscribe for more stories that align skills with stewardship, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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Storms don’t just change the forecast; they rewrite the hunt plan. We kick this check-in off with a rain-soaked run to Sassoon’s Petrero Ranch and a surprise favorite: a rock-solid floating blind that changed how we think about concealment and approach. From there, we widen the lens. Caeton breaks down the difference between being near birds and being on the X in rice country, and why blind structure and access can matter more than a louder call. He also shares the humble truth many of us learn the hard way—don’t leave ducks to chase ducks.

Landon adds the statewide context: floodwater opened new options for ducks and hunters, but it also scattered birds until short clearing windows turned them back to feed. He takes us from refuge all-day sits and a banded gadwall to goose hunts in Delta wind where Aleutians and specks dropped hard through rain. His read is specific and actionable—hunt the edges of storms, not just the middle, and look for food patterns returning as the sky brightens.

We head south with Colin to track an unusual mix at San Jacinto and beyond: more mallards than expected, fewer teal than last year, and a full moon that muted a day that should have popped. A midweek limit reminds us to time the window, not the hype, and a first-timer’s gritty, rainy debut shows how mentoring and good cooking can turn one tough afternoon into a lifelong habit. Finally, a surprise guest, Jon from Filthy Spoon caps December with pintails behaving like they’re supposed to, community moments like the Grinch call drop, and straight talk about finishing the season strong. If cold pushes birds down and water recedes, late January could fire—think pintails and wigeon that commit like teal.

This is a map for the weeks ahead: choose blinds by structure and approach lines, hunt right after weather breaks, and trust the spots that are already producing. If you’re seeing floodwater, follow the food. If you’re chasing geese, let the wind work for you. And if you’ve got a story, shell tip, or blind you swear by, share it with us. Subscribe, leave a review, and tag us on Instagram @fortheFowlers with your best late-season move—we’re featuring the sharpest takes next week.

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Desert levees, crowded sweat lines, and glassy water don’t sound like a recipe for great duck hunting—until you hear how Colin makes it work. We brought him back to explore the real SoCal playbook: go lighter, hide smarter, move sooner, and add motion the right way. From San Jacinto to Wister to Kern, he lays out what actually matters when 300 people chase 50 spots and the birds have seen it all.

We start with this season’s curveballs—fog domes up north, odd weather windows, and fewer hunts while he preps a move—and why that didn’t stop him from finding success. Colin shares his full mobility system: a jogging stroller rig with an ATV gun rack, waders on late, a jet sled on top, and decoy choices that keep the load small but the look real. He explains why teal decoys punch above their weight, how small family groups and open water steer traffic, and when to scale up to make a spread look like a closed zone. The theme is simple: don’t camp a mistake—move to where the birds want to be.

Then we get into the art of the hide and the science of motion. Colin hunts inside cover rather than behind it, stashes gear away from the blind, and fixes beaten tule islands to eliminate hard edges. For motion, he runs a mojo on a remote for controlled flash, a heavy-duty jerk string with four decoys for sound and ripple, and simple tactics like kicking water or dragging a foot to make chocolate milk. We talk ethical shots, why passing on skyscrapers pays off, and how “run traffic” strategies differ from hunting the true X.

Along the way, we compare cultures between LA and the Sacramento Valley, from breakfast burritos in the desert to late goose hunts near Gridley. We touch on clubs near Kern, CWA access, and why gadwall in the Pacific Flyway can be maddeningly smart. Most of all, we share the mindset that keeps this fun: manage expectations, respect the resource, learn the refuge by showing up, and celebrate the craft even when the strap is light.

If you love public land strategy, gear hacks that actually help, and honest talk about pressure and ethics, you’ll feel right at home here. Subscribe, leave a review on Spotify or Apple, and share this episode with a buddy who needs to hear “move now, not later.” What tactic will you test on your next hunt?

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Holiday season meets duck season, and we’re leaning into both. We invited our buddy Pete to swap honest hunt stories, share the gear that actually earns pack space, and weigh in on the unspoken rules that keep a crowded marsh from melting down. From car-camping at refuge lots to slow-burn grassland days and a rice pit that exposed bad habits, we connect the dots between smart motion, better setups, and the mindset that turns “average” conditions into steady birds.

We build a practical gift list for waterfowlers—personalized tumblers that don’t quit, modern blind bags that cut clutter, and motion that matters. If you’ve never seen the Mojo Mallard Machine boil a pond, consider this your sign. We also break down decoy spacing and family groups, the jerk string vs. splasher debate, and why a dependable wading shell beats trend gear when the sky opens up. On guns, we compare the feel of a 20-gauge semi that’s deadly in the tules to a 12-gauge workhorse that shines on wind days and goose flybys. Thinking ahead? We also talk mud motors, club buy-ins, and the comfort that comes with a place to cook breakfast and talk birds.

Then we go there: sky busting, crowding blinds after setup, late arrivals squeezing in, overloaded hides, and loud dog handling. We call it fair but firm—leave buffers, shoot ethical windows, train at home, and earn your spot without wrecking someone else’s morning. Finally, we thread the needle on holiday balance. A dawn hunt can become a family tradition if you’re dependable with time and generous with the wild game platter—tell them what it is after they’ve had a bite.

If you love straight talk, field-tested gear picks, and the kind of etiquette that keeps the marsh friendly, you’re in the right place. Follow For the Fowlers on Instagram, subscribe wherever you listen, and drop a review to help more waterfowlers find the show. What belongs on your naughty-or-nice list this season?

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A great duck dog isn’t born in the blind—it’s built with smart timing, simple habits, and a plan you can actually follow. We sit down with Richard Gebhart of Royal Gun Dogs to map the path from roly-poly puppy to safe, steady retriever. Richard shares the milestones that matter: crate comfort and socialization, a leash the pup can drag to learn pressure, and early bird exposure that creates desire before any formal pressure begins. Then he opens the playbook on his two-week puppy camp, where live-chukar excitement pairs with a careful gun-intro sequence so the dog learns that loud noise predicts the best reward in the world: birds.

From there we move into the foundation that keeps you safe and makes retrieves predictable. Richard explains why he delays the down command, how he conditions the e-collar so dogs learn to turn pressure off, and what a thorough land-and-water force fetch looks like. We talk through hunt scenarios you should practice—decoys, dog hides, stands, deep-water swims, and thick cover—and why steadiness starts at your side before it transfers to the blind. He even covers common pain points like breaking at the shot, whining in the morning, and chasing diving cripples, with practical fixes that don’t create new problems.

If you’re juggling family life and field time, Richard’s advice lands: 10–15 minutes a day beats marathon sessions, stake young dogs on a quick-release their first season, and train for momentum so perfection can follow. We close with pedigree pointers—choose breeding for performance over color—and a three-step checklist to be ready by next season: get birds, build a foundation with obedience and force fetch, and let the dog set the pace. Subscribe, share this with a hunting buddy, and leave a review to help more waterfowlers build reliable partners.

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On this episode, I sit down with Anthony “Houn” Calhoun, the voice behind Fowl Mouth TV, to unpack a season that’s short on easy limits but rich with lessons about motion, mindset, and the power of community.

We trace Houn’s start from turkey woods to flooded fields, the Grey Lodge storm that hooked him for good, and the crew dynamics that make a hard season bearable. You’ll hear how a dozen coot decoys and a last-minute YOLO resi turned into a seat in a blind, why blades can pull birds from the sky and still flare them at 30 yards, and how small tweaks—remote control timing, placement off the guns, and ditching a noisy wind unit—can change a hunt. We also compare refuges across the Sacramento Valley, from organized chaos at Grey Lodge to a love affair with Colusa, and dig into why Grizzly Island can be a heartbreaker if you don’t know its quirks.

Beyond tactics, we go deep on documenting hunts without killing the vibe. Houn shares a practical filming setup—external power, pre-record buffers, and fast workflows—that captures real moments while keeping the hunt first. And we talk about what makes Northern California special: generous public access, a tight community, and a responsibility to defend hunting through honest storytelling and support for California Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, and Delta Waterfowl.

If you’re chasing better motion-decoy decisions, curious about building a crew that pulls new hunters in, or just need a boost after a slow start, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share this with a hunting buddy, and drop a review on Apple or Spotify—then tell us: when do you kill the spinner?