The Standard Sportsman

Danny Fulton joins the show to tell the story of building a duck property where most wouldn’t expect one, along the Ohio River in southern Indiana. In a region outside the traditional waterfowl spotlight, the Fulton family has transformed a challenging river-bottom farm into a true waterfowl-focused operation. Danny breaks down the process of acquiring the property, adapting to the constant variables of a fluctuating river system, and learning how to shape habitat around the three things duck...

Planting season’s here, but so is a lingering drought that won’t let go. The guys talk tough conditions in the southern flyway, brighter signs from the breeding grounds, and how it all ties together. They also tackle the growing role of politics in wildlife decisions and walk through key 2026–2027 regulation changes, including a controversial non-resident ban at Dave Donaldson Black River WMA, plus a few notes from Kansas and Minnesota. >>> Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Re...

Habitat manager Hunter Johnson returns to share his spring plans for three very different properties under his care. From dealing with flooding to battling drought conditions, Johnson relies on a deep toolkit of strategies to create ideal habitat for ducks, deer, and turkeys. He’s also been a leader in implementing prescribed fire in Arkansas, using it to control unwanted vegetation and rejuvenate areas that need a reset. In this episode, Johnson breaks down his approach to using fire, discus...

Grant Sinclair and Lee Kjos are two well-known voices in the waterfowling world, bound by decades of freelance duck hunting in Saskatchewan. Kjos’s connection to the prairie goes back more than 50 years, hunting alongside his father, while Sinclair has spent the last 15+ years following that same tradition. In this episode, they reflect on the freedom and tradition of DIY duck hunting across Saskatchewan’s grain fields and how new regulations limiting non-resident hunters to two five-day lice...

Duck season may be in the rearview and the clocks may have sprung forward, but the forces shaping future seasons are anything but quiet. From a struggling farm economy and tensions abroad to legislation on Capitol Hill and some thorny cultural conversations closer to home, there’s plenty happening that could ripple through the waterfowl world. The guys unpack it all, and with the recent passing of Cason’s father-in-law, he reflects on the deeper connections duck hunting can forge between gene...

Philip Tappan has spent the past four and a half years serving on the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and now chairs the Rules & Regulations Committee at the AGFC. With the Commission’s proposed changes for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 seasons now on the table, from expanded non-motorized walk-in areas on WMAs to another proposed 60-day, six-duck framework, the conversation around the future of Arkansas duck hunting is still buzzing despite the season ending. In this episode, the guys take...

Duck hunters have always been prone to grumbling, but lately the frustration feels different...deeper, more widespread, and harder to shake. Across flyways and duck camps, many waterfowlers share the same sentiment: they don’t feel heard. In this episode of The Standard Sportsman Podcast, Cason Short and Brent Birch dig into where communication is breaking down and why expectations may be part of the problem. It’s an honest look at modern duck seasons and how a reset in perspective might help...

Iconic North American waterfowler and legendary outdoor photographer Lee Kjos joins the show, carrying with him a lifetime of sunrises, wingbeats, and miles traveled beneath open skies. From the disappearing prairie potholes of Saskatchewan to the river bottoms of Missouri, Kjos shares what he’s seen this past season and the realities of duck hunting's struggles. His reflections are honest and, at times, sobering, but they are also rooted in a deep love for wild places and the birds that bind...

Two of the sharpest minds in waterfowl science are back and they aren’t here to sugarcoat what's going on with the sport. Brad Cohen (Cohen Wildlife Lab) and Doug Osborne (Snowden Center for Waterfowl Excellence) dig into the hard truth behind duck hunting’s recent decline, what’s actually driving it, and more importantly, what we can do about it. They cut through the noise, separate fact from folklore, and lay out what truly matters versus what should fall further down the priority list. It’...

We hope everyone is experiencing a wonderful holiday season and the ducks are finding your decoys. With all that is going on this time of year, The Standard Sportsman is re-airing shows from this past summer that we believe are worth another listen. New episodes will return January 8, 2026, as duck season gets on the downhill slide. The New Year's edition replays an interview with Saskatchewan farmer and conservationist Lorne Scott...wise words from a tenured Canadian farmer who truly cares a...

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, th...

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 thought...

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...