Ducks Unlimited Podcast

Ducks Unlimited Inc.
  • 4.9 (598)
  • WILDERNESS
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Ducks Unlimited Podcast is a constant discussion of all things waterfowl; from in-depth hunting tips and tactics, to waterfowl biology, research, science, and habitat updates. The DU Podcast is the go-to resource for waterfowl hunters and conservationists. Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands conservation.

  1. 1D AGO

    3x World Champion: Goose Calling, Competition & Craft with Chance Wadsworth (Ep 770)

    Becoming a world champion doesn’t happen by accident — it happens through discipline, repetition, and an unrelenting desire to improve. In this episode, host Matt Harrison sits down with Chance Wadsworth, a three‑time undisputed World Live Goose Calling Champion and founder of Quill Creek Calls, to talk about competition calling, practice mentality, design philosophy, and how elite calling translates to real‑world hunting success. Chance shares his journey from growing up in the outdoors to discovering contest calling, the mindset required to win at the highest level, and why greatness comes down to doing the fundamentals over and over — even when it’s not fun. In this episode, listeners will hear about: How Chance first got into waterfowl hunting and goose callingDiscovering contest calling and chasing a competitive edgeWhat separates world champions from everyone elseWhy “desire and repetition” matter more than talentHow Chance approached practice early in his careerUsing focused, intentional practice to refine skillsThe mental process of stepping onto the world stageWhy defending a title is harder than winning the firstWhat judges listen for in elite live‑goose routinesThe importance of cadence, flow, and realismCommon mistakes beginners make in goose callingAccepting failure and building a strong calling foundationStarting a call company and designing the Quill Creek Mark ITranslating contest calling into real‑world traffic huntsStaying motivated after winning at the highest levelWhether you’re a competitive caller, a die‑hard goose hunter, or simply someone who appreciates mastery of a craft, this episode offers insight into what it takes to truly separate yourself from the field. SPONSORS: Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether 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.

    31 min
  2. RELOADED EP219 - Waterfowl Harvest Management Series, Part 9: An Intro to Adaptive Harvest Management

    4D AGO

    RELOADED EP219 - Waterfowl Harvest Management Series, Part 9: An Intro to Adaptive Harvest Management

    Concern for waterfowl populations and frustration with the status quo of duck harvest management in the late 80s stimulated new ideas for setting annual regulations and learning about their effects. Dr. Jim Nichols, retired senior scientist from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and one of the godfathers of Adaptive Harvest Management, joins the DU Podcast to introduce waterfowl harvest dynamics, adaptive management, and the regulatory atmosphere that ultimately produced AHM. SPONSORS: Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether 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.

    45 min

  3. 6D AGO

    Water, Nature & Community: Inside DU’s Evolving Partnership with Dow (Ep 769)

    Ducks Unlimited and Dow have partnered for decades to deliver real conservation outcomes — but this relationship is now entering a new and innovative phase. In this episode, host Dr. Jerad Henson is joined by Dr. Amy Beasley, Sustainability Director for Water and Nature at Dow, and Dr. Ellen Herbert, Ducks Unlimited’s Sustainability Director, to explore how a long‑standing corporate conservation partnership has expanded beyond traditional project delivery into a strategic, science‑driven collaboration. The discussion traces the 70‑year history between Dow and Ducks Unlimited, highlights milestone conservation achievements, and then digs into how the two organizations are now working together to help Dow evaluate land assets, water and nature risks, and community connections in ways that benefit wildlife, the environment, and long‑term business resilience. In this episode, listeners will hear about: Dow’s journey into sustainability and why water and nature are inseparableA 70‑year partnership between Dow and Ducks UnlimitedEarly landmark conservation investments tied to the North American Waterfowl Management PlanWetland restoration projects in Michigan’s Shiawassee BasinCanadian Prairie Pothole and parklands forage programs benefiting ranchers, ducks, and water securityHow DU’s science and geospatial expertise supports corporate land‑use decisionsThe shift from project delivery to strategic conservation planningWhy watersheds, habitat, and community access matter to both conservation and industryReal‑world examples, including Dow’s Carrollton, Kentucky facilityMeasuring impact, building a business case for conservation, and scaling successHow private industry can reduce water risk while improving habitat and community outcomesThis episode offers a rare, transparent look at how conservation organizations and global companies can work together — not just to restore habitat, but to create long‑term resilience for people, wildlife, and communities. SPONSORS: Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether 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.

    45 min

  4. APR 28

    Southern Region Conservation: Wetlands, Water Control & the Future of Duck Habitat (Ep 768)

    Ducks Unlimited’s work in the Southern United States is complex, diverse, and more critical than ever. In this episode, host Dr. Mike Brasher continues the regional conservation series with Jerry Holden, Senior Director of Operations for Ducks Unlimited’s Southern Region. Jerry oversees DU’s conservation delivery across the southern portions of the Mississippi, Central, and Atlantic Flyways, managing one of the organization’s largest and most diverse conservation portfolios. The conversation spans from duck hunting conditions and flyway dynamics to large‑scale engineering, coastal resilience, private‑lands conservation, and some of the most significant land protection efforts in DU’s history. In this episode, listeners will hear about: The 2025–26 waterfowl season across the Southern Region and why outcomes varied so widely“Spatial discontinuity” and how migratory birds create winners and losers each seasonThe scope and purpose of DU’s Southern Region field offices across the Gulf Coast and MAVWhy engineering is central to DU’s coastal resilience work in Texas, Louisiana, and the Atlantic CoastHow Ducks Unlimited partners with NRC​S to implement Farm Bill conservation programsClearing up misconceptions about DU’s work on private landThe growing role of conservation easements and permanent land protectionA historic donated conservation easement in coastal South CarolinaDU’s leadership role in restoring Arkansas’s greentree reservoir systemsBalancing public expectations with long‑term forest and wetland sustainabilityWhy DU continues expanding the public land base across the Southern landscapeThis episode offers an inside look at how DU delivers conservation at scale—often in places where water, land use, and wildlife interests intersect most intensely—and why that work matters now more than ever. SPONSORS: Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether 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.

    44 min
  5. RELOADED EP217 - Waterfowl Harvest Management Series, Part 8: Adapting to Change, 1970s to the 1990s

    APR 25

    RELOADED EP217 - Waterfowl Harvest Management Series, Part 8: Adapting to Change, 1970s to the 1990s

    The ideas of “fair” and “equitable” in harvest distribution have been a challenging undercurrent for regulatory decisions over the years. Dale Humburg and Ken Babcock join the DU Podcast one last time to discuss zones and splits, “shortstopping” in geese, the frustration it caused, and how managers tried to adapt. Also discussed are lead poisoning, non-toxic shot regulations, and the birth of Adaptive Harvest Management, each of which brought their own need for adaptation. SPONSORS: Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether 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.

    1h 4m
  6. DU’s National Convention: Tampa, Celebration & a $3 Billion Milestone (Ep 767)

    APR 23

    DU’s National Convention: Tampa, Celebration & a $3 Billion Milestone (Ep 767)

    CONVENTION SPONSORS: Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails, Benelli, & Raymond James. The Ducks Unlimited National Convention is more than a meeting — it’s a celebration of people, conservation, and one of the greatest fundraising achievements in conservation history. In this episode, host Jimbo Robinson is joined by DU President Bob Spoerl, National Convention Chair Jared Brown, and Managing Director of National Conferences Pattie Kempka for a full preview of the 2026 Ducks Unlimited National Convention in Tampa, Florida. From opening night at the Florida Aquarium to the culmination of DU’s historic $3‑billion conservation campaign, this conversation breaks down why the national convention is unlike any DU event at the state or local level. The group walks listeners through the full week — fishing tournaments, conservation tours, business sessions, recognition events, keynote speakers, and the energy that comes with gathering more than a thousand committed DU volunteers and supporters in one place. Whether you’re a longtime volunteer, a first‑time convention attendee, or someone who has supported DU in any way over the past few years, come hear why Tampa is the place to be! REGISTER NOW! @ Convention.ducks.org SPONSORS: Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether 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.

    55 min

  7. APR 21

    Water in the West: Snowpack, Alaska, and Duck Conservation (Ep 766)

    Water drives everything in the western United States — and right now, it’s increasingly scarce. In this episode, Ducks Unlimited's senior waterfowl scientist, Dr. Mike Brasher, sits down with Jeff McCreary, director of operations for the Western Region, to discuss waterfowl conservation across the Pacific Flyway. From declining snowpack and drying wetlands to competing water demands from agriculture, people, industry, and fish, Jeff breaks down the realities DU faces — and the solutions they’re working toward. He also introduces the new Alaska Initiative and how it will inform the future of conservation in the Pacific Flyway's most important area for breeding waterfowl. The conversation spans the Central Valley of California, Klamath Basin, Great Salt Lake, and Alaska, highlighting how DU operates in some of the most complex and water‑limited landscapes in North America. In this episode: Why snowpack is the single most important driver of wetlands in the WestHow declining snow and rising temperatures affect ducks, farms, and citiesCurrent wetland conditions in California’s Central Valley and Klamath BasinBotulism risk and innovative water management solutions in KlamathWhy rain helps short‑term but snowpack determines fall habitatThe drying trend across the western U.S. and climate implicationsGreat Salt Lake: why it matters to millions of birds and peopleDU’s $100 million Great Salt Lake Initiative explainedControlling “the thirsty three” invasive plants: phragmites, tamarisk & Russian oliveAlaska’s outsized role in producing Pacific Flyway waterfowlDU’s new Alaska Initiative – Born to FlyWorking with native corporations, agencies, and industry in AlaskaWhy conservation in Alaska is about understanding — not restorationSurprising work DU does on endangered fish recoveryKeeping the Junior Duck Stamp program alive in Washington StateThis episode offers a rare behind‑the‑scenes look at how DU operates where water is most precious — and why collaboration, science, and community matter more than ever. SPONSORS: Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether 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.

    40 min
  8. RELOADED EP216 - Waterfowl Harvest Management Series, Part 7: Stabilized Harvest Analyses & The NAWMP

    APR 18

    RELOADED EP216 - Waterfowl Harvest Management Series, Part 7: Stabilized Harvest Analyses & The NAWMP

    The 1970s and 80s brought a flurry of activity, including early teal seasons, stabilized regulations, foundational analyses of compensatory vs. additive mortality, new views on harvest management, and the most important development for waterfowl management in at least 50 years – the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Repeat guests Ken Babcock and Dale Humburg rejoin the DU Podcast to continue a discussion about the history of waterfowl harvest management. SPONSORS: Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether 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.

    45 min
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4.9
out of 5
598 Ratings

About

Ducks Unlimited Podcast is a constant discussion of all things waterfowl; from in-depth hunting tips and tactics, to waterfowl biology, research, science, and habitat updates. The DU Podcast is the go-to resource for waterfowl hunters and conservationists. Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands conservation.

Information

  • Creator
    Ducks Unlimited Inc.
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    853
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ducks Unlimited Inc. 2022
  • Show Website
    Ducks Unlimited Podcast

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