July 14, 2025 • 42 mins
Waterfowl hunting reaches its fullest expression when experienced with great people in stunning locations, pursuing wild birds with passion and respect. Few understand this better than Liam Fraser, founder of Coastal Creek Lodge and our featured guest.
At just 25 years old, Liam brings wisdom beyond his years to the guiding profession. Growing up on the water in Nova Scotia, he discovered early that waterfowl hunting offered something special – what he calls "the fishing of hunting," where camaraderie and shared experiences often outshine the harvest itself. "You can be cooking breakfast in the blind, all talking and laughing," he explains, describing the social dynamic that pulls many away from the solitary deer stand.
Liam's journey took a pivotal turn when Northern Skies Outfitters in Saskatchewan gave him his first professional guiding opportunity. With refreshing honesty, he admits arriving with confidence that quickly transformed into humility. "I thought I was good at killing birds, I thought I could blow a call," he reflects, "but when you get out there, you realize the true level you need to be at." This apprenticeship shaped his understanding of not just hunting tactics, but client relationships and service excellence.
Now operating Coastal Creek Lodge along Nova Scotia's north shore, Liam leverages the region's geography – "one of the first landing spots as birds start migration" – to provide exceptional hunting for Canada geese, black ducks, mallards, and sometimes surprises like snow geese. The operation reflects his values: customer-first service, conservation through their hen house project, and a commitment to putting hunters on birds rather than just in fields.
Whether you're pursuing trophy black ducks from his comfortable rustic cabins or watching his Chesapeake Bay Retriever work with focused intensity, a hunt with Liam delivers the complete waterfowl experience. Ready to discover what makes Atlantic Canada a waterfowl paradise? Reach out to Coastal Creek Lodge – where passion meets professionalism on every hunt.
Check us out on Facebook and instagram Hunts On Outfitting, and also our YouTube page Hunts On Outfitting Podcast. Tell your hunting buddies about the podcast if you like it, Thanks!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
this is hunts on outfitting podcast.
I'm your host and rookie guide,ken marr.
I love everything hunting theoutdoors and all things
associated with it, from storiesto how-tos.
You'll find it here.
Welcome to the podcast.
Hey, we are happy to have youtuning in.
You picked a great one tolisten to, as always, alright.
(00:41):
So let me try and paint you apicture.
You're all camoed up, your oldtrusty shotgun by your side, a
quivering and lightly whimperingdog on the other, both of you
full of anticipation andexcitement.
As you sit waiting in your duck, blind, your decoys are all set
out strategically in front ofyou, floating on the calm early
morning water on the large pondthat you were overlooking.
As first light gets brighter,you grab one of your favorite
(01:02):
duck calls from around your neckand give them a little hey,
who's your father?
And anxiously await a responseafter your first calling
sequence.
Suddenly, the excitement is alllet out as the first ducks of
the morning appear, and if youhave done this before, you know
exactly what happens next Now.
I might have left some thingsout, but you get the idea.
(01:23):
If not, you might want to givea call to today's guest, liam
Frazier.
A hunt with him is not focusedon the kill but the laughter and
fun from a goose or duck blind,with great people taking in all
the amazing scenery, whileafter some really great
waterfowl that's great eating.
But you know you get somefast-paced shooting in there to
(01:44):
go along with it.
It's the whole experience.
At Coastal Creek Lodge, liamtells us about his start into
waterfowl hunting, how he gaineda lot of experience guiding out
west his hen house projects,his dogs and lots more.
If you want to reach out tomessage me about anything or be
on the podcast, you can find uson facebook hunts on outfitting
(02:07):
or email hunts on outfitting atgmailcom or find myself on there
, kenmer.
All right, let's talk to liam.
Yeah, so liam, uh, you know,thanks for coming on the podcast
and I'm excited to uh to talkto you about your new outfitting
, but it's not really new.
You've outfitted before forWaterfowl out west.
(02:29):
But before we get going, if youcould describe yourself and how
you got into hunting in a fewsentences, how would you do it?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Well, I'm Liam, I'm 25, born and raised in Nova
Scotia, fished on a lobster boatsince my dad had me in a jumper
and then, yeah, hunting'salways just been one of those
things that I did.
It was actually my great unclethat got me into it, so it'd be
(03:01):
my grandmother's brother, myfather and family themselves
never hunted, but he got me intoit.
I took right on to it, alwaysbig game hunted since I was
little and then when I got olderyou know, high school and
especially like just graduatingin high school, that's when the
(03:23):
boys kind of found the, the duckhunting and and it was just uh,
it was just a race after that,I guess, is the best you could
explain it.
Yeah, it uh.
Yeah, it just took over once.
Once we started waterfowlhunting, like I remember I
didn't, I didn't go in the deerblind for the first five years.
(03:45):
I waterfowl hunted.
I just I couldn't do it.
It's, it's too much fun beingin the duck blind with the
fellow.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, exactly.
I mean, um, like we were sayingbefore, you know, deer hunting
it's uh, it's relaxing andsometimes you need that, but I I
do get bored quite easily withit.
The waterfowl hunting one yeah,like you said, you're doing the
calling, you're putting out thedecoys.
There's so much moreinteraction with it.
You got the geese coming in,ducks coming in shooting away,
guys hooting and holleringhaving fun.
(04:14):
Yeah, once you're doing that,it's hard to go sit and be quiet
, sometimes in the deer blind.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, for sure I call it the fishing of hunting.
Is is how I explain waterfowland uh to people that don't know
how to hunt.
You know you can go out withall your buddies, you can be
cooking breakfast in the blind,all talk and laugh and you see a
bird.
Okay, quiet down, tuck in,shoot them and away you go.
You're back.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
You're back to the jokes and the whatever else
you're you're doing in themeantime yeah, I mean, people
have listened to this podcastbefore, have heard me say you
know, I that's.
The big thing about the smallgame hunting and stuff that I
like is, uh is the social aspectof it.
You know, big game hunting forthe most part is more of a just
(05:00):
one person hunt, whereas thesmall game it's the camaraderie,
it's yeah, come on out, bringyour friends and just having a
good time.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Social.
It's definitely two totallydifferent worlds and, I guess,
sometimes two totally differentgroups of people, you know.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So how did you get into the?
You guided.
You're from nova scotia, butyou guided at west for waterfowl
, did you?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
yep, um.
So I was, you know, me and my,my buddy, landon uh, mcgibbon.
Um, we were sitting in the duckblind one day.
And I mean this all all we do,all we do is hunting fish like
five, six days a week.
We're, we're out there, we'redoing it.
Um, and we were sitting in theblind one day.
(05:53):
It was just a year, year or twoafter graduation.
We were like you know, we puttoo much time and too much money
into this stuff to to not nottry to do something with it.
You know what I mean.
So we sat there and we'll startapplying.
He's he was more of a fishermanand I'm more of the hunter, but
(06:15):
we always go with each otherfor whatever we're doing.
We started applying to spotsand then he had gotten a call in
the spring to go go out and dosome trout guiding in Labrador
for three rivers, and I was like, oh, that's, that's awesome man
(06:37):
, good for you.
And then he got out there and acouple months later I had
gotten my own call from Northernskies outfitters in
saskatchewan okay and uh, yeah,they, yeah, they're, they're a
pretty big outfit.
Shout out, definitely a bigshout out to northern skies.
Um, like if it wasn't for themletting me get my toes into the
(07:01):
industry, um, I yeah, I don'tknow where I'd be today.
I give full props to the guysover there for really showing me
how it's done right and and howto kill birds like those, those
fellas and northern skies.
They know how to put on a show.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
That's, that's for damn sure yeah, I mean it's good
shout out to them and that'sgreat that they, uh, they let
you so you were fair.
I mean it's good shout out tothem and that's great that they,
uh, they let you so you werefair.
I mean, so how did you do it?
You're fairly new and you justsent a resume to them yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
So you know, I just I , I waterfowl hunted, I fished
and stuff.
I sent a resume out to to anoutfit I watched.
You know, I I always wanted tobe a guide, watch videos on how
to get into it and stuff.
I sent a resume out to them andsaid you know, I'd love, love
to get into the industry, loveto be a part of your guys's team
(07:55):
.
I don't care what the paycheckis, I don't care what I gotta do
.
You know, I grew up on the backof a fishing boat.
I'll be the the best yes manyou ever had.
I said I just need the need,the opportunity, and they called
a couple weeks, invited me tocome out for the last week,
august.
We all show up and do all thegear prep and stuff and then we
(08:18):
hunt until, you know, the firstweek of november and then you,
you head home and I did my firstseason with them and after that
it was, it was off to the races.
I knew I wasn't going to doanything else.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Wow, that's pretty cool.
Uh, you putting that, you knowI'll be the biggest yes man you
ever had, and stuff.
I mean they're looking at thatlike this is gold and uh, you
know, kudos to them for givingyou the opportunity.
Uh, so did you.
Did you feel like you had apretty good handle on waterfowl
hunting until you got there?
Speaker 2 (08:48):
yeah, uh, yeah.
So yeah, that's what I mean bylike truly props to them for
showing me how it's done,because I don't know.
Like you know, you grow up.
You grow up around here as ayoung fella.
Like you learn.
You learn from the oldergeneration that's done it here
for years and years and you knownot saying that the old way is
(09:09):
the bad way, but good to take,take in new aspects and uh and
views on things.
Um, and yeah, going out there,like you know, I thought I
thought I was good at killingbirds.
I thought I could blow a call.
I thought I I thought I was.
I thought I was good at killingbirds, I thought I could blow a
call.
I thought I thought I was readyto guide.
And then, when you get outthere, you realize the true
(09:33):
level that you need to be at andit's, I guess, it's very good
to look at yourself and be like,okay, I'm not where I thought I
was, but I'm surrounded byeight guys that are exactly
(09:56):
where I want to be.
It really pushes you.
First season you get out thereand they know, like I said, I
never had a ton of guideexperience before I got some
locals into it around for thefirst time at all.
So when you go out there foryour first year, you're more of
(10:16):
you know the scouter You'redoing.
You're doing that kind of work.
You're putting brushing theblinds in, you're getting all
that stuff in.
You start finding some birds.
You want to be finding goodfeeds, telling them how, how you
think they need to be hunted,where, which direction the birds
are, in which wind.
You want you do all that.
(10:36):
You, you show them that you,you can be trusted with clients
you know um.
Then they'll start off, you'llgo out and you'll do a couple
hunts with with another guide,um.
Just that way you have the backup there.
Um gives you a little moreconfidence and once you show
them that you can do her, thenit's it's up to you to do her
(10:58):
wow, that's, that's good and uh,you know, I like that.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
You said basically you were kind of humbled and you
recognized you're not the best,but that's good.
I mean, you say that and itseems pretty straightforward,
but you know there's a lot ofguys where their egos just won't
let them, you know, realizethat.
So that's good, good for you.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
No, I think.
I think you know, going outthere and being humbled like I
was is what pushed me and mademe the hunter that I am today.
At the end of the day, if Iwould have stuck around here and
did it yeah, I killed somebirds, there's no doubt about
that.
But just to learn how to doeverything when you're running
(11:44):
out of options, different ways,different ways to make things
work Um, it definitely justgives you a whole different
perspective on theprofessionalism and and what you
really need to to be a guide,you know.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, um, that's the otherthing too.
It's one thing taking out yourbuddies that have never done it
before and hunting and peoplethat you really know and this
and that, but I'm sure theytaught you too.
Just dealing with a variety ofpeople is uh, it's a skill to be
learned in and of itself yeahfor sure.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Like you know, when, when a group comes in, you gotta
, you gotta make, make yourselfknown to them.
You figure out your ins andyour outs with them, what you
like, your connections, whatwill make every part of that
hunt enjoyable for them, andthat's what you base it off of.
(12:39):
Every group's a little bitdifferent.
No two people are the same.
No two groups are the same.
No, no two groups are the same.
It's just, it's just up to youto to figure out how you guys
connect and and to make the bestconnection while it's happening
yeah, it's everything.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
It's kind of a custom fit.
It's different shoe for everygroup, and the fact that, um,
you know, there's some peopleout there that are really great
hunters, definitely know whatthey're doing, but they're
lacking in people skills, andthat's, I'm sure you know, is
you've got to have that to be agood guide.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Yeah, for sure, for sure, Like, yeah, that was
definitely definitely somethingI learned out there.
You know, like, like, how to,how to talk to these guys, cause
at the end of the day, it doesget intimidating.
You have six, eight guys fromthe States, louisiana, wherever
(13:33):
they're from sitting there andthey're dependent and relying on
you to get some birds and toproduce a good hunt.
You know they're big guys, alot of guys that go on guided
hunts, like they're not, they'renot bad off.
They.
They usually have a couplebucks laying around to spend on
(13:54):
these hunts.
So you're just, you're reallyputting a lot of pressure on
yourself to to make sureeverything goes right.
You know when, when you'rehunting with your buddies and
stuff.
It's the end of the day, you'rejust happy to be out there with
your buddy couple.
You get a couple but and and alot of the cons to like that too
, but you just you really put iton yourself because you know at
(14:17):
the end of the day, they arethere to get a couple birds yeah
, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
And uh, sometimes I find you know some of the
guiding I've done too we putmore pressure on ourselves and
want it more than they do, butwe don't realize that.
You know they're happy to beout there, but obviously, yeah,
you want to get them some goodshot, opportunities and this and
that.
Do you go over to like whenthey're coming out, are you
checking over their guns andtheir ammo and be like, yeah,
that'll work.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Or I mean and be like , yeah, that'll work, or I mean
I suppose that's set up beforethey come out, yeah, so, so a
lot of the time, yeah, like wego over all that stuff before
they come out.
Um, a lot of, like, ourcanadian groups, our
newfoundlanders, um, all thoseguys they're, they're taking
their own guns and ammo andlooking, looking after that
stuff.
But, uh, with the states nowthere's so many forms and just
(15:09):
the travel across the borderwith firearms and ammunition
that they're, they're more solooking to show up here and
being able to rent rent a gunfor the trip, um, and then, yeah
, so we just make sure that wegot a rack of guns here that the
clients can use whenever theyshow up and we go from there.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Yeah, I mean that's a good idea.
It just makes it so much easierfor you guys instead of having
to explain what to go through toget their guns and ammo here,
and for them it's just one lessthing they need to worry about
and just be able to relax andthink about the trip.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah, exactly, exactly, exactly Like we were
trying to base everything off of.
You know, our clients enjoying,enjoying their trip.
We, we got the, we got thespare guns, we got a couple
couple of young fellas hiredfrom high school to be our bird
boys.
So in the evenings, after theyget off school, they're going to
(16:04):
look after the clients birds.
That way they can just relax,enjoy the night.
Um, we look after all thelicense in before they show up.
Uh, just one thing off the mindyou don't want someone to show
up and be missing one sheet andnot be able to hunt that day
because we got to run to the dnroffice or something like that.
(16:25):
So we're going to make sure allthat stuff's covered as well.
As you know, their, theirlodging, their food, all that
stuff we have.
We have live music playing forthem on tuesday nights.
Um, like the their last nightstaying with us.
We bought 50, 50 or 60 I forgetthe number now um, 50 or 60
(16:49):
pheasants that are being raisedin flight pens on the preserve
right now.
So that's always an option todo in the afternoons or, you
know, if it's, if you are havingthose slow days, you can't
can't find a good hunt.
You can still make sure thatyou get your clients out.
They can enjoy, enjoy the dayand enjoy each other and have a
(17:10):
couple shots, you know yeah,yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
So I mean, definitely sounds like the customer comes
first, which is good and the wayit should be, but not, not
everyone's like that.
Uh.
So I mean, yeah, tell me thetransition between you know you
hunting here, you applied, youwent out there, learned how to
deal with people, guiding birds,calling setups, the whole deal.
And then you come back to novascotia and you set up coastal
(17:35):
creek lodge yep, so I always, Ialways lived in nova scotia.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Uh, I just fly out there, you know, at the at the
start of the fall, and I do myguide season.
I fly back home.
Um, so, as soon as I, as soonas I land off the plane, we were
, we were back hunting.
Like last year, I landed homeat nine o'clock at night and we
went and we shot a six man limitof canadas plus six snow geese
(18:03):
the next day and we were done inthe first hour of daylight,
like, oh, in nova scotia waittime?
if, yeah, that that was in novascotia we did last year.
It was the first first day Igot home like I wasn't even home
for 10 hours.
Um.
So you know, just over theyears, putting in those miles,
knocking on doors, getting thatthe access and and the, the
(18:28):
spaces and fields that we do, um, it just it was definitely.
It's not something you can, Idon't think you can just jump
into Um, it takes, it takes along time and I think that if I
didn't go away to see it donehow they do it, um, I don't
think I'd be in the position.
I am.
But, yeah, like, go out there,learned what to do.
(18:51):
I'd come home in the fall, onpractice, everything I learned
new skills lock up more land,wait till next season, do the
same thing over and over um.
And then, yeah, I just you knowwhat, I think, I think we got
the land.
I built a lot of goodconnections over the years with
(19:14):
clients at West.
I said I think I got the, Ithink I got the land, I got the
interest.
I just I just need to get it onon the go.
And we started making posts,started making our pages and
yeah, we're we're basicallyfully booked already for october
and november wow, that'sawesome.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Um, so you know you were really working on.
You didn't just walk into this.
You uh and pun intended gotyour ducks in a row first by for
sure.
Just just all the, all theresearch and and, like you said,
knocking on doors, getting thatland all set, learning how it's
done at some of these biggeroperations that have a lot of
people in and you get more handson, and all that quickly and um
(19:57):
, yeah, that's, that's reallygood.
Just you, definitely you didyour research.
That's good to hear.
Um, so how much land roughlyare you operating on here in
nova scotia, canada?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
um, so we, for field wise no, not including any woods
or nothing like for big game?
Um, strictly field wise, wehave access, private access, to
probably at least 4,500 acres.
Right now, a mix of soybean,rye, barley, wheat barley, wheat
(20:32):
, corn little bit of everything.
The birds Especially.
It's good to have all thesedifferent crops because time of
year and weather conditiondefinitely affects on what the
birds wanna eat.
So the more land, the moretypes of crops you have, the
more you're gonna be on thebirds.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, well then you had on your Facebook page too
for Coastal Creek Lodges.
Nova Scotia is on the firstlanding slash feeding spots as
the birds start their migration.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Yes, sir.
Yes, yeah, like we.
If you look on the map, likeit's not, it's not hard to tell.
You know, like there's, there'sa big.
I I shot a couple of collarslast year.
So I got in contact with thebiologist, um from our area and
he was, he was amazing.
(21:26):
He came right to my door, uh,to pick them up and sat there
for an hour having a greatconversation with me on, you
know, just questions.
I had things I was interestedin, etc.
He explained to me that ourmaritime population, so our
local birds, our resident birdsbetween in the maritime, so
(21:50):
that's pei, new uh, newbrunswick, nova scotia, we're
sitting at about 1 million, andthat was as of last year, um,
and I know that that's going tobe a whole lot higher this year.
Looking at our, our local birds,like I'm, I'm pretty excited.
And that the newfoundland, thenewfoundland uh group, they were
(22:12):
sitting at about 100,000.
And then you have all thosebirds coming from north of
Newfoundland and you know, theMaggies, all those birds when
they start flying, yeah, likewe're, just we're kind of right
in that zone where they eitherhit PEI or they hit us.
(22:33):
It just depends on which sideof the straight they decide to
stick to and yeah, we're kind ofthat first landing area for
that East Coast push for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So does the wind kind of affect on, like you were
saying, what side of thestraight they're on?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yep, yeah, wind affects it.
Um, it all depends.
Like the, the caller I shotlast year.
Um, it came, it showed up inour area.
It flew an hour and a halfsouth of us the next day and
then woke up that morning andflew from an hour and a half
(23:18):
south of us, passed us to backto.
It, came from Newfoundland,landed on the North Shore here
in Nova Scotia, flew an hour anda half south and then it flew
(23:38):
all the way back to pei.
It did a loop around the bigharbor and pei and then it flew
back to me where we had uh,where we had shot him in the
field.
So so the birds like they're,they're just always bouncing,
like I, I, I always knew thatbirds bounce, but after getting
those you know those sheets thatshows where this bird traveled
(23:59):
in three days.
Like you, you you really don'tknow what birds you're hunting
when you're sitting there yeah,they're, uh, they're quite the
athletes really.
Uh, how much flying they do allover yeah, I I wouldn't be able
to put those miles on.
I'll I'll say that I've watched.
I've watched all our birds pickup.
(24:20):
You know we've had great hunts.
We hunted them for two or threedays, whacking them Um the moon
.
I find the moon affects us,affects us the most.
Here in Nova Scotia we get thebirds and we hold the birds and
it's great, we can really get onthem.
But then when you have thosebig moons and it's really bright
(24:44):
out at night, I remember nightslast year and the year before
where I sat out on my deck 11o'clock because I could hear
them going over the bedroom,walk out on the deck and you
know you're and seeing thesilhouettes, all your birds
flying out at you know 11, 11o'clock, 12 o'clock at night,
(25:05):
heading south yeah, yeah, I meanthe moon.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Yeah, it definitely affects a lot of animals.
You know it has such a hugeeffect on the tide and in Nova
Scotia, where you guys are know,everyone's kind of near the
water.
Imagine that has a role in itas well.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Yeah for sure.
So I find, especially like inour area, a high tide that's
when your birds are coming offthe water, that's when you're
going to shoot them in thefields, whether it's morning or
afternoon, is kind of kind of upto the tide.
On the low tides they like tobe on those, you know mud bars,
sand flats, all that stuffeating, eating the grass just
(25:43):
kind of hanging out and then,once that water, starts to rise,
the birds, the birds start tomove.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Yeah, so, speaking with the birds, what species are
you guys are you targeting andwhat are primarily people that
go with you going to be shootingat?
Speaker 2 (26:00):
So we base our hunts on what our clients are looking
for.
We have two or three groupsfrom the states between
Louisiana, north Carolina andGeorgia.
They're coming just for ducksthere.
They're not big goose hunters,they're also fellas that I
guided for the last few years atWest.
(26:21):
So, yeah, they just want tocome.
They want to come shoot someblack ducks.
A couple of them are looking totake some home to get mounts
done for their walls and stuff,because you know a black duck is
a pretty sought-after bird inthe States.
Looking to take some home toget mounts done for the walls
and stuff, cause you know the ablack duck is a pretty sought
after bird in the States.
Um, and there's a lot of placesyou can't shoot them, where
we're able to shoot six a day aperson.
(26:42):
Um, so it it definitelyinterests those kinds of guys
you also have.
You know those guys are alsointerested in possibly shooting
you know, a long tail or orsomething like that.
Some cool divers they they'vebeen talking a lot about, you
know getting their black ducksand maybe maybe doing a diver
(27:03):
hunt or so.
Um, and then of course, geeselike geese, geese are a big one.
I love, love killing geese.
Most of our Newfoundland groupsactually all of our
Newfoundland groups are here forthe geese.
So yeah, it really just dependson what you're looking for.
Whatever you're looking for,we'll make it happen.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Okay, nice, you guys have a variety of species you're
able to offer.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Yes, sir, yeah, we got mergansers, boffal heads,
blue bills, golden eyes, burrowsgolden eyes, black ducks,
mallards, the odd pintail, theodd widgeon.
Um, last year we shot six snowgeese.
Never seen snow geese herebefore, but you know we got a
couple snow geese, a lot ofcanada geese.
(27:52):
Yeah, just a mix of everything.
It it all depends um, when bigstorms like north of us, we we
tend to get those green lamberdsand ice lamberds that they get
caught in the storms, they getpushed over.
That's why you know we'll seethe odd brand, the odd pink,
pink footed, the odd snow goose.
(28:12):
It it just, yeah, it's.
It's just kind of one of thoseareas that you never truly know
what you're going to get whenyou go out.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, that's really neat.
That just keeps the excitement,especially from people from you
know far away the anticipationof really not knowing what
exactly it's going to come intothe spread.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Yeah, exactly Like that's.
Patient of really not knowingwhat exactly it's going to come
into the spread.
Yeah, exactly like that's.
I think that was one of thethings that truly got me on to
waterfowl hunting to begin withas well.
Like that's.
That's something I still enjoyto this day.
Like you know, it's, it's, it'scool.
It's it's cool when you plan ongoing out and shooting a lemon
(28:52):
to geese and all of a sudden,there's a bird before sitting
there in front of you, like yeahit's yeah, it's trophy hunting.
That's like if I guess you couldcall it.
Like, at the end of the day,like you're, you're out there,
you're getting meat and stuff,but when you see those cool
birds, it's, it's like a littletrophy to take home as well yeah
(29:14):
, yeah, exactly, uh, just yeah,makes it for all that much more
fun.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
I want to talk a bit about, too.
You use it.
I'm a dog guy myself, as mostpeople know.
Tell me a bit about your dog.
You use that for waterfowlhunting, which is definitely a
huge asset.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Yeah, I have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
He's three years old.
I got him from Working DogKennels Lori Way on the so Shore
.
He actually just had anotherbatch Absolutely great dogs.
If you're interested in aChessie, I'd definitely speak to
Lori Before you get a Chessie.
(29:52):
You should know they arehard-headed.
Do not think that they're goingto react or listen like a lab.
They definitely have their ownkind of personality.
Do not think that they're goingto react or or listen like a
lab.
They they definitely have theirown kind of personality.
Um, and we also have a.
I have a one year old Fox redlab as well, um, and she's being
trained for upland right now.
(30:13):
More or less.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
All right, yeah, that's neat.
Yeah, I know we were talking toa guy before in the podcast a
bit and I've always compared theChessies to like.
I thought they're like a lab,but I guess I was quite wrong in
that they're definitely muchmore higher, strung, bigger and
just a lot more of a working dog, from the sense of it, over a
lab.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Yeah, they are built to work.
He is high strung is definitelya word you could use for my dog
.
Not that he's bad indoors, he'sgreat Like.
If he's ever feeling funky orif it's too hot, we'll take him
in, but he loves being outside.
(30:58):
He wants to be outside at alltimes, it doesn't matter how
cold or how hot it is.
Um, he, he cries when he'sinside.
Uh, we had a big, big freezethere this winter.
It got really, really cold.
Um took him in, figured I'dtake him in for the night and
let him stay warm, and he sat inhis kennel and cried, for it
(31:21):
was almost two hours and then Isaid, okay, I'm gonna see if he
needs to use the bathroom.
I went and I opened the door tothe house and he walked out of
the house and he walked rightback into his outdoor pen,
crawled in his house andwouldn't come out.
So I closed the door and awaywe went, yeah yeah, yeah, no,
that's that's what I've heardabout them.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Um, so that you know that's great.
So people coming out with youas well, you know they get to
see some dog work yeah, thatthat's uh.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
That's definitely one thing you know I've had a
couple client groups be about isif there's dogs involved or not
, and when you, when you mentionit, they're oh great, I I've
always wanted to see dogs workor I love watching a dog work.
It it adds a whole whole newaspect to the waterfowl hunting.
For sure I I did it myself inwaders for years and I said,
(32:13):
well, actually it was when Iwent, went out west my first
year and I was guiding thenorthern skies.
There's a fellow named Sam andhe had a Chessie himself, I
don't know.
I just fell in love with him.
I thought he was an awesome dogand I said I'm going to get my
own.
I came home and I got my ownfor the next fall.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Yeah, yeah.
No, it's really great Any kindof hunting, just seeing dog work
for people that you know.
Even if you're not into dogs,you can definitely appreciate it
.
There's nothing like awell-trained dog doing what it's
been bred to do.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Yeah, exactly Like you know when a dog is injured
or not, like there's not asecond.
We're out in the field wherehe's not just vibrating like he,
you can feel him, even ifyou're on the other side of the
blind just vibrating.
you can feel the ground goingyeah, yeah, exactly, they live
(33:10):
for it really yeah, yeah andyeah, it doesn't matter if you I
I kind of laugh I tell theclients when they show up.
You know, like if you miss, ifyou miss it's not my fault, he's
going to let you know about it,and he definitely does.
If he hears those guns go offand I'm not sending them he's
(33:35):
giving them an earful for aminute or two.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Yeah, he's judgy, yeah, yeah, well, you know,
gives uh, just adds to the fun.
Um, I want to talk a bit abouttoo.
I mean, some people think youknow, outfair isn't god?
So all they want to do is killand stuff like that, people that
don't know.
Um, you guys, that's not thecase, obviously, but uh, but you
guys have a hen house project.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Yeah, so that's funded by ourselves out of our
own pockets.
Yeah, you know, it's all partof it.
Like, if you plan on hunting ortaking from from taking from,
(34:25):
you know, your, your wildlife,then you should be willing to
put tenfold back into it and inmy opinion, so especially we.
We always, you know, we alwaystried to improve habitat and
stuff around here.
But before this year, butespecially this this year, when
we were in the talks of it thiswinter, we said, well, we're
gonna, we're gonna make sure weput back into our conservation
side as well.
So we started a coastal creekhen house project and we've been
(34:49):
working with all the localfarmers and all the landowners
that we know, also getting themout on the rivers and the
marshes around and just tryingto trying to help out.
We we definitely like we getmore black ducks and mallards
here.
So hopefully with this henhouse project we we see an
increase of those over the nextcouple years and people enjoy
(35:13):
seeing them.
Like you know, you can watch a.
Put them in your pond in yourfront yard and you can watch
watch a duck have her nest andhave her babies, and it's
something she'll always comeback to every year after that as
well.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
So yeah, so that's what you guys do.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
You guys have been put building uh hen houses and
putting them up just anyanywhere as you can yeah, just
yeah, if yeah, like we, we know,we know all the ponds and all
the spots around here, so we'vejust been knocking on doors
making sure that it's okay.
Nobody's said no to it, becauseof course it's a great thing to
(35:51):
do and, yeah, just as many aswe can.
And you know it's don't.
We don't see as much happeningthis year, obviously because
it's the first year.
Um, they like to, they like tosee them for a year or two
beforehand before they theyreally start nesting in them.
(36:12):
But uh, but yeah, we're hoping.
We're hoping in the next coupleyears we start to start to see
the change.
And we're hoping in the nextcouple of years we start to see
the change and there's onlygoing to be more put out from
now on.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yeah, that's great to hear.
It just shows, I guess, peoplelistening to this and thinking
about booking with you what kindof guy they're dealing with.
It's really great You're notjust taking, you're giving back
as well.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yes, sir, that's our number one thing here coastal
lodge, whether it's to the, tothe birds, to the landowners, to
the clients, whatever.
Like, everybody comes first,like we, we will do our utmost
to to make sure you are happyyeah, no, that's uh.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
It's great to hear uh .
Then you know speaking aboutwhich I want to talk about.
So people looking to book withyou.
You have accommodations.
How many guys can you take at atime?
All that?
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Yeah, so we have two beautiful rustic-feeling cabins.
Truly makes you feel likeyou're in in the hunting camp
with the boys.
Um, each each cabin fits threepeople.
Um, can sleep a fourth, youknow if.
If someone can't get away fromtheir life for the weekend or
(37:30):
whatever, they got no excuses.
Um, so we can run anywhere fromone to six guys.
Um, it just yeah, it just kindof depends on what your group
size is and and what you'relooking for, like if, if you
want to, you want to do a huntwith a couple extra people, we
can, we can make that happen ifyou want to.
(37:51):
If you want to do a solo hunt,just you and your, then then
that's the way it'll be.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Okay, yeah.
So what area?
Nova Scotia, canada?
What north, central, southern?
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Yeah.
So I'd say basically just thenorth shore, the whole north
shore.
We go from Amherst to CapeBreton.
We got land, and then we gosouth, got some in churro, um,
and then we we had a couplefarmers off us offer us some
(38:28):
land in the valley.
But you know, we're pushing,we're pushing a two-hour drive
there, so that's.
I don't know if that's reallyin the game, but we, we go
wherever the birds go is is howI'd explain it.
Um, I don't, I don't plan onputting someone in a field, um,
hoping that birds show up orthey fly over.
(38:50):
Uh, when you go on a hunt withcoastal, when you get set up in
the morning, that will be thebest field around within an hour
or more.
Stride that like we're.
We're here to put you on them,we're here to give you that,
that chance yeah, that's uh,that's what people want to hear.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
That's great, um so, uh, yeah, sounds like it's a
great spot.
So you still have a fewopenings for this fall.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Yeah, I got one week in October.
It'd be the 19th to the 25th.
I have two weeks in NovemberIt'd be the 2nd to the 8th and
the 23rd to the 29th, and then Ican also take December bookings
as well.
I just never really opened thebooks up to it yet because I was
(39:46):
trying to fill those ones in.
But if December accommodatespeople better, then of course
we'll make that work for them.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Yeah, perfect, so you ever have any something unique
happen to you in the blind.
You spend all this time outthere and any cool stories oh
yeah, like we definitelydefinitely see some things.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
I mean, I remember I was out in alberta with a group
of clients I think they're fromlouisiana, if I'm correct um,
and we're sitting there eatingsome trail mix, having our blind
giggles, and of course here'ssomething in front of us.
So I peek my head out the blindand there's a monster moose
(40:34):
right in the kill hole, right inthe middle of the decoys, just
sitting there munching on thewheat, staring right at us yeah
or it was yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
I can't say I've ever seen that before.
Uh, at waterfowl hunting,that's uh, that's neat.
What would your clients think?
Speaker 2 (40:52):
uh, two of them were very and uh, they loved it.
They were laughing, takingpictures.
They're trying to take selfieswith him and the other fella, he
was enjoying his trail mix.
I don't think there was muchthat was going to get him
interested more than that.
I think he was a little hungry,yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
You know, Liam, it's been great talking to you From
the sense that you've definitelydone your research and, like I
said, gotten your ducks in a rowand all this, you know, prior
preparation and planning forsetting up your outfitting.
What's the best way for peopleto get in contact with you?
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Shoot me a message on Facebook at a coastal Creek
lodge or to contact mepersonally on my cell One nine
oh, two, six, one, six, three,four, zero, zero.
To contact me personally on mycell 1-902-616-3400.
The phone's always on.
If it rings, I'm answering.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
There you go, Perfect , Liam.
Thanks again for coming on thepodcast and I look forward to
seeing pictures of the huntsthis fall.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yes, sir, thank you for having me.
We'll make sure to get you andyour buddies down for a hunt or
two, and maybe do another one atthe end of the season and recap
on how things truly went,because talk is talk, but the
walk is the walk.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Absolutely.
It sounds like fun.
We'll be in touch.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
Yes, sir, you have a great day.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Thanks you too.
this is hunts on outfitting podcast.
I'm your host and rookie guide,ken marr.
I love everything hunting theoutdoors and all things
associated with it, from storiesto how-tos.
You'll find it here.
Welcome to the podcast.
Hey, we are happy to have youtuning in.
You picked a great one tolisten to, as always, alright.
(00:41):
So let me try and paint you apicture.
You're all camoed up, your oldtrusty shotgun by your side, a
quivering and lightly whimperingdog on the other, both of you
full of anticipation andexcitement.
As you sit waiting in your duck, blind, your decoys are all set
out strategically in front ofyou, floating on the calm early
morning water on the large pondthat you were overlooking.
As first light gets brighter,you grab one of your favorite
(01:02):
duck calls from around your neckand give them a little hey,
who's your father?
And anxiously await a responseafter your first calling
sequence.
Suddenly, the excitement is alllet out as the first ducks of
the morning appear, and if youhave done this before, you know
exactly what happens next Now.
I might have left some thingsout, but you get the idea.
(01:23):
If not, you might want to givea call to today's guest, liam
Frazier.
A hunt with him is not focusedon the kill but the laughter and
fun from a goose or duck blind,with great people taking in all
the amazing scenery, whileafter some really great
waterfowl that's great eating.
But you know you get somefast-paced shooting in there to
(01:44):
go along with it.
It's the whole experience.
At Coastal Creek Lodge, liamtells us about his start into
waterfowl hunting, how he gaineda lot of experience guiding out
west his hen house projects,his dogs and lots more.
If you want to reach out tomessage me about anything or be
on the podcast, you can find uson facebook hunts on outfitting
(02:07):
or email hunts on outfitting atgmailcom or find myself on there
, kenmer.
All right, let's talk to liam.
Yeah, so liam, uh, you know,thanks for coming on the podcast
and I'm excited to uh to talkto you about your new outfitting
, but it's not really new.
You've outfitted before forWaterfowl out west.
(02:29):
But before we get going, if youcould describe yourself and how
you got into hunting in a fewsentences, how would you do it?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Well, I'm Liam, I'm 25, born and raised in Nova
Scotia, fished on a lobster boatsince my dad had me in a jumper
and then, yeah, hunting'salways just been one of those
things that I did.
It was actually my great unclethat got me into it, so it'd be
(03:01):
my grandmother's brother, myfather and family themselves
never hunted, but he got me intoit.
I took right on to it, alwaysbig game hunted since I was
little and then when I got olderyou know, high school and
especially like just graduatingin high school, that's when the
(03:23):
boys kind of found the, the duckhunting and and it was just uh,
it was just a race after that,I guess, is the best you could
explain it.
Yeah, it uh.
Yeah, it just took over once.
Once we started waterfowlhunting, like I remember I
didn't, I didn't go in the deerblind for the first five years.
(03:45):
I waterfowl hunted.
I just I couldn't do it.
It's, it's too much fun beingin the duck blind with the
fellow.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, exactly.
I mean, um, like we were sayingbefore, you know, deer hunting
it's uh, it's relaxing andsometimes you need that, but I I
do get bored quite easily withit.
The waterfowl hunting one yeah,like you said, you're doing the
calling, you're putting out thedecoys.
There's so much moreinteraction with it.
You got the geese coming in,ducks coming in shooting away,
guys hooting and holleringhaving fun.
(04:14):
Yeah, once you're doing that,it's hard to go sit and be quiet
, sometimes in the deer blind.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, for sure I call it the fishing of hunting.
Is is how I explain waterfowland uh to people that don't know
how to hunt.
You know you can go out withall your buddies, you can be
cooking breakfast in the blind,all talk and laugh and you see a
bird.
Okay, quiet down, tuck in,shoot them and away you go.
You're back.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
You're back to the jokes and the whatever else
you're you're doing in themeantime yeah, I mean, people
have listened to this podcastbefore, have heard me say you
know, I that's.
The big thing about the smallgame hunting and stuff that I
like is, uh is the social aspectof it.
You know, big game hunting forthe most part is more of a just
(05:00):
one person hunt, whereas thesmall game it's the camaraderie,
it's yeah, come on out, bringyour friends and just having a
good time.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Social.
It's definitely two totallydifferent worlds and, I guess,
sometimes two totally differentgroups of people, you know.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So how did you get into the?
You guided.
You're from nova scotia, butyou guided at west for waterfowl
, did you?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
yep, um.
So I was, you know, me and my,my buddy, landon uh, mcgibbon.
Um, we were sitting in the duckblind one day.
And I mean this all all we do,all we do is hunting fish like
five, six days a week.
We're, we're out there, we'redoing it.
Um, and we were sitting in theblind one day.
(05:53):
It was just a year, year or twoafter graduation.
We were like you know, we puttoo much time and too much money
into this stuff to to not nottry to do something with it.
You know what I mean.
So we sat there and we'll startapplying.
He's he was more of a fishermanand I'm more of the hunter, but
(06:15):
we always go with each otherfor whatever we're doing.
We started applying to spotsand then he had gotten a call in
the spring to go go out and dosome trout guiding in Labrador
for three rivers, and I was like, oh, that's, that's awesome man
(06:37):
, good for you.
And then he got out there and acouple months later I had
gotten my own call from Northernskies outfitters in
saskatchewan okay and uh, yeah,they, yeah, they're, they're a
pretty big outfit.
Shout out, definitely a bigshout out to northern skies.
Um, like if it wasn't for themletting me get my toes into the
(07:01):
industry, um, I yeah, I don'tknow where I'd be today.
I give full props to the guysover there for really showing me
how it's done right and and howto kill birds like those, those
fellas and northern skies.
They know how to put on a show.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
That's, that's for damn sure yeah, I mean it's good
shout out to them and that'sgreat that they, uh, they let
you so you were fair.
I mean it's good shout out tothem and that's great that they,
uh, they let you so you werefair.
I mean, so how did you do it?
You're fairly new and you justsent a resume to them yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
So you know, I just I , I waterfowl hunted, I fished
and stuff.
I sent a resume out to to anoutfit I watched.
You know, I I always wanted tobe a guide, watch videos on how
to get into it and stuff.
I sent a resume out to them andsaid you know, I'd love, love
to get into the industry, loveto be a part of your guys's team
(07:55):
.
I don't care what the paycheckis, I don't care what I gotta do
.
You know, I grew up on the backof a fishing boat.
I'll be the the best yes manyou ever had.
I said I just need the need,the opportunity, and they called
a couple weeks, invited me tocome out for the last week,
august.
We all show up and do all thegear prep and stuff and then we
(08:18):
hunt until, you know, the firstweek of november and then you,
you head home and I did my firstseason with them and after that
it was, it was off to the races.
I knew I wasn't going to doanything else.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Wow, that's pretty cool.
Uh, you putting that, you knowI'll be the biggest yes man you
ever had, and stuff.
I mean they're looking at thatlike this is gold and uh, you
know, kudos to them for givingyou the opportunity.
Uh, so did you.
Did you feel like you had apretty good handle on waterfowl
hunting until you got there?
Speaker 2 (08:48):
yeah, uh, yeah.
So yeah, that's what I mean bylike truly props to them for
showing me how it's done,because I don't know.
Like you know, you grow up.
You grow up around here as ayoung fella.
Like you learn.
You learn from the oldergeneration that's done it here
for years and years and you knownot saying that the old way is
(09:09):
the bad way, but good to take,take in new aspects and uh and
views on things.
Um, and yeah, going out there,like you know, I thought I
thought I was good at killingbirds.
I thought I could blow a call.
I thought I I thought I was.
I thought I was good at killingbirds, I thought I could blow a
call.
I thought I thought I was readyto guide.
And then, when you get outthere, you realize the true
(09:33):
level that you need to be at andit's, I guess, it's very good
to look at yourself and be like,okay, I'm not where I thought I
was, but I'm surrounded byeight guys that are exactly
(09:56):
where I want to be.
It really pushes you.
First season you get out thereand they know, like I said, I
never had a ton of guideexperience before I got some
locals into it around for thefirst time at all.
So when you go out there foryour first year, you're more of
(10:16):
you know the scouter You'redoing.
You're doing that kind of work.
You're putting brushing theblinds in, you're getting all
that stuff in.
You start finding some birds.
You want to be finding goodfeeds, telling them how, how you
think they need to be hunted,where, which direction the birds
are, in which wind.
You want you do all that.
(10:36):
You, you show them that you,you can be trusted with clients
you know um.
Then they'll start off, you'llgo out and you'll do a couple
hunts with with another guide,um.
Just that way you have the backup there.
Um gives you a little moreconfidence and once you show
them that you can do her, thenit's it's up to you to do her
(10:58):
wow, that's, that's good and uh,you know, I like that.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
You said basically you were kind of humbled and you
recognized you're not the best,but that's good.
I mean, you say that and itseems pretty straightforward,
but you know there's a lot ofguys where their egos just won't
let them, you know, realizethat.
So that's good, good for you.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
No, I think.
I think you know, going outthere and being humbled like I
was is what pushed me and mademe the hunter that I am today.
At the end of the day, if Iwould have stuck around here and
did it yeah, I killed somebirds, there's no doubt about
that.
But just to learn how to doeverything when you're running
(11:44):
out of options, different ways,different ways to make things
work Um, it definitely justgives you a whole different
perspective on theprofessionalism and and what you
really need to to be a guide,you know.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, um, that's the otherthing too.
It's one thing taking out yourbuddies that have never done it
before and hunting and peoplethat you really know and this
and that, but I'm sure theytaught you too.
Just dealing with a variety ofpeople is uh, it's a skill to be
learned in and of itself yeahfor sure.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Like you know, when, when a group comes in, you gotta
, you gotta make, make yourselfknown to them.
You figure out your ins andyour outs with them, what you
like, your connections, whatwill make every part of that
hunt enjoyable for them, andthat's what you base it off of.
(12:39):
Every group's a little bitdifferent.
No two people are the same.
No two groups are the same.
No, no two groups are the same.
It's just, it's just up to youto to figure out how you guys
connect and and to make the bestconnection while it's happening
yeah, it's everything.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
It's kind of a custom fit.
It's different shoe for everygroup, and the fact that, um,
you know, there's some peopleout there that are really great
hunters, definitely know whatthey're doing, but they're
lacking in people skills, andthat's, I'm sure you know, is
you've got to have that to be agood guide.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Yeah, for sure, for sure, Like, yeah, that was
definitely definitely somethingI learned out there.
You know, like, like, how to,how to talk to these guys, cause
at the end of the day, it doesget intimidating.
You have six, eight guys fromthe States, louisiana, wherever
(13:33):
they're from sitting there andthey're dependent and relying on
you to get some birds and toproduce a good hunt.
You know they're big guys, alot of guys that go on guided
hunts, like they're not, they'renot bad off.
They.
They usually have a couplebucks laying around to spend on
(13:54):
these hunts.
So you're just, you're reallyputting a lot of pressure on
yourself to to make sureeverything goes right.
You know when, when you'rehunting with your buddies and
stuff.
It's the end of the day, you'rejust happy to be out there with
your buddy couple.
You get a couple but and and alot of the cons to like that too
, but you just you really put iton yourself because you know at
(14:17):
the end of the day, they arethere to get a couple birds yeah
, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
And uh, sometimes I find you know some of the
guiding I've done too we putmore pressure on ourselves and
want it more than they do, butwe don't realize that.
You know they're happy to beout there, but obviously, yeah,
you want to get them some goodshot, opportunities and this and
that.
Do you go over to like whenthey're coming out, are you
checking over their guns andtheir ammo and be like, yeah,
that'll work.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Or I mean and be like , yeah, that'll work, or I mean
I suppose that's set up beforethey come out, yeah, so, so a
lot of the time, yeah, like wego over all that stuff before
they come out.
Um, a lot of, like, ourcanadian groups, our
newfoundlanders, um, all thoseguys they're, they're taking
their own guns and ammo andlooking, looking after that
stuff.
But, uh, with the states nowthere's so many forms and just
(15:09):
the travel across the borderwith firearms and ammunition
that they're, they're more solooking to show up here and
being able to rent rent a gunfor the trip, um, and then, yeah
, so we just make sure that wegot a rack of guns here that the
clients can use whenever theyshow up and we go from there.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Yeah, I mean that's a good idea.
It just makes it so much easierfor you guys instead of having
to explain what to go through toget their guns and ammo here,
and for them it's just one lessthing they need to worry about
and just be able to relax andthink about the trip.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah, exactly, exactly, exactly Like we were
trying to base everything off of.
You know, our clients enjoying,enjoying their trip.
We, we got the, we got thespare guns, we got a couple
couple of young fellas hiredfrom high school to be our bird
boys.
So in the evenings, after theyget off school, they're going to
(16:04):
look after the clients birds.
That way they can just relax,enjoy the night.
Um, we look after all thelicense in before they show up.
Uh, just one thing off the mindyou don't want someone to show
up and be missing one sheet andnot be able to hunt that day
because we got to run to the dnroffice or something like that.
(16:25):
So we're going to make sure allthat stuff's covered as well.
As you know, their, theirlodging, their food, all that
stuff we have.
We have live music playing forthem on tuesday nights.
Um, like the their last nightstaying with us.
We bought 50, 50 or 60 I forgetthe number now um, 50 or 60
(16:49):
pheasants that are being raisedin flight pens on the preserve
right now.
So that's always an option todo in the afternoons or, you
know, if it's, if you are havingthose slow days, you can't
can't find a good hunt.
You can still make sure thatyou get your clients out.
They can enjoy, enjoy the dayand enjoy each other and have a
(17:10):
couple shots, you know yeah,yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
So I mean, definitely sounds like the customer comes
first, which is good and the wayit should be, but not, not
everyone's like that.
Uh.
So I mean, yeah, tell me thetransition between you know you
hunting here, you applied, youwent out there, learned how to
deal with people, guiding birds,calling setups, the whole deal.
And then you come back to novascotia and you set up coastal
(17:35):
creek lodge yep, so I always, Ialways lived in nova scotia.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Uh, I just fly out there, you know, at the at the
start of the fall, and I do myguide season.
I fly back home.
Um, so, as soon as I, as soonas I land off the plane, we were
, we were back hunting.
Like last year, I landed homeat nine o'clock at night and we
went and we shot a six man limitof canadas plus six snow geese
(18:03):
the next day and we were done inthe first hour of daylight,
like, oh, in nova scotia waittime?
if, yeah, that that was in novascotia we did last year.
It was the first first day Igot home like I wasn't even home
for 10 hours.
Um.
So you know, just over theyears, putting in those miles,
knocking on doors, getting thatthe access and and the, the
(18:28):
spaces and fields that we do, um, it just it was definitely.
It's not something you can, Idon't think you can just jump
into Um, it takes, it takes along time and I think that if I
didn't go away to see it donehow they do it, um, I don't
think I'd be in the position.
I am.
But, yeah, like, go out there,learned what to do.
(18:51):
I'd come home in the fall, onpractice, everything I learned
new skills lock up more land,wait till next season, do the
same thing over and over um.
And then, yeah, I just you knowwhat, I think, I think we got
the land.
I built a lot of goodconnections over the years with
(19:14):
clients at West.
I said I think I got the, Ithink I got the land, I got the
interest.
I just I just need to get it onon the go.
And we started making posts,started making our pages and
yeah, we're we're basicallyfully booked already for october
and november wow, that'sawesome.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Um, so you know you were really working on.
You didn't just walk into this.
You uh and pun intended gotyour ducks in a row first by for
sure.
Just just all the, all theresearch and and, like you said,
knocking on doors, getting thatland all set, learning how it's
done at some of these biggeroperations that have a lot of
people in and you get more handson, and all that quickly and um
(19:57):
, yeah, that's, that's reallygood.
Just you, definitely you didyour research.
That's good to hear.
Um, so how much land roughlyare you operating on here in
nova scotia, canada?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
um, so we, for field wise no, not including any woods
or nothing like for big game?
Um, strictly field wise, wehave access, private access, to
probably at least 4,500 acres.
Right now, a mix of soybean,rye, barley, wheat barley, wheat
(20:32):
, corn little bit of everything.
The birds Especially.
It's good to have all thesedifferent crops because time of
year and weather conditiondefinitely affects on what the
birds wanna eat.
So the more land, the moretypes of crops you have, the
more you're gonna be on thebirds.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, well then you had on your Facebook page too
for Coastal Creek Lodges.
Nova Scotia is on the firstlanding slash feeding spots as
the birds start their migration.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Yes, sir.
Yes, yeah, like we.
If you look on the map, likeit's not, it's not hard to tell.
You know, like there's, there'sa big.
I I shot a couple of collarslast year.
So I got in contact with thebiologist, um from our area and
he was, he was amazing.
(21:26):
He came right to my door, uh,to pick them up and sat there
for an hour having a greatconversation with me on, you
know, just questions.
I had things I was interestedin, etc.
He explained to me that ourmaritime population, so our
local birds, our resident birdsbetween in the maritime, so
(21:50):
that's pei, new uh, newbrunswick, nova scotia, we're
sitting at about 1 million, andthat was as of last year, um,
and I know that that's going tobe a whole lot higher this year.
Looking at our, our local birds,like I'm, I'm pretty excited.
And that the newfoundland, thenewfoundland uh group, they were
(22:12):
sitting at about 100,000.
And then you have all thosebirds coming from north of
Newfoundland and you know, theMaggies, all those birds when
they start flying, yeah, likewe're, just we're kind of right
in that zone where they eitherhit PEI or they hit us.
(22:33):
It just depends on which sideof the straight they decide to
stick to and yeah, we're kind ofthat first landing area for
that East Coast push for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So does the wind kind of affect on, like you were
saying, what side of thestraight they're on?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yep, yeah, wind affects it.
Um, it all depends.
Like the, the caller I shotlast year.
Um, it came, it showed up inour area.
It flew an hour and a halfsouth of us the next day and
then woke up that morning andflew from an hour and a half
(23:18):
south of us, passed us to backto.
It, came from Newfoundland,landed on the North Shore here
in Nova Scotia, flew an hour anda half south and then it flew
(23:38):
all the way back to pei.
It did a loop around the bigharbor and pei and then it flew
back to me where we had uh,where we had shot him in the
field.
So so the birds like they're,they're just always bouncing,
like I, I, I always knew thatbirds bounce, but after getting
those you know those sheets thatshows where this bird traveled
(23:59):
in three days.
Like you, you you really don'tknow what birds you're hunting
when you're sitting there yeah,they're, uh, they're quite the
athletes really.
Uh, how much flying they do allover yeah, I I wouldn't be able
to put those miles on.
I'll I'll say that I've watched.
I've watched all our birds pickup.
(24:20):
You know we've had great hunts.
We hunted them for two or threedays, whacking them Um the moon
.
I find the moon affects us,affects us the most.
Here in Nova Scotia we get thebirds and we hold the birds and
it's great, we can really get onthem.
But then when you have thosebig moons and it's really bright
(24:44):
out at night, I remember nightslast year and the year before
where I sat out on my deck 11o'clock because I could hear
them going over the bedroom,walk out on the deck and you
know you're and seeing thesilhouettes, all your birds
flying out at you know 11, 11o'clock, 12 o'clock at night,
(25:05):
heading south yeah, yeah, I meanthe moon.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Yeah, it definitely affects a lot of animals.
You know it has such a hugeeffect on the tide and in Nova
Scotia, where you guys are know,everyone's kind of near the
water.
Imagine that has a role in itas well.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Yeah for sure.
So I find, especially like inour area, a high tide that's
when your birds are coming offthe water, that's when you're
going to shoot them in thefields, whether it's morning or
afternoon, is kind of kind of upto the tide.
On the low tides they like tobe on those, you know mud bars,
sand flats, all that stuffeating, eating the grass just
(25:43):
kind of hanging out and then,once that water, starts to rise,
the birds, the birds start tomove.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Yeah, so, speaking with the birds, what species are
you guys are you targeting andwhat are primarily people that
go with you going to be shootingat?
Speaker 2 (26:00):
So we base our hunts on what our clients are looking
for.
We have two or three groupsfrom the states between
Louisiana, north Carolina andGeorgia.
They're coming just for ducksthere.
They're not big goose hunters,they're also fellas that I
guided for the last few years atWest.
(26:21):
So, yeah, they just want tocome.
They want to come shoot someblack ducks.
A couple of them are looking totake some home to get mounts
done for their walls and stuff,because you know a black duck is
a pretty sought-after bird inthe States.
Looking to take some home toget mounts done for the walls
and stuff, cause you know the ablack duck is a pretty sought
after bird in the States.
Um, and there's a lot of placesyou can't shoot them, where
we're able to shoot six a day aperson.
(26:42):
Um, so it it definitelyinterests those kinds of guys
you also have.
You know those guys are alsointerested in possibly shooting
you know, a long tail or orsomething like that.
Some cool divers they they'vebeen talking a lot about, you
know getting their black ducksand maybe maybe doing a diver
(27:03):
hunt or so.
Um, and then of course, geeselike geese, geese are a big one.
I love, love killing geese.
Most of our Newfoundland groupsactually all of our
Newfoundland groups are here forthe geese.
So yeah, it really just dependson what you're looking for.
Whatever you're looking for,we'll make it happen.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Okay, nice, you guys have a variety of species you're
able to offer.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Yes, sir, yeah, we got mergansers, boffal heads,
blue bills, golden eyes, burrowsgolden eyes, black ducks,
mallards, the odd pintail, theodd widgeon.
Um, last year we shot six snowgeese.
Never seen snow geese herebefore, but you know we got a
couple snow geese, a lot ofcanada geese.
(27:52):
Yeah, just a mix of everything.
It it all depends um, when bigstorms like north of us, we we
tend to get those green lamberdsand ice lamberds that they get
caught in the storms, they getpushed over.
That's why you know we'll seethe odd brand, the odd pink,
pink footed, the odd snow goose.
(28:12):
It it just, yeah, it's.
It's just kind of one of thoseareas that you never truly know
what you're going to get whenyou go out.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, that's really neat.
That just keeps the excitement,especially from people from you
know far away the anticipationof really not knowing what
exactly it's going to come intothe spread.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Yeah, exactly Like that's.
Patient of really not knowingwhat exactly it's going to come
into the spread.
Yeah, exactly like that's.
I think that was one of thethings that truly got me on to
waterfowl hunting to begin withas well.
Like that's.
That's something I still enjoyto this day.
Like you know, it's, it's, it'scool.
It's it's cool when you plan ongoing out and shooting a lemon
(28:52):
to geese and all of a sudden,there's a bird before sitting
there in front of you, like yeahit's yeah, it's trophy hunting.
That's like if I guess you couldcall it.
Like, at the end of the day,like you're, you're out there,
you're getting meat and stuff,but when you see those cool
birds, it's, it's like a littletrophy to take home as well yeah
(29:14):
, yeah, exactly, uh, just yeah,makes it for all that much more
fun.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
I want to talk a bit about, too.
You use it.
I'm a dog guy myself, as mostpeople know.
Tell me a bit about your dog.
You use that for waterfowlhunting, which is definitely a
huge asset.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Yeah, I have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
He's three years old.
I got him from Working DogKennels Lori Way on the so Shore
.
He actually just had anotherbatch Absolutely great dogs.
If you're interested in aChessie, I'd definitely speak to
Lori Before you get a Chessie.
(29:52):
You should know they arehard-headed.
Do not think that they're goingto react or listen like a lab.
They definitely have their ownkind of personality.
Do not think that they're goingto react or or listen like a
lab.
They they definitely have theirown kind of personality.
Um, and we also have a.
I have a one year old Fox redlab as well, um, and she's being
trained for upland right now.
(30:13):
More or less.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
All right, yeah, that's neat.
Yeah, I know we were talking toa guy before in the podcast a
bit and I've always compared theChessies to like.
I thought they're like a lab,but I guess I was quite wrong in
that they're definitely muchmore higher, strung, bigger and
just a lot more of a working dog, from the sense of it, over a
lab.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Yeah, they are built to work.
He is high strung is definitelya word you could use for my dog
.
Not that he's bad indoors, he'sgreat Like.
If he's ever feeling funky orif it's too hot, we'll take him
in, but he loves being outside.
(30:58):
He wants to be outside at alltimes, it doesn't matter how
cold or how hot it is.
Um, he, he cries when he'sinside.
Uh, we had a big, big freezethere this winter.
It got really, really cold.
Um took him in, figured I'dtake him in for the night and
let him stay warm, and he sat inhis kennel and cried, for it
(31:21):
was almost two hours and then Isaid, okay, I'm gonna see if he
needs to use the bathroom.
I went and I opened the door tothe house and he walked out of
the house and he walked rightback into his outdoor pen,
crawled in his house andwouldn't come out.
So I closed the door and awaywe went, yeah yeah, yeah, no,
that's that's what I've heardabout them.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Um, so that you know that's great.
So people coming out with youas well, you know they get to
see some dog work yeah, thatthat's uh.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
That's definitely one thing you know I've had a
couple client groups be about isif there's dogs involved or not
, and when you, when you mentionit, they're oh great, I I've
always wanted to see dogs workor I love watching a dog work.
It it adds a whole whole newaspect to the waterfowl hunting.
For sure I I did it myself inwaders for years and I said,
(32:13):
well, actually it was when Iwent, went out west my first
year and I was guiding thenorthern skies.
There's a fellow named Sam andhe had a Chessie himself, I
don't know.
I just fell in love with him.
I thought he was an awesome dogand I said I'm going to get my
own.
I came home and I got my ownfor the next fall.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Yeah, yeah.
No, it's really great Any kindof hunting, just seeing dog work
for people that you know.
Even if you're not into dogs,you can definitely appreciate it
.
There's nothing like awell-trained dog doing what it's
been bred to do.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Yeah, exactly Like you know when a dog is injured
or not, like there's not asecond.
We're out in the field wherehe's not just vibrating like he,
you can feel him, even ifyou're on the other side of the
blind just vibrating.
you can feel the ground goingyeah, yeah, exactly, they live
(33:10):
for it really yeah, yeah andyeah, it doesn't matter if you I
I kind of laugh I tell theclients when they show up.
You know, like if you miss, ifyou miss it's not my fault, he's
going to let you know about it,and he definitely does.
If he hears those guns go offand I'm not sending them he's
(33:35):
giving them an earful for aminute or two.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Yeah, he's judgy, yeah, yeah, well, you know,
gives uh, just adds to the fun.
Um, I want to talk a bit abouttoo.
I mean, some people think youknow, outfair isn't god?
So all they want to do is killand stuff like that, people that
don't know.
Um, you guys, that's not thecase, obviously, but uh, but you
guys have a hen house project.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Yeah, so that's funded by ourselves out of our
own pockets.
Yeah, you know, it's all partof it.
Like, if you plan on hunting ortaking from from taking from,
(34:25):
you know, your, your wildlife,then you should be willing to
put tenfold back into it and inmy opinion, so especially we.
We always, you know, we alwaystried to improve habitat and
stuff around here.
But before this year, butespecially this this year, when
we were in the talks of it thiswinter, we said, well, we're
gonna, we're gonna make sure weput back into our conservation
side as well.
So we started a coastal creekhen house project and we've been
(34:49):
working with all the localfarmers and all the landowners
that we know, also getting themout on the rivers and the
marshes around and just tryingto trying to help out.
We we definitely like we getmore black ducks and mallards
here.
So hopefully with this henhouse project we we see an
increase of those over the nextcouple years and people enjoy
(35:13):
seeing them.
Like you know, you can watch a.
Put them in your pond in yourfront yard and you can watch
watch a duck have her nest andhave her babies, and it's
something she'll always comeback to every year after that as
well.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
So yeah, so that's what you guys do.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
You guys have been put building uh hen houses and
putting them up just anyanywhere as you can yeah, just
yeah, if yeah, like we, we know,we know all the ponds and all
the spots around here, so we'vejust been knocking on doors
making sure that it's okay.
Nobody's said no to it, becauseof course it's a great thing to
(35:51):
do and, yeah, just as many aswe can.
And you know it's don't.
We don't see as much happeningthis year, obviously because
it's the first year.
Um, they like to, they like tosee them for a year or two
beforehand before they theyreally start nesting in them.
(36:12):
But uh, but yeah, we're hoping.
We're hoping in the next coupleyears we start to start to see
the change.
And we're hoping in the nextcouple of years we start to see
the change and there's onlygoing to be more put out from
now on.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yeah, that's great to hear.
It just shows, I guess, peoplelistening to this and thinking
about booking with you what kindof guy they're dealing with.
It's really great You're notjust taking, you're giving back
as well.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yes, sir, that's our number one thing here coastal
lodge, whether it's to the, tothe birds, to the landowners, to
the clients, whatever.
Like, everybody comes first,like we, we will do our utmost
to to make sure you are happyyeah, no, that's uh.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
It's great to hear uh .
Then you know speaking aboutwhich I want to talk about.
So people looking to book withyou.
You have accommodations.
How many guys can you take at atime?
All that?
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Yeah, so we have two beautiful rustic-feeling cabins.
Truly makes you feel likeyou're in in the hunting camp
with the boys.
Um, each each cabin fits threepeople.
Um, can sleep a fourth, youknow if.
If someone can't get away fromtheir life for the weekend or
(37:30):
whatever, they got no excuses.
Um, so we can run anywhere fromone to six guys.
Um, it just yeah, it just kindof depends on what your group
size is and and what you'relooking for, like if, if you
want to, you want to do a huntwith a couple extra people, we
can, we can make that happen ifyou want to.
(37:51):
If you want to do a solo hunt,just you and your, then then
that's the way it'll be.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Okay, yeah.
So what area?
Nova Scotia, canada?
What north, central, southern?
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Yeah.
So I'd say basically just thenorth shore, the whole north
shore.
We go from Amherst to CapeBreton.
We got land, and then we gosouth, got some in churro, um,
and then we we had a couplefarmers off us offer us some
(38:28):
land in the valley.
But you know, we're pushing,we're pushing a two-hour drive
there, so that's.
I don't know if that's reallyin the game, but we, we go
wherever the birds go is is howI'd explain it.
Um, I don't, I don't plan onputting someone in a field, um,
hoping that birds show up orthey fly over.
(38:50):
Uh, when you go on a hunt withcoastal, when you get set up in
the morning, that will be thebest field around within an hour
or more.
Stride that like we're.
We're here to put you on them,we're here to give you that,
that chance yeah, that's uh,that's what people want to hear.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
That's great, um so, uh, yeah, sounds like it's a
great spot.
So you still have a fewopenings for this fall.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Yeah, I got one week in October.
It'd be the 19th to the 25th.
I have two weeks in NovemberIt'd be the 2nd to the 8th and
the 23rd to the 29th, and then Ican also take December bookings
as well.
I just never really opened thebooks up to it yet because I was
(39:46):
trying to fill those ones in.
But if December accommodatespeople better, then of course
we'll make that work for them.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Yeah, perfect, so you ever have any something unique
happen to you in the blind.
You spend all this time outthere and any cool stories oh
yeah, like we definitelydefinitely see some things.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
I mean, I remember I was out in alberta with a group
of clients I think they're fromlouisiana, if I'm correct um,
and we're sitting there eatingsome trail mix, having our blind
giggles, and of course here'ssomething in front of us.
So I peek my head out the blindand there's a monster moose
(40:34):
right in the kill hole, right inthe middle of the decoys, just
sitting there munching on thewheat, staring right at us yeah
or it was yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
I can't say I've ever seen that before.
Uh, at waterfowl hunting,that's uh, that's neat.
What would your clients think?
Speaker 2 (40:52):
uh, two of them were very and uh, they loved it.
They were laughing, takingpictures.
They're trying to take selfieswith him and the other fella, he
was enjoying his trail mix.
I don't think there was muchthat was going to get him
interested more than that.
I think he was a little hungry,yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
You know, Liam, it's been great talking to you From
the sense that you've definitelydone your research and, like I
said, gotten your ducks in a rowand all this, you know, prior
preparation and planning forsetting up your outfitting.
What's the best way for peopleto get in contact with you?
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Shoot me a message on Facebook at a coastal Creek
lodge or to contact mepersonally on my cell One nine
oh, two, six, one, six, three,four, zero, zero.
To contact me personally on mycell 1-902-616-3400.
The phone's always on.
If it rings, I'm answering.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
There you go, Perfect , Liam.
Thanks again for coming on thepodcast and I look forward to
seeing pictures of the huntsthis fall.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yes, sir, thank you for having me.
We'll make sure to get you andyour buddies down for a hunt or
two, and maybe do another one atthe end of the season and recap
on how things truly went,because talk is talk, but the
walk is the walk.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Absolutely.
It sounds like fun.
We'll be in touch.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
Yes, sir, you have a great day.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Thanks you too.
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