Is anti-science the new norm? With all the ongoing anti-science chatter, we have definitely emboldened the conspiracy theorists. That has certainly bled over into the duck world. But we also just saw the conservation community come together and support science when the ducks are really in trouble; when the Prairie Pothole Region, the Duck Factory was in jeopardy; when duck habitat once again saw a troubling trend, we came together and over 200,000 people supported the science and commented for the ducks. Today we digest and dissect how we talk science at the coffee shop, in the duck blind, and in the waterfowl science world. We also have an update on the coming El Nino and a hint at the weather for the coming season. 

Agriculture is the number one reason for wetland and grassland loss in North America, but it is also a necessity, feeding the planet is a necessity and farm policy also plays a huge role in keeping duck habitat and the ducks with us. Today we visit with Dr. Mark McConnell of Mississippi State University’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture. Mark is the James C. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Upland Gamebird Ecology and Bryan Endowment for Bobwhite Restoration. His work may center around upland gamebird conservation, but his breadth of knowledge about ag policy affecting conservation for all wildlife is his real gift. Dr. McConnell is well-known for his understanding of precision agriculture and trade-offs and compliments between healthy farms and healthy wildlife populations. Join us today to learn more about how ag policy is affecting grassland and wetlands habitat across duck country USA and beyond.

My friends across duck country, I ask you one question, are the duck done for? Are you willing to let duck populations fade into oblivion. We talk about the weather and how it affects duck migration a-lot on the FowlWeather Podcast, but we know one thing for sure, if ducks are never produced, it does not matter what the weather does, ducks that don’t hatch can’t come south each duck season.  We also know that ducks need wetlands to produce more ducks. But here we are, the USFWS for some reason isadvancing a proposal that could reduce the 1.7M acres of wetland easements that they hold. And remember these are wetland easements paid for with your Duck Stamp dollars, and as far as we can see, they may be gone in the coming years, wetlands possibly gone forever. With over half of the prairie pothole wetlands already gone and duck numbers struggling, we don’t want to lose more acres. As noted on the FowlWeather social media posts and on this Monday mornings episode, we were working to get waterfowl experts on to dissect and help us learn about what is happening with FWS prairie pothole wetland easements and we aimed high because we have both Dr. Scott Stephens, Senior Director of Conservation Strategy and Dr. Mike Brasher, Senior Waterfowl Scientist with us tonight. Both of Ducks Unlimited, these men are passionate duck hunter-conservationists and we are honored to have them on the FowlWeather Podcast to help us learn about this important topic. The way I like to state it when people ask about this potential FWS policy change…… the FowlWeatherPodcast position and what we tell them is this “this all could be worse than bad”.

In this episode we are going to talk to you through 3 lenses, why you should be curious, why you should be concerned, and why you should be excited about the coming duck season. Among the general themes you will hear about breeding ground conditions, the coming El Nino, policy surrounding waterfowl conservation and management, more local state policies about draw systems and habitat management, and the state of waterfowl education and science in US.

Montana is a destination for many, but it doesn’t run on its own. Heather Harris is the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks as Grassland & Wetland Coordinator for the state. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Trent University, that’s in Canada, and her M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Mississippi State University. She grew up in Northern Ontario where she spent most of her time outdoors. She spends a good portion of her spare time hunting turkey, waterfowl, upland birds and big game and training her bird dog Riggs. She also happens to be DrMike’s sister-in-law so this one is fun! Join us for another great interview on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Chesapeake Bay is the birthplace of American waterfowling. The bounty…the abundant fish, shellfish, and waterfowl made being a waterman a reality, but the bounty of the bay and its watershed, also made it a place to live and thrive. As populations grew in the Chesapeake watershed so did the pollution and other environmental problems; waterfowl are still abundant in the bay, but are the hay days of the bay gone forever? Can we bring it back to its glory days? Today we meet with two great guys from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, that know a lot about the Chesapeake Grayson Haynes, Government Affairs Advisor, and Jim Kauffman, Pennsylvania Field Representative and Wildlife Health Coordinator.

Situated just off the North Shore of Oneida Lake sits Toad Harbor Taxidermy. We meet with avid duck hunter and taxidermist Matt Colesante. Matt focuses on realism in his mounts, separating his great mounts from just good mounts of others. We sit down w/ Matt, his father Rip, and son Connor, 3 generations of taxidermist and duck hunters, in the shop to talk waterfowl taxidermy, tricks and tips for getting a good mount to the taxidermist, and his evolution from the love of ducks to a premier taxidermist of the region.

Some are calling it a Godzilla El Niño, a Super El Niño of monster proportions, but will it all unfold as told? In 2015, NASA scientists coined the informal term Godzilla El Niño to describe a weather pattern that massively distorts the jet stream and causes extreme global temperatures. DrMike dives deep into what the coming El Niño means for the summer growing season, duck production, duck migration, and duck hunting conditions. Plus, a turkey season bust, farm news, and planting and hunting plans for the 2026 season.

Coastal North Carolina is rich in waterfowling history and Ed Farley, hailing from the Matamuskeet region exemplifies the NC state motto Esse Quam Videri, the motto in Latin reads as genuine, honest, and disciplined, rather than just appearing to be so. Ed Farley, Manager of Conservation Programs for VA, NC, SC, and GA grew up with wetlands and ducks in his blood and followed that tradition into a career that benefits all the great people across duck country USA. Today we join Ed to hear his story of waterfowl wonderment and growing into an impactful hunter-conservationist.

Minnesota has seen substantial challenges in keeping wetlands and grass on the landscape for ducks. With this, duck numbers and duck hunter numbers have plummeted. The Living Lake Initiative restores and protects wetlands and shallow lakes in Minnesota and Iowa, focusing on enhancing water quality and habitat for waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region. We meet with Jake Chronister of the Living Lakes Initiative to learn more.