The Standard Sportsman

11/28/2024

Excited about getting the podcast in front of more duck hunters and conservationists!

Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine has partnered with one of the most popular and informative duck and goose hunting-related podcasts, The Standard Sportsman. Greenhead editor Brent Birch co-hosts the show with Cason Short, of the Bill Byers Hunter Club near Brinkley. The show has feature...

04/02/2024

A little more harvest information for everyone. For some reason these graphs seem to be a little controversial. Some place them blame for the downward trend in harvest correctly at the feet of breeding habitat conditions, but then they go a step further and blame mild weather for low hunter harvest. The claims that ducks are staying north and are reluctant to migrate aren’t supported by harvest data. It is simply a product of low population numbers brought on by poor nesting habitat. This is where the topic of harvest regulation gets interesting. Some people claim that harvest regulations don’t impact waterfowl populations, and that hen harvest doesn’t matter. In an era where regulations are set two years in advance, is it safe to claim that the habitat won’t support more ducks so we may as well kill them? What if nesting conditions improve and we sent more hens back? Would populations rebound quicker?

03/27/2024

Everyone agrees that hen harvest matters with upland species, but when it comes to waterfowl there’s not the same consensus.

03/25/2024

A little more harvest information including northern states. What is everyone’s thoughts? Are the ducks still holding north, or does harvest numbers not back that up?

03/23/2024

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is asking for input regarding spinning wing and motion decoys. Would you like to see the ban lifted on public land?

03/19/2024

It’s easy to see that the ducks aren’t magically shifting somewhere else. Rather, there’s a strong correlation between the population and harvest. When one is up, the other follows. Perhaps this is why some think that harvest doesn’t matter. If we are only killing 17% of the population each year, we will never kill them all. Regardless of how low the population gets. That type of resource management leaves us with more questions than answers.

03/13/2024

Are these numbers possible? We keep hearing about hunter numbers dropping, and we’re also hearing some people begin to question that. Is this a topic you’d like to hear on ?

02/27/2024

There’s news, and it’s not good. It’s dry. Really dry, maybe even drier than we expected. Current week snow/water equivalent maps are posted from 2024, 2023, and 2022 for reference. Corresponding May pond counts were 5.5mil in ‘22 and 5mil in ‘23. What will this year’s May pond survey look like?

02/15/2024

A little context is needed with this image. At first glance you’d see it and think, “the birds really showed up with that front!” The reality may be a little different. In these surveys, MDWF estimated 152k malls. Down 29% from their LTA of 213k. Meanwhile, in neighboring Arkansas, malls were estimated at 250k. Down 67% from their LTA of 752k.

02/11/2024

We can’t say that we’re surprised. It’s certainly not what we hoped for, but with the dry conditions we knew it was a possibility. There’s still time for things to improve, but this is why the mid winter surveys were so significant. While they aren’t historically accurate, they do give us a glimpse at what recruitment we saw from the previous spring. They’re the only statistical data we have that gives us an idea of what to expect from the breeding population surveys. With the drought we’re seeing, they could mean more than ever.

01/05/2024

01/05/2024

You’ve likely seen this graphic being shared recently. It’s a nice reminder that is meant to show us how duck seasons are impacted by snow accumulation. While there’s no question that weather moves birds, there’s a lot more to it than that. Slide to the second image and you’ll see the corresponding breeding population numbers for mallards in each of those years. Notice anything? How about when you look at the last graphic and see corresponding mallard harvest numbers for the Mississippi flyway for each year? Some of our best years were a combination of a healthy population and healthy snowfall. However, there were years that we had good harvest with less than optimal snowfall. The biggest take away is the downward trend that we have been on. While there’s no question that this winter has been mild, there’s also no question that the North American management plan’s goal of 10 million mallards, isn’t anywhere close to being reached. There is no one to blame for this. No one to point fingers at. It’s simply a habitat condition issue. The question is, what can we learn from where we are?

12/09/2023

Huge thanks to our listeners for tuning in, and our sponsors for believing in us and our mission. It’s been a blast getting this podcast started, and we can’t wait to share some of our upcoming guests.

11/14/2023

Opening days are happening all across the country. Good luck to everyone this season. We want to challenge you all to try to find a way to leave it better than you found it. Take a kid. Take a neighbor. Introduce someone new to the sport. Join a conservation organization. Help preserve the sport we love and above all, enjoy every moment afield.

10/13/2023

The barrier to entry in the duck guide game is relatively low in Arkansas? But is that a good thing? Cason and Brent take a look at the outfitter industry from all angles and discuss some possible solutions. Available now wherever you consume podcasts.

09/21/2023

Check out the latest episode to hear us weigh in on the early speck season and how it could be impacting your duck season. Not to mention changing the wintering distribution of GWFG as well.

09/19/2023

GWFG “specks.” Perhaps one of the most adaptable species of waterfowl. We’ve seen substantial shifts in their wintering distribution caused by habitat loss and disturbance. Are current hunting regulations continuing to drive a shift in their distribution?

09/18/2023

Has the flyway shifted? The numbers don’t lie, but what do they say? MO mallard harvest fell 67%, Oklahoma fell 83%, and Kansas fell 118%. Meanwhile Arkansas fell by 25%. If the flyway is shifting, why aren’t we seeing increased harvest numbers?