Aaron sits down with Bill Cooksey, of NWF’s Vanishing Paradise team, to talk waterfowl season. Bill is a dedicated conservationist, waterfowl expert, and a duck calling champion. We cover waterfowl hunting 101 – decoys, habitat, calling, conservation, the forecast for this season, and of course, conservation. Bill also treats us to some calling and advice on what calls to use along with some discussion of best waterfowl guns and ammo.
Check out Bill's work with Vanishing Paradise:
http://vanishingparadise.org
The World Championship Duck calling contest is coming up and Bill will be a judge!
Check out this link to learn more:
https://www.stuttgartarkansas.org/duck-calling.html
www.nwf.org
Show notes:
2:30 - Who is Bill Cooksey? This man has been duck hunting for 49 years!
6:15 - The when, where, how and regulations. Bill tells us about duck season!
10:10 - Bill chats about habitat changes and what this season looks like considering different variables.
13:34 - What do new duck hunters need to think about in terms of what they should be looking for and considering?
17:46 - How many different species of ducks does Bill hunt in his neck of the woods?
21:47 - How do you identify different flight patterns between waterfowl?
23:58 - Different states, the US Fish and Wildlife Services and wildlife refuges have different regulations. Learn them (especially the USFWS).
29:06 - Short cuts to learning state to state regulations for waterfowl.
31:00 - Message from our partner podcast, Artemis Sportswomen!
32:21 - Duck decoys 101
37:00 - DUCK CALLING 101 (You don't want to miss this).
42:03 - Lets talk about non-toxic ammunition.
48:32 - Bill has been hunting before lead shot was illegal. He can reflect on the evolution of steel shot and how effective it is.
51:39 - Do you notice a difference in speed of shot when using steel?
54:32 - What are the differences between older guns and newer ammunition?
57:58 - What is Bill's favorite duck to eat and how does it prepare it?
1:00:00 - Duck conservation. What is the # 1 we should know about and understand regarding duck conservation?
1:05:00 - Reasons to get involved in waterfowl conservation.
1:07:00 - Bill tells us a good duck hunting story!
1:09:00 - Bill's closing statements on waterfowl hunting and conservation.
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