Ducks Unlimited Podcast

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Mossy Oak - https://www.mossyoak.com/
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

What does it take to keep entering one of America’s most competitive art contests year after year?

Recorded during the Federal Duck Stamp Contest at Ducks Unlimited headquarters, host Katie Burke sits down with wildlife artist Rebekah Knight to talk about competition, creativity, and the pursuit of a winning Duck Stamp painting.
Rebekah shares her approach to designing Duck Stamp entries, how she's adapted her techniques over the years, and why learning to handle disappointment is part of becoming a better artist. The conversation also explores photo-reference trips to remote places like Adak Island, the challenges of creating artwork that works on a stamp, and how the Junior Duck Stamp Program helped launch her career.
Along the way, Katie and Rebekah discuss artistic growth, judging strategy, mentorship, and why persistence matters more than a single year's result.
Topics Covered
Rebekah Knight’s evolution as a Duck Stamp artist
Designing artwork specifically for the Federal Duck Stamp Contest
Why composition matters more than many artists realize
Adak Island photography trips and gathering reference material
Airbrush vs. oil techniques in wildlife art
Learning from rejection and developing thick skin
The value of mentorship and artistic community
How the Junior Duck Stamp Program launched a career

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Mossy Oak - https://www.mossyoak.com/
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

Black-bellied whistling ducks have gone from a rarity in Louisiana to one of the most recognizable birds on the landscape. But how did it happen, and what makes them so different from every other duck in North America?
Host Dr. Jerad Henson sits down with Paul Link, Research Program Manager at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and one of the leading researchers studying black-bellied whistling ducks, for a fascinating deep dive into one of waterfowl biology’s biggest success stories.
Paul explains how the species expanded across the Gulf Coast, why traditional surveys struggle to measure their population, and what years of banding and research have revealed about their movements, nesting behavior, and survival strategies. The conversation also explores their unusual parenting style, long breeding season, adaptability to urban environments, and their surprising ability to avoid hunters.
Topics Covered
The history of black-bellied whistling ducks in Louisiana
Why their population exploded over the last two decades
Nest boxes, giant clutches, and incredible parental care
Migration, movements, and surprising band recoveries
Why they thrive in cities, suburbs, marshes, and rice fields
The mystery of their low harvest and band recovery rates
Disease, survival, and population regulation

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Mossy Oak - https://www.mossyoak.com/
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

Most people would quit after five straight losses. Tim Taylor kept going for more than 30 years.

Recorded during the Federal Duck Stamp Contest at Ducks Unlimited headquarters, host Katie Burke sits down with artist Tim Taylor for a candid conversation about art, perseverance, competition, and the pursuit of one of wildlife art’s highest honors.
Tim shares how a chance encounter with a magazine article introduced him to the Federal Duck Stamp Contest and launched a decades-long journey studying waterfowl, traveling the country, seeking feedback from top artists, and continually improving his craft. Along the way, he reflects on his friendship with Adam Grimm, the value of criticism, the evolution of illustration as a profession, and why he's still pursuing a Duck Stamp win after more than three decades.
The conversation also explores the importance of mentorship, the Junior Duck Stamp Program, Norman Rockwell’s influence on Tim’s career, and what it takes to stay committed to a creative goal for a lifetime.
Topics Covered
Discovering the Federal Duck Stamp Contest
Growing up with dreams of becoming an illustrator
Letters from Norman Rockwell
Surviving five straight first-round eliminations
Learning from Adam Grimm and other top artists
The strategy behind a successful Duck Stamp entry
The importance of critique and mentorship
The role of the Junior Duck Stamp Program
Why Tim is still chasing his first Duck Stamp win

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

MONTHLY SPONSORS

Old Timer Knives - https://www.theoldtimer.com
Mossy Oak - https://www.mossyoak.com/
Weatherby - https://weatherby.com
Morton Buildings - https://mortonbuildings.com
Duck Club Bourbon - https://duckclubbourbon.com

Why does some venison taste gamey, and what can hunters do to prevent it?
Ascend host Adrian Jessen sits down with wild-game chef Cate Meade, a former Top 4 MasterChef finalist and Chopped: Castaways competitor, to talk about cooking, hunting, foraging, and building a deeper connection with the food on your plate.
Cate explains why overcooking and under-seasoning are two of the biggest mistakes people make with venison. She also explains when a salted milk soak helps, why she prefers dry brining, how ingredients like mustard, garlic, and herbs complement wild game, and why the right finishing temperature matters.
The conversation goes beyond venison. Cate discusses growing up in Chicago, discovering hunting with her father, competing on reality television, foraging for morels and wild plants, safely identifying mushrooms, and turning her connection with the outdoors into a culinary career.

In this episode:
• Why venison can develop a strong or “gamey” flavor
• How milk, salt, and dry brining affect wild game
• The danger of overcooking venison
• Cate’s favorite venison dish
• A simple wild-game recipe for reluctant cooks
• Safe and responsible foraging
• What reality cooking competitions are really like
• Learning to judge doneness by touch
• Respecting and using what you harvest
Learn more about Cate and find her recipes:
https://www.wildwoodschef.com/
Follow @wildwoodchef on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

If you're a believer, and especially if you're not, don't miss this year's edition of DU Halloween.
In this edition, Cam Hale and Kyle Philson of Expanded Perspectives Podcast team up with Ducks Unlimited’s Wade Shoemaker and onX's Lake Pickle for more unsettling stories from the woods and skies. Lake walks us through the most harrowing night he's ever had in the woods... and the only experience he's had that defies natural explanation. From there, Cam and Kyle recount viewer-submitted stories about the Jersey Devil, the white coyote of Comanche, a Thunderbird spotted over Alaska, and a few about everybody's favorite cryptid: Bigfoot.
Sponsored by onX.
 @onXHunt
These stories are presented as personal accounts, listener submissions and folklore for entertainment and discussion.
Watch the secret episode and continue into the Unlimited Scares playlist using the links below.
SECRET EPISODE:
UNLIMITED SCARES: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFYq1yV30ntJgv1mNsES2ASAxJ9jthYXg
EXPANDED PERSPECTIVES: www.expandedperspectives.com
@expandedperpectives
@dosamigosproductions
ONX:  @onXHunt 
Lake Pickle:@lake.dilpickle @lakepickle
Wade Shoemaker: @wadeshoemaker
#Halloween #ScaryStories #ExpandedPerspectives

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org
SPONSORS:
Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.