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Holiday season meets duck season, and we’re leaning into both. We invited our buddy Pete to swap honest hunt stories, share the gear that actually earns pack space, and weigh in on the unspoken rules that keep a crowded marsh from melting down. From car-camping at refuge lots to slow-burn grassland days and a rice pit that exposed bad habits, we connect the dots between smart motion, better setups, and the mindset that turns “average” conditions into steady birds.

We build a practical gift list for waterfowlers—personalized tumblers that don’t quit, modern blind bags that cut clutter, and motion that matters. If you’ve never seen the Mojo Mallard Machine boil a pond, consider this your sign. We also break down decoy spacing and family groups, the jerk string vs. splasher debate, and why a dependable wading shell beats trend gear when the sky opens up. On guns, we compare the feel of a 20-gauge semi that’s deadly in the tules to a 12-gauge workhorse that shines on wind days and goose flybys. Thinking ahead? We also talk mud motors, club buy-ins, and the comfort that comes with a place to cook breakfast and talk birds.

Then we go there: sky busting, crowding blinds after setup, late arrivals squeezing in, overloaded hides, and loud dog handling. We call it fair but firm—leave buffers, shoot ethical windows, train at home, and earn your spot without wrecking someone else’s morning. Finally, we thread the needle on holiday balance. A dawn hunt can become a family tradition if you’re dependable with time and generous with the wild game platter—tell them what it is after they’ve had a bite.

If you love straight talk, field-tested gear picks, and the kind of etiquette that keeps the marsh friendly, you’re in the right place. Follow For the Fowlers on Instagram, subscribe wherever you listen, and drop a review to help more waterfowlers find the show. What belongs on your naughty-or-nice list this season?

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A great duck dog isn’t born in the blind—it’s built with smart timing, simple habits, and a plan you can actually follow. We sit down with Richard Gebhart of Royal Gun Dogs to map the path from roly-poly puppy to safe, steady retriever. Richard shares the milestones that matter: crate comfort and socialization, a leash the pup can drag to learn pressure, and early bird exposure that creates desire before any formal pressure begins. Then he opens the playbook on his two-week puppy camp, where live-chukar excitement pairs with a careful gun-intro sequence so the dog learns that loud noise predicts the best reward in the world: birds.

From there we move into the foundation that keeps you safe and makes retrieves predictable. Richard explains why he delays the down command, how he conditions the e-collar so dogs learn to turn pressure off, and what a thorough land-and-water force fetch looks like. We talk through hunt scenarios you should practice—decoys, dog hides, stands, deep-water swims, and thick cover—and why steadiness starts at your side before it transfers to the blind. He even covers common pain points like breaking at the shot, whining in the morning, and chasing diving cripples, with practical fixes that don’t create new problems.

If you’re juggling family life and field time, Richard’s advice lands: 10–15 minutes a day beats marathon sessions, stake young dogs on a quick-release their first season, and train for momentum so perfection can follow. We close with pedigree pointers—choose breeding for performance over color—and a three-step checklist to be ready by next season: get birds, build a foundation with obedience and force fetch, and let the dog set the pace. Subscribe, share this with a hunting buddy, and leave a review to help more waterfowlers build reliable partners.

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On this episode, I sit down with Anthony “Houn” Calhoun, the voice behind Fowl Mouth TV, to unpack a season that’s short on easy limits but rich with lessons about motion, mindset, and the power of community.

We trace Houn’s start from turkey woods to flooded fields, the Grey Lodge storm that hooked him for good, and the crew dynamics that make a hard season bearable. You’ll hear how a dozen coot decoys and a last-minute YOLO resi turned into a seat in a blind, why blades can pull birds from the sky and still flare them at 30 yards, and how small tweaks—remote control timing, placement off the guns, and ditching a noisy wind unit—can change a hunt. We also compare refuges across the Sacramento Valley, from organized chaos at Grey Lodge to a love affair with Colusa, and dig into why Grizzly Island can be a heartbreaker if you don’t know its quirks.

Beyond tactics, we go deep on documenting hunts without killing the vibe. Houn shares a practical filming setup—external power, pre-record buffers, and fast workflows—that captures real moments while keeping the hunt first. And we talk about what makes Northern California special: generous public access, a tight community, and a responsibility to defend hunting through honest storytelling and support for California Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, and Delta Waterfowl.

If you’re chasing better motion-decoy decisions, curious about building a crew that pulls new hunters in, or just need a boost after a slow start, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share this with a hunting buddy, and drop a review on Apple or Spotify—then tell us: when do you kill the spinner?