With the holidays upon us and schedules packed, we’re taking a moment to revisit two favorite segments from this past summer. We start with Jason Smith, a southeast Arkansas rice farmer and duck hunter, followed by Scott Perry, founder of McAlister and Mountain Khakis and a traditional waterfowler in every sense of the word. Happy holidays, and thank you for being part of The Standard Sportsman.

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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 and Ducks Unlimited.

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Duck hunters' wish and want lists are a mile long. More water, less water, colder temps, warmer weather; everyone wants something different to tip the odds in their favor. But those wants often ignore the cause-and-effect shaping the hunt. Cason and Brent play devil’s advocate, unpacking the most common refrains heard in the blind and challenging whether they actually help ducks or hunters. The guys also share what they’re hearing after the recent cold snap, including updated duck numbers, the avian flu outbreak on snow geese and more sick specklebellies than in years past.

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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, and Ducks Unlimited.

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What do Arkansas’s world-class trout streams have to do with duck hunting?
A lot more than most people realize.

Fly fishing guide and avid duck hunter Jordan Case joins the show to reveal the unexpected ways these two passions intersect—and why Arkansas is facing a pivotal moment in protecting the habitat and culture that sustain both. Jordan also looks back on his early days in the duck woods, his journey as a competitive junior caller, and the invaluable lessons he learned under the mentorship of Hall of Famer Butch Richenback, founder of Rich-n-Tone Duck Calls.

A conversation about heritage, habitat, and the fight to keep Arkansas’s outdoor traditions alive.

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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 and Ducks Unlimited.

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Duck season is officially underway across the Mississippi and Central Flyways, and the guys break down what they’re seeing both locally and across the region. They share early-season observations, discuss emerging patterns, and offer insight into how conditions are shaping hunters’ experiences so far.

The conversation also turns to rules and regulations, including a preliminary proposal from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Arkansas’s upcoming two-year regulation cycle. Expect thoughtful discussion around non-resident participation, pressure management, season frameworks, and the ongoing effort to balance opportunity with a high-quality hunting experience.

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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 and Ducks Unlimited.

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Christian Frierson’s duck hunting journey started with 8-hour weekend hauls from northwest Louisiana to the legendary Dave Donaldson Black River WMA in northeast Arkansas. Those road-warrior trips forged an obsession that eventually carried him into the Red River bottoms of southwest Arkansas, where his family acquired a piece of ground with raw potential. What followed was a decade-long evolution from wide-eyed public-land hunter to a meticulous habitat manager and committed steward of the resource.

That same drive pushed Frierson to build the Designated Puller, an automatic jerk-rig system born from long days in the timber and a tinkerer’s mind.

In this episode, Frierson opens up about the early adventures that shaped him, the transformation of his family’s property, and the pressure-management strategies he uses to consistently hold ducks from opening day through the final buzzer.

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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, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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What does picking up trash at a public boat ramp have to do with reshaping the future of duck hunting? Arkansas hunter Ich Stewart joins the show to break down the rise of The Public Timber Project and how a simple cleanup effort became a movement, where it’s headed next, and a few big announcements that go far beyond trash bags and parking lots.

The guys also dive into a candid conversation about public-land hunting culture, the “us-versus-everybody” mindset, and what it will take to build a healthier, more united community in the woods and on the water.

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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, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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Duck hunters love to debate season dates and often, those opinions line up perfectly with their own decoy spread. But for those who manage habitat, timing isn’t just about convenience; it’s about biology, migration timing, and season-long sustainability for private and public land duck hunters. Aligning habitat strategies with season frameworks requires balance, collaboration, and a deeper understanding of what ducks need—and don't—before, during, and after the season.

Plus, David Schuessler, Ducks Unlimited’s National Director of Event Fundraising, joins us to talk about DU’s Into the Vault Auction — where hunters and collectors alike can bid on rare waterfowling treasures old and new, with every dollar supporting the wetlands and wildlife we all depend on.

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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, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

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After a lengthy off-season, duck season is cracking open up north and knocking on the door down south. Reports out of Canada and the Dakotas are all over the map—mallards are spotty up there, but a few are finally filtering into Arkansas and beyond. Brent and Cason dive into what’s shaping the season ahead: mounting pressure on ducks that goes deeper than the gun, the idea of smaller limits for better hunts, and the “midpoint theory” that just happens to line up with this week. They wrap it all up the only way they know how—talking ducks, dirt, and a little SEC football chaos.

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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, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited.

The Standard Sportsman Duck Hunting Podcast

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