Highballs & BS

Lake Pickle, waterfowl marketing manager for OnX, joins this episode of Highballs & BS presented by Gundog Outdoors. We discuss how he started hunting and then working in the outdoor industry, the evolution of OnX as a digital resource for hunters and land managers, plus some of the favorite trials and errors (i.e., the steep learning curve) of hunting.   Educational Articles via the OnX BlogDelta Waterfowl’s Wood Duck Box Program in LouisianaCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors! 

Matt Ferry, Ducks Unlimited volunteer with the Pentagon chapter, joins this episode of Highballs & BS presented by Gundog Outdoors. We discuss how he started working the wood duck nesting box program in Virginia, variables in location selection and usage, what to consider if you place nesting boxes, and some of the crazy things he’s seen over the years.  Ducks Unlimited Wood Duck Box PlansLee Kjos on the Standard Sportsman Podcast‘A Quest for Cacklers’ in the latest DU Magazine Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Lifelong outdoorsman, 2006 World Duck Calling Champion, and a great mentor, Jim Ronquest of Drake Waterfowl joins this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. We discuss how the season is going, differences in duck calls, what is involved with being the Vice-President of Development for Drake, what he loves about the timber, and a lot more! This Is The Mallard World Cutdown Calling Championship The Standard Sportsman episode w/Brad Cohen & Doug OsborneCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Competitive calling champions and best friends Forrest Carpenter and Kile Jones episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. We discuss calling competitions with Kile coming off winning his third World Goose title a few months ago, mentors in calling and the hunting world, raising the next generation of hunters and outdoorsmen, plus mallard migrations and Senator Kennedy’s letter to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Forrest Carpenter’s Faithful Migration Outdoors Youtube SeriesThe Standard Sportsman PodcastForrest and Kile in the pit for Front Range Guide Service Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Award-winning decoy carver Luke Costilow joins this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. We discuss all things decoys and carving, the multi-generational projects in the shop, managing their hunting property, and the places decoy carving has taken them. Coffee Creek Cork Maggie Williams for OnX “The Woods Remember: The Life & Legacy of Gail Camp” MeatEater Sheds: Dave Smith The Standard Sportsman PodcastCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Nicole Belke joins this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. She is a professional photographer, mother, wife, hunter, and lover of good dogs. We discuss a recent memorable hunt on a refuge draw, her travels hunting from the north slope of Alaska to axis deer in Hawaii, the fun in getting their son outdoors, and of course, dogs.  APEX Ammunition Zee Short FilmFreedom Hunters FoundationGod Bless Gun Dogs™ Chene Gear Presents: Get Down, Cover UpHunt41 Episode 13: MarylandCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Companion gundog trainer Grayson Guyer of Lost Highway Kennels and award-winning writer Worth Parker join the Thanksgiving week episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. We talk about our shared love of good dogs, the challenging pleasure of working and training our four-legged companions, and the unexpected way connections in the outdoor world happen. Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!Garden & Gun Article on Grayson by WorthDU Podcast #718 on DuckDNA Project w/ Dr. LavretskyTom Beckbe 10th AnniversaryAndy Quattlebaum Warrior Hunt 2026 InformationGarden & Gun Article on Bobwhite Quail by WorthCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Chefs Jesse Griffiths and Wade Truong join this episode of Highballs & BS presented by Gundog Outdoors. We discuss how difficult it is to select your favorite ‘go-to’ recipe (but what makes great ones at camp), handling and processing wild game, sausage making, differences in curing and aging meat, and memorable hunts. Jesse’s The Pedernal ProjectWade’s Curing Chamber TutorialBlind Safety and Etiquette Talk by Kile JonesCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

The first episode of season three of Highballs & BS presented by Gundog Outdoors starts with guests, eastern shore taxidermist Billy Hardesty and Brett Shaffer of Grumpy Duck Co. Brett and Billy discuss how they met each other and how their friendship has taken them on waterfowling adventures along the DelMarVa peninsula over the years. We also talk gun dogs, handling birds for taxidermy, upcoming projects of Grump Duck, and the Atlantic Flyway. Tom Beckbe DU CollectionStandard Sportsman Podcast on Imprinting DucksCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Call maker, RNT Owner, duck calling 3x World Champion and Champion of Champions John Stephens along with waterfowling historian and collector Ryan Graves joins this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. Ryan and John talk about how they got into call collecting, the history, along with some of the places it has taken them, plus how their seasons went, memorable hunts, and events we should be looking forward to. The Standard Sportsmen's Podcast Duck SurveyRamsey Russell's Duck Season Somewhere Punt Gun Part 1 and Part 2RNT's Callapalooza is May 29 through 31Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

In this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors we discuss...gundogs! Dr. Matt Ryan joins the podcast to talk his journey becoming a sporting dog veterinarian, memorable duck hunts, and tips to take care of your gundog in the cold weather and through the offseason. Dr. Matt Ryan with the Animal Clinic of OxfordRamsey Russell Duck Season Somewhere episode with Dave Smith of DSDThe Rolling Thunder Podcast with Forbes Biological StationWildfowl magazine article about the Ward brothers decoy carvers.Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Two native Long Islanders join this Christmas episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. Max Finazzo, Ducks Unlimited Board member, and Ryan Preuss, owner of EZ Dekes, talk all things waterfowling on Long Island. From fishing, learning the marshes, favorite ducks and first members hunting, we cover it all. Find some of the latest projects undertaken by Ducks Unlimited and join!If you're curious about the rigging discussed, check out EZ Dekes. Want to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay and hunting the area, listen to Chesapeake Dirt here.Flip Pallot joined the Mossy Oak Companions podcast. Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Chef John Fearrington of Arkansas' Strait Lake Lodge joins this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. He shares his journey to some of the best camps across the country, what his 'go-to' is after those cold & rainy hunts, how prepares some of the his favorite proteins, plus more stories from the lodge. Hear John's interview with Ramsey Russell.A wingshooter's gift guide on the AnyCreek Academy. Ramsey Russell's two-part interview with author Worth Mathewson. Phil Kahnke's gear recommendations.Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

The second annual "Thanksgiving Week" episode guest is artist, writer, fly fisher, and wing shooter Bob White. Growing up in southern Illinois, Bob's adventures have taken him from the wilds of Alaska, to the remoteness of Argentina, and back to his home in Minnesota. Highballs & BS is presented by Gundog Outdoors, who is also doing a big giveaway with the grand prize of hunting with the team in California. Bob has a collection of his artwork, stories behind the locations and methods, along with other short stories in The Classic Sporting Art of Bob White.Learn more about the Copper Bob Bourbon here.Grab the latest issue of Garden & Gun with the article from Worth Park on his goose trip on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Jessi Cole Walters, editorial content lead for Mossy Oak, and Amy Hall of Her Wild Outdoors joins this episode of Highballs & BS presented by Gundog Outdoors. We discuss our different paths to outdoors, the state of women hunters in the marsh or turkey woods, pink camo, and how to retain women partaking in the past time. You can connect with Amy on Instagram here.You can also connect with Jessi at [email protected] Learn more about wildHERness. Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Bobby Hayes of Duck Lander Call Co. joins this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. Bobby just returned from his annual free-lance trip to Canada and reports back on successes, the changing pressures on hunting north of the border, along with hunting in his area of Kansas, and the frustrating fun of making duck and goose calls. Tom Beckbe & Ducks Unlimited Duck Lander Call Co. Canadian PotholesDuck Lander Call Co. Podcast videosCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Mike Callian of Dave Smith Decoys (DSD) and Kelly Warren, regional biologist for Ducks Unlimited in western Oregon, join this episode of Highballs & BS presented by Gundog Outdoors. We talk everything about hunting the Willamette Valley, changes in goose population dynamics, ongoing Ducks Unlimited research, conservation efforts DSD is supporting through the limited run decoys, and more. Oregon Ducks Unlimited https://www.ducks.org/oregonIf you are interested in participating in DU habitat efforts, you can contact Kelly: [email protected] Podcast with Ramsey Russell and Dr. Phil Lavresky discuss Duck DNA Project Watch:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIrNSwzpRFAListen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6UdMrNvblbIoXKFzg1ScaR?si=iZVvI-KOTXiZPsO0tSF1VwDucks Unlimited Conservation for a Continent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxM_qK5VkFIGoose Identification Field Guide, second edition: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/waterfowl/goose-permits/docs/Goosefieldguide_2ndEdition_final.pdfGarden & Gun resources to support Hurricane Helene victims: https://gardenandgun.com/articles/how-to-help-those-affected-by-hurricane-helene/?utm_source=soldsie&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=240927_howtohelpthoseaffectedbyhurricaneheleneSupport Western North Carolina fly shops via Southern Culture on the Fly: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-wnc-fly-shops-after-helene?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp8_t2&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=instagram_storyCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Welcome back to Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors, with the first episode of the second season! Videographer and waterfowler Grant Sinclair along with Alex Johns of Brown Water Leather Lanyards joins me to discuss what we are looking forward to this season, what it is like freelancing in Canada, hunting in Arkansas, and more. Ramsey Russell Duck Season Somewhere podcast with guest Jody Pagan.Where to order and read the annual Greenhead Magazine.The Standard Sportsman podcast talking duck numbers.Ramsey Russell Duck Season Somewhere podcast with guest Shawn Swearingen.Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

On the final episode in season one of Highballs & BS, I'm joined by Dr. Ryan Askren of Five Oaks Ag Research and Education Center and Alex Langbell, founder and owner of Gundog Outdoors. Between outdoor industry trade shows, Alex and I talk about his professional background as a first responder and training, the days behind the camera and producing outdoor shows, and how both those experiences came together in Gundog Outdoors. Dr. Askren discusses the importance of waterfowl research, duck habitat, banding and tracking data, and helping the waterfowl biologists of tomorrow!Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

Call maker Josh Raggio and friend Chase Williams join this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors. The native Mississippians and I discuss waterfowling in the Magnolia State area, hunting with our dads and kids, the big freeze and thaw of this season, wood vs acrylic calls, and more!Josh's Raggio Mercantile located in Raymon, MSThe Pappy Van Winkle - Raggio calls in Garden & Gun supporting Ducks UnlimitedCWA's Save it for the Blind podcast episode on the Klamath BasinKlamath Basin Water & Habitat article published by Mossy OakCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

In this episode of Highballs & BS presented by Gundog Outdoors, Wildfowl Magazine's Associate Editor, competition goose caller, and good friend Ryan Barnes joins the show to talk hunting in the Great Basin area of Utah, calling geese, favorite outdoor books and writing, along with what is the latest and greatest from SHOT Show 2024. Editor's Note: Dave Coleman is the correct name of the past calling champion, who we mistakenly called 'Gary Coleman', apologies Dave! Past articles from Split Reed."A Sense of Sentiment" by Ryan Barnes for Tom Beckbe Field Journal.Dave Coleman tube calls made by Sean Mann Outdoors. Ducks Unlimited Podcast episode on waterfowl research.Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

In “The Promised Land” episode, guests Brent Birch, Cloud Jacobs and I talk about what makes Arkansas so special to the waterfowling community and its history, why it’s called the “Grand Prairie” area, what got all of us into call making, and the hopes for the rest of the season.Where to get your copy of the book The Grand Prairie.Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting MagazineSigns of hypothermia and how to treat cold weather emergencies by Gundog Outdoors.You can find all of the Standard Sportsman podcast episodes here.  Magnet Designs lightweight polartech fleece and other base layers.Monday Beers Podcast episode when Cloud Jacobs and John Stephens turn calls!Thank you to Grumpy Duck for participating in the latest giveaway!Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

In the ‘Big River’ episode of Highballs & BS presented by Gundog Outdoors, I am joined by call maker Travis Ward (Makers Call Company) and Bill Cooksy (Vanishing Paradise). We talk about the unique area and history that is west Tennessee along the Mississippi River, the ecology and habitat of that region and the Mississippi River Delta, call making and calling the blind. The Standard Sportsman Podcast interview with Jim Ronquist.Coastal areas and marsh loss along Louisiana. The Makers Podcast with Travis’ call making and contest background. Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

In this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors, Stump of RM Custom Calls and Joey D'Amico of Tekton Game Calls join me to talk call making, hunting in Canada, the changing Atlantic Flyway landscape, cormorant seasons, and things that are "simple, not easy".APEX Ammunition's short film The Archipelago.Split Reed's short film DEACON. Gundog Outdoors new dog rake brush.Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

In this Thanksgiving episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors,  I’m joined by photographer Phil Kahnke and waterfowl historian Ryan Graves. We talk about everything from contest calling, waterfowling history and collecting, hunting the midwest and western Kentucky, how to take better photos while hunting, and how we feel about mud motors! A list below of some of the things we mentioned during our conversations.You can find Phil’s photography for sale on his website here. Here is a video from Ducks Unlimited on Ryan’s call collection on display at the Waterfowling Heritage Center.Banded BrandsTom BeckbeGrumpy DuckCheck out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

In this episode of Highballs & BS, presented by Gundog Outdoors, I'm joined by longtime friends (going all the way back to high school!) Jordan Rash and Travis Millsap who live in Washington and Alaska, respectively, with their families. We discuss what it is like learning to waterfowl hunt in new areas, how it compares to when we started hunting together in Oregon, how we get our kids involved in the outdoors, as well as a few other tales of hunting karma. Kile Jones is the third guest who has also lived in the Emerald state, and in addition to being an impressive 2-time World Goose Champion (amongst other calling titles), he is the Director of Marketing and Sales for APEX Ammunition. We talk the differences in shotgun shells, the importance of patterning and knowing your firearm before season starts and the magic of when it all comes together. Episode References:Cason and Brent at the Standard Sportsman with Adam Campbell Kate Hunt of The Duck Huntress updated website!Ducks Unlimited’s Duck DNA project with University of Texas El Paso. Dr. Laversky interview with Ramsey Russell on Mojo’s Duck Season Somewhere podcast. Tom Beckbe Waterfowl Strap Vest Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

With seasons underway in Canada and the Dakotas, join me in talking with Dr. Chris Nicolai of Delta Waterfowl Foundation and Corey Mulhair with Split Reed. We discuss the current conditions of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), the ongoing work and research of Delta Waterfowl, the status of pintails and arctic birds, what Split Reed is doing this year, and both of their adventures this season so far!Duck Camp Diners Season 3!Delta Waterfowl’s Habitat ConservationGundog Outdoors collar light.The “Mike Mallard Camps” at Five Oaks Ag Research and Event Center.Wetland habitat restoration with Isaac Neal and Habitat Influencer Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!

This inaugural episode, join my discussion with duck hunting friends Russell Worth Parker and Wade Truong. To get me used to podcasting, we discuss hunting the Atlantic Flyway, the magic of duck hunting, sciences behind cooking wild game, favorite recipes, and this year's travel duck call.Links:Worth, a retired Marine and writer, is the Editor in Chief for Tom Beckbe Field Journal. Wade and his partner Rachel are behind Elevated Wild. Duck Bulgogi recipe.Brent Birch's pre-season preparation article in the Field Journal. Jordan Rash's get ready for the season article on Split Reed.Check out B.S. Calls via Instagram and website for custom made hand turned duck and goose calls. Thank you to the podcast series sponsor Gundog Outdoors!