The Migration Waterfowl Podcast

Brian Halbleib
  • 4.8 (39)
  • Wilderness
  • Weekly

The Migration Waterfowl Podcast is for serious duck and goose hunters who want more than just another hunting story. Hosted by Brian Halbleib, the show brings together experienced hunters, industry leaders, conservationists, guides, and outdoor innovators for honest conversations about every aspect of waterfowl hunting. From hunting tactics and gear to conservation, travel destinations, and the issues shaping our future, every episode is designed to make you a better-informed hunter. Based in western Pennsylvania—where the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways overlap—Brian also travels throughout North America in pursuit of new waterfowl experiences, bringing listeners along through conversations with some of the most respected voices in the sport. Whether you're chasing early-season teal, late-season mallards, Canada geese, or planning your next bucket-list hunt, you'll find authentic discussions, practical knowledge, and a genuine passion for waterfowl hunting every week. No gimmicks. No gatekeeping. Just real conversations for people who live for the migration.

  1. 3d ago

    EP. 131: Hard Earned Birds with Steel City Steel Shot

    Waterfowl hunting in Pennsylvania isn't for the weak! Limited birds, unpredictable migrations, heavy hunting pressure, and plenty of early mornings with empty straps. But for those willing to put in the work, every bird is hard-earned and every successful hunt is that much sweeter. On this episode of The Migration Waterfowl Podcast, your host Brian Halbleib sits down with Tanner and Brock from Steel City Steel Shot, two passionate waterfowl hunters from southwest Pennsylvania, to talk about the challenges and rewards of chasing ducks and geese in the Keystone State. We dive into how they got started in waterfowl hunting, the people who introduced them to the sport, and how their hunting partnership came together. We also discuss scouting strategies, finding birds on public and private land, dealing with hunting pressure, adapting to changing conditions, and what it really takes to find success in a state that doesn't always make it easy. Along the way, we share hunting stories, lessons learned, and plenty of perspectives on why we continue to chase waterfowl even when the odds are stacked against us. Whether you're hunting the major flyways or grinding it out in a state where every duck feels like a trophy, this episode is for you. Follow Steel City Steel Shot on Instagram: @steel_city_steel.shot The Migration Waterfowl Podcast — Built for the Migration! Feel free to reach out to us: migrationwaterfowl@gmail.com Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok: @migrationwaterfowl Migration Waterfowl Store - Gear Roost & Apparel https://www.migrationwaterfowl.com Patreon - Support the show & get more personal content from Brian https://www.patreon.com/MigrationWaterfowl Migration Waterfowl is presented by: Blue Bird Waterfowl https://bluebirdwaterfowl.com And also brought to you by these fine partners: Rig’Em Right Outdoors https://rigemright.com Flight Day Ammo https://www.flightdayammo.com Aves Hunting https://aveshunting.com Retay USA https://www.retayusa.com frogg toggs https://www.froggtoggs.com The Duck Hole & Company https://m.facebook.com/duckholecompany Northern Duck Calls https://www.northernduckcalls.com 15% off with code MW15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    EP. 131: Hard Earned Birds with Steel City Steel Shot

  2. Oct 22

    EP. 130: For Better or Worse... I Married a Duck Hunter with Karen Halbleib

    What's it really like being married to a hardcore hunter for nearly three decades? On this episode of The Migration Waterfowl Podcast, your host Brian Halbleib welcomes a very special guest — his wife, Karen — for a candid, entertaining, and personal conversation about marriage, family, hunting, and everything in between. Together for 32 years and married for 28, Karen has had a front-row seat to Brian's lifelong passion for hunting. Despite never having an interest in hunting herself, she's supported his adventures across the country, the countless hours spent in the marsh, and a side hustle in the outdoor industry filled with successes, failures, and plenty of questionable decisions. From raising two daughters and navigating hunting seasons to Brian's journey through outdoor writing, magazine publishing, podcasting, and developing The Gear Roost, Karen shares her unique perspective on the sacrifices, challenges, and rewards of being married to a passionate hunter. They also discuss how growing up with a father who loved fishing may have influenced Karen's understanding of the outdoor lifestyle, what hunters sometimes overlook about their spouses, and how two people with very different interests can build a lasting marriage. Whether you're a dedicated waterfowler, a hunting spouse, or simply someone who understands the importance of supporting the people you love, this episode offers a refreshing look at the other side of duck season. Because behind every passionate hunter, there's often someone at home with a story of their own. Built For The Migration. Feel free to reach out to us: migrationwaterfowl@gmail.com Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok: @migrationwaterfowl Migration Waterfowl Store - Gear Roost & Apparel https://www.migrationwaterfowl.com Patreon - Support the show & get more personal content from Brian https://www.patreon.com/MigrationWaterfowl Migration Waterfowl is presented by: Blue Bird Waterfowl https://bluebirdwaterfowl.com And also brought to you by these fine partners: Rig’Em Right Outdoors https://rigemright.com Flight Day Ammo https://www.flightdayammo.com Aves Hunting https://aveshunting.com Retay USA https://www.retayusa.com frogg toggs https://www.froggtoggs.com The Duck Hole & Company https://m.facebook.com/duckholecompany Northern Duck Calls https://www.northernduckcalls.com 15% off with code MW15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    EP. 130: For Better or Worse... I Married a Duck Hunter with Karen Halbleib

  3. Oct 15

    EP. 129: Pennsylvania Duck Opener: Mallards, Good Friends & Lessons Learned

    Duck season is officially underway here in Pennsylvania, and we kicked it off Saturday with a great opening day hunt on a small creek system here in southwestern PA. Brian was joined by his good friend Mike Pomaibo and his dad, Mike Sr., better known as Mick. They had a great morning in the blind, seeing a few dozen ducks and putting birds on the strap. Not a bad way to get the season started! In this episode, your host Brian Halbleib and Mike Pomaibo break down that opening day hunt, but they also talk about Mike's journey as a waterfowler. He's got three seasons under his belt now, they discuss what he's learned along the way, how his approach has changed, and what goals he's setting for season number four. They also get into some gear talk, covering the tried-and-true equipment they rely on season after season, along with a few new additions they're bringing into the field this year. It's a good conversation between a couple of buddies talking duck hunting, lessons learned, and getting ready for another season chasing waterfowl. Feel free to reach out to us: migrationwaterfowl@gmail.com Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok: @migrationwaterfowl Migration Waterfowl Store - Gear Roost & Apparel https://www.migrationwaterfowl.com Patreon - Support the show & get more personal content from Brian https://www.patreon.com/MigrationWaterfowl Migration Waterfowl is presented by: Blue Bird Waterfowl https://bluebirdwaterfowl.com And also brought to you by these fine partners: Rig’Em Right Outdoors https://rigemright.com Flight Day Ammo https://www.flightdayammo.com Aves Hunting https://aveshunting.com Retay USA https://www.retayusa.com frogg toggs https://www.froggtoggs.com The Duck Hole & Company https://m.facebook.com/duckholecompany Northern Duck Calls https://www.northernduckcalls.com 15% off with code MW15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    EP. 129: Pennsylvania Duck Opener: Mallards, Good Friends & Lessons Learned

  4. Oct 8

    EP. 128: Canada Hunt Wrap Up & PA Duck Opener Prep with Brian Halbleib

    The Canada waterfowl adventure continues! After checking in from the road following our fifth hunt, I'm back to wrap up the final two hunts of an incredible trip chasing ducks across the Canadian prairies. In this episode, I break down what it really takes to pull off a successful freelance waterfowl hunt in Canada, from scouting and securing permission to managing the logistics of hunting unfamiliar territory. I also share my thoughts on hunter pressure, why I believe it's largely a non-issue, in the midst of a growing push for nonresident hunting restrictions. Beyond the hunting, I discuss something equally important: giving back to the farmers and communities that welcome us each fall. Our experience donating wild game to local First Nations communities was a great reminder that waterfowling is about more than filling limits. Finally, it's time to turn my attention back home. Pennsylvania's duck opener is right around the corner, and I'm talking scouting, preparation, and what I'm expecting as we kick off another season in the Atlantic Flyway. From the Canadian prairies to the marshes and rivers of Pennsylvania, we're keeping the migration rolling! Built For The Migration. Feel free to reach out to us: migrationwaterfowl@gmail.com Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok: @migrationwaterfowl Migration Waterfowl Store - Gear Roost & Apparel https://www.migrationwaterfowl.com Patreon - Support the show & get more personal content from Brian https://www.patreon.com/MigrationWaterfowl Migration Waterfowl is presented by: Blue Bird Waterfowl https://bluebirdwaterfowl.com And also brought to you by these fine partners: Rig’Em Right Outdoors https://rigemright.com Flight Day Ammo https://www.flightdayammo.com Aves Hunting https://aveshunting.com Retay USA https://www.retayusa.com frogg toggs https://www.froggtoggs.com The Duck Hole & Company https://m.facebook.com/duckholecompany Northern Duck Calls https://www.northernduckcalls.com 15% off with code MW15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    EP. 128: Canada Hunt Wrap Up & PA Duck Opener Prep with Brian Halbleib

  5. Oct 1

    EP. 127: Oh, Canada! Mid-Week Hunt Recap & Update with Brian Halbleib

    Five days into our Canada waterfowl trip, and the migration has been good to us. In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend Jake Maxwell from Chasing Green to break down our hunt so far. We’ve spent the week chasing ducks across the Canadian prairie and have had some incredible shoots, with mallards, pintails, wigeon, gadwall and teal all making their way into the decoys. We talk about how each hunt came together, what we’ve been seeing during our scouting, the conditions we’ve dealt with, and the decisions that have helped us stay on birds day after day. We also get into some of the highs, the challenges, and those moments that make a waterfowl road trip like this worth all the miles. Five days. A pile of scouting. Plenty of laughs. And some of the best duck hunting of the season so far. Join us from Canada for a mid-trip recap from the heart of the fall migration. Feel free to reach out to us: migrationwaterfowl@gmail.com Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok: @migrationwaterfowl Migration Waterfowl Store - Gear Roost & Apparel https://www.migrationwaterfowl.com Patreon - Support the show & get more personal content from Brian https://www.patreon.com/MigrationWaterfowl Migration Waterfowl is presented by: Blue Bird Waterfowl https://bluebirdwaterfowl.com And also brought to you by these fine partners: Rig’Em Right Outdoors https://rigemright.com Flight Day Ammo https://www.flightdayammo.com Aves Hunting https://aveshunting.com Retay USA https://www.retayusa.com frogg toggs https://www.froggtoggs.com The Duck Hole & Company https://m.facebook.com/duckholecompany Northern Duck Calls https://www.northernduckcalls.com 15% off with code MW15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    EP. 127: Oh, Canada! Mid-Week Hunt Recap & Update with Brian Halbleib

  6. Sep 24

    EP. 126: Why Are Atlantic Flyway Mallards Declining? The Eastern Mallard Project with Cassidy Waldrep

    What if you could follow a mallard throughout its entire year and see exactly where it goes, when it moves, how long it stays—and what finally triggers it to migrate? On this episode of The Migration Waterfowl Podcast, your host Brian Halbleib is joined by Cassidy Waldrep of the Eastern Mallard Project to explore what researchers are learning by GPS-tracking hen mallards across eastern North America. Cassidy breaks down how the GPS and accelerometer technology works and what the movements of individual ducks are revealing about migration timing, weather, habitat use, stopover areas, wintering behavior and hunting pressure. We also dig into some of the movements researchers have documented through Pennsylvania and the Atlantic Flyway, including where these birds are coming from and where they go next. The conversation also tackles the bigger question behind the research: Why have eastern mallard numbers declined? Cassidy explains the differences researchers are seeing between mallards breeding in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, what scientists are investigating as possible causes, and how this massive tracking project could ultimately influence habitat conservation and waterfowl management. For duck hunters who have ever wondered what happens to the birds between the days we see them in the marsh, this episode offers a fascinating look at migration from the duck's perspective. Feel free to reach out to us: migrationwaterfowl@gmail.com Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok: @migrationwaterfowl Migration Waterfowl Store - Gear Roost & Apparel https://www.migrationwaterfowl.com Patreon - Support the show & get more personal content from Brian https://www.patreon.com/MigrationWaterfowl Migration Waterfowl is presented by: Blue Bird Waterfowl https://bluebirdwaterfowl.com And also brought to you by these fine partners: Rig’Em Right Outdoors https://rigemright.com Flight Day Ammo https://www.flightdayammo.com Aves Hunting https://aveshunting.com Retay USA https://www.retayusa.com frogg toggs https://www.froggtoggs.com The Duck Hole & Company https://m.facebook.com/duckholecompany Northern Duck Calls https://www.northernduckcalls.com 15% off with code MW15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    EP. 126: Why Are Atlantic Flyway Mallards Declining? The Eastern Mallard Project with Cassidy Waldrep

  7. Sep 17

    EP. 125: From Southern Swamps To Hunting The World with Robby Nelson

    Robby Nelson didn’t grow up in a hunting family, but more than 20 years later, waterfowl hunting has taken him across all four flyways, from Alaska to Mexico and beyond. On this episode of the Migration Waterfowl Podcast, Robby joins your host Brian Halbleib to talk about teaching himself to hunt alongside friends in Georgia, the people who helped shape him as a waterfowler, and how a passion for chasing ducks and geese eventually turned into a lifetime of traveling and hunting new places and species. They get into Robby’s pursuit of the North American 41, some of his most memorable destination hunts, and why the friendships and experiences have become just as important as the birds themselves. Robby also shares the story behind launching the Southern Flight Podcast, what pushed him to finally get behind a microphone, and what he hopes to build with the show. From Southern swamps to hunts around the world, it’s a conversation about waterfowl, travel, friendship, podcasting, and passing the hunting tradition on to the next generation. Feel free to reach out to us: migrationwaterfowl@gmail.com Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok: @migrationwaterfowl Migration Waterfowl Store - Gear Roost & Apparel https://www.migrationwaterfowl.com Patreon - Support the show & get more personal content from Brian https://www.patreon.com/MigrationWaterfowl Migration Waterfowl is presented by: Blue Bird Waterfowl https://bluebirdwaterfowl.com And also brought to you by these fine partners: Rig’Em Right Outdoors https://rigemright.com Flight Day Ammo https://www.flightdayammo.com Aves Hunting https://aveshunting.com Retay USA https://www.retayusa.com frogg toggs https://www.froggtoggs.com The Duck Hole & Company https://m.facebook.com/duckholecompany Northern Duck Calls https://www.northernduckcalls.com 15% off with code MW15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    EP. 125: From Southern Swamps To Hunting The World with Robby Nelson

  8. Sep 10

    EP. 124: Three Days. Three Teal Hunts. Three Limits. Trip Recap with Brian Halbleib

    Three days. Three teal hunts. Three limits. In this solo episode, your host Brian Halbleib breaks down an unforgettable early teal trip to the Central Flyway. Hunt one brought together Elliott Snider, Aden Shorney and Jeremy Ragsdale. Hunt two was Brian and Elliott, and the final morning became a solo hunt. Despite a different group and setup each day, every hunt ended the same way—with a limit of teal in less than an hour. The biggest challenge wasn’t finding birds—it was beating the oppressive heat. Temperatures reached 100 degrees during Friday’s full day of scouting and remained brutal throughout most of the trip. Instead of joining the crowds at marshes holding the most teal, the crew deliberately chose a spot with fewer ducks and less hunting pressure, betting that having room to work would outweigh chasing the biggest concentration of birds. Brian also shares the camping side of the trip, including hauling along a generator and window air conditioner to turn a nylon tent into a surprisingly comfortable escape from the heat. From scouting strategy and hunting pressure to fast limits and air-conditioned “roughing it,” this episode delivers the complete story of three successful days chasing early-season teal in the Central Flyway. Feel free to reach out to us: migrationwaterfowl@gmail.com Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok: @migrationwaterfowl Migration Waterfowl Store - Gear Roost & Apparel https://www.migrationwaterfowl.com Patreon - Support the show & get more personal content from Brian https://www.patreon.com/MigrationWaterfowl Migration Waterfowl is presented by: Blue Bird Waterfowl https://bluebirdwaterfowl.com And also brought to you by these fine partners: Rig’Em Right Outdoors https://rigemright.com Flight Day Am-mo https://www.flightdayammo.com Aves Hunting https://aveshunting.com Retay USA https://www.retayusa.com frogg toggs https://www.froggtoggs.com The Duck Hole & Company https://m.facebook.com/duckholecompany Northern Duck Calls https://www.northernduckcalls.com 15% off with code MW15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    EP. 124: Three Days. Three Teal Hunts. Three Limits. Trip Recap with Brian Halbleib
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4.8
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

The Migration Waterfowl Podcast is for serious duck and goose hunters who want more than just another hunting story. Hosted by Brian Halbleib, the show brings together experienced hunters, industry leaders, conservationists, guides, and outdoor innovators for honest conversations about every aspect of waterfowl hunting. From hunting tactics and gear to conservation, travel destinations, and the issues shaping our future, every episode is designed to make you a better-informed hunter. Based in western Pennsylvania—where the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways overlap—Brian also travels throughout North America in pursuit of new waterfowl experiences, bringing listeners along through conversations with some of the most respected voices in the sport. Whether you're chasing early-season teal, late-season mallards, Canada geese, or planning your next bucket-list hunt, you'll find authentic discussions, practical knowledge, and a genuine passion for waterfowl hunting every week. No gimmicks. No gatekeeping. Just real conversations for people who live for the migration.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Halbleib
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    131
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024-26 The Migration Waterfowl Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Migration Waterfowl Podcast

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