Ducks Unlimited Podcast

The Great Lakes and Atlantic Region may be Ducks Unlimited’s largest and most diverse — and it’s where conservation relevance is helping drive growth in habitat delivery.

In this episode, DU podcast host and Senior Waterfowl Scientist, Dr. Mike Brasher, continues our trip around the regions with Jamie Rader, Ducks Unlimited's Director of Operations for the Great Lakes & Atlantic Region. Spanning 21 states from Maine to Minnesota, Jamie oversees one of DU’s fastest‑growing conservation teams and shares what it takes to deliver wetland conservation at scale in landscapes shaped by people, agriculture, and development.

Jamie reflects on his path from West Tennessee duck hunts to graduate work in Hawaii, mentorship under legendary waterfowlers, and leadership across nearly every DU region before taking the helm in Ann Arbor. From there, the discussion turns to breeding conditions, migration, and the innovative partnerships driving record conservation growth across the region.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:
Jamie Rader’s career path through Ducks Unlimited and field biology
Mentorship, duck hunting culture, and lessons learned in the blind
The scope of the Great Lakes & Atlantic Region (“the five M’s”)
Explosive growth in staff, funding, and conservation delivery since 2020
Spring breeding conditions across the Great Lakes, Midwest, and Northeast
Flooding, snowfall, and late‑season wetland replenishment
Major conservation programs including H2Ohio and Chesapeake Bay initiatives
Water quality funding as a pathway to waterfowl habitat gains
Working lands conservation with farmers and producers
Soil health, wetland restoration, and nutrient reduction strategies
Expanding DU’s relevance beyond traditional waterfowl audiences
“Seeing beyond the duck” in coastal, urban, and population‑dense regions
Why relevance, partnerships, and innovation are essential to future success
This episode highlights how Ducks Unlimited continues to adapt — delivering habitat for waterfowl while meeting the broader environmental needs of people and communities across the Great Lakes & Atlantic Region.

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
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.

Conservation isn’t just about habitat — it’s about people, relationships, and showing up when decisions are being made.
In this episode, host Dr. Mike Brasher sits down with Bill Cooksey, Partnerships Program Leader for the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, to talk about a career spent at the intersection of conservation, policy, industry, and grassroots advocacy. Bill brings decades of experience from Avery Outdoors, National Wildlife Federation, and now TWF, offering a unique perspective on how conservation decisions actually get made — and why personal relationships still matter more than emails, posts, or press releases.
The conversation spans conservation advocacy, wildlife policy, changes in the hunting community, misinformation, and how sportsmen can still shape the future if they’re willing to engage directly.
In this episode, listeners will hear about:
Bill Cooksey’s path through the outdoor industry, conservation NGOs, and policy
The role of state wildlife federations and how they differ from national organizations
Why conservation advocacy is ultimately about relationships and trust
“Pick up the damn phone” — why real conversations still move the needle
How sportsmen influence policy at the state and federal levels
Protecting hunting rights through proactive engagement
A landmark Tennessee case involving duck hunters and municipal restrictions
Why misinformation spreads faster than science — and how to respond productively
Changes in how hunters get information and engage with conservation
The decline of CRP, habitat loss, and consequences for duck populations
The chronic underfunding of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Why engagement — not social media outrage — creates real impact
Practical advice for contacting legislators and making your voice heard
Reasons for optimism about the future of waterfowl conservation
This episode is a reminder that conservation success still depends on individuals willing to speak up, build relationships, and advocate for the resources they care about.
SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
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.

Dr. Jim Nichols rejoins the DU Podcast to share stories about early champions of Adaptive Harvest Management and how they promoted it as a better way of setting harvest regulations, with unexpected support resulting from unusual political maneuverings in the mid-90s. Dr. Nicholas and Dr. Mike Brasher also begin discussing key components of AHM, including harvest management objectives and regulatory packages, with a goal of demystifying some of the “black box” of AHM.
SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
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 North America’s duck populations are the engine of waterfowl hunting, the Prairie Pothole Region is its factory—and keeping that factory running requires permanence, partnerships, and people on the land.

In this episode, DU Senior Waterfowl Scientist and host, Dr. Mike Brasher, continues the regional operations series with Dr. Johann Walker, Director of Operations for the Great Plains Region, based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Johann brings more than two decades of experience working in the heart of the prairie duck factory and offers a candid, detailed look at habitat conditions, conservation delivery, and the role of permanent easements in sustaining duck populations and rural communities.

The conversation covers current wetland conditions across the Dakotas, migration timing, and how improved spring moisture may influence breeding distribution this year. From there, it dives deep into DU’s most important conservation tool in the prairies: voluntary grassland and wetland easements.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:
Spring habitat conditions across the Prairie Pothole Region
Wet years vs. dry years and what Johann has seen over 22 years on the prairies
How migration timing interacts with available wetland conditions
Why permanent grassland and wetland easements are critical for the future of duck production
How the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Small Wetlands Acquisition Program works
Why easements are voluntary, minimally restrictive, and landowner‑driven
How Duck Stamp dollars directly fund prairie easements
Threats to conservation easements and what DU is doing to defend them 
Why permanence matters for both wildlife and working ranches
The rancher’s perspective on protecting grassland for future generations
Philanthropic support accelerating large‑scale habitat protection
Additional DU programs restoring grasslands, wetlands, and migration habitat
Expanding public access while supporting private landowners
Why protecting prairies today matters for hunters tomorrow

This episode offers one of the clearest explanations yet of how Ducks Unlimited protects the prairie duck factory—and how every duck stamp buyer plays a role in that success.

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
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.

Becoming a world champion doesn’t happen by accident — it happens through discipline, repetition, and an unrelenting desire to improve.
In this episode, host Matt Harrison sits down with Chance Wadsworth, a three‑time undisputed World Live Goose Calling Champion and founder of Quill Creek Calls, to talk about competition calling, practice mentality, design philosophy, and how elite calling translates to real‑world hunting success.
Chance shares his journey from growing up in the outdoors to discovering contest calling, the mindset required to win at the highest level, and why greatness comes down to doing the fundamentals over and over — even when it’s not fun.
In this episode, listeners will hear about:
How Chance first got into waterfowl hunting and goose calling
Discovering contest calling and chasing a competitive edge
What separates world champions from everyone else
Why “desire and repetition” matter more than talent
How Chance approached practice early in his career
Using focused, intentional practice to refine skills
The mental process of stepping onto the world stage
Why defending a title is harder than winning the first
What judges listen for in elite live‑goose routines
The importance of cadence, flow, and realism
Common mistakes beginners make in goose calling
Accepting failure and building a strong calling foundation
Starting a call company and designing the Quill Creek Mark I
Translating contest calling into real‑world traffic hunts
Staying motivated after winning at the highest level
Whether you’re a competitive caller, a die‑hard goose hunter, or simply someone who appreciates mastery of a craft, this episode offers insight into what it takes to truly separate yourself from the field.
SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.
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.