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Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Jeff Thruston, owner of ESP Hearing Protection, for a conversation about something a lot of waterfowl hunters ignore until it’s too late: hearing loss. Jeff explains how ESP’s custom-fit electronic hearing protection works, why comfort and directional sound matter in the blind, and how modern technology can protect your hearing without taking away the sounds that make hunting what it is. Episode highlights Why duck hunters skip hearing protection — bulky earmuffs, poor fit, wind noise, and wanting to hear calls and birds are some of the biggest reasons hunters leave protection at home.Custom fit vs. one-size-fits-all — the crew talks about molded hearing protection, keeping earbuds secure in wet hunting conditions, and why fit becomes especially important in the marsh.Hearing the hunt around you — Jeff breaks down how ESP maintains directional and environmental awareness, so hunters can still tell where birds, voices, and other sounds are coming from.Choosing the right setup — Apex, Stealth, Elite Digital, and Classic models come into the conversation, along with pricing and how hunters can determine which level of protection makes sense for them.Simple matters in the field — Carson highlights the straightforward design: turn them on, adjust the volume, and hunt without dealing with multiple modes or complicated connections.When hearing loss becomes noticeable — Jeff and Carson share personal examples of realizing one ear was no longer hearing as well as the other, and how that can affect everything from hearing birds to communicating with hunting partners.Shotguns are loud — the conversation puts gunfire into perspective by comparing a shotgun blast at roughly 140 decibels with other extremely loud noises, reinforcing what repeated exposure can do over a lifetime of hunting.It’s not just about shooting — hearing loss can make it harder to locate a gobble, elk bugle, calling duck, or even hear your partner say “take ’em,” turning hearing protection into a hunting-performance and safety issue too.Waterfowling is built around sound—from wings overhead and geese in the distance to calling with your buddies in the blind. This episode is a reminder that protecting your ears now can help make sure you’re still hearing all of it years down the road.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down for a quick opening-weekend recap, breaking down how California Waterfowl properties performed across the state and comparing this year’s results with recent seasons. From a seven-bird average at Sanborn Slough to strong shoots at Grizzly Ranch, Butte Creek Island Ranch, Potrero, and Goose Lake, the opener delivered plenty of opportunity—but also a few surprises in bird behavior and species composition. Episode highlights A strong opener overall — CWA properties combined for roughly a 4.6-bird average, nearly a bird better than the previous year.Sanborn Slough stole the show — hunters averaged seven birds per hunter, including geese, making it potentially one of the strongest CWA property openers on record.Grizzly Ranch delivered again — a 5.4 average, led by green-winged teal and northern shovelers, with enough opportunity that Carson felt most groups had a real shot at limits.Butte Creek bounced back — after averaging 2.3 birds last year, the property climbed back to a five-bird average, with wood ducks leading the way.Potrero moved in the right direction — after flooding earlier this year, the Suisun property jumped to a 4.6-bird average, while nearby Denverton came in lower than expected.Goose Lake stayed productive — the Tulare Basin property averaged 3.8 birds, down slightly from last year but still providing plenty of shooting opportunity.The ducks are already acting educated — Jeff and Carson talk about birds in the rice behaving more like January ducks than opener birds—circling, ignoring calls, and doing their own thing despite plenty of birds being present.Refuge results — Yolo finished among the strongest state wildlife areas, while Delavan posted a solid opener with pintail leading the harvest.More hunts are coming — first-come, first-served rice blinds are expected to open soon, along with additional pig hunts and donated family opportunities in the Yolo Bypass.Opening weekend showed that there are plenty of birds on the landscape—but with mild weather in the forecast and ducks already showing signs of pressure, the question now is how quickly things settle into the early-season doldrums and what the next weather change brings.

With California’s balance-of-state opener right around the corner, Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down for a full preseason check-in with people who have been watching birds and habitat firsthand. The crew talks expectations for opening weekend, what they’re seeing on CWA properties, and why there’s real optimism heading into the season—with plenty of ducks already on the landscape and more birds still holding farther north. Episode highlights There are birds around — Carson says nearly everyone he’s talked to is seeing ducks, and one CWA property was holding more birds than he’s seen there in ten seasons working for the organization.Could another push still be coming? — plenty of birds remain farther north, setting up the possibility of another migration push if colder weather finally forces them south.Weather could make or break it — after several seasons of flooding in the Butte Sink, Jeff and Carson talk about how concentrated storm systems and winter weather could reshape hunting again this year.Yolo Wildlife Area update — Wildlife Area Manager Garrett Spann joins the show to discuss current conditions, hunter access, property changes, habitat projects, and what visitors should know before heading out this season.A firsthand look at bird movement — CWA’s egg salvage coordinator and waterfowl biologist checks in after spending time trapping pintail on refuges and shares what the crew has been seeing across the Valley.Specks, snows, and one unusual goose — the conversation turns to goose numbers and a recently banded bird that appears to be some type of hybrid.Diver hunting preview — the final portion of the episode shifts toward divers, coastal hunting, specialized boats, and how flooded conditions can change when and where birds return to an area.The real cost of getting out there — rising fuel prices also enter the conversation, especially for hunters making long drives to rice blinds and refuges multiple times a week.There’s always plenty of preseason speculation, but this episode brings together boots-on-the-ground observations, refuge updates, and firsthand bird reports to give California hunters a better idea of what they may find when legal shooting time finally arrives.

Carson Odegard sits down with Dr. Seth Bynum, avid bird hunter, outdoorsman, photographer, veterinarian, and Veterinary Communications Manager for Purina, for a practical conversation every hunting-dog owner should hear before the season gets rolling. Seth shares his unconventional path from journalism and outdoor photography into veterinary medicine, then dives into the health and conditioning questions that come with putting a retriever back to work after months away from the marsh. Episode highlights Getting your dog season-ready — what hunters should be thinking about when conditioning a dog that may have been out of hunting shape for eight months or more.Hot-weather hunting — California openers can push toward 90 degrees, making heat and physical exertion an important consideration even for dogs accustomed to warm weather.When to use a dog vest — cold water, fog, wind, body condition, and protection all come into the conversation when deciding whether your retriever needs neoprene.What belongs in a canine first-aid kit — plus why hunters should give their dogs a thorough post-hunt check for seeds, cuts, paw injuries, and other problems that adrenaline can hide in the field.Rest and recovery — how to think about hunting multiple days in a row, recognizing fatigue, and knowing when your dog may need a day off.Swimmer’s tail and heavy water work — a condition many waterfowl hunters have seen after long days of retrieving and swimming.Feeding through hunting season — whether food intake or diet should change as workload increases, and how far ahead of the season hunters should begin making adjustments.Puppies and veteran dogs — when a young dog may be ready for its first real hunt and how owners should think about eventually retiring an older hunting companion.Whether your dog is heading into its first season or has spent years riding shotgun to the refuge, this episode is packed with practical reminders for keeping that hunting partner healthy, comfortable, and ready to work.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Dr. Karl Wenner, longtime Klamath Basin resident, hunter, farmer, and orthopedic surgeon, for a deep conversation about the landscape he has called home since the late 1980s. Karl shares how his background in biology and wildlife eventually brought him to Klamath, what he has watched change across the basin, and why he still believes wetlands can be a major part of its recovery. Episode highlights A lifetime in Klamath — Karl explains how he went from marine biology and wildlife work in Florida to medicine, waterfowl hunting, and eventually building a life in the Klamath Basin.Then versus now — after decades hunting and living in the region, Karl reflects on the incredible waterfowl years he witnessed and what current habitat and water conditions look like heading into this season.Wetlands as part of the farm — Karl describes how a roughly 70-acre wetland became a working tool on the property, filtering phosphorus from agricultural water before that water could return to the lake.When conservation and agriculture work together — the project allowed the farm to continue flooding agricultural ground for its operation and for waterfowl while using wetlands to improve water quality.Helping endangered suckers — Karl discusses experiments using wetlands as rearing habitat for young fish, what researchers have learned so far, and why demonstrating success on private ground could eventually lead to larger-scale restoration.The biggest challenge facing Klamath — in Karl’s view, the historic loss of wetlands remains at the heart of the basin’s problems. He describes the region as once being the “Everglades of the West,” with roughly 300,000 acres of interconnected wetlands.Reasons for optimism — rather than treating agriculture, fish, tribes, waterfowl, and the local economy as competing interests, Karl believes a functioning ecosystem can benefit all of them together.Restoration takes a team — CWA, Klamath Watershed Partnership, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, UC Davis, Ducks Unlimited, farmers, and others have all played roles in moving this work forward.This episode is a different kind of Klamath conversation—one focused on what can happen when working farms, wetlands, waterfowl, fish, and conservation are treated as pieces of the same system.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Cory Overton, Science Director for California Waterfowl, for a preseason look at what hunters may see across the Pacific Flyway this year. Cory breaks down breeding conditions, mallard and goose numbers, an exceptional year at Klamath, and how weather could shape bird movement once the season gets underway. Episode highlights Overall season outlook — despite national mallard numbers being down, Cory explains why many of the breeding areas that supply California looked considerably better and why he expects a fairly average year overall.Klamath had a huge year — improved water conditions produced what Cory describes as one of Klamath’s best productive years in decades, with near-record mallard banding efforts and thousands of birds handled.Specks are a bright spot — Pacific Flyway white-fronted geese increased again this year, while snow geese faced much tougher breeding conditions in the north.Southern California banding — roughly 250 birds were banded in Southern California, the most CWA has been able to mark there in a long time.Smart-band technology — Cory shares early results from new tracking bands, including wood ducks unexpectedly showing up around Fresno and Gilroy, and explains how hunters carrying cell phones may actually help researchers collect more location data this winter.Some ducks really are homebodies — one tracked shoveler stayed around the same pond for years, while a hen mallard spent roughly three months inside a hunt zone without leaving during daylight.The El Niño question — Cory explains why California’s winter could look dramatically different depending on where the jet stream sets up, ranging from heavy atmospheric rivers to comparatively dry conditions in the Central Valley.New Delta mallard research — CWA is beginning additional telemetry work on hen mallards in the Delta to better understand how birds use different California regions for nesting, brood rearing, molting, and winter habitat.From breeding-ground conditions to the latest tracking technology, this episode gives California hunters a science-backed look at what could be coming down the flyway—and the factors that may determine how the season ultimately plays out. 🦆 Duck season is almost here. Hit Follow, leave a quick review, and share this episode with your blind crew so everybody knows what to watch for when the first birds start moving south.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Casey Hartwell, founder of Hunt Bums, to talk about how a passion for waterfowl hunting turned into a growing platform built around gear reviews, field experience, and helping everyday hunters make better decisions. Casey shares his path back into hunting, why he started Hunt Bums, and how his marketing and research background shaped a more data-driven approach to reviewing products and understanding the hunting community. Episode highlights How Hunt Bums started — Casey talks about getting back into hunting as an adult and eventually building a platform around the lifestyle, gear, and experiences that came with it.Honest gear reviews — why Hunt Bums tries to evaluate products on their own merits, call out failure points, and avoid sugarcoating a review just because a company sent the gear.What hunters are actually spending — Casey breaks down findings from Hunt Bums’ hunter survey, including the Pacific Flyway’s high average annual spend and the rising cost of shotguns, shells, decoys, waders, and other essentials.Lowering the barrier to entry — his biggest advice to new hunters: find a mentor, borrow gear first, learn what actually works for you, and then invest in quality equipment.Keeping waterfowl culture alive — Casey makes the case that experienced hunters need to be more willing to bring newcomers along and show them that duck hunting is about far more than just pulling the trigger.California hunting challenges — rising costs, access to quality public ground, and overcrowding are some of the biggest issues he sees facing hunters in the state.Why California rice still hits different — even after hunting clubs and other setups, Casey explains why there’s still something special about spending a morning in a California rice blind.What gear has his attention this season — new shotshell technology, waders, decoys, and other products Casey is looking forward to putting through real-world testing.From gear and access to mentorship and the future of hunting culture, this episode is a solid conversation about making waterfowling more approachable while keeping the traditions and community that make it special.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard break down what’s ahead for the 2026–27 California Waterfowl Hunt Program, covering everything from dove and big-game opportunities to the full slate of duck and goose hunts coming this season. They walk through CWA-managed properties from Suisun Marsh and the Delta to the Butte Sink and Goose Lake, share updates on habitat and blind improvements, and highlight several donated hunts that give everyday hunters access to some exceptional private clubs. Episode highlights Dove season recap — how opening weekend went at Goose Lake and in the Butte Sink, plus why some of the best dove hunting can happen after the opener when most hunters have already moved on.A brand-new CWA property: the Golden Gate Duck Club joins the Hunt Program this year near the Pacific Flyway Center, with Wednesday hunts, two groups of two hunters, and decoys provided.Butte Sink updates — what hunters can expect at Butte Creek Island Ranch and Sanborn Slough, including habitat conditions and a new blind location at Sanborn.Staten Island & Quimby Island — why Staten continues to produce strong goose and duck numbers, and what makes both Delta properties capable of delivering a hunt of a lifetime.Goose Lake keeps improving — habitat work at the Badger Almond unit has helped turn it into one of CWA’s strongest-producing properties, with more improvements planned this season.More than waterfowl — the crew covers CWA’s Schaefer Ranch pig hunts, deer opportunities, and other programs available before and during duck season.Donated private-club hunts — opportunities at places like Mystic Lake, Lucky Seven, Upper Valley Ranch, and Mulberry, giving hunters access to properties they might otherwise never get the chance to experience.Whether you’re putting in for your first CWA hunt or already planning out your season, this episode is your roadmap to the properties, application hunts, and unique opportunities available this year. 🦆 Get those applications in. Follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with your blind crew—and keep an eye on CWA’s Hunt Program throughout the season as additional opportunities come online.

California Waterfowl CEO Jake Messerli and VP of Advocacy Mark Hennelly provide the latest update on one of the most critical waterfowl habitats in California – Klamath. While the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge benefited from significant water deliveries organized by CWA and its partners, the refuge faces a dry year ahead. Jake and Mark outline the makings of a long-term solution, including infrastructure investments, advocacy at all levels of government, and a “flow-through concept” that circulates water in the system to the benefit of all stakeholders including agriculture and tribes. Interested in supporting California Waterfowl’s efforts to save Klamath? Visit https://calwaterfowl.org/funds/lower-klamath to contribute. "

Mallard nesting at Grizzly Island, the story about CWA’s first biologist, and how research, banding, fundraising, and education all took shape Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Dr. Bob McLandress—past CWA president and one of the key figures in the organization’s early growth—for a look back at how California Waterfowl found its footing. Bob traces his path from Canada and Ducks Unlimited into graduate work under Dennis Raveling at UC Davis, then into CWA in 1985 as the organization’s first biologist—not its first employee, as the old story often goes. From there, the conversation moves through the early Grizzly Island mallard nesting work, the discovery of surprisingly high nest densities, the launch of CWA’s first major banding efforts, and the way one research project quickly snowballed into fundraising dinners, youth education, development work, and the broader conservation mission the organization carries today. Episode highlights Bob’s path from Winnipeg into waterfowl biology, and how early work in Canada helped set the course for his career.The real story behind the long-running myth: Bob was CWA’s first biologist, but not its first employee.Why the early Grizzly Island nesting work changed the conversation around California mallards.How CWA’s first banding efforts got rolling—and how those early permits and projects helped build the program that followed.What early CWA really looked like: volunteer-driven, underfunded, chaotic, and full of people trying to build something that mattered.How one biologist’s job quickly turned into fundraising, education, development, and helping define CWA’s long-term role in California conservation.🦆 If you love hearing where this work really started, hit Follow, leave a quick review, and share the episode with your blind crew—your support keeps these conversations rolling and the flyway thriving.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Chance Wadsworth, owner of Quill Creek Championship Calls, to talk goose calling from the inside out—how a chemistry background helped him design the Mach One, why he refuses to sell a call he hasn’t proven at a high level, and how contest calling sharpened the way he hunts real birds in Wisconsin. The conversation covers mentors, stage nerves, field philosophy, traffic hunting, and the kind of repetition it takes to actually get good. Episode highlights How Quill Creek started — Chance launched the company in 2024 after roughly two years of prototypes, testing, and refining a goose call he felt confident enough to take on stage.Built like an experiment — with a chemistry background and CAD-based design, he worked through more than a thousand call combinations to understand how length, wall thickness, contour, and overlap affect both sound and feel.Mentors matter — Chance credits Tim Steele and Mike Benjamin for helping him build the foundation and accelerate as a contest caller.Field calling vs. contest calling — the crew breaks down the difference between stage performance and practical hunting, and why some contest calls still absolutely work in the blind.Why he cares so much about calling — in traffic situations, when birds are not already committed to the food, Chance believes calling becomes a huge part of the game.Wisconsin goose hunting realities — leasing fields, learning roost patterns, hunting cut corn and beans, and why he believes leaving spreads out too long can educate birds.Advice for new contest callers — be okay with not winning, use YouTube and good mentors, put in the work, and understand that progress comes from repetition.If you care about goose calls, competition, and the crossover between stage skill and real-world hunting, this one is packed with practical insight and a lot of heart.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Cory Overton for a data-driven look at what really happened during this season’s migration. Instead of relying on blind chatter and guesswork, Cory breaks down what tagged birds actually showed—how prolonged fog affected movement, why a warm winter kept birds north longer than usual, and how some California-marked ducks are spending more time in places like the Northeast Zone, Klamath, and other areas north of the Sacramento Valley. Episode highlights What the tags revealed this season — GPS-marked birds helped explain why many hunters felt like the “big push” never really came.Fog and warm weather effects — prolonged fog and one of the warmest winters on record appear to have slowed or altered normal migration timing.Local vs. migratory birds — some mallards and gadwall tagged in California are molting north of the Valley and, in some cases, barely leaving those regions at all.How far birds really move — the conversation gets into flight speed, regional shifts, and why some birds bump around California rather than making dramatic southbound moves.Where ducks are sitting now — Cory explains where large concentrations of birds are holding in early spring and why those areas remain attractive.Mexico, Baja, and Southern California connections — the crew also digs into which species continue farther south, and how often marked birds show up in places like Wister, Baja, or mainland Mexico.The future of tracking tech — from GPS units to more advanced devices that could one day measure energy burn and flight conditions, Cory explains where waterfowl science is headed next.Why recovered tags matter — as tracking tools get smaller and store more onboard data, getting those devices back from hunters will become even more important.If you’ve ever wondered where the birds actually went, why they stalled out, or what modern science can tell us about the migration, this episode is packed with insight straight from the data. 🦆 Like the show? Hit Follow, leave a quick review, and share it with your blind crew—your support keeps these conversations rolling and the flyway thriving.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard wrap the season with a clean, property-by-property breakdown—January numbers, year-over-year changes, species quirks, and the big themes (fog, late rains, road work, king tides) that moved the needle across CWA hunts. Expect straight talk on mallards and pintail, why Staten keeps trending up, and how Goose Lake quietly turned in one of its best mixed-bag years. January by the numbers Staten Island: 4.4 birds/hunter; GWT + specks led.Goose Lake (Tulare Basin): 4.2; teal-heavy, strong mixed bags.Quimby Island (Delta): 3.4; GWT + mallard.Sanborn Slough (Butte Sink): 3.4; deeper water pushed hooded mergansers & ring-necks.Grizzly Ranch (Suisun): 2.6; GWT + spoonies, up from December.Butte Creek Island Ranch: 2.6; flood/high water effects.Potrero (Suisun): 1.7.Denverton (Suisun): 1.5.Season takeaways Mallard softness: Big drop at Quimby (248 → 101 mallards) and a lighter mallard picture statewide.Goose gains where it counts: Staten goose harvest jumped (specks 231 vs. 146; snows 156 vs. 75).Species surprises: Goose Lake went from 0 → 33 redheads; Staten logged a long-tailed duck and Eurasian wigeon.Weather & work mattered: Long tule-fog stretches, night road work, king tides, and late rains reshuffled use patterns—good for some units, tough on others.Pintail reality check: A 3-bird limit didn’t blow the doors off harvest totals—availability and conditions were the limiter.Quick stat stack (program-wide) 1600+ teal • 1040+ spoonies • 390+ mallards • 330+ specks. If you hunted with us—thank you. Keep an eye on calwaterfowl.org for spring turkey, pig hunts, and next season’s applications. 🦆 Like these intel episodes? Tap Follow, leave a quick review, and share it with your blind crew—your support keeps these conversations rolling and the flyway thriving.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard sit down with Craig Wilson, owner of River Oaks Outdoors and a Senior World Duck Calling Champion to trace his path from SoCal refuge rat (Wister/Kern) to Idaho mallard country, and what that journey taught him about scouting, pressure, and staying calm on stage. Craig breaks down how to practice with purpose, the real differences between Main Street contests and meat calling, and why late-season California birds demand restraint on the call. He also dives into the shop side—how he builds custom call displays (smart dowels, snug fit, clean glass) and the little design details that keep a lanyard organized and a collection looking sharp. Episode highlights SoCal to Idaho: how refuge days shaped today’s mallard-first approach, and why scouting beats sloggingContest nerves & routine: making the jump from good caller to stage-ready—and staying clean in Round 3Meat vs. Main Street: what actually carries to ducks versus judgesLate-season reality: why whistles and quiet spreads often beat hail calls in CaliforniaShop talk: River Oaks Outdoors display builds, dowel sizing, and protecting your calls the right way🦆 If this episode sharpened your calling or got you tinkering with your setup, hit Follow, drop a quick review, and share it with your blind crew—your support keeps these conversations rolling and the flyway thriving.

Jeff Smith and Carson Odegard welcome Eben Herbert from the New Zealand Hunter Exchange to compare notes on waterfowling half a world apart—what shocked him about the Suisun Marsh, why California’s public access and species variety feel endless, and how late-season calling here differs from New Zealand’s “call hard, break ’em from the sky” approach. We hit rice country pits (illegal back home), foggy boat rides to island blinds, a tough-but-worth-it California quail mission, and even a little crab-and-rockfish bounty from Bodega Bay. Episode highlights Scale & access: the density of clubs and marsh across Suisun vs. the smaller, scattered options in NZ—plus why CA birds have “a hundred places to go.”Calling culture: aggressive hail-calling to pull distant flocks in NZ vs. whistles and lighter calling for pressured late-season birds in CA.Pit blinds & rice: first time hunting California rice; why true pit blinds are illegal in New Zealand.Fog, flood & plan B: how tule fog and high water forced mid-morning moves—and still produced solid straps.Taste test: why California ducks eat milder (hello, rice fat) than NZ birds on invertebrate-heavy diets.Checklist species: pintail, wigeon, teal, a Ross’s goose, and the ongoing quests for mallard and speck before wheels up.🦆 Like these cultural deep dives? Hit Follow, drop a quick review, and share the episode with your blind crew—your support keeps these conversations rolling and the flyway thriving.