Full Transcript for Jake AirForce

hunting? 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:40.719 Did you kind of have a little unique story? 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:44.080 Yeah, so I it was actually later in life. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:49.439 It was actually after really after I guess when I really got into it was after I got out of the military. 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:59.199 Um I we I had uh gotten a job with the Federal Aviation Administration, so doing air traffic control on the civilian side. 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:04.800 Um and so we bought uh me and my wife bought a house on the Mississippi River in Illinois. 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:07.759 So Illinois and Iowa were in my backyard. 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:14.240 So one morning I'm just kind of sitting there drinking coffee, like wake up and all of a sudden I hear someone shoot. 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:20.960 I hear a shot and I look, and there's a guy that had decoys out, and it was it ended up being early goose season in Illinois. 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:24.879 Um, so I guess fast forward to that, it kind of piqued my interest. 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:27.840 Like, hey, I could probably do this in my backyard. 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:28.960 Like that sounds kind of fun. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:32.719 I grew up really hunting uh whitetailed deer and fishing mainly. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:42.000 Um, but yeah, then I got uh there was uh a local Delta chapter that reached out for kind of a veterans hunt um that they sponsored up in Iowa. 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:50.240 And so I reached out to them and I got selected, and um, we went out towards uh, I believe it was Des Moines, Iowa, and they took me on a hunt. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:53.759 And the funny thing was we didn't even shoot anything. 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:56.319 We saw birds, but we didn't, we didn't get anything. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:58.479 But I was hooked from right then and there. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:03.439 So growing up, like I guess my duck hunting story, it kind of started with Delta. 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:21.279 And I mean, the conservation side for me is always, I mean, just as a hunter and a fisherman, pretty much my whole life was uh it was important, and I think it's really cool kind of the how Ducks Unlimited and Delta work to improve uh habitat and and just hunting areas for for guys like us. 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:23.920 So but yeah. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:25.920 Before we get on, I like your hat. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:28.639 Oh yeah, yeah, that's right. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:34.800 Um yeah, that's I mean, that's honestly kind of the same similar stories of how I got into it too. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:41.839 But um, I know Joe, uh so you said you went on a hunt and uh you said Iowa, sorry. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:42.959 Yeah, correct. 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:43.519 Okay. 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:53.439 Yeah, no, it was uh yeah, it was kind of cool because um I lived in Illinois, but I mean Iowa obviously with the Mississippi River was right there. 00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:56.720 So

it was kind of the best of both worlds, kind of how their seasons go. 00:04:56.800 --> 00:04:58.959 It was kind of the same, but kind of different. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:07.439 So I mean, if Illinois was open, then Iowa would open and it kind of just with early like Canada goose and uh teal season and different stuff. 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:13.839 So it kind of it was almost like double dipping um to have both sides of the river and and hunt both states. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:21.360 But um, and then I was lucky enough uh there was a guy um in town, um, and he kind of took me under his wing. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:27.839 He had a permanent blind setup, and so he kind of taught me, I guess, the right way to do things. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:33.759 And um I don't know uh if you I mean, I'm sure you guys have heard of like the skull boat hunting. 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:43.519 So he was really old school and and took me out into the skull boat and doing all that stuff, and just a massive uh diver spread and then Canada goose spread. 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:49.360 And so yeah, I was lucky that I had kind of mentors that that brought me up and and got me hooked. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:52.959 And now it's just, I mean, this duck hunting is just what I do. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:54.720 That's the reason why I moved to Louisiana. 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:58.319 Um, I think I'd been to Louisiana twice before I moved here. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:04.399 Um, and I told my wife, I'm we got offered a job down here, and she's like, What do you know about Louisiana? 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.600 I'm like, there's ducks down there, and she's like, All right, let's try it. 00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:08.879 So that's why I'm here. 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:14.720 And this will be I've this will be my coming up this year will be my fourth season now hunting down here. 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:21.680 So so yeah, it it all worked out in the end, and we're we love living in Louisiana and and and duck hunting every chance we get. 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:24.160 So yeah, yeah, it's kind of the same thing for me. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:26.639 I ended up retiring out of here out of the Army and State here. 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:31.040 Um I love the community, love the um duck hunting here. 00:06:31.199 --> 00:07:02.480 And I think it's real cool that you came over here and immediately got into the conservation side and helping out with DU and Delta here in Louisiana, where um we all know it's kind of like uh an unpopular thing sometimes, but right the fact that you've seen the importance of being a new duck hunter to get into conservation side and um you know really helping spread the words and um to keep this you know hair drawn because you're about to start passing down to your children. 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:03.199 Right. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:03.759 Yeah. 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.160 Yeah, no, it's uh it's definitely important. 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:09.680 Like I said, I wouldn't be duck hunting like I am today if it wasn't for Delta. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:12.560 Um, but it's just meeting other duck hunters too. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:17.920 I mean, when you have a hobby or an interest, you look for people that have similar interests. 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:22.959 And I mean, yeah, like you said, and it can kind of be unpopular one way or the other. 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:41.199 Um, but at the same time, it's like, why not be a part of something that um I guess benefits your hobby by I mean, conserving uh the land and uh providing hunting areas and just I mean, looking out for future generations uh and yeah, just given opportunities for people to hunt. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:42.639 So how was that? 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:43.759 Um Chris? 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:45.759 Oh, that's what I was gonna kind of bring up that first hunt. 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:53.040 So after the first hunt, just the real question was how how much uh how much did you empty it out of your bank account after that first day? 00:07:53.920 --> 00:08:05.360 It was uh yeah, no, it's it's kind of funny because yeah, it was uh I think it was within a couple weeks I I had bought a boat, um, which I had a fishing boat, but I'm like, okay, I told my wife, she's like, you already have a boat. 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:07.199 I'm like, yeah, I need a duck boat now. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:12.800 Like, so yeah, it's uh it's definitely a little bit of a strain on uh on the bank account. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:16.319 But luckily, uh my wife, she she also enjoys doing it. 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:30.959 She doesn't hunt as much down here as she did, but um that's the thing she says she misses the most about living in Illinois and Iowa is a Canada goose hunting because we would go out and uh she I mean, usually she'd start out the morning, we'd set up decoys and she would take a nap in the layout blind. 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:35.919 And so it's just kind of funny that that she got into it too and and and enjoys it. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:40.320 So it's it's I guess I'm lucky that that she she jumped into it too. 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:46.080 So but yeah, it it definitely uh it definitely uh gets hits the bank account after a while. 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:47.519 Yeah, that's funny. 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:50.480 It's just uh yeah, it was like exact similar stories. 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:53.039 So I kind of when I got into it, kind of the same thing. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:54.960 It was uh couple thousand down the drain. 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:56.879 Joe was to blame for that. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.080 But uh I actually got lucky too that my wife loves to do it. 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:01.200 So she hunts with me too. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:03.440 She will go down to Louisiana and we'll hunt with Joe and stuff. 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:04.960 So she uh she fell in love with it. 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:12.159 She was a bit uh more of a big game hunter growing up in

Texas, so um, but yeah, but yeah, on the same boat. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:13.519 Uh that's funny though. 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:13.759 Yeah. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:15.200 So that's why Joe was laughing. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:16.399 It was like the same stories. 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:16.799 Yeah. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:17.759 Identical. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:19.600 And for you, Chris, I was I'm sorry. 00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:24.799 Except the only non-identical stuff is you were a lot smarter than I was. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:27.440 Funny story, yeah. 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:28.080 Go ahead. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:32.960 Yeah, no, I was gonna say it's kind of cool too here because I never really hunted with people I worked with. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:38.799 So I came down here and I have two buddies who I got them uh into duck hunting, and they're the same way now, too. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:43.600 I mean, they're buying shotguns and boats and decoys, and it's the same thing. 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:44.480 And I I love that. 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:49.759 I mean, anytime you can get someone new, new into hunting and hopefully pass the passion on. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:51.120 And I I thought that was pretty cool. 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:51.759 I came down here. 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:56.639 And now I got two really close buddies who I work with who I got them hooked on it too, and that's what it's all about. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:06.000 I mean, getting as many people out and and kind of seeing the stuff that we get to see out in the marsh and in the blind, and just I mean, good hunts and bad hunts, just the camaraderie of it. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:11.759 It's I mean, that's that's the fun part is I mean, just going out and and having a good time with your buddies and enjoying nature. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:22.559 So you said most of the stuff you did in um Illinois was uh river hunting and uh and doubters. 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:24.159 Uh how's that different, man? 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:32.720 Where like do you I know you said your wife missed the you know the layout lines and the you know and the the can be the big honker hunting, but how's that different from down here? 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:37.120 Um the two big ones are alligators and mosquitoes. 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:51.600 Um but all joking aside, no, it's it's definitely a different um like I've I've kind of gotten into the coastal marshes and and toured around uh some more timber um hunting down here as well. 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:53.759 It's just a different, I guess. 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:55.679 Yeah, it's just different. 00:10:55.840 --> 00:11:09.840 I mean, from big diver spreads up there on the river, um it's just we were right on the Mississippi River, and then they would run run the river down and they would kind of rest on on the pool north of us and then kind of trickle their way down. 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:14.559 And then um obviously the Canada goose population up there is a lot bigger. 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:16.960 Um, and then just going out to dry fields. 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:33.519 But some of my favorite hunting up there too, like I said, going back to where my roots of when I'd first started thinking about hunting was I mean, even hunting the geese on the river, like they would go out in the fields and eat in the morning and then they'd come back, and then you'd intercept them coming back looking to loaf somewhere. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:35.360 And and that was always kind of cool too. 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:43.840 And I I guess I missed that a little bit too, where I mean, you could I could do it looking at my house, basically, like sitting out on a point on the river. 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:49.279 And um, but yeah, it's just a it's it was just a little bit different, but man, I don't know. 00:11:49.519 --> 00:11:57.039 There's something about those coastal marshes that are just a blast and like the mixed bag, and I mean, you don't know what you're gonna see or what's gonna come in. 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:08.879 And it's I mean, yeah, I'm I'm hooked being down here now, so I'm curious, I'm curious to like, you know, talking to other veterans, because I know me and Joe's have talked offline about this. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:19.120 Like, I everybody that a veteran or whether you're in a you've been you've been in a team sport, I mean, the the big thing like when it comes to duck hunting is the whole like camaraderie. 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:31.679 And I think that's where like I think a lot of us like uh when we get out, we I guess uh subconscious like I guess not subconsciously, just like miss that or whatever. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:32.080 Right. 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:45.120 So um I'm just curious, like as far as like your experience, how how did all that when you got into duck hunting, how'd that relate, I guess, correlate with your, I guess, veteran or your service time, if that makes sense. 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:53.679 Yeah, no, it was uh well, and the cool thing is I hunted uh with a buddy who's still in the reserves now up in Iowa, and it was kind of the same, same way. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.840 We um connected over connected over waterfowl hunting and duck hunting. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:02.879 And um, yeah, it was I kind of had a little, I guess, team up there, I guess you would call it. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:09.039 And so it was nice, like, okay, we're always texting, figuring out what we're gonna do, where, okay, where are we going this weekend? 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:10.080 Where, what are we doing here? 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:10.960 Do we have a field? 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:12.159 Are we gonna go out on the river? 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:13.600 Are you gonna go to the marsh? 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:19.360 So that was the big thing coming down here because I didn't like I didn't know anybody. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:24.399 Obviously, when I first got down here, um, I'm like, okay,

who am I gonna hunt with? 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:27.279 Like, that's what the first couple years I was down here, I got a lease. 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:30.480 I'm like, okay, I'm like, I'm probably gonna be hunting just me and my wife. 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:36.320 Like, we're just gonna get a small, small lease and try to figure out just that's what we're gonna do. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:42.799 Um, and like I said, now I got a group of uh four or five buddies who um it's kind of the same thing. 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:46.879 We got a little team and a group, and we all kind of get together and put our brains together. 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:49.279 And yeah, it's definitely the camaraderie part of it. 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:53.200 And I mean, it definitely some of those slow hunts where the birds just aren't working. 00:13:53.360 --> 00:14:05.200 I mean that's some of the most memorable hunts you have are the ones sitting there where something dumb happens or the birds aren't working and somebody says something or says a joke or someone falls in the mud or something. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:08.159 It's just that's what I mean, it kind of like on the military side. 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:12.480 You build that brother brotherhood and those friendships that last forever. 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:22.720 And it's very similar with guys who like, like I said, kind of a duck hunting team where um yeah, you you're just connected with these people no matter what. 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:25.519 So yeah, it's definitely very similar. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:30.960 Yeah, I've always said um duck waterfowl hunting is a team sport. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:49.440 I mean, I you know I've done it solo and I've had some really great, great hunt solo, but it even though I'd rather take a mediocre hunt with a teen than a banger solo hunt, it just you know, then you know, your buddies being there really, you know, really makes the difference. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:59.919 Um but like for me moving down here from North Carolina, like I really I never lived anywhere that had a real teal season. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:05.360 North Carolina had one, but you had it was only in a certain zone about two hours away from me. 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:09.919 And working at Bragg in 80 seconds, they kind of like to take your time. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:16.799 But when I came here, man, the September teal season was it. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:22.720 Like that's probably one of my favorite times of the year, besides the alligator snakes and the mosquitoes. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:23.120 Right. 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:24.000 But yeah. 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:31.840 Um, did you have a teal season like that comparable in the Illinois, or was this like, you know, were they just two of the difference? 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:37.840 No, so uh how I kind of explain it, like there's definitely teal that come through. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:43.840 Um, and I feel like anywhere you hunt, I mean, guys are gonna say, oh, the teal were already here two weeks ago or whatever. 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:53.120 But um I feel like in comparison from up there to down here, the teal season up there was like two or three days for me personally. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:54.720 I was working a lot more up there. 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:59.679 Um, that was one of the reasons why I moved down here is so I would have more time to hunt. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:08.240 Um, but up there it was like, like I said, two or three days where they would come through and you'd you'd get them pretty good, and then they'd just kind of trickle out and be gone. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:10.320 Um down here is crazy. 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:16.559 I mean, one of my first um I went on a teal hunt in Winnie, Texas, um, early season. 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:18.879 Uh that was the most teal I've ever seen in my life. 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:21.440 I was like, oh my goodness, that was crazy. 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:30.480 And yeah, the teal season down here, I if I could shoot nothing, but if I could shoot a bag of teal every single day of the uh teal season or the big duck season, I'd be super happy. 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:35.919 So I think I'm in the right spot uh for that because I I just I love how teal work. 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:36.960 They're good eating. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:39.440 I mean, they're fun, they respond well to a call. 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:42.399 They're just, I mean, the teal season down here is crazy. 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:49.519 So that's why I tell buddies, I'm like, you guys gotta if if you want to come down for something, come down for teal season because it's it's a blast. 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:57.759 And you'll see stuff that I mean, I feel like I said, it was it was I didn't know what was thicker in that field and winning, the mosquitoes are or the teal. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:59.120 So yeah. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:04.799 Yeah, that area in Texas doesn't get a good, I mean, I'm not gonna say it doesn't get a good rat. 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:07.039 They have it under, they have it under rat. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:12.240 I mean, because you I never thought about Texas, that area of Texas, the Houston, the Winnie. 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:15.119 Well, even like all down there, Matagorda Bay and all that. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:16.160 I mean, it's insane. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:18.880 Like the teal there is insane. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:26.640 Uh now that my daughter's going to college down there, I'll probably make more trips, but I live in North Texas, so it's kind of quite a drive. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:31.279 So um But yeah, it's it's insane, man. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:38.400 I I I kinda a part of me is like, uh, let's not tell everybody, but um well edit that for them. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:40.079 Yeah, it it really is. 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.720 I mean, it and I mean I I'm kind of with everybody. 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:46.480 Like I I've I've been on

the same boat with you taking buddies down and they fell in love with it. 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:55.279 Like um it's kind of like uh uh did I just cause a divorce, or you know, but it it's it's one of those things. 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:56.640 I it's it's fun. 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:58.240 Um, it's great for the family. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:00.319 I mean, the kids love to go out there. 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:08.960 My kids, at least my kids, I mean, a lot of kids, I mean, kids who like to go out there, I've taken nephews and nieces, and they've never gone before, and people just fall in love with it. 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:10.799 So it's it's uh it's a good time. 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:19.039 And I'd I'd highly recommend to anybody or anybody in the service who's out, like reach out to um any one of us, I'm sure, and love to take you out. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:23.759 But uh yeah, that's kind of my spill on the whole Texas thing. 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:24.720 Yeah. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:36.400 Yeah, no, last year we had uh my buddy had his nephew come down, um, and he's a younger guy, and he had never hunted before, and he ended up, he came down out during early teal season and he shot his first bird. 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:39.039 And um, my buddy had it mounted for him. 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:41.359 And so it was, I mean, stuff like that is awesome. 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:48.160 And uh me and my wife actually um are expecting our first uh kid here in September, and we found out it's gonna be a boy. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:54.000 So we were I'm I'm pretty jacked because I know I mean he's he's gonna be born into it. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:55.599 I mean, he's not gonna have a choice. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:04.000 I mean, he's he's gonna love it hope hopefully just like I do, and we'll have many years of memories together to to kind of remember. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:06.960 And yeah, I'm that's probably the most I'm looking forward to. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:10.799 It's like, yeah, okay, he's gonna be born, get here healthy, we're good. 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:12.000 Okay, when can he go out? 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:13.759 Because because we're gonna be out doing it. 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:14.880 So yeah. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:26.079 So being a new guy, you know, especially with without in the I like to ask this with veterans because veterans, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army, we're all gear guys, right? 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:37.359 We all, you know, yeah, whatever our little niche was in the service, there's always gear that is part of it and gear that was, you know, that we'd always be looking to make it better. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:41.279 So, like getting in the waterfront, how was like navigating the gear stuff? 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:48.559 Because that you know, for some viewers and some people, that could be the most um frustrating or or overwhelming part part. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:49.440 Yeah. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:51.440 Well, and that's exactly it. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:20:03.839 I mean, in you go, I mean, you can look at a catalog or go to a store, or um, I mean, there you can spend 50 bucks or you can spend 250 bucks on a set of six decoys. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:21.680 I mean, so it that's kind of the I guess the hard part is that's a good thing about duck hunting, though, is um, and that's kind of what I tell new people when because it I duck hunting can and waterfowl hunting in general can be a little intimidating for people that uh have never done it before, like, okay, what do I buy? 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:22.480 Where do I go? 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:24.160 Like, do I need a boat? 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:46.319 It's like the great thing about duck hunting is you could have a$200 shotgun, uh kayak, and six decoys, and you could have a better hunt than a guy in a$50,000 dual surface drive rig with, I mean, top line like Avian X uh full flocked head decoys, spinning wings, different stuff. 00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:51.680 So that's that's kind of the that's why I tell new guys that that I come in contact with. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:57.200 I'm just like, hey, you don't need to spend four grand on a set of decoys right off the jump. 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:03.279 Get something to get in the game, go out, learn, and then you just build a spread as your as time goes on. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:11.039 Then you get buddies who do it, and then okay, he's buying the he's getting the teal decoys, he's getting the mallard decoys, he's getting the spinning wings. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:19.279 Like, so yeah, it it definitely can be intimidating, but I mean, yeah, you can be you can be in the game for fairly cheap if if you know where to look. 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:19.599 Yeah. 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:21.519 I wish somebody had told me that when I started. 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:22.400 Oh, I told you that. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:23.680 I was just kidding. 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:29.680 Uh but me and Chris love kayak hunting. 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:37.359 I I like how you brought a kayak, is uh that's kind of how you know Chris's first couple, first two years of kayak hunting with me. 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:45.519 And I tell everyone a kayak here in Louisiana changed my life with hunting. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.519 I wish I had it in North Carolina when I was hunting North Carolina. 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:57.920 It kayak changes brought so much more um spots to me where you know I was able to hunt and get to where you couldn't get into a boat before. 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:03.279 You good? 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:10.559 I think I already froze a little bit, but um there, bud. 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:14.240 Yeah. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:16.400 I'm still here, you got me? 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:16.720 Yeah, yeah. 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:17.359 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:18.480 You have froze a little bit. 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:19.920 No, yeah, I agree. 00:22:20.160 -->

00:22:28.400 Um but I mean, yeah, I mean, just so many like uh I guess ways to hunt waterfowl too is like a big thing. 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:30.160 And I think that's what kind of caught my eye, right? 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:45.519 If I want to go to, you know, the Atlantic and hunt, or if I want to go uh hunt rice fields with Joe or hunt tank ponds here with uh here in Texas, or you know, go up to Oklahoma, do the same thing, uh hunting ponds or dry fields up north more north and stuff. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:48.319 It's it's just a variety of ways to hunt these birds. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:54.480 And I mean, um, I mean, I think that's where I kind of even flooded timber, you know. 00:22:54.640 --> 00:23:00.240 Um, but I think that's why I kind of like uh I got kind of got more drawn into it. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:03.359 So, but um we kind of missed this. 00:23:03.440 --> 00:23:07.119 I know we said you were in the Air Force, just out of curiosity, what did you do in the service? 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:10.799 Yeah, so I I jumped into the Air Force right out of high school. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:18.319 Um I knew I wasn't uh, I guess, disciplined enough to go to college. 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:23.759 Um I had better things to do in high school than than to study and worry about my grades. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:30.160 And so um, yeah, I I got in the Air Force uh 2013 right out of high school, and I did six years there. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:36.000 They trained me in air traffic control, so I've been doing air traffic control um pretty much since I got out of high school. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:43.200 So um, yeah, I went to San Antonio for basic training and then uh Biloxi, Mississippi is where they do the air traffic control school. 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:55.599 Um, so I did that and then loved it, and I was excited to actually find out that I could do it and then get to my first assignment, which was Scott Air Force Base in Southern Illinois, right outside of St. 00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:56.319 Louis. 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:58.480 Um, so I was there for most of my career. 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:01.519 I deployed for seven months to Qatar. 00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:12.160 Um, and so did air traffic out there, which was the absolute wild west of air traffic because it was just we had foreign pilots, US pilots, like it was just crazy. 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:18.400 So I I'm really glad I got that opportunity to go and kind of do it uh abroad and and kind of see that. 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:23.599 And yeah, so I did my six years and uh I said that was about enough. 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:33.119 Um they I'm forever grateful for the Air Force for for teaching me a trade and um giving setting me up to kind of be where I'm at now. 00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:42.720 And like I said, then I did the uh the civilian side of it with the FAA for a couple years, and I just it wasn't really for me that environment, I guess. 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:44.480 Um I just didn't love it. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:51.599 And then the best thing that happened to me was come down here and I told people that I'm like working for the army is awesome, and that's coming from an Air Force guy. 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:57.839 Like the Army takes such such good care of us, and um, it's just a great, a great place to work. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:02.160 And yeah, we're we're a bunch of Air Force guys working on an army base, so it's kind of funny. 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:14.640 But I think it's funny for the viewers, not a good job, because he's like, audio grades, but I was able to do the whole of the hardest, most of the time even when he said that I was gonna bring that up too. 00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:19.519 Even when he said that I was not disciplined enough, I was like, oh well, at least you didn't say like us, we were too dumb. 00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:21.039 Yeah, we're too dumb. 00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:22.400 We're too dumb. 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:26.960 No, we're just dumb. 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:27.920 At least you had that option. 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:28.799 I'm just kidding. 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:32.960 But uh, yeah. 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:35.599 Um, I lost my train of thought. 00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:36.480 It's been a long day. 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:41.359 Yeah, so we just got back from just see y'all know, because I'm gonna lose my train of thought a lot. 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:43.759 We we went to Galveston for the weekend. 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:47.119 It's about a five-hour drive to the beach from where I'm at. 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:50.240 So we we got back probably about an hour and a half ago. 00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:52.640 So getting all that stuff ready and your stuff down. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:53.519 So, anyways. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:55.440 Did you teal while you're down there? 00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:56.640 No. 00:25:57.039 --> 00:25:57.359 No? 00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:00.240 I saw I saw a lot of pterodactyls. 00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:06.240 But uh, yeah. 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:09.039 I mean, I Army, Army was fun. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:12.400 I I love Louisiana, but you know, my heart's here, so. 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:13.359 Yeah. 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:18.480 Yeah, Louisiana was it was fun to be an OC in Louisiana. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:24.799 I would hate it been like Jeronimo, which Germo, you know, and you know who Durano is, um, Jake. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:25.680 Op four. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:26.640 Yeah, OP4. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:34.720 It would have, um I guess it would have been cool for like the first month, but uh, I see guys, I've been here for four years, like, oh man, bro. 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:35.440 Yeah, yeah. 00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:38.400 Lots of most people, you're glum for punishment. 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:41.119 Um well, and and that's coming down here. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:43.759 Um, people were like, You're going to Fort Polk? 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:46.559 They're like, no,

why would why would you do that? 00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:50.240 And I'm like, I don't like being an Air Force guy, I'm I don't know. 00:26:50.319 --> 00:27:13.839 They've they're they got air traffic, and but yeah, then to find out that most people that come down to Louisiana, come to Fort Polk, are for training, and it's like, yeah, it's I guess it's supposed to be it's it's terrible by design for them, but yeah, but I mean if you look, a lot of the guys you probably work with on your out-of-the-counter part, a lot of the OCs that get stationed here that retire out of here stay. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:14.400 Right. 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:14.799 Yeah. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:17.119 I mean, the job market's great for us veterans. 00:27:17.279 --> 00:27:23.119 So you know, if you're into the outdoors and hunting, the hunting, you know, is for the waterfowls. 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:28.480 I mean, Louisiana's top three state in waterfowl harvest almost every year for the last 20 years. 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:30.160 Um, so yeah. 00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:36.720 But you're saying now that um you hunt here, you hunt marsh, um, you got some leases. 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:42.880 I mean kind of what's again what you're gonna say. 00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:47.920 I know you still run some public land down here and don't you know don't tell the spas, you don't blow the spots up. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:54.079 Well, on somebody, you know, if you hunt rice, what's your favorite type of hunting down here? 00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:56.559 Ooh, that's hard. 00:27:56.799 --> 00:28:00.559 Um I don't know. 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:13.119 I was thinking about this because I was thinking of some of the questions that you might ask, and I was afraid that you were gonna ask this because it's hard because I don't really um I would say a lot of times uh we are on the southern marshes. 00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:16.640 Um, but I think some of my favorite hunts have been timber. 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:25.359 Um, where if you can find some timber, I mean, every year in Louisiana I've shot mallards and it's always been in the trees. 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:34.640 And I know that's a huge surprise to people because people say there's no mallards in Louisiana, which there isn't, wink wink. 00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:49.519 Um, it's uh I think it there's just something about standing in the trees and then seeing birds work over top of you, and then you hit the call and then you kind of lose them for a second, and then the next thing you know, they're they're dropping in through the trees. 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:52.319 That to me is just a blast. 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:54.240 Um, but I don't know. 00:28:54.480 --> 00:29:04.720 Like I said, I'm a teal guy, so it's hard because like when you see a ball of teal off in the distance and you hit that teal call and they turn on a dime and they do that first pass and they come back it come back in. 00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:06.799 It's just something about that.

00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:07.200 Yeah. 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:12.480 Yeah, and you hear the yeah when you yeah, when you feel like you're getting you're you're getting buzzed out in uh an air tower. 00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:13.920 Yeah, yeah, no kidding. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:22.559 No, it's or they sneak up on you and you just hear them and you're like where no one saw where they went, and all of a sudden they're right in your face. 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:30.960 It's like, yeah, so I would I would say it's a tie between between the timber um or just a big, big old wad of teal and open water. 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:31.839 Yeah. 00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:44.880 Yeah, I mean uh and uh Chris has been with me and everything, and it's almost the same story as um when people started talking about the mallards, it's almost the same spots that you just said. 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:52.799 I always tell everyone if I'm gonna kill mallards, um, it's consistent where I'm gonna kill them out and the time of the year. 00:29:53.039 --> 00:30:06.400 It's always gonna be later December, January, in any type of buck brush or cypress slug that gets overflown or butts up against a big main lake. 00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:12.559 Um, you know, if it would, you know, everyone knows where Catalula is in Middle Lake Dud Club. 00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:19.359 So it's areas than that, or some of the lakes that me and you kind of live by because you you you actually don't live too far from me, Jay. 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:24.000 Yeah, but it's always the same. 00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:26.480 So I've killed a few in the in the in the rice. 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:29.279 Well, it's uh that's the that's the beauty of Louisiana. 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:32.559 Yeah. 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:41.039 That's the beauty of Louisiana though, is I mean, you can really you can pick where you want to go. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:44.160 Um you can go down to the co marshes, like kind of where we live. 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:50.559 Um we have the option to go down tomorrow. 00:30:57.119 --> 00:31:03.440 We can go out to Catahula, we can um find places up north, we can hit some of the smaller lakes around here. 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:12.799 There's no shortage of places for us to go and and see some birds, and you can kind of pick what uh kind of hunting you want to do. 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:15.759 Yeah. 00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:16.720 Yeah. 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:31.200 Yeah, I know you say you you know you shoot a lot of teal out of here, but do you I mean, do you when you go out to Catahoula and some of the do you get on a lot of these divers or are they or any of the gadwalls in the in the salt marsh? 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:38.160 Um, it's that's a fun thing about the salt marsh is uh when you go down south, I mean, you don't know what you're gonna. 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:43.119 I mean, one day it's pintails, one day it's uh, I mean, shovelers, teal. 00:31:43.359 --> 00:31:46.400 Um, yeah, it's it's always a

mixed bag. 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:51.680 And it's all I always kind of like getting surprised down there too, because we've shot canvas backs down down south. 00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:57.680 And it's like, I know last year uh or I think two years ago we shot a redhead, um, some widgeon. 00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:01.839 It's like you don't quite know what you're gonna get in some of those saltwater marshes. 00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:22.880 And um with some of the refuge system that we have in South Louisiana, we're lucky because there are big refuge areas um between like Lacassine or Sabine or even Catahula with I know I know it's kind of weird because they have a WMA and an NWR and stuff up there, but it's just the amount of variety that you can get, you can kind of pick what kind of hunting you want to do. 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:23.759 That's the beauty of it. 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:25.359 If you want to hunt open water, you can. 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:26.960 If you want to hunt timber, you can. 00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:39.119 If I mean you want to go and find a pothole in a in a marsh somewhere and set up a small spread, it's I mean, just the variety of hunting that you can do is is pretty unique. 00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:41.839 Yeah. 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:48.960 And um, I know you see a uh you mean you share the same uh RMC hat. 00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:49.839 Yes, sir. 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:53.920 You know, and I am a gun nerd and a duck hall nerd, right? 00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:55.519 You know, Chris, you know, Chris not. 00:32:56.400 --> 00:33:10.240 So for a guy getting into the um getting into it, and we know I know we talked about the gear, but how do that other part of a shotgun and and duck hauls? 00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:17.519 Because duck calling is kind of like a unique um a unique subculture of the waterfowl. 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:17.920 Right. 00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:20.640 Or yeah. 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:27.920 No, uh for for new guys, um, my first call that I really got comfortable with was a duck commander triple threat. 00:33:28.079 --> 00:33:37.680 Um, I just feel like that call, like anybody can pick it up, and within a couple minutes, you can learn how to do it and you can sound halfway halfway decent on it. 00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:44.000 Um and then from there, I just I mean, you get good on one call and then you find something else. 00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:50.160 And um, pretty much all the calls that I've ever ran, um, I've kind of stumbled upon. 00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:54.240 Like I saw it on a YouTube video or a buddy was using it. 00:33:54.480 --> 00:34:02.960 Um I I had heard about the uh RM calls and the cold weather fan, and I was lucky, I was just randomly found one. 00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:05.279 Um, I think it was through Presley's Outdoors. 00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:10.480 I think they posted like um they posted like an Instagram story. 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:12.559 And so I quick went over there and I got one. 00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:23.599 And that's how I got into the RM calls because I was like, man, that's I mean, like I said, last year I had that cold weather fan, and it was, I'm like, man, this is probably gonna be my call from from now on. 00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:26.400 I just got an alpha uh here last week. 00:34:26.639 --> 00:34:30.000 And I know like on the website it says that's a louder version of the cold weather fan. 00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:31.199 I'm like, this is definitely true. 00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:35.199 I'm like, man, this is gonna play too in whatever situation I'm in. 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:39.840 So yeah, it it is crazy though how many calls are out there, and you can definitely get lost in. 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:46.639 I mean, I mean, you could spend 25 bucks on a call or you could spend$300 on a call, and that's just for duck calls. 00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:54.079 That's not even getting into the Canada Goose calling, or well, I guess down here with the spec calling or uh anything like that, but shotguns are the same way. 00:34:54.320 --> 00:34:55.840 Um yeah, it's great. 00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:56.800 Well, even ammo. 00:34:56.960 --> 00:35:07.519 I mean, you could there's I mean, ammo you can get lost in in different stuff, which I mean, and I'll tell people too the best uh functioning ammo in my gun is the federal blue box. 00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:14.880 I'm like, I've shot other stuff before, but I mean, the old standby, the fled federal blue box, usually is the on the cheaper option of it. 00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:19.679 I'm like, I have no problem cycling or or harvesting birds with it. 00:35:19.840 --> 00:35:23.519 So yeah, it it is, it can be pretty intimidating. 00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:27.360 But yeah, the shotgun side of it though is kind of fun too. 00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:36.400 Um just because I've I've ran a Franki Affinity Elite, the waterfowl version for a good couple years as a 12 gauge. 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:40.079 But last year I really got into um the 20 gauge. 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:41.599 I shot that a lot more. 00:35:41.679 --> 00:35:50.320 Um, I got a super black eagle 20 gauge, and man, that thing is so light and just so much fun to shoot that I'm like, man, 20 gauges are 20 gauges are fun to shoot. 00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:58.960 I that was probably this coming season is gonna be my go-to just to take the 20 out, just because I mean, especially when you're walking through places too, it's just so light. 00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:04.960 But yeah, it's I've I've definitely had fun playing around with the 20 gauge here last season, especially. 00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:06.480 So yeah. 00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:11.599 So out of curiosity, have you got into any of the speckle belly, speckle belly calling or something like that? 00:36:11.760 --> 00:36:12.639 Any of that? 00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:28.239 I've tried, and I would consider myself a pretty decent Canada goose caller, but it is completely like, at least for me, it's been kind of a

learning curve to try to learn how to spec call versus Canada call. 00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:37.119 I think I probably have some um, I guess, habits from the Canada Goose Call that don't quite correlate over. 00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:45.920 So usually uh if we got other people in the blind that know how to use the spec call and we have specs working, I will punt and I'll let them, I'll let them get on it. 00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:56.159 But yeah, I've uh I've tried to, I'm I'm definitely trying and working to gain some confidence and actually sound good on a spec call, but it's definitely a learning curve to to get it there. 00:36:56.400 --> 00:37:13.280 Yeah, I tell everyone on when it comes to spec or geese calling, I think Canada and Snow Goose have more, well, you know, more the same air presentation and um note shapes than compared to a like a Canada or a um a Canada spec. 00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:22.000 And you could have you could almost take a Canada call and just change your air presentation and make a snow goose bark. 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:22.960 Yeah. 00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:27.039 Yeah, no, it's definitely it's definitely different. 00:37:28.320 --> 00:37:29.920 Yeah, it it really is 100%. 00:37:30.239 --> 00:37:32.880 I'm actually getting into uh Canada calling myself. 00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:49.119 I never spec I wasn't, I mean, I don't know, I've never speckled uh suck a belly called, but um but it it is it is interesting, especially trying to trans uh so used to duck calling and stuff and then make the transition over and like back and forth. 00:37:49.199 --> 00:37:57.760 I think that's why I think I I you you kind of get a little um you admire people who can actually do that in different calls in different and it's it it's insane. 00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:04.880 But it definitely it's a lot of practice, a lot of um uh doing work into it into the call stuff. 00:38:05.119 --> 00:38:06.719 And then really understanding the call. 00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:07.840 I think that was a big thing for me. 00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:10.639 Like I didn't really understand how the call worked. 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:12.320 I was never in band or anything. 00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:13.920 I didn't know what a read was, you know. 00:38:14.079 --> 00:38:24.960 So when I finally really understood what everything of that call did, it kind of changed it for me and then um kind of with the whole voice inflection and stuff. 00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:32.400 So but um I guess uh uh Joe, uh I know we we cut, we haven't done this in a while. 00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:43.440 Um, but I was actually for these these segments, I think we should bring it back the whole um uh shotgun choke uh ammo. 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:44.400 Yeah. 00:38:44.639 --> 00:38:45.280 Yeah. 00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:47.519 So you want to go ahead and explain. 00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:56.719 Well, so you you've already explained your you know your your gun in the ammo to us, but um yeah. 00:38:56.880 --> 00:38:58.960 I mean you're the first episode of the veterans one. 00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:01.519 Do you use a do you use an aftermarket choke? 00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:06.400 And if so, what what kind of you're gonna what does your lanyard look like? 00:39:06.719 --> 00:39:14.320 Yeah, so I uh I it's funny with a lot of things, I'm pretty, I get brand loyal to different stuff. 00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:22.400 So um when it comes to a choke, pretty much all my guns, I'm running Carlson Cremators, um, and I'll run mid-range pretty much all year. 00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:29.440 I know there's some guys that I know they like to switch, like depending on what it is, like, or they'll go full like all year. 00:39:29.599 --> 00:39:31.760 And I've always been kind of a mid-range guy. 00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:36.880 Um, I'm usually not reach, don't need to reach out and and poke them too far away. 00:39:37.039 --> 00:39:41.920 So um, yeah, no, so I'm I'm running cremators on all of them. 00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:44.400 Like I said, for my guns, I'm running the Frankie. 00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:48.639 That has been my, I mean, the last four or five years, I've been running that. 00:39:48.800 --> 00:39:53.280 Um, and then like I said, getting in the super black eagle on the 20 gauge last year. 00:39:53.360 --> 00:39:55.920 Um, that's running a cremator as well. 00:39:56.079 --> 00:40:00.639 For my lanyard, um, I will always have a whistle on it. 00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:03.519 Um, just the the five, whatever whistle. 00:40:03.599 --> 00:40:05.360 I think I got the Buck Gardner one. 00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:08.880 Um, I always carry the Duck Commander teal call. 00:40:08.960 --> 00:40:11.840 Um, that little that little brown, light brown call. 00:40:11.920 --> 00:40:13.360 That thing is money. 00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:15.679 I mean, it I mean, green wing, blue wing. 00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:34.239 I mean, I've even been working over uh uh uh during last year you're cutting out of it. 00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:43.760 Um where uh they would get I usually I start down here and run that. 00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:50.960 Um and then the Cold Weather fancy Oh I'm sorry. 00:40:51.599 --> 00:40:55.039 Yeah, try turning off your camera real quick and uh that might help you. 00:40:55.920 --> 00:40:56.800 Yeah, you're good now. 00:41:03.760 --> 00:41:04.079 Okay. 00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:04.960 Yeah. 00:41:06.639 --> 00:41:06.960 Okay. 00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:13.440 Yeah, so uh last year I ran the cold weather fan um pretty much all a year. 00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:17.440 Um and I I mean I fell in love with it. 00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:26.159 Um and then I have this one wooden call um that I really I think it's Beaver Creek, um, the Beaver Creek hen house. 00:41:26.400 --> 00:41:32.559 I don't I believe that there's still in business. 00:41:32.880 --> 00:41:38.000 And man, that wooden call, especially in the trees, it just on uh so good. 00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:41.679 So usually if I'm gonna hunt tree,

hunt the timber, I'll use that call. 00:41:41.840 --> 00:41:44.239 Um, but yeah, I I like to kind of keep it simple. 00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:52.480 I used to, I mean, I mean, obviously, like most duck eyes uh are kind of like you said, are kind of gear heads where I mean you get a bunch of different calls. 00:41:52.559 --> 00:42:03.199 And I used to carry a bunch of calls on my lanyard, but now I'm like, no, I carry like depending on what situation I'm gonna be in, I carry two or three calls and that's it, and that's what I'm gonna I'm gonna use for that day. 00:42:03.280 --> 00:42:09.599 And I'm gonna try to get as proficient and and good on those calls and and hopefully work them in. 00:42:09.760 --> 00:42:12.320 So, but yeah, that's that's kind of what I've been running. 00:42:12.400 --> 00:42:20.320 And like I said, the alpha this year, um, I'm looking forward to because there was a couple situations where I would have liked a little bit more volume um than the cold weather fan. 00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:23.360 So I'm I'm looking forward to to using the alpha as well this year. 00:42:23.519 --> 00:42:24.800 So yeah. 00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:27.760 Uh I hunt Chris hunts an alpha. 00:42:27.840 --> 00:42:31.760 I hunt, I hunt a lot of RMs right now, man. 00:42:31.840 --> 00:42:32.960 My go-to RM. 00:42:33.360 --> 00:42:38.400 I love uh I thought everybody my favorite RM is a um a cold weather fan. 00:42:38.559 --> 00:42:38.960 Yeah. 00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:48.480 Um man, but I have a um uh an Ebonite 410, a little 410 that I just absolutely love. 00:42:48.880 --> 00:42:51.360 Um, it's um the smoke for that. 00:42:51.519 --> 00:43:03.519 That little of a call, it has you know a lot of range from like I could bark on it, I could really get a real good high-end, I get really raspy on the bottom, a really clean feed. 00:43:03.679 --> 00:43:18.880 Um so and then that ebonite, you know, it gives you all the characteristics of a hardwood call, but without the um the wood call like swelling or moisture, um capture moisture that can distort a call or hang it up sometimes. 00:43:19.039 --> 00:43:20.559 Yeah, and making it stick. 00:43:20.639 --> 00:43:23.119 But yeah, I am a yeah, man. 00:43:23.360 --> 00:43:29.280 I think I still have I still have a few other calls from other brands every now and then. 00:43:29.599 --> 00:43:33.840 Uh, but man, my probably my number one go-to brand will always be an RM. 00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:37.440 I mean, I I do run a I have a MiG that I also run. 00:43:38.079 --> 00:43:45.920 Um a Pond Creek and Um Man, Rice and makes a really good call as well. 00:43:46.079 --> 00:43:46.880 Uh Duck Hustler. 00:43:47.199 --> 00:43:55.199 I mean, Ryzen's probably all the all my all my any goose call I have around my neck that's either a snow goose or a spec is going to be a riceling site. 00:43:55.440 --> 00:44:04.480 I I tell everyone Bill Daniels and Ricel is um To spec and snows to what Tim Ground was to the the honker. 00:44:04.960 --> 00:44:05.199 Yeah. 00:44:05.360 --> 00:44:09.199 Well, and it's funny you say that because I uh I run a Riceland spec call. 00:44:09.280 --> 00:44:13.679 I say run loosely because like I said, I I don't feel like I'm that great on it. 00:44:13.760 --> 00:44:15.840 And I'm I mean it's just a work in progress. 00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:20.079 And for my honker call, I do I run a uh Tim Ground Super Mag. 00:44:20.159 --> 00:44:25.519 Um and that that call is awesome when it comes to comes to geese and or for hawkers. 00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:30.639 And yeah, that's that that is definitely my go-to for for honkers, is the Tim Ground Super Mag. 00:44:31.599 --> 00:44:32.239 Yeah. 00:44:32.960 --> 00:44:42.400 Uh man, do you run cool do you run a cool lanyard or a leather, or do you prefer a um uh what do you call a paracord one? 00:44:43.199 --> 00:44:44.559 Yeah, I just run the paracord. 00:44:44.719 --> 00:44:52.960 I guess I'm just always afraid I'm gonna like lose it or something where it's like, okay, yeah, I I just run run a paracord one and and call it good. 00:44:53.039 --> 00:44:56.400 And so yeah, nothing too fancy for me. 00:44:56.960 --> 00:45:17.199 So just before we kind of get off, just out of curiosity, what is your, I guess when it comes to this season, or it could even be for next season, what is your next big uh I would it it doesn't have to be expensive, but next big purchase that you're looking for, or something that you're looking to get um get to, I guess, ex not really you need, but maybe you kind of want. 00:45:17.280 --> 00:45:24.480 We are as duck hunters, I felt I I found out that there's a lot of things that we don't need, but a lot of things that we get that we want. 00:45:24.960 --> 00:45:25.280 Right. 00:45:25.440 --> 00:45:30.159 So yeah, um let me think here. 00:45:30.480 --> 00:45:34.639 I think my dream gun uh is a Browning Sweet 16. 00:45:34.719 --> 00:45:36.960 I think it would be awesome to have one of those. 00:45:37.119 --> 00:45:39.039 Um, but I just can't. 00:45:39.199 --> 00:45:41.760 I mean, like I said, I run Federal Blue Box for ammo. 00:45:41.920 --> 00:45:45.280 So I mean, 16 gauge ammo is crazy expensive. 00:45:45.360 --> 00:45:51.199 So I'm like, man, I would love to have one, but I feel like I wouldn't want to shoot it because the ammo would be so expensive. 00:45:51.440 --> 00:45:55.679 Uh but um I don't know. 00:45:55.760 --> 00:45:59.599 Like I I run a pretty, I have a pretty cheap kayak. 00:45:59.760 --> 00:46:05.679 Um, I think, and last year I pulled a sled, um, like with decoys and different stuff. 00:46:05.840 --> 00:46:09.920 So uh maybe a different kayak that has a little bit more room. 00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:12.559 That's been something I've been kind of looking at. 00:46:12.800 --> 00:46:15.199 Um but it it is just kind of funny. 00:46:15.280 --> 00:46:17.119 Like I was talking to my wife about it too. 00:46:17.280 --> 00:46:24.480 Like, there's really, I'm kind of to the point where I feel

like I'm set with stuff that I like. 00:46:24.639 --> 00:46:28.079 I'm like, okay, I feel like I I can go out and run a pretty solid spread. 00:46:28.159 --> 00:46:30.719 And with my buddies, like we have everything set up. 00:46:30.960 --> 00:46:41.599 But I mean, I'm sure by November 30th, right as the season's getting ready to kick off, I'm gonna buy a whole bunch of stuff that I probably don't need just because that's just how it goes. 00:46:41.760 --> 00:46:42.800 So yeah. 00:46:43.119 --> 00:46:47.840 But yeah, no, there's nothing really off the top of my head that I can I can think about. 00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:52.400 But yeah, maybe one day, uh, maybe one day I'll splurge on the sweet 16 though. 00:46:52.639 --> 00:47:12.800 Yeah, I I actually know uh there's a local call, um not called local uh shell company called Schneer Shells, uh, that a good buddy of ours, uh Damon Aber actually owns out of um Hathaway Louisiana, and I'm almost 90% sure that he he makes uh uh affordable um 16 gauge shells. 00:47:13.039 --> 00:47:16.480 I think he they go for about$27 a box. 00:47:18.239 --> 00:47:19.519 Yeah, that's not bad. 00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:20.800 Yeah, for sure. 00:47:21.039 --> 00:47:27.280 Yeah, but uh well before you know we're talking about gears, waders. 00:47:27.519 --> 00:47:30.320 Uh what you know, what brand of waders do you use? 00:47:30.400 --> 00:47:37.039 Because that's my I've probably been my my biggest issue out here is having a set of waders that is last out here. 00:47:38.400 --> 00:47:42.719 Hun that marsh and that mud and the you mean the rice fields coming in out of the pits. 00:47:42.880 --> 00:47:45.840 Uh waders get chewed up pretty cool pretty good. 00:47:47.519 --> 00:47:52.559 Yeah, no, I uh I've been running the uh one of the Rogers. 00:47:52.880 --> 00:47:56.480 I don't know, I want to say Rogers Elite. 00:47:57.679 --> 00:48:06.639 Um I have ran I ran that last year, um, and I wanna say it might have been a year and a half, and those have those have held. 00:48:06.960 --> 00:48:12.079 I mean, I've probably interested seven to ten pairs of weird roters. 00:48:12.480 --> 00:48:28.559 Um it's just yeah, it's crazy because it's like yeah, some of the stuff you get into, um, especially it seems like in the trees or something, like you'll always get snagged on something, like something's gonna rip, something's gonna leak. 00:48:28.719 --> 00:48:34.400 And so, yeah, I'm I mean, right now I'm running the Rogers, and and they're we'll keep going with them as long as they keep working. 00:48:34.480 --> 00:48:34.960 That's my big thing. 00:48:35.039 --> 00:48:37.760 Is if it if it's working, I'm not gonna just change it just because. 00:48:38.239 --> 00:48:39.519 Yeah, yeah. 00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:40.639 Yeah. 00:48:41.440 --> 00:48:42.559 Man, it's okay. 00:48:42.800 --> 00:48:45.840 You uh, how do you feel about sprourging on the the Sweet 16? 00:48:45.920 --> 00:48:47.039 I have time with waiters. 00:48:47.119 --> 00:48:48.960 I'm love hate relationship. 00:48:49.440 --> 00:48:54.239 Um I haven't found a pair that I completely like. 00:48:54.800 --> 00:49:02.800 Um I did like those Drake front zips, but they just they last they didn't have enough pocket space. 00:49:03.039 --> 00:49:08.079 Um, and I mean they lasted on those, I almost drilled my hunts. 00:49:08.159 --> 00:49:13.840 I got, I want to say 75 hunts in before I got my first leak, which isn't bad. 00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:16.239 That's actually pretty good. 00:49:16.320 --> 00:49:18.159 That's almost two seasons for me. 00:49:18.719 --> 00:49:45.920 Well, and it's kind of funny too, because like I've ran some bandit waiters, I've ran uh Rogers, like it's funny that there's different stuff that each company has that you're like, man, if this company had these pockets, if they had this uh whatever feature would be, this like belt or loop system, um these straps, like if you could put them all together, I mean that that's the that's the meal ticket right there. 00:49:46.000 --> 00:49:54.480 If someone can can put the best of all the waiters together and uh if they can do that, that that's where you make your money. 00:49:54.719 --> 00:49:55.599 Yeah, 100%. 00:49:57.119 --> 00:49:57.599 Yeah. 00:49:58.559 --> 00:50:07.920 So I mean, I know uh we got we don't want to, we can keep on going till for two hours, but I know Joe, before we kind of get off, did you have anything for Jake? 00:50:08.400 --> 00:50:09.119 No, man. 00:50:09.360 --> 00:50:12.079 Um, like I said, hey, thank you for coming on. 00:50:12.159 --> 00:50:15.280 Thank you for kicking off our um our veteran series. 00:50:15.440 --> 00:50:20.079 And uh man, I I hope we get some hunt uh a couple hunts this year together. 00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:21.760 Yeah, man, no, for sure. 00:50:21.920 --> 00:50:34.079 Yeah, and uh like I said, I guess the only thing I would say too is um yeah, for people to just get involved with their local Delta and and uh ducks chapters and and see what you can do to make a difference and recruit hunters. 00:50:34.159 --> 00:50:39.440 And that's like I said, that's the name of the game, is getting people out and hunting and falling in love with waterfowl. 00:50:39.519 --> 00:50:55.760 And you might not agree with what every organization does, but at the same time, I'd rather have groups that are uh thinking about the places and and the the species that we hunt and and love to follow and chase every year. 00:50:55.840 --> 00:51:05.920 And so yeah, just getting involved in a group like that is is is super important to me, and I hope more people do, because I mean we'd love to see numbers come out and and support and support those organizations. 00:51:06.159 --> 00:51:08.159 So yeah, absolutely. 00:51:08.320 --> 00:51:10.559 And we do appreciate you coming on, man. 00:51:10.719 --> 00:51:14.559 Um hopefully I I can make it down there in Louisiana, get a hunt with y'all. 00:51:14.719 --> 00:51:17.440 But um, if we don't, good luck on your season. 00:51:17.599 --> 00:51:27.199 Um and uh, I mean, we we gotta get run this back probably next year to kind of see what your season went uh went like and maybe um talk a little bit about that. 00:51:27.440 --> 00:51:31.440 But uh I guess uh that's all we have for today, uh, ladies and gentlemen. 00:51:31.679 --> 00:51:37.119 Also check us out uh on the Facebook, Instagram, uh hit that like subscribe button. 00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:40.880 Um and like always, y'all have a good one, and uh let Valor not fail.