Duck Season Somewhere Podcast
Of Hippies, Cowboys and Canada Goose Hunting in Bozeman, Montana
Matt McCormick and Brady Davis invite Ramsey Russell into their wheelhouse of Gallatin River Valley Canada goose hunting near Bozeman, Montana. The local waterfowl culture is all about big honkers and ducks over local grain-fields, but pretty much takes a backseat to big game hunting, fly fishing and other plentiful outdoor activities. Following a pound-sized moose burgers supper and cold beer, they soon get to the heart of things. See, nobody comes to Bozeman by accident, and once there, few people ever want to leave. How’d Matt and Brady get started hunting and what lead them to Bozeman? What’s the Canada goose hunting really like in the Gallatin River Valley? Why can Bozeman, Montana be described as a perfect balance of hippies and cowboys? Is it more about making a living or making a life? You decide. Matt and Brady are highly entertaining and articulate, and the 3 buddies find serious common ground well beyond waterfowl. For those that listen closely, this fantastic episode even provides solid direction for pursuing career opportunities “in the hunting industry.”
Floating Islands, Montana
While watching Canada geese trading along the Yellowstone River from his Montana back porch, innovator Bruce Kania tells Ramsey Russell about “the business of inventing.” Influenced by a grandmother that taught him to snare rabbits, he grew up archery hunting in Wisconsin, became a young muskie guide, and eventually moved to Montana to chase elk. His Biohaven Floating Island technology is distributed worldwide, cleans water, increases fishery productivity and is even a scalable solution for water quality problems in the Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and world oceans. The invention was inspired while duck hunting in what he refers to as the Red Dog Story. A close encounter with a mountain lion is also recalled. What are some of his other inventions and what key advice does Kania have for would-be inventors? How did duck hunting inspire this technology? Besides floating duck blinds, what are some of the ways the biohaven floating islands are being used worldwide? And if he uses this technology to form his own country, will there be ducks? Some great inventions have originated in the duck blind, but this one takes it to whole ‘nuther level.
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Nice Shot Mr Ian
Ramsey Russell, Forrest Russell and long-time family friend Ian Munn get together during Mississippi’s duck hunting season opener weekend to recall past times hunting together at the same duck camp and worldwide since forever. “Nice Shot Mr. Ian” originated during a discussion with Ramsey’s sons at duck camp, and has since haunted him for decades. There’s plenty more similar stories, way too many for one sitting. They’re the kinds of stories that can be told only after duck hunting for nearly 3 decades. And that’s kind of the whole point.
Self Proclaimed Snow Goose Capitol of the US
Following a couple days event-filled mornings hunting snow geese, honkers and ducks, Ramsey meets with new friends Tom Mau and Monte Brekhus in Kenmare, North Dakota. Kenmare is genuine small-town America and the self-proclaimed Snow Goose Capitol of the US. It says so on a sign, the water tower in center of town is adorned with geese, and the local football team is named the Honkers. What’s it like growing up here? Why is goose hunting integral to the local culture and what attracts so many waterfowl to the area? What is GooseFest and what are these locals thoughts on outsiders hunting here? Pull up a chair and listen to another great conversation as Ramsey Russell’s 2020 North America Waterfowl Road Trip continues.
Ringneck Resort, North Dakota Pheasant Hunting Combo
Ramsey shifts gears during the 2020-2021 North American Waterfowl Tour – and after a couple weeks sitting in duck and goose blinds, stretching his legs to chase North Dakota pheasants feels great! Todays guests, Ringneck Resort’s Shaine Swenson and Clayton Mayer talk about their own hunting origins and what it takes to organize a hunt like this. What advantages does North Dakota offer over South Dakota? What’s a normal hunting day like and why are they flexible? When do the seasons run? How does Ramsey describe the hunting them, and what left a particularly smelly impression? What are some favored ways for cooking pheasants? It’s another great Duck Season Somewhere episode from the never-ending road! Related Links: Ringneck Resort, North Dakota Pheasant Hunting Combo
Holt Collier, Legendary Mississippi Bear Hunter (Part 2)
Holt Collier’s hunting reputation has achieved heroic proportions. His circle of friends includes governors, generals, senators. But along with the railroads to whom Collier has supplied bear meat comes the clearcutting of the region’s virgin forests and subsequent decimation of bear populations. But it’s when Collier transitions from market hunter to bear guide that he garners the attention of the most famous big game hunter in America. What was the most perilous event during Collier’s bear hunting career? Why did President Teddy Roosevelt come to hunt bears with Holt Collier in the Mississippi Delta, and what events transpired to make it one of the most heavily sensationalized media events of the year? What was the relationship among Roosevelt, President of the United States, and Collier, former slave and bear guide? What became of the world and the lifestyle that Collier knew? Ramsey joins Minor F. Buchanan, author of Holt Collier: His Life, His Roosevelt Hunts, and the Origin of the Teddy Bear, and Mississippi Delta storyteller Hank Burdine, for the finale of this incredible 2-part story about a people, time and place forever lost.
North Dakota Waterfowl Hunting, Of Dirty Bird Outfitters and Hamburger Hills
It’s unseasonably single-digit windchills and bone-chilling cold when Ramsey Russell goes North dakota waterfowl hunting with Dirty Bird Outfitters’ Nick Marcyes for their 3rd- or 4th Annual “Where’s-Matt-At Hunt” together in North Dakota – way different than preceding visits! Undeterred, Nick rolls with the punches and develops a winning game plan for DBO guests. What did Canadian border closures do to license sales in North Dakota and could Nick tell a difference? How do the ducks and geese respond to these unseasonable cold snaps and what’s a good game plan for dealing with? What duck species besides mallards did they shoot this time? Why does Nick think they didn’t kill a leg band during this year’s visit? The 2020-2021 North America Waterfowl Tour continues in this fun episode.
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Former Federal Wildlife Agent, Lifetime Mississippi Duck Hunter
Today’s anonymous guest credits duck hunting back in Mississippi’s South Delta – that required long, gumbo mud hikes with his dad, across bean fields that stretched for as far as he could see – for his developing an appreciation for “working smarter not harder.” He recalls the expansion of federal refuges in the Mississippi Delta and, as one of their employees, public relations fiascos and law enforcement challenges. What was it like hunting the Mississippi Delta back in the good ol’ days? How’d he start working in federal law enforcement, and what happened when the federal government turned private hunting clubs into federal refuges? What was the most memorable thing said in his presence while a hunting guest at duck camps in Mississippi? What was the infamous “1:30 Hole”, and fate likely befell this magical spot? Being a life-long duck hunter and wearing a federal agent badge formed fascinating perspectives that he shares in today’s great episode.
Holt Collier, Legendary Mississippi Bear Hunter (Part 1)
Holt Collier is among the most legendary figures in American hunting history that you’ve probably never even heard of. Proving once and for all that truth is stranger than fiction, and far more interesting, the story takes place in a primordial Mississippi delta wilderness that was vanquished during Collier’s lifetime. Born a slave, Collier later became closely associated with some of the most powerful political figures in America through his unrivaled reputation as a hunter. What was Holt Collier’s childhood like, and how’d he develop legendary shooting skills? How old was he when he killed his first bear? How’d Collier spend his time during the Civil War, and what huge opportunity developed during Reconstruction that put Collier on the path to becoming a hunter of heroic proportions? Ramsey joins Minor F. Buchanan, author of Holt Collier: His Life, His Roosevelt Hunts, and the Origin of the Teddy Bear, and Mississippi Delta storyteller Hank Burdine, for the telling of this epic 2-part story about a people, time and place forever lost.
Where Waterfowl Hunting and Science Converge
File this one under interesting things learned in a duck blind during Ramsey’s 2020-2021 North American Tour. Following a fun diver hunt among friends in blustery North Dakota, where lively duck blind banter ensued between volleys, Ramsey and Chris Nicolai warm their fingers around cups of hot coffee back at camp where they get down to the serious business of talking waterfowl management and implications. Nicolai is now Waterfowl Scientist at Delta Waterfowl. Formerly with US Fish and Wildlife Service, he’s a renowned waterfowl biologist with 20 years experience conducting elite-level waterfowl research. Importantly, he’s an ardent, lifelong waterfowl hunter. The conversation tears like a bluebill with a tailwind through a variety of interesting topics such as (Pacific) black brant, recreational hunters’ conservation role, northern pintails – you’ll probably want to pay especially close attention to this part boys and girls – and more! Who is Nicolai, how’d he get started hunting, how’d he become a serious waterfowl biologist? What’s the purpose of banding waterfowl, and why are black brant of particular interest? How many North American waterfowl species has Nicolai handled/banded, and what are some of most interesting places he’s conducted field research worldwide? Why is the pintail limit only 1 daily in the Lower-48, why hasn’t this iconic species responded to decades of restrictive harvest regulations, and what are the scientific justifications for a newly proposed 3-pintail daily bag limit?! Today’s Duck Season Somewhere episode is a heavy hitting conversation!
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