MOJO’S Duck Season Somewhere Podcast
Legendary Mississippi Bear Hunting Culture of Robert E. Bobo
Back in the early 1800s, the Mississippi Delta was a seething hardwood wilderness unrivaled by anything “until you reached the redwoods.” A Robert Eager Bobo and company plied their skills in that untamed environment, reputedly killing over 300 bears in a single year – plus a whole lot more. Who was Bobo, where’d he live? How’d they hunt bear back then? How famous were Bobo’s bear hounds? What weapon was preferred for bears in ancient canebrakes? Mississippi historian and outdoor writer, James McCafferty, and Ramsey Russell discuss these and other topics in today’s episode of Duck Season Somewhere podcast.
Wetland Management for Waterfowl 2/3
Did you know that mallard diet on the wintering grounds is predominately annual seeds? USDA-NRCS Wildlife Biologist, Kevin Nelms, and Ramsey Russell dig deeper into wetland habitat management for waterfowl subject. What are the 4 recognized wetland types and what life-cycle requirements do they each satisfy? Why will knowing these distinctions help you be a become a better waterfowl habitat manager and more successful duck hunter? What is foremost ingredient of managed wetlands increases both waterfowl utilization and hunt-ability? What are the pitfalls for planting rice for ducks? What is moist-soil management, what are the advantages, why’s it part-art and part-science, and what’s Nelms’s rule-of-thumb for perfect water drawdowns? We’re cooking in hot grease now!
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Benelli Shotgun Innovations
George Thompson, Director of Product Management, Benelli USA gives Ramsey Russell an informative run-down of Benelli shotgun innovations. Benelli pioneered the inertia recoil system in 1967. Initially hitting US markets under H&K distribution, they have since come a long way. How has the Benelli Super Black Eagle shotgun evolved since the first? What features are stand out among other conventional waterfowl killing sticks? What drives the growing demand for sub-gauge chamberings? What is the new Benelli Surface Treatment about and how’d it originate? What about online rumors that SBE3 patterns high? Ramsey Russell and George Thomas discuss these topics in detail. Whether you’re a since-forever fan of Benelli shotguns like Ramsey, considering a new waterfowl shotgun purchase or simply curious, you’ll likely learn a few interesting things about why Benelli and Super Black Eagle shotguns are simply perfect.
Dale Bordelon, More Bayou Country Traditions
Dale Bordelon is a gifted storyteller from Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. In last week’s episode (Episode 39, August 3, 2020, Dale Bordelon Bayou Traditions), Bordelon described gathering various local raw materials from nearby swamps, hand-making his Louisiana cane calls and other tools-of-the-trade as tribute to his roots; to Louisiana’s traditional waterfowling culture. In today’s Duck Season Somewhere podcast episode, we crawl belly deep into tepid, tea-colored swamp water. Bordelon describes trapping dinosaur-like alligator snappers the size of chest freezers, catching monster alligators, shooting old shotguns, blending duck blinds perfectly into the environment and more. Where’d Dale get the twine to wrap a special cane call he uses? How’d he catch those big, old snappers, what’d he do with them, and why did he quit? What’s his secret for catching BIG gators? Why does he like shooting pump shotguns from his grandad’s era? It’s another great episode depicting unvarnished Louisiana duck hunting culture.
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Wetland Management for Waterfowl Habitat 1/3
Wetland management for better waterfowl habitat. Interested in wetland management for waterfowl (and I know from countless inbox requests for this topic that many of y’all are) then this 3-part series is right in your wheelhouse. It’s no accident that we’re dropping this series when it’s time to start readying your wetlands waterfowl habitat for next season! Regardless of where you hunt, better understanding duck habitat needs will make you a more successful hunter. As USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Wildlife Biologist in the Mississippi Delta, Kevin Nelms is a duck hunter that has spent the past couple decades designing and developing numerous private-lands waterfowl impoundments pursuant to Wetland Reserve and other Farm Bill-related programs. He’s worked extensively with private landowners throughout the region, improving desirable duck habitat conditions, enhancing duck utilization, even putting together a handbook that Ramsey considers must-have staple for waterfowl habitat management (refer to related links in podcast description for your own PDF copy). In today’s Duck Season Somewhere podcast episode, Ramsey and Nelms make introductions then cannonball off the bow into murky subject matter, discussing prevailing silver-bullet misconceptions to waterfowl habitat management; duck life-cycle requirements on the wintering grounds; why recognizing and satisfying certain life-cycle requirements may attract more waterfowl; managing vegetative succession; the importance of invertebrates; and more.
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“Damn at the Ducks!”
Mississippi native Alex Littlejohn remembers “Tallahatchie tree line duck hunting” with family members as a youngster after Canada geese ceased migrating to Mississippi. While in college, he guided duck hunts on South End Trails portion of Beaver Dam, the cypress oxbow lake made famous by Nash Buckingham, and worked at Wild Rose Kennels. What was it like hunting at Beaver Dam Lake, what are some of his favorite memories, and what do ducks do in lightening storms? What his most endearing memory of a favorite uncle that taught him to duck hunt and call ducks? And what happened in southwest Louisiana that made him wonder about predestination? Today’s Duck Season Somewhere podcast episode is a slow burn conversation, like two buddies sipping bourbon toddies during a rainy Mississippi duck hunting camp afternoon. All duck hunting listeners will relate.
Mama Duck Liz Bourgeois
“She’s probably banded more ducks than any non-biologist in North America,” said the mutual friend that introduced us. Liz Bourgeois grew up alongside 4 brothers, hunting the bayous of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. She was mentored by her father, who instilled in her a strong sense of conservation and unyielding independence. She now bands thousands of waterfowl annually, but finds purpose transferring those values to countless volunteers that know her only as a tireless fireball of enthusiastic energy. What does Liz recall about growing up hunting with her father? How’d she go from forensic accounting to waterfowl banding? What changes has she seen in Louisiana duck hunting, how’d her hunting background shape her wildlife technician skill-sets, and what interesting waterfowl behaviors has she learned learned while banding? Why’s it important to Liz that women have a sense of agency outdoors, and how does her facilitating hands-on waterfowl banding experiences ignite passion for wildlife? She’s the real deal, folks. Buckle up and grab the handle because she plows through this Duck Season Somewhere episode like only Mama Duck can!
Louisiana’s Most Famous Market Hunter
Preceding the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, duck hunting was not considered recreational. It was big business. Very big. Who was Florine “Pie” Champagne and how’d he start hunting ducks commercially? What was his daily quota, how’d he hunt and where’d all those ducks go? Where’d he get decoys and calls, and how big was his spread? What firearms did he favor and just how good were his shooting skills? What became of Pie after market hunting? And why does he remain Louisiana’s most famous market hunter? In today’s Duck Season Somewhere podcast episode, grandson Benny Broussard borrows from his own boyhood memories, his mother’s meticulous notes and his uncle’s supper table stories to describe his famous duck hunting grandfather, portraying the people and culture of last-century Louisiana duck hunting “hired guns”.
Louisiana’s Most Famous Market Hunter Related Links:
On Louisiana Bayou with Dale Bordelon
Dale Bordelon is continuing Louisiana bayou traditions by making 100% hand-made cane calls. And everything else. In today’s Duck Season Somewhere podcast episode, we discuss why Bordelon prefers duck hunting over things he hand-makes the same way his ancestors did. Why did he choose duck hunting this past season with a century-old shotgun? Preceding an upcoming episode about Louisiana’s most famous market hunter, Bordelon describes old decoys, how market gunners got their goods to make, and much more.
No Regrets: Modern-Day Louisiana Market Hunter Stories, Part 2
In today’s Duck Season Somewhere podcast episode, more Louisiana market hunter stories as Mr. Johnny Borrel continues describing differences between today versus then. Why might there be fewer ducks in Louisiana? How has the landscape changed? How have duck hunters and the way they now hunt changed? How important is hunter concealment? What are Mr. Johnny’s thoughts on shooting flying birds? What he can he tell from hunters’ volleys from a distance? And does he have any regrets? From Avoyelles Parish, Mr. Johnny unapologetically takes it to the plug again, connecting listeners to the not-too-distant past as fluidly as shells shucked through his well-oiled Model 12.
Modern-day Louisiana Market Hunting Stories, Mr. Johnny Borrel, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana
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