The Standard Sportsman

It’s a change of pace this week as good friend and former guest Chris Harrell takes over hosting duties, putting Brent and Cason in the guest seats. Chris digs into the history of the famed Bill Byers Hunter Club, founded by Cason’s grandfather and still operating today. The conversation also turns to lessons and stories from their younger days, along with how Brent and Cason are working to pass their love of duck hunting on to their own children.

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Arkansas and much of the Deep South are locked in a serious drought as duck season approaches, leaving hunters and habitat managers with some difficult decisions. Do you hunt birds as soon as they find pumped habitat, or play the long game by carefully managing pressure under tough conditions? With the cost of diesel and irrigation running high, can enough water be put on the landscape to attract and hold the early “Halloween mallards”? And will a strengthening El Niño deliver meaningful rain in time? Cason and Brent sort through the questions, uncertainties and tough choices shaping the season ahead.

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Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and Arkansas has worn the title of Duck Hunting Capital of the World for generations. Despite a run of difficult seasons, the state remains at the forefront of the sport. Duck hunting is more than recreation here—it is closely tied to tourism, agriculture and the economies of rural communities. Cason and Brent break down what duck hunting means to Arkansas, why the title carries responsibility and how deeply the tradition is woven into the state’s identity.

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Former Arkansas Razorback All-American and Miami Marlins third-round draft pick Camden Kozeal joins the show to discuss his lifelong passion for the outdoors. A Nebraska native and longtime waterfowler, Kozeal discovered an entirely different style of duck hunting after transferring from Vanderbilt to the University of Arkansas. He compares hunting in Nebraska and Arkansas, shares his pursuit of big bass, and recounts his first big buck. Wise beyond his years, Camden also discusses stewardship and why his generation of hunters needs to do better by the resource.

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U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford represents Arkansas’s First Congressional District, home to much of the Delta’s storied duck country. His diverse background has served him well in Washington, particularly when addressing the needs of American agriculture and wildlife conservation. A dedicated hunter and conservationist, Crawford connects the dots between today’s agricultural economy and waterfowl and elaborates on how much duck hunting means to Arkansas.

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Recorded as the first real north wind of fall reached the end of their flyway, Cason and Brent tackle several hot topics in the duck hunting world. They begin with an update on the Buy Two Duck Stamps campaign as momentum builds toward duck season. With Prairie Pothole Region wetland easements again facing scrutiny from the USFWS, hunter-funded habitat conservation remains as important as ever. The guys also examine President Trump’s executive order addressing traditional lead ammunition and share some history while explaining why lead shot remains prohibited for waterfowl hunting. They close with a discussion of the Open Fields Doctrine, recently in the news in Arkansas and Pennsylvania.

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The aftermath of September 11 showed what this country is capable of when differences are set aside and everyone pulls on the same end of the rope. Much has changed since then, including duck hunting. While nothing in the waterfowl world approaches the gravity of 9/11, some lessons about unity and cooperation still apply. The guys discuss growing collaboration within the waterfowl science community and how good data starts and ends with duck hunter input. Cason and Brent also question whether available data adequately captures outfitter harvest. The show wraps up with an update on proposed solar and wind projects in the Arkansas Delta and the research underway to measure their potential impacts.

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The annual Breeding Population and Habitat Survey left much to be desired for midcontinent mallards, though improved May pond numbers offered some encouraging news. Cason and Brent provide their annual breakdown with eastern Arkansas native Robert Riley, who grew up hunting the famed Claypool Reservoir near Weiner, where his grandfather—and later his uncle—served as caretakers. Robert joins the BPOP discussion and shares a few personal stories about hunting Claypool and the lasting influence of his late grandfather.

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Born during the Dust Bowl era, the Federal Duck Stamp was created to provide a permanent funding source for wetland conservation. More than 90 years and $1.3 billion later, it remains one of the greatest conservation success stories in American history. But as habitat continues to disappear and threats such as the recent drain tile setback issue emerge, protecting the Duck Factory will require more from duck hunters. The guys break down the Buy Two Duck Stamps campaign, where the money goes and why a second stamp may be the best $25 a duck hunter can spend on the future of the sport. Visit https://www.buytwoduckstamps.com for more information.

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James Callicutt leads Mississippi State’s Waterfowl and Upland Game Bird Extension program, working alongside the Osborne Lab, Cohen Wildlife Lab and Five Oaks Ag Research Center, among others. A dedicated waterfowler himself, James breaks down mallard movements, food preferences, the importance of water on the landscape and much more. He has a knack for translating complex waterfowl science into practical information everyday duck hunters can understand and use.

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New Mexico native Ryan Gentry serves in the U.S. Air Force and operates Black Horn Guide Service, pursuing big game across his home state. Ryan joins the show to break down New Mexico’s tag and draw system, including how nonresident and outfitter allocations are shaping hunting opportunity and affecting the resource. The conversation then turns to the consumption-driven mindset of today’s hunters and whether R3 still makes sense when access is shrinking, pressure is increasing and wildlife resources are already stretched thin.

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Few issues have stirred the duck hunting community like the USFWS proposal involving drain tile setbacks in the Prairie Pothole Region. For two weeks, social media feeds and podcasts were flooded with calls for hunters to submit public comments and help protect North America’s most important duck-producing landscape. Whether the campaign ultimately influences the agency remains to be seen.

But despite the wall-to-wall coverage, nearly one million duck hunters stayed on the sidelines. Why? Cason and Brent examine what became a real-time social experiment—and what the response, or lack of it, revealed about advocacy, influence and the priorities of today’s duck hunting community.

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The Standard Sportsman Podcast took its show on the road and recorded live at Ducks Unlimited's annual event in Memphis. The show was recorded in DU's new mobile podcast studio with a rotating roster of guests. Radcliff Menge from Tom Beckbe, Karl Gunzer from Purina Pro Plan, Justin Reif from Create the X, Kale Flaspohler from Waterfowl Management Academy, Brett Maffett from Benelli, and finally Mike Brasher from DU updated listeners on the drain-tile setback issue. The show goes well beyond product talk but does include some exciting updates from the guests.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Sitka Gear, Waterfowl Management Academy, Create the X, Purina Pro Plan, Ducks Unlimited, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors and Noah Perry.

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Drain tile setbacks on wetland easements help protect the small wetlands breeding ducks depend on by keeping underground drainage systems farther away. Reducing those setbacks could dry out more wetlands across the Prairie Pothole Region, leaving ducks with fewer places to pair, nest, and raise broods. The USFWS is seeking public input on potentially reducing these setbacks, a red alert for those who care about waterfowl. Ducks Unlimited's Scott Stephens and Mike Brasher join the show to break down why a seemingly technical drainage rule could ultimately mean fewer ducks in the fall flight and how duck hunter/conservationists can act now.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Sitka Gear, Waterfowl Management Academy, Create the X, Purina Pro Plan, Ducks Unlimited, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors and Noah Perry.

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Talking season is in full swing, and the waterfowl expo circuit isn’t far behind. Cason and Brent preview their upcoming appearance at DUX in Memphis, where they’ll record a live podcast, before wading into several hot-button management issues. They break down the new draw system at St. Francis Sunken Lands WMA, weigh the pros and cons of the “three-splash” rule in South Dakota and Nebraska, and unpack the uproar surrounding Arkansas’ new one-time fee for non-consumptive WMA users.

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The midsummer doldrums have set in, but duck season is beginning to work its way back into coffee-shop conversations. Cason and Brent weigh the duck hunting pros and cons of permanent daylight saving time before heading down a rabbit hole connecting military strategy, waterfowl science and the catchphrases hunters love to repeat. They close with a look at why state wildlife commissioners are appointed rather than elected—and why putting natural-resource management on the ballot could produce more politics than progress.

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Overcrowded public ground and limited flooded habitat have some duck hunters calling for the state to simply buy more land. Ohio recently put $50 million on the table, including matching federal funds, to expand public hunting access. So, what would $50 million buy in Arkansas? Not nearly as much as you might think.

The guys break down the real-world cost of adding meaningful public duck habitat, then turn north for the latest intel from the Prairie Pothole Region and what current conditions could mean when the official reports arrive in September.

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Noah Perry-Raymond James, The Waterfowl Management Academy, Create the X, and Ducks Unlimited.

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With the holiday weekend here, we're taking it back to the very beginning. This week's episode is a re-airing of a conversation recorded in September 2023—before The Standard Sportsman officially launched. Cason and Brent tackle a question guaranteed to spark debate: Is Arkansas still the Duck Hunting Capital of the World? Drawing on personal experiences, harvest data, and waterfowl science, they make the case from every angle. Enjoy the holiday weekend, and we'll be back next week with a brand-new episode.

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As her historic seven-year term on the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission comes to a close, outdoorswoman, conservationist, and avid duck hunter Anne Marie Doramus joins the podcast to reflect on her time helping guide one of the nation's premier wildlife agencies. Appointed in 2019 as the first woman to serve a full term on the Commission, Doramus navigated some of the agency's most consequential—and occasionally controversial—decisions. She shares how a childhood spent hunting and fishing in Southeast Arkansas sparked a lifelong passion for conservation, offers insights into key issues that shaped her tenure, and highlights opportunities available to hunters, anglers, and landowners across the state. The conversation also looks ahead, as Doramus discusses her vision for keeping Arkansas at the forefront of wildlife habitat management, public access, and quality hunting experiences for future generations.

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Canadian waterfowling finds itself at a pivotal moment. As more American hunters head north in search of ducks and geese, participation among Canadian residents continues to decline, raising questions about the future of the country's hunting traditions. Rob Olson, a former leader with both Delta Waterfowl and the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, was at the forefront of efforts to establish safeguards in Manitoba before hunting pressure reached a tipping point. Now, he's helping neighboring Saskatchewan navigate similar challenges as policymakers, hunters, and conservationists work to protect Canada's rich waterfowling heritage for future generations.

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