June 16, 2025 • 48 mins
The social heart of waterfowl hunting beats throughout this conversation with passionate duck hunter John Wagner from Fredericton, New Brunswick. With over two decades of experience chasing birds across the Maritimes, John shares why the camaraderie of duck hunting keeps him coming back season after season.
At the center of our discussion is Knox, John's remarkable 10-year-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever. This isn't your average hunting dog story - John takes us deep into the fascinating history and unique temperament of "Chessies," a breed with origins in 19th-century market hunting. Unlike their Labrador cousins, these powerful retrievers bring an independent, headstrong nature to the blind that requires experienced handling but delivers extraordinary results in the field.
The stories John shares about Knox's abilities are nothing short of legendary - navigating class three rapids, breaking ice, and finding ducks in seemingly impossible locations. We explore the profound partnership between hunter and dog, with John emphasizing how proper training creates an unbeatable team. In one particularly memorable season, Knox's remarkable nose and determination meant they didn't lose a single duck.
Our conversation takes unexpected turns, from the shocking account of a hunting dog attacked by a great white shark during a sea duck retrieval to practical advice about shotgun selection and ammunition choices for new waterfowl hunters. John's enthusiasm for getting newcomers into the sport shines through as he discusses his experiences guiding soldiers and youth hunters on their first duck hunts.
Whether you're a seasoned waterfowl hunter, interested in working dogs, or simply appreciate authentic outdoor stories, this episode captures the essence of what makes the heritage of duck hunting so enduring. Listen in and discover why, as John puts it, "When you've got a tornado of birds coming on top of you, there's nothing like it."
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 howos.
You'll find it here.
Welcome to the podcast.
Hey, we are happy to have youlistening in on this week's
podcast.
(00:31):
New podcasts are put out everysingle Tuesday.
This week we are talking to avery passionate waterfowl hunter
, john Wagner.
He talks about gear, about somepast hunts that stick out, and
tells us all about hisright-hand man, his Chesapeake
Bay Retriever.
Now I learned a lot about thisdog.
I can kind of compare them tothe labs.
(00:53):
They're not the same at all.
John's going to tell us allabout them.
We have a great chat, so staytuned.
We're talking about a veryhard-working dog in this episode
and to keep him going, he eatsAnukshuk dog food All right.
So for all breeds and levels ofactivity, anukshuk has a blend
to keep your canine companionhealthy and happy all the time.
(01:15):
Just check them out on theirwebsite.
You go on there on Anukshuk andtype in your address.
It's going to show you areseller near you and that's how
you can find where to get thedog food.
They're not in big box stores,so they can keep the price low.
There's no middleman.
If you want to reach out andcontact us, you can find us on
Facebook, hunts on Outfitting,or email, huntsonoutfitting at
(01:40):
gmailcom.
All right, let's talk to John.
Yeah so, john, thanks atgmailcom.
All right, let's talk to john.
Yeah so, john, thanks for uhcoming on the podcast I had.
We had a mutual friend, chrispalmer, shout out uh that he
messaged me and he's like youknow.
He said you talk to this guy,he's right into hunting, he's
into, uh, hunting dogs and allthat he said it'd be worth
having on.
So I was like, yeah, sure, Ilove talking hunting with
(02:02):
absolutely anybody.
So, yeah, we had a good chatlast night and so you're up in
what area of New Brunswick,canada?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, Fredericton, and I'm pretty much everywhere
around here Top of the provincesouth and a bit in Nova Scotia
at my cottage and PEI from timeto time, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So you're a bit of a traveler, so you're a hardcore
waterfowl guy.
But what was your start intohunting is that?
What got you going waswaterfowl or you, you know,
started off with squirrels.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah, I kind of uh, I used to kind of work for a
summer camp so I guided a bit ofuh canoe and that kind of stuff
so I would run, run rivers andthat kind of stuff.
So I got into fishing and lovethat kind of aspect of the
outdoors.
And then I love being on thewater and waterfowl was a big
one for me.
(03:02):
Um, I got into uh, bow huntingas a team kind of thing, loved
being in the woods, but uh, it'sa bit of a grind and a lot of
mistakes.
And I kind of like the socialaspect being out with friends
and uh, yeah, I've been kind ofinto golf my whole life so I
(03:24):
find waterfalls almost like golf.
You're out there with three orfour buddies, you can have a
good time, hang out and uh, workthe birds and yeah, that was
kind of the one that really mademe obsessed.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
I would say, um, yeah , and then I guess it went from
there and then into dogs and therest of it okay, yeah, well,
anyone that's listened to thispodcast before knows like I'm a
huge fan of the small gamehunting, just because of the
like you're saying, the socialaspect of it.
I like being able to share andenjoy it with as many people as
(04:00):
you know you can bring along,and you know the big game
stuff's a lot more individualism.
So, yeah, no, I like that and Idon't like being bored.
You know you can bring alongand, uh, you know the big game
stuff's a lot more individualism.
So, uh, yeah, no, I like thatand I don't like being bored.
Uh, I don't like sitting stillor being quiet for very long, so
yeah, yeah, that's, that'sdefinitely it.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
And I, I I kind of like being out on the water like
there's been hunts in my lifewhen you know we're well, let's
go, try this river.
We'll launch canoes at 4 am andpaddle down in the dark and
headlamps and that kind of stuff.
It's really quiet.
And then you get in there andthen all of a sudden the birds
(04:36):
are buzzing and the calls aregoing and it becomes mayhem
quick.
I think waterfowl is definitelythe way to go.
Um, I've done a fair amount offield hunts, but I think ducks
on the water or marshes isdefinitely the one for me.
(04:58):
But yeah, it's, it's next level, yeah, it's fun yeah, no, I,
absolutely I agree with that.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I got most of my buddies are really into the uh,
the goose hunting and thecornfields and stuff and the
layout blinds, which is fun.
But I yeah, I don't know, justhaving ducks just come buzzing
into a pond, you know, in theevening, early morning, and like
I, I do like the water and justthe ducks, like they're a
little quicker, and all that,and you know faster shots and I
like that absolutely and like,yeah, I guess I started once.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I was kind of got into it.
Uh, friend's dad who recentlyjust passed away, rip um, had a
eulogy at his funeral, actuallyjust two days ago.
He kind of got us obsessed withit and it was really cool.
It was almost like, uh, openingday, duck hunting was christmas
.
You know, we would we go downto a place around gaugetown, um,
(05:52):
every house just kind of aroundus would have kind of like get
togethers.
Everyone would be preppingdecoys and you know, dogs would
be walking around your feet andthat kind of stuff, and everyone
would get together, have acouple, and then in the morning
we'd have a big breakfast at oneof his friend's house, a doctor
(06:13):
I guess.
So we'd all kind of hang outand talk about our plan and then
all the boats we'd launch offin the morning and go to our
blinds.
Yeah, I've been doing thatsince I was like I don't know,
17 maybe, so over 20 years forme, and uh, yeah, I don't think
(06:33):
I've missed the morning.
So we've always done that andit's really cool going out
everyone together and wish eachother luck and you come back
after a good hunt and everybodyhas their stories.
We're all plucking birds and Iguess that was always.
It was like a big tradition.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So yeah, it was really fun yeah, just the uh,
the camaraderie sort of speak,you know, of duck camp and
everything, yeah, it's, it'sawesome.
That's it's not always thekilling, it's just, like you
said, just the atmosphere andthe tradition of it and all that
and yeah, it's awesome.
Are you a big duck eater?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah.
Some guys know I like it butyeah, I mean I've been doing it
for so long that I've figuredout some ways that it's.
Yeah, there's definitely ataste to it.
I mean, I've heard people say Iwish ducks were the same as
partridge, but if they were theneverybody would be duck hunting
(07:29):
.
But yeah, what I do reallydepends.
But slow cook, throw them inthe slow cooker, add a bunch of
spices, that kind of stuff,slice it thin.
You can kind of make sandwichesand that kind of stuff with it
or whatever.
Um, but if you mix it with, youknow, you can do sausage and
(07:50):
that kind of stuff.
And I mean I, I eat everythingI shoot.
So I, I don't think I couldever do that, but you know, I,
yeah, duck meat's a bitdifferent, for sure I like it a
it a lot.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
I usually just, you know breast it, cut it up into
pieces and then put some butteron a pan, you know on the frying
pan, and then just put it onthere in little you know
bite-sized pieces and cook it uplike that and just eat it like
that even.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yep, and what we do is like opening day.
What we do is throw all ourduck breast in there.
Even the old guy we used to gowith, he used to just pluck it
right in the blind wheneverthere'd be a lull and we'd throw
it all into a sink with saltand I found it took a little bit
of the gamey taste out.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I was gonna ask that, yeah, if you did that yeah,
yeah and uh, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I mean I find if you just add it with stir fries and
all sorts of stuff, it's fine,it's yeah.
And some days you're like it,it depends, like I don't know.
There's guys that I've huntedwith and they're like, oh, blue
wind keel is the best, orwhatever wood wood can be you
know the best, or whatever.
But it is funny.
Sometimes you you'll hunt andyou'll get a mallard that's been
(09:07):
eating corn for a long time andyou're like, oh, this tastes
totally different than the onewe just had down river early in
the season.
So it was on the uh, the citylagoon?
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Yeah, exactly, this one tastes a little shitty.
Um, yeah, but yeah, I was goingto ask that.
If you did that about the um.
You Um, yeah, but yeah, I wasgoing to ask that.
If you did that about the?
Um, you know, put them in saltwater.
Some guys do that to take, youknow, like the wild taste out of
it.
I like the wild tastepersonally, but, um, I know a
lot of people do that.
It helps with the bloodsometimes too.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, a hundred percent, yeah.
And then, uh, yeah, I don'tknow Pretty much after that.
Like, I got pretty hardcoreinto it and, uh, love just like
getting out with differentpeople.
Um, hunting, hunting spots allover the maritimes is fun
because there's just so manydifferent ways to hunt.
I find like depends on you know, you find a certain pond, you
(10:00):
find certain marshes that areworking well.
Um, I mean, it goes likewaterfowl is a scouting game, so
as long as you and your buddiescan find a certain spot where
birds are going, that's thetrick.
Definitely don't go in blind.
But yeah, we got pretty into it.
And then I got into guiding hereand there.
(10:22):
So I was guiding I work at CFBGage Town, so I would take out
soldiers from time to time andwe hung out in like Majorville
and different spots and yeah,it's fun just to get guys out.
I got guys that I took out 15years ago and now they're
(10:44):
obsessed and they've got dogsand you know it's it's good to
spread the community and DUdinners, delta waterfowl, it's
all good.
Yeah, like anything, you justtry and keep the sport alive and
get the younger, nextgeneration in.
I've taken, I've done three orfour heritage waterfowl hunts.
(11:05):
So I've taken kids out andthat's always been fun.
Um, taking them out and boatsand stuff and just I don't know
seeing them shoot their firstducks.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
It's obviously pretty awesome oh yeah, exactly, just
yeah, growing.
The more people you get into it, the more of a voice we have
for, you know, combating, uh theantis and stuff like that.
So it's always good to get morepeople into it.
So have you taken a lot ofpeople out that have never done
it before and, uh, what do youtell them for shooting and stuff
?
Are they getting frustrated orthey just kind of, oh okay, well
(11:37):
, that's interesting how itworks and yeah, 100.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I mean.
I find people are just blownaway.
Uh, once you start workingducks, that's the big one is uh
them seeing actually ducks flyover, and then you just start
working it with a call and thenthey start dive bombing in on
you and uh, just kind of theteamwork that you've got between
(12:03):
guys in the blind, kind ofyelling back and forth what's
going on and dogs going, andyeah, it's pretty cool yeah oh
yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
speaking about the dogs, you've you've got one, but
what got you into the dog?
You're hunting the you knowwaterfowl and all that, and then
you're like you know what Iwhat I need a little extra help,
was that it?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Yeah, and I think almost it's like an ethical
thing.
I've dropped ducks as a youngerhunter and you're looking and
you're looking, and I think youalmost should have a dog in most
of the places that you hunt.
You'd drop a bird anywhere andall we can use as humans is our
(12:47):
eyes where dogs their scent isinsanity.
So I think we should have dogsin every blind almost.
Um, I mean, unless you'redropping them right out in front
of you in the water, I thinkeverybody should have a dog or
at least have one in the blind.
But, um, I find that andobviously I grew up I had like a
(13:08):
duck toller a little bit, andfriends that had labs around and
stuff and I thought they werealways pretty cool.
But I had one friend.
He had a Chessie and I was justlike wow, that's like next
level, that thing's insanity.
So I don't know, I might havebit off more than I should have,
but the first dog I've ever hadwas, yeah, I I got a chesse.
(13:30):
He's 10 now and uh, he's beeninsane.
Um, I kind of went full bore.
I, I was in my 20s, I didn'thave kids or anything yet, so I
just I didn't have kids oranything yet.
So I just trained him up and Ijoined Sunpoke Waterfowl
Retriever Club here and eventhrough the winter I would work
(13:54):
with Derek and different guys onforest fetch and all the
appropriate things that youshould do.
I got him kind of trained up tosenior hunt tests and did that
kind of stuff.
But mostly it was about justhaving a really really good
hunting dog.
I didn't care so much about, youknow, getting him all his
titles.
It was just I wanted him to beinsane and be able to do can
(14:18):
signals, whistles, um, the kindof stuff that you should have
when you're out in the marsh.
So you know, there's been.
There's been times when he waslike in his absolute prime,
probably age I don't know, sixor seven, I don't think we lost
the duck for two seasons.
He was just, he was bang on andhis nose was crazy.
(14:40):
But yeah, chesties they'resomething.
I wouldn't recommend them oneverybody, but I do love
Chessies.
My next dog, I mean.
I've already got a down paymenton one, so so that's what
you're sticking with.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
So it's the full name .
It's the Chesapeake ChesapeakeBay Retriever.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
So yeah, their heritage, it's apretty cool story.
So they were down in ChesapeakeBay.
It was during when they used toactually shoot waterfowl for
the market down there.
So this would have been 200some years ago and actually they
would sell the birds that theywould shoot obviously to
restaurants and whatever and tomarkets and that kind of stuff.
(15:25):
So how it worked was it was sothe story goes.
A ship wreck happened downchesapeake bay.
It was two newfoundlanders, Ibelieve, and or they called them
newfoundland water dogs at thattime and they took those dogs.
Once the shipwreck happened andyou know, obviously people down
(15:47):
chesapeake bay, they were like,holy, these dogs are crazy,
let's mix them with some of ourupland dogs and they made this
kind of breed.
So yeah, chessies are insane.
Um, so they just like use thosefor waterfowl for years there
and they've got like a bigger,harder chest, which, so they say
(16:09):
, is like Actually to break iceand they're super rugged, their
coats.
Water just like Runs off themlike I don't know, knocks a
shake and he'd just Be dry inone second.
He fights waves Like no otherdog I've ever seen and like
their mouth and head is kind ofbig.
(16:30):
Um, they're a solid dog.
You got to be careful.
Um, I mean, out of nox's litter, nox is perfect size, he's like
75, 80.
I've kept him lean on a nook,shook and stuff, but uh, shout
out there.
Yeah, there's one dog in hislitter that was like one 10 and
I was like that's a good dog,yeah, but yeah, but I mean,
(16:54):
they're good for geese, they'regood for anything.
Um, I've hunted him in likealmost class two, three rapids.
We were just dropping ducksright into the rapids and he
would just jump off the bank andjump in.
And I've hunted him over ice.
Um, yeah, they're, they're nextlevel, but uh, yeah, I wouldn't
(17:17):
call them them exactly thefamily dog that some people want
or a waterfowl dog.
But yeah, I always tell peoplelike I came back from what was
it a month in Hawaii and wasexcited to see my dog and he
picked him up at the tunnel andhe ran right past me for a ball.
(17:40):
So, like you know, he loves me,but it's not like an obsession,
like a lot of dogs, he's justall he thinks about I think all
day is ducks or a ball.
But whatever, he's a workingdog yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
So I mean, I like when we were talking last night,
you're saying, saying, edwin, Ialways kind of compared them to
, you know, like labs, butthey're quite different than
that.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, and they're super headstrong and actually,
yeah, one of the other crazystories about them is like when
they were bred to be down therein Chesapeake Bay and be at the
markets is they were actually.
It's a new family.
(18:22):
Yeah, but they would leave themon their boats and protect the
boats with their ducks in it,while the boys would be in the
pubs or at the market orwhatever.
So they were a bit of a guarddog too.
So you do have to be a littlecareful with them.
Like a lot of people, olderguys, that I've hunched with,
they're like jeez, you have achessy, like will he bite me?
(18:44):
Or like those are headstrongdogs and stuff.
And I made sure like Isocialized the shit out of them,
like I had them around kids andpeople and other dogs early on,
because I knew there was thatchance.
But I think if you like had oneat your house and you kept them
away from people and dogs, theycould be a little standoffish,
(19:08):
like he's.
He's been a bit of a guard dogfor me a couple of times in
certain situations, like hisbark and he's he's not happy
when people show up on an ounceat night.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
We'll put it that way well, I mean, you know that's
handy, but uh, yeah, I justdon't.
I've not ever, never reallybeen around one.
So, like I said, I thoughtthey're like a lab, but they're,
they're definitely not.
That's neat.
And you're the thing, tooyou're saying about they're
bigger chested and that theythought you know that's used for
breaking ice.
That's uh, that's pretty cool,that's unique for breaking ice.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
That's pretty cool, that's unique, yeah yeah.
And like he's solid, like Isometimes forget, I'll be
hanging out with a buddy's laband a smaller lab and I'll just
bang it on the chest and be like, hey, buddy and you know, kind
of like knock the dog over and Ijust forget how.
You know, like Knox is justnext level, he's just like pure
(19:59):
muscle.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
He looks like I feed him creatine and steroids but
yeah, well, I mean it helps forduck season, right?
Speaker 2 (20:06):
yeah and uh.
The good thing too about him islike I've hunted him right into
january, like last day.
I've never been nervous of himbeing cold or anything in the
blind, like he's just tough asnails.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Well, tell us about that day.
You said what was it?
Was it a six or seven man limit?
And he was working it anddidn't miss a duck.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Yeah, oh yeah, he's, he's just and he vibrates in the
blinds Like boys, just.
I mean, like a lot of waterfowlguys have seen it.
But to see a dog that they'reso committed and you like you
can't even really touch him inthe blind, like he just gets and
he'll spot ducks in the airbefore most guys.
His head's on a swivel, likekind of just always looking
(20:49):
around, and he's just when he,when it's game mode, it's like I
don't know, it's kind of like aworking horse or something.
He's just, that's all he thinksabout.
But uh, yeah, we had, uh, wehad a good shoot last year with
him and yeah, he didn't miss aduck.
And you know, send them acrossyou know water and then up into
(21:10):
banks and we saw ducks drop inthere and I'm out there with
whistle directing, with pansignals and yeah, you can, you
can usually get on them.
The chessie scent is insane,like they.
They have them for search andrescue and stuff.
They have them in 9-11 lookingfor bodies and stuff, like
they're.
They've got one of those bignoses on them, so they're pretty
(21:31):
cool dog.
And uh, yeah, he'll.
There's times when we've shotducks and I was with a buddy.
He's had dogs forever too, andhe was just like man don't I was
about to call him off.
He's like man, don't call himoff, let him work, let him work.
And that's the thing with thesekind of dogs you just got to
let them work and they'lleventually find the duck.
(21:52):
And sure enough, all I saw washis tail and he got into this
muskrat hole or something.
Anyway, he was way down inthere and he pulled out this
green head mallard and just likethat's.
All it took was just let themwork.
You know those dogs, they knowthey know what they're doing,
and it's almost like you justgot to stand back for a minute
and let them do their thing.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Yeah, well, I mean, that's the thing about working
dogs especially.
You said that he's, you know,quite headstrong and stuff.
And I've got hounds, I've gotthe coon hounds and I got the
beagles, and around the housethey're, them.
Being so headstrong isincredibly, uh frustrating to
say the least sometimes.
But uh, but when you're outhunting though, it's a really
good trait, because they they'reso headstrong, they're not
(22:35):
going to give up, they're goingto work and work and work and
they're going to get that scentgoing, get that animal tree, get
that rabbit going and, um, yeah, I just it's a trait of, I
think, any good working dog, butat a in home situation it can
be, uh, it can be a bit annoyingyeah, yeah, nox lives in our
garage like he's not much of ahouse dog and I find he he's
(22:57):
uncomfortable and he almostlooks nervous in our house
environment.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I mean, he's the very best with my son, he's grown up
with him and like when webrought my son home from the
hospital we like lift him in theface Like I've never been
nervous around anybody.
But uh, yeah, there there'ssomething else.
He's just like you know.
He's literally like a firmanimal sometimes I just like
(23:21):
give him the space and you knowwhen it's time to go, he's just
full bore.
And to see him, I don't know.
I've always wished like I hadlike a GoPro on him, because he
has like a hell of a he's at theend of his career kind of thing
.
He's coming down for sure.
But I probably got a year ortwo left with him.
Have like a hell of a he's atthe end of his career kind of
thing.
He's coming down for sure.
But, um, I probably got a yearor two left with him.
(23:44):
But like to see his highlightvideo if I had a GoPro on him,
just like tackling geese out ofthe air and like pulling on,
pull himself up on ice and theducks still moving and he's like
floating on almost like a icesheet going down the saint john
river.
Boys like are you gonna callhim off?
I'm like no, he's gonna getthis duck and sure enough, and
(24:04):
usually gets them.
I've seen him even go like downunder roots and stuff in the
river and like I mean he's justnext level, it's crazy in the
current and stuff.
And just like how did he justget that duck?
Like yeah, I just got back froma fishing trip and boys, we all
just sat around and had somedrinks and talked about Knox for
a bit, just like his highlightsof I don't know jumping off
(24:27):
like 12-foot banks into thewater and chasing stuff.
But yeah, they always say youonly have one really good dog in
your life and I'll bet youhe'll be it.
I've heard that I.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
I hope that's not true, though I, yeah, I know you
hear that.
I mean, I've currently got sixworking dogs and they're all
pretty good, um, but yeah, Iknow I hate that saying because
I was like man.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
I hope everyone's good, but yeah yeah, yeah, no,
they're, they're fun and they'rejust like, I don't know, to see
them work with all the trainingyou put in with them and stuff,
and it's like it's pretty.
It's pretty freaking cool.
And yeah, and I love comingback from like.
There's been times when we comeback with like four man limit
(25:12):
and then all of a sudden we'llbe walking back and he'll just
bring another duck out of thewoods and we're like we didn't
shoot that and we're way, we'reway'll be walking back and he'll
just bring another duck out ofthe woods and we're like we
didn't shoot that and we're way,we're way away from our blind
and he just picked up a cripplefrom somebody else's crew, maybe
the day before, who knows, butit's a dead duck either way.
But that's going to be hard to,you know, defend an DNR.
(25:32):
But yeah, we've got an extraduck here, but that happens.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
I swear, my dog just found it.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure they've heard that one before.
Yeah, no we didn't shoot it, mydog just go along and happened
to grab it, like, oh, yeah, I'msure.
Yeah, exactly, license hisvoice.
Yeah, I remember it was twoyears ago and I was with my
friends, uh, ryan, with Saliesand Logan Elliott They've been
on the podcast before andthey'll probably hear this and
we were hunting this.
Uh, really good.
Uh, duck pond is quite largeand there's some other guys
(26:03):
hunting it too.
We'd offered for them to huntwith this and uh, they're like
no, no, we'll hunt over here.
You guys, the training couldhave been better, but anyways,
it had the instinct and, um,they were shooting away and they
weren't getting anything.
And then the dog could hear usshooting and then, you know,
(26:23):
splash and like ducks hittingthe water.
And then, sure enough, we'relike, we hear something, we look
and the dog had left them.
It was swimming over to us andit was like getting ducks for us
.
We're like, it's like boythat's embarrassing yeah, their
dog abandoned them.
And then it's like five, tenminutes later, like calling for
the dog, like yeah, he's overhere getting our ducks, but it's
(26:44):
like, geez, that's uhembarrassing.
But the dog, he, he wanted someaction and we were.
We, uh, we had it for him, butit's uh yeah, oh, go go ahead.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
They can't.
They can't stand it whenthey're not being worked either.
A lot of times, if it's a slowmorning, you'll get a look from
a dog.
Let's just pure disappointment.
Like, where the hell did youjust bring me?
Yeah, I thought you scoutedthis, but yeah, it's, it's wild.
What they'll do Like it's prettycool and I what they'll do like
(27:20):
it's pretty cool, and I meanI'm not, it is I would, I would
have a lab any day, or like youknow there's there's a couple
other breeds that are good, butuh, yeah, I mean it doesn't
really matter what you got, aslong as you put in the work.
Um, I think that's what awaterfowl guy needs to do is, if
you're gonna get a dog, makesure you put in the work,
because other hunters I don'tknow, it's almost like one of
those you know codes.
(27:41):
If you're gonna buy a huntingdog, please put the work in,
because there's nothing worsethan a crazy animal in the blind
.
That's just you know, goingnuts and yeah, and just you know
not doing the appropriatethings that it should be doing
in the blind.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
But yeah, yeah, we were hunting with a guy last
year and his dog retrievedreally well, but as far as
staying still in the blind, notso much the ducks would be
coming in, the dog would alreadyrun out and they'd flare off
and stuff and it's like, yeah,your dog needs a bit more work.
But I know it's not the, thebreed, necessarily, or you know
(28:20):
the lineage it's.
You know everyone always saysthe dog, whoever's got the best
dog is whoever works the dog themost.
That's with hounds or you knowupland dogs, retrievers, doesn't
matter what yeah, yeah, and Imean training's really good.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
But also guys, like I've seen guys show up to a duck
blind and I'm like where's hisshot caller?
And they're like, well, I don'thave one.
I'm just like, okay, see howtoday goes, I don't know.
I think I think shot callers aregreat for many aspects keeping
your dog in control but it'salso safety, like I mean,
there's been times I've had tobuzz nox when he's been after a
(28:57):
whistler or something, and thatthing is like gone and I'm
literally I'm saving his lifebecause he could, he'll be,
he'll swim till he'll die, kindof thing.
You know, he could be swimmingdown to St John if I didn't, you
know, buzz him back.
But yeah, I think that's,that's a big piece of technology
(29:18):
.
Luckily we have, because I'veheard stories where old guys had
a chessie and it's gone over tothe island and started eating
the duck and they couldn't getit back because they're just a
hard-headed dog.
Yeah, I couldn't imagine havingknocks out without a shot
caller because, like, I don'tknow, they can whenever he
finally just wants to be like,yeah, screw you, make it happen.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Yeah, well, I mean that's, yeah, any working dog
like I like said with the houndsas well.
I don't shock them much, butit's there if, if I need to, you
know if they're going straightfor a road or something like
that, or you know you neveranything right.
100 yeah, yeah, no, they're,they're key yeah, and then you
(30:02):
know too you're talking about,you know how he is and all that.
It's a shame.
And you know this comes back onthe uh not to get all going on
this, but when people areselling these dogs, breeders to
put them into working home,because look how much your dog
does and always wants to work onthat and then you know the
breeder could sell it to youknow somebody else that just you
know they just want it for acouch potato and right.
(30:25):
You know it's not it's not goingto go well yeah, I, yeah, I
can't believe that sometimes.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
I mean, the good thing is like a lot of waterfowl
guys that have dogs, you know,labs and such they're.
They'll actually, you know,they screen people and they want
to know are you actually goingto hunt or run this dog?
Because it's just unfair tothem.
They're like they're workhorses, like let them, let them run,
let them do their job thatthey're bred for.
(30:52):
I couldn't imagine knocks in acity and just be nuts.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Yeah, but yeah, absolutely.
And then, um, you had anotherstory, uh, if you want to tell
about, uh, it involves verylarge fish yeah, that's brutal
one.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Yeah, well, I've, I've done a bit of sea duck
hunting myself and uh, yeah,this happened this year.
I mean people can look on ctvnews and stuff.
It's uh, it's out there, but uh, it's kind of been in the back
of my mind.
I don't, I don't hunt so much.
I hunt a bit on thenorthumberland straight close to
my cottage.
Uh be close to amherst, so I'vehunted, knocks there and shot
(31:33):
black ducks and stuff on thewater and had them go out and
retrieve.
I mean I swam there, I windsurfand water ski and all the rest
of it there.
But down near the bottom of novascotia it's an unfortunate
story is, uh, dude I know senthis dog out and uh, after a sea
duck and uh, yeah, I was comingback with the duck and uh, great
(31:56):
white came up just like a basslure and hit him.
And uh, yeah, I was coming backwith the duck and uh, great
white came up just like a basslure and hit him and uh took her
down and let her go.
I'm guessing the great whitedid onto her thinking it was a
seal, but didn't feel blubber,so probably let her go.
Once it was just bone muscle,like a dog would be.
And, yeah, she got back to theboat and unfortunately bled out,
(32:18):
so that's something you got tobe careful of.
I guess that's a new one for anew one, to really give yourself
anxiety out on the ocean, butyeah yeah, no, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
I mean I know guys um in the states and all that you
got to worry about um poisonoussnakes and alligators uh, you
don't think often that, like,well, you know, you got to watch
out for sharks, great whitesharks.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
I mean that's crazy, yeah yeah, but it's like it's
crazy, I think I don't know.
I've been hearing from by hisbiologist.
He said the amount of greatwhites that are kind of like
between you know, cape bretonand bigby, andoonenburg and all
those areas.
They're just, they're there andyeah, they kind of just go back
(33:06):
and forth and it's possible.
I mean, I don't know, they'realways in the ocean.
But yeah, that's a new one andI mean a seal and a dog would
probably look fairly similarfrom the bottom so you could see
how it could happen.
But yeah, so yeah, that's afriend of mine.
I don't know if he's going tobe she-duck hunting so much
(33:28):
anymore.
I would say no, no.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
I couldn't imagine having to think about that.
You know like well you know,there's a chance that your dog
could get whacked by a greatwhite yeah yeah, it's terrible.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
And then there's people that surf right around
there and I'm just like, okay,good on you.
I guess, yeah, you should feelit.
That wouldn't be what I woulddo.
But yeah, no, no, I mean dogsare pretty cool and I like how
you can do different things withthem.
I've got Knox into shed hunting, I don't know.
(34:08):
Okay, probably like seven yearshe was like four or five when I
started doing that or somethingwith them and he's found some
moose sheds that have beenpretty big, and this year he
found a dead uh, whatever youcall them, like the dead head
deer skull.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah, it was a nice eight point and he's found some
really big um sheds over theyears of deer.
So yeah, it's cool and it's, Imean it.
Sheds over the years with deer.
So yeah, it's cool and it's, Imean it's nice.
You're out in the woods and allof a sudden your dog brings you
back a big shed for your garageand you're like, well, this is
sweet, yeah.
But yeah, I just like randomly,I was on youtube and some guy
(34:50):
down the states and he's like,try this, and I bought it.
I usually don't buy crap online, but anyways, it was like a
almost like a chapstick and youjust rub that on your sheds and
it's got the scent.
So I had a shed in the garageand I throw that out in the
woods for him and he startedgetting really into it.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
So really that's how you it's a chat.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Yeah, yeah, and I mean that's what they'll do,
they?
And I mean that's what they'lldo.
They'll just get the scent.
And I mean that's what they'rebred for.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Yep, oh, that's neat, that that's how you started,
just with a kind of chapstickthing, because you see guys that
do use the dogs for shedhunting and it's always curious
how they do get them on that.
Yeah, it's like that.
And then you've been fortunateenough to shoot uh, quite a few
banded birds as well.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
I yeah, I think it seems to just be this kind of
area around frederton.
I think they band with fairamount of birds I don't know if
it's more, or muck doe or whereum, but yeah, we've, we've got a
lot of ducks banded.
We got into some geese thatquite a few in the flock were
(36:05):
banded, kind of like felt badafter we shot so many.
We were just like, well, geez,we just had a great hunt.
And then we looked down and wewere like, oh shit.
And then I think one of theboys got a hold of one of the
guys who banded.
He's like, geez, boys couldhave given them a year, but we,
we didn't really know, butthat's how it goes.
But uh, yeah, and then I shot,uh yeah, one band of double
(36:31):
banded birds in sussex.
It was a pretty cool hunt, uhand uh looked down at the number
and I was like, well, thisdoesn't make any sense.
So I kept running it throughthe canada, whatever site on my
phone and it wasn't working.
So then reached out to a buddywho's a guide in pei and also a
biologist and he's like I thinkyou should try this.
(36:53):
And anyways, I got a hold ofsome some professor in Denmark
and it was a flock fromGreenland.
Yeah, so he told me all aboutit.
It was pretty excited.
It was one of the first shotnew brunswick and there's I know
a couple guys that have shotthem recently.
Um, but yeah, they the smallflock of like 300 geese in
(37:17):
greenland and they fly down eastand winter in new jersey.
So yeah, I got that's coolfeatured in a magazine about it
or something.
Take Em magazine.
Oh yeah, yeah, it was prettycool.
I really should have mountedthat bird.
(37:37):
I don't know why, I just keptit banned, but he was kind of
cool.
He had little white spots underhis wings and he wasn't huge.
He wasn't like a giant goose byany means, but I don't know wow
, so he came from greenland tonew brunswick, canada?
Speaker 1 (37:55):
yeah, that's.
And then?
Speaker 2 (37:56):
they uh, yeah, winter in new jersey, and then they go
all the way back up every year,I guess.
So, yeah, yeah, I don't knowhow many bands I've shot, but a
lot, I guess.
It just seems.
They just seem to be around, Iguess, and uh, and then I hunt
in Nova Scotia and I don't thinkI've ever got one.
(38:16):
So I guess it just dependswhere you are.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Yeah, the luck of the draw.
So I mean, what's your go-to uhgun and ammo setup when you're
out, you know, hunting ducks.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Yeah.
So I mean, over the years,obviously I went into the pump
first.
I think everyone, if you'regoing to get into waterfowl, you
should start off with pump.
There's nothing wrong with a 20gauge.
I think 20 gauge are great Alittle less recoil.
They still drop birds from wayout too.
They all work.
(38:49):
And then, I don't't know workyour way in.
And if you want to go semi,most of the guys I hunt with,
once you get experience, I meanseem to be the way to go.
Um, I mean you can still misswith the semi, so I don't think
it really matters but um.
But yeah, I run a.
I've kind of been a Browningsnob for some reason.
(39:10):
I kind of worked my way up.
But I had a Browning BTS as myfirst.
It was a heavy pump but itejected below, which I kind of
loved.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, it waskind of a cool gun.
I should have kept that one.
And uh, then, uh, yeah, then Ihad a browning um gold or
(39:34):
something for a bit tried an sx2, that's winchester was heavy,
but then I got into the maxisand never went back.
I mean it's light, I find itfits me.
I think that's one of thebiggest things is waterfowl.
Guys need to just go into ashop and try everything and see
what fits.
I mean the A5 maybe is a bitbigger than the Maxxis but that
(39:57):
might fit people better.
You could look down the barrela little easier with that one,
so maybe use that, but Maxxishas fit me great.
I use an improved choke.
I think it's a modifiedimproved choke.
It's kind of a little different.
I got it out of the states andI got this kind of big, yeah
(40:22):
part attachment to it, but yeah,I don't know really whatever
fits, I think that's the biggestthing.
Just make sure you get a gunthat you can kind of swing and
throw on your shoulder reallyfast and obviously practice a
little bit of ski shooting.
I find with our hunting ourgroup of boys we start early
(40:43):
with we like to go down, do thetraditional hunts down in the
south of the province.
So we'll hunt teal and woodduck for the start of the year
and they're fast and if you canshoot those you can shoot
anything after that.
I find Once you shoot thoseearly season, you make enough
misses and you figure out speedand where you should lead a bird
(41:05):
.
Then when you're on black ducksand mallards and geese.
It's fairly easy after that.
They're a lot slower bird.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, I mean, it's interesting too.
You say that about the 20gauges are fine because everyone
thinks waterfowl, 12 gaugesright.
And if I didn't hunt geese I uh, I wouldn't own a 12 gauge
because, like you're saying, the20 gauge is great, it's quick,
it's fast shooting.
Uh, like you were saying, the20 gauge is great, it's quick,
it's fast shooting because lowrecoil, it really is awesome for
ducks, it's just.
Yeah, I own a 12 gaugespecifically just for goose
(41:36):
hunting.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
Yeah, and I mean, yeah, I guess my Maxxis is a 12
gauge, but I've never I did hitthree and a half for a season
when I was younger and I foundin a goose blind or duck blind,
didn't matter.
I would shoot the first shotand then it would just be hard
for me to recover.
I'm a smaller dude and, uh, Iwould not, I wouldn't recommend
(41:57):
three and a half for many.
I mean, you can shoot mostlyanything with three inch and we.
So what I'll start the seasonwith is I usually start with
number threes, uh, for smallerducks, and then work my way into
number twos or BB.
Twos and BB are all you needfor most, um, birds.
So, yeah and uh, yeah, makesure you you give them a bit of
(42:23):
lead, cause, uh, aim at theirbeak, I guess.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
But yeah, it depends, yeah, no, it's a, like you're
saying too, practice.
I mean, the skeet shootingreally does make a difference
and help, in the grand scheme ofthings, when you are out duck
hunting.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
Yeah and ducks are a different thing, but like, yeah,
then you go pheasant hunting.
It's a whole different ballgame.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
so You've done a bit of pheasant hunting.
Did you have your dog along forthat, or?
Speaker 2 (42:51):
uh, no, I never really got him into.
I mean, I've shot partridge withhim and he'll walk up to it and
he's been force fetched so I'lltell him to pick up anything.
I'll pick up a loaf of bread,but, um, no, I when I've done
pheasant hunts, I've gone withguys that have gsps or wire
hairs or setters and stuff, butso, yeah, um, but the cool thing
(43:14):
, uh, about knox is like, um, Imean, I think this province, I
don't know, I think it's aweagle, but uh, I think you
should be able to use dogs whenyou've wounded an animal,
because, yes, yeah, it's crazy,like when he's on blood, like I
was out with him on a moose hunt, or he was just at camp,
(43:36):
anyways, and another group theylost the moose and anyways, well
, I just had him out there andfor it was the day after, but
man, he'd follow blood or it wascrazy.
Anyways, I think the moose didfinally get away, but I just did
the walk with him and I wasthis is crazy like just little
(43:57):
drops he would find, and youknow, we were, you know, just
out for a walk, but it was cool,just to see what he could do.
It's like he, I think.
I think that would be.
I think that'd be cool if youcould do that, cause I don't
know kind of cool to see a dogwork on blood trails.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
Well it's.
It's legal in a lot of theStates and all that Not all of
them, but quite a few in Canada.
Um, I don't know if it is inany provinces, maybe some, but
it's not really a thing here.
But yeah, it definitely shouldbe.
I I mean, it's just, uh, part ofyour due diligence to try
everything possible to find awounded animal.
And, you know, with the right,it's not just necessarily the
(44:36):
dog that's trained in I thinkthey should be leashed and stuff
like that but just also thehandler, because we had a girl
in here on the podcast talkingabout before and, like she, she
knows her stuff, she's wellversed in you know tracking and
all that and what to look forand everything and when to put
you know to go in or like let'sjust give it some time, and you
know that's a lot of it too isjust having the person trained.
(44:57):
But if both the animal andperson are trained, I think it
it, you know, should be anecessity everywhere for sure be
available yeah, I mean yeahexactly.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
And if we did some kind of course or something that
you got to do, I mean I woulddefinitely do that course with
them.
And yeah, I mean, I don't seeany harm in it as long as you've
got your dog on the leash andor in some kind of control, that
if you know they found theanimal and the buck jumped up
and he wasn't going to jump onit or chase it or do something
(45:31):
to the animal.
But I don't think there'sanything wrong with it.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
But no, I mean ethically, I think it's yeah, it
should, it should be, you know,definitely legal that you can
do that, because the amount ofgame that people have lost is,
you know it, you're just sick toyour stomach and it happens
every year to, unfortunately,you know lots of people and um,
with a dog, that could, you know, end a lot of that.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
Yeah, a hundred percent, yeah, and I mean I
couldn't think of anything worseand I mean it keeps like if
somebody shoots a giant bull,you know, then you, you can, you
can find that bull or your dogcan be like yep, he's not here,
so then you can.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
Actually, you know, we've got a short season, then
you can move on and try and findanother bull yeah, or at least
be able to sleep that nightknowing that, like, all right, I
didn't really hit it.
100, yeah, 100.
Well, you know, john, thanksfor coming on the podcast.
It was really interesting tolearn about the Chessies.
I didn't know anything aboutthem.
(46:37):
Like I said, I just alwayslumped them in with the lab
category.
I guess not, though, anymore.
Yeah, yeah, I'm excited forthis waterfowl season and
hopefully, like I said, you comeon down here.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
like I said, you come on down here, I'll take you out
coon hunting and with thebeagles, and then this fall you
know, see the chesty mark I'llhave to get you out for uh, I
have to get you out forwaterfowl hunt.
It's pretty pretty wicked.
It's a it's a good time.
I mean, I like to deer hunt and, uh, I like to get after moose
and bears, but I don't knowwaterfowl hunt.
(47:10):
It's just like gettingeverybody together and you know
you can, you can take kids out.
It doesn't matter about noise,it doesn't matter about scent
yeah, it's, it's a good time.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Yeah, Stay real still .
And yeah, no, it's all.
It's all the things I like.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
Yeah, and I mean duck holes and the rest of it.
There's another part to it thatyou've got to learn all these
little tricks, but once you'vecalled a duck back, it's pretty
cool Working birds, I guess.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
Yeah, just the interaction with them, whereas
with deer I mean not really youcan some, but it's just yeah,
it's cool.
And then you know you screw upon one group.
There's another group coming in.
Speaker 2 (47:55):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, and when, I don't know, you got
a tornado of birds coming on topof you.
There's nothing like it.
It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
Well, yeah, yeah, exactly.
So yeah, can't wait, we'll haveanother.
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 howos.
You'll find it here.
Welcome to the podcast.
Hey, we are happy to have youlistening in on this week's
podcast.
(00:31):
New podcasts are put out everysingle Tuesday.
This week we are talking to avery passionate waterfowl hunter
, john Wagner.
He talks about gear, about somepast hunts that stick out, and
tells us all about hisright-hand man, his Chesapeake
Bay Retriever.
Now I learned a lot about thisdog.
I can kind of compare them tothe labs.
(00:53):
They're not the same at all.
John's going to tell us allabout them.
We have a great chat, so staytuned.
We're talking about a veryhard-working dog in this episode
and to keep him going, he eatsAnukshuk dog food All right.
So for all breeds and levels ofactivity, anukshuk has a blend
to keep your canine companionhealthy and happy all the time.
(01:15):
Just check them out on theirwebsite.
You go on there on Anukshuk andtype in your address.
It's going to show you areseller near you and that's how
you can find where to get thedog food.
They're not in big box stores,so they can keep the price low.
There's no middleman.
If you want to reach out andcontact us, you can find us on
Facebook, hunts on Outfitting,or email, huntsonoutfitting at
(01:40):
gmailcom.
All right, let's talk to John.
Yeah so, john, thanks atgmailcom.
All right, let's talk to john.
Yeah so, john, thanks for uhcoming on the podcast I had.
We had a mutual friend, chrispalmer, shout out uh that he
messaged me and he's like youknow.
He said you talk to this guy,he's right into hunting, he's
into, uh, hunting dogs and allthat he said it'd be worth
having on.
So I was like, yeah, sure, Ilove talking hunting with
(02:02):
absolutely anybody.
So, yeah, we had a good chatlast night and so you're up in
what area of New Brunswick,canada?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, Fredericton, and I'm pretty much everywhere
around here Top of the provincesouth and a bit in Nova Scotia
at my cottage and PEI from timeto time, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So you're a bit of a traveler, so you're a hardcore
waterfowl guy.
But what was your start intohunting is that?
What got you going waswaterfowl or you, you know,
started off with squirrels.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah, I kind of uh, I used to kind of work for a
summer camp so I guided a bit ofuh canoe and that kind of stuff
so I would run, run rivers andthat kind of stuff.
So I got into fishing and lovethat kind of aspect of the
outdoors.
And then I love being on thewater and waterfowl was a big
one for me.
(03:02):
Um, I got into uh, bow huntingas a team kind of thing, loved
being in the woods, but uh, it'sa bit of a grind and a lot of
mistakes.
And I kind of like the socialaspect being out with friends
and uh, yeah, I've been kind ofinto golf my whole life so I
(03:24):
find waterfalls almost like golf.
You're out there with three orfour buddies, you can have a
good time, hang out and uh, workthe birds and yeah, that was
kind of the one that really mademe obsessed.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
I would say, um, yeah , and then I guess it went from
there and then into dogs and therest of it okay, yeah, well,
anyone that's listened to thispodcast before knows like I'm a
huge fan of the small gamehunting, just because of the
like you're saying, the socialaspect of it.
I like being able to share andenjoy it with as many people as
(04:00):
you know you can bring along,and you know the big game
stuff's a lot more individualism.
So, yeah, no, I like that and Idon't like being bored.
You know you can bring alongand, uh, you know the big game
stuff's a lot more individualism.
So, uh, yeah, no, I like thatand I don't like being bored.
Uh, I don't like sitting stillor being quiet for very long, so
yeah, yeah, that's, that'sdefinitely it.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
And I, I I kind of like being out on the water like
there's been hunts in my lifewhen you know we're well, let's
go, try this river.
We'll launch canoes at 4 am andpaddle down in the dark and
headlamps and that kind of stuff.
It's really quiet.
And then you get in there andthen all of a sudden the birds
(04:36):
are buzzing and the calls aregoing and it becomes mayhem
quick.
I think waterfowl is definitelythe way to go.
Um, I've done a fair amount offield hunts, but I think ducks
on the water or marshes isdefinitely the one for me.
(04:58):
But yeah, it's, it's next level, yeah, it's fun yeah, no, I,
absolutely I agree with that.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I got most of my buddies are really into the uh,
the goose hunting and thecornfields and stuff and the
layout blinds, which is fun.
But I yeah, I don't know, justhaving ducks just come buzzing
into a pond, you know, in theevening, early morning, and like
I, I do like the water and justthe ducks, like they're a
little quicker, and all that,and you know faster shots and I
like that absolutely and like,yeah, I guess I started once.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I was kind of got into it.
Uh, friend's dad who recentlyjust passed away, rip um, had a
eulogy at his funeral, actuallyjust two days ago.
He kind of got us obsessed withit and it was really cool.
It was almost like, uh, openingday, duck hunting was christmas
.
You know, we would we go downto a place around gaugetown, um,
(05:52):
every house just kind of aroundus would have kind of like get
togethers.
Everyone would be preppingdecoys and you know, dogs would
be walking around your feet andthat kind of stuff, and everyone
would get together, have acouple, and then in the morning
we'd have a big breakfast at oneof his friend's house, a doctor
(06:13):
I guess.
So we'd all kind of hang outand talk about our plan and then
all the boats we'd launch offin the morning and go to our
blinds.
Yeah, I've been doing thatsince I was like I don't know,
17 maybe, so over 20 years forme, and uh, yeah, I don't think
(06:33):
I've missed the morning.
So we've always done that andit's really cool going out
everyone together and wish eachother luck and you come back
after a good hunt and everybodyhas their stories.
We're all plucking birds and Iguess that was always.
It was like a big tradition.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So yeah, it was really fun yeah, just the uh,
the camaraderie sort of speak,you know, of duck camp and
everything, yeah, it's, it'sawesome.
That's it's not always thekilling, it's just, like you
said, just the atmosphere andthe tradition of it and all that
and yeah, it's awesome.
Are you a big duck eater?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah.
Some guys know I like it butyeah, I mean I've been doing it
for so long that I've figuredout some ways that it's.
Yeah, there's definitely ataste to it.
I mean, I've heard people say Iwish ducks were the same as
partridge, but if they were theneverybody would be duck hunting
(07:29):
.
But yeah, what I do reallydepends.
But slow cook, throw them inthe slow cooker, add a bunch of
spices, that kind of stuff,slice it thin.
You can kind of make sandwichesand that kind of stuff with it
or whatever.
Um, but if you mix it with, youknow, you can do sausage and
(07:50):
that kind of stuff.
And I mean I, I eat everythingI shoot.
So I, I don't think I couldever do that, but you know, I,
yeah, duck meat's a bitdifferent, for sure I like it a
it a lot.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
I usually just, you know breast it, cut it up into
pieces and then put some butteron a pan, you know on the frying
pan, and then just put it onthere in little you know
bite-sized pieces and cook it uplike that and just eat it like
that even.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yep, and what we do is like opening day.
What we do is throw all ourduck breast in there.
Even the old guy we used to gowith, he used to just pluck it
right in the blind wheneverthere'd be a lull and we'd throw
it all into a sink with saltand I found it took a little bit
of the gamey taste out.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I was gonna ask that, yeah, if you did that yeah,
yeah and uh, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I mean I find if you just add it with stir fries and
all sorts of stuff, it's fine,it's yeah.
And some days you're like it,it depends, like I don't know.
There's guys that I've huntedwith and they're like, oh, blue
wind keel is the best, orwhatever wood wood can be you
know the best, or whatever.
But it is funny.
Sometimes you you'll hunt andyou'll get a mallard that's been
(09:07):
eating corn for a long time andyou're like, oh, this tastes
totally different than the onewe just had down river early in
the season.
So it was on the uh, the citylagoon?
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Yeah, exactly, this one tastes a little shitty.
Um, yeah, but yeah, I was goingto ask that.
If you did that about the um.
You Um, yeah, but yeah, I wasgoing to ask that.
If you did that about the?
Um, you know, put them in saltwater.
Some guys do that to take, youknow, like the wild taste out of
it.
I like the wild tastepersonally, but, um, I know a
lot of people do that.
It helps with the bloodsometimes too.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, a hundred percent, yeah.
And then, uh, yeah, I don'tknow Pretty much after that.
Like, I got pretty hardcoreinto it and, uh, love just like
getting out with differentpeople.
Um, hunting, hunting spots allover the maritimes is fun
because there's just so manydifferent ways to hunt.
I find like depends on you know, you find a certain pond, you
(10:00):
find certain marshes that areworking well.
Um, I mean, it goes likewaterfowl is a scouting game, so
as long as you and your buddiescan find a certain spot where
birds are going, that's thetrick.
Definitely don't go in blind.
But yeah, we got pretty into it.
And then I got into guiding hereand there.
(10:22):
So I was guiding I work at CFBGage Town, so I would take out
soldiers from time to time andwe hung out in like Majorville
and different spots and yeah,it's fun just to get guys out.
I got guys that I took out 15years ago and now they're
(10:44):
obsessed and they've got dogsand you know it's it's good to
spread the community and DUdinners, delta waterfowl, it's
all good.
Yeah, like anything, you justtry and keep the sport alive and
get the younger, nextgeneration in.
I've taken, I've done three orfour heritage waterfowl hunts.
(11:05):
So I've taken kids out andthat's always been fun.
Um, taking them out and boatsand stuff and just I don't know
seeing them shoot their firstducks.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
It's obviously pretty awesome oh yeah, exactly, just
yeah, growing.
The more people you get into it, the more of a voice we have
for, you know, combating, uh theantis and stuff like that.
So it's always good to get morepeople into it.
So have you taken a lot ofpeople out that have never done
it before and, uh, what do youtell them for shooting and stuff
?
Are they getting frustrated orthey just kind of, oh okay, well
(11:37):
, that's interesting how itworks and yeah, 100.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I mean.
I find people are just blownaway.
Uh, once you start workingducks, that's the big one is uh
them seeing actually ducks flyover, and then you just start
working it with a call and thenthey start dive bombing in on
you and uh, just kind of theteamwork that you've got between
(12:03):
guys in the blind, kind ofyelling back and forth what's
going on and dogs going, andyeah, it's pretty cool yeah oh
yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
speaking about the dogs, you've you've got one, but
what got you into the dog?
You're hunting the you knowwaterfowl and all that, and then
you're like you know what Iwhat I need a little extra help,
was that it?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Yeah, and I think almost it's like an ethical
thing.
I've dropped ducks as a youngerhunter and you're looking and
you're looking, and I think youalmost should have a dog in most
of the places that you hunt.
You'd drop a bird anywhere andall we can use as humans is our
(12:47):
eyes where dogs their scent isinsanity.
So I think we should have dogsin every blind almost.
Um, I mean, unless you'redropping them right out in front
of you in the water, I thinkeverybody should have a dog or
at least have one in the blind.
But, um, I find that andobviously I grew up I had like a
(13:08):
duck toller a little bit, andfriends that had labs around and
stuff and I thought they werealways pretty cool.
But I had one friend.
He had a Chessie and I was justlike wow, that's like next
level, that thing's insanity.
So I don't know, I might havebit off more than I should have,
but the first dog I've ever hadwas, yeah, I I got a chesse.
(13:30):
He's 10 now and uh, he's beeninsane.
Um, I kind of went full bore.
I, I was in my 20s, I didn'thave kids or anything yet, so I
just I didn't have kids oranything yet.
So I just trained him up and Ijoined Sunpoke Waterfowl
Retriever Club here and eventhrough the winter I would work
(13:54):
with Derek and different guys onforest fetch and all the
appropriate things that youshould do.
I got him kind of trained up tosenior hunt tests and did that
kind of stuff.
But mostly it was about justhaving a really really good
hunting dog.
I didn't care so much about, youknow, getting him all his
titles.
It was just I wanted him to beinsane and be able to do can
(14:18):
signals, whistles, um, the kindof stuff that you should have
when you're out in the marsh.
So you know, there's been.
There's been times when he waslike in his absolute prime,
probably age I don't know, sixor seven, I don't think we lost
the duck for two seasons.
He was just, he was bang on andhis nose was crazy.
(14:40):
But yeah, chesties they'resomething.
I wouldn't recommend them oneverybody, but I do love
Chessies.
My next dog, I mean.
I've already got a down paymenton one, so so that's what
you're sticking with.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
So it's the full name .
It's the Chesapeake ChesapeakeBay Retriever.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
So yeah, their heritage, it's apretty cool story.
So they were down in ChesapeakeBay.
It was during when they used toactually shoot waterfowl for
the market down there.
So this would have been 200some years ago and actually they
would sell the birds that theywould shoot obviously to
restaurants and whatever and tomarkets and that kind of stuff.
(15:25):
So how it worked was it was sothe story goes.
A ship wreck happened downchesapeake bay.
It was two newfoundlanders, Ibelieve, and or they called them
newfoundland water dogs at thattime and they took those dogs.
Once the shipwreck happened andyou know, obviously people down
(15:47):
chesapeake bay, they were like,holy, these dogs are crazy,
let's mix them with some of ourupland dogs and they made this
kind of breed.
So yeah, chessies are insane.
Um, so they just like use thosefor waterfowl for years there
and they've got like a bigger,harder chest, which, so they say
(16:09):
, is like Actually to break iceand they're super rugged, their
coats.
Water just like Runs off themlike I don't know, knocks a
shake and he'd just Be dry inone second.
He fights waves Like no otherdog I've ever seen and like
their mouth and head is kind ofbig.
(16:30):
Um, they're a solid dog.
You got to be careful.
Um, I mean, out of nox's litter, nox is perfect size, he's like
75, 80.
I've kept him lean on a nook,shook and stuff, but uh, shout
out there.
Yeah, there's one dog in hislitter that was like one 10 and
I was like that's a good dog,yeah, but yeah, but I mean,
(16:54):
they're good for geese, they'regood for anything.
Um, I've hunted him in likealmost class two, three rapids.
We were just dropping ducksright into the rapids and he
would just jump off the bank andjump in.
And I've hunted him over ice.
Um, yeah, they're, they're nextlevel, but uh, yeah, I wouldn't
(17:17):
call them them exactly thefamily dog that some people want
or a waterfowl dog.
But yeah, I always tell peoplelike I came back from what was
it a month in Hawaii and wasexcited to see my dog and he
picked him up at the tunnel andhe ran right past me for a ball.
(17:40):
So, like you know, he loves me,but it's not like an obsession,
like a lot of dogs, he's justall he thinks about I think all
day is ducks or a ball.
But whatever, he's a workingdog yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
So I mean, I like when we were talking last night,
you're saying, saying, edwin, Ialways kind of compared them to
, you know, like labs, butthey're quite different than
that.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, and they're super headstrong and actually,
yeah, one of the other crazystories about them is like when
they were bred to be down therein Chesapeake Bay and be at the
markets is they were actually.
It's a new family.
(18:22):
Yeah, but they would leave themon their boats and protect the
boats with their ducks in it,while the boys would be in the
pubs or at the market orwhatever.
So they were a bit of a guarddog too.
So you do have to be a littlecareful with them.
Like a lot of people, olderguys, that I've hunched with,
they're like jeez, you have achessy, like will he bite me?
(18:44):
Or like those are headstrongdogs and stuff.
And I made sure like Isocialized the shit out of them,
like I had them around kids andpeople and other dogs early on,
because I knew there was thatchance.
But I think if you like had oneat your house and you kept them
away from people and dogs, theycould be a little standoffish,
(19:08):
like he's.
He's been a bit of a guard dogfor me a couple of times in
certain situations, like hisbark and he's he's not happy
when people show up on an ounceat night.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
We'll put it that way well, I mean, you know that's
handy, but uh, yeah, I justdon't.
I've not ever, never reallybeen around one.
So, like I said, I thoughtthey're like a lab, but they're,
they're definitely not.
That's neat.
And you're the thing, tooyou're saying about they're
bigger chested and that theythought you know that's used for
breaking ice.
That's uh, that's pretty cool,that's unique for breaking ice.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
That's pretty cool, that's unique, yeah yeah.
And like he's solid, like Isometimes forget, I'll be
hanging out with a buddy's laband a smaller lab and I'll just
bang it on the chest and be like, hey, buddy and you know, kind
of like knock the dog over and Ijust forget how.
You know, like Knox is justnext level, he's just like pure
(19:59):
muscle.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
He looks like I feed him creatine and steroids but
yeah, well, I mean it helps forduck season, right?
Speaker 2 (20:06):
yeah and uh.
The good thing too about him islike I've hunted him right into
january, like last day.
I've never been nervous of himbeing cold or anything in the
blind, like he's just tough asnails.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Well, tell us about that day.
You said what was it?
Was it a six or seven man limit?
And he was working it anddidn't miss a duck.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Yeah, oh yeah, he's, he's just and he vibrates in the
blinds Like boys, just.
I mean, like a lot of waterfowlguys have seen it.
But to see a dog that they'reso committed and you like you
can't even really touch him inthe blind, like he just gets and
he'll spot ducks in the airbefore most guys.
His head's on a swivel, likekind of just always looking
(20:49):
around, and he's just when he,when it's game mode, it's like I
don't know, it's kind of like aworking horse or something.
He's just, that's all he thinksabout.
But uh, yeah, we had, uh, wehad a good shoot last year with
him and yeah, he didn't miss aduck.
And you know, send them acrossyou know water and then up into
(21:10):
banks and we saw ducks drop inthere and I'm out there with
whistle directing, with pansignals and yeah, you can, you
can usually get on them.
The chessie scent is insane,like they.
They have them for search andrescue and stuff.
They have them in 9-11 lookingfor bodies and stuff, like
they're.
They've got one of those bignoses on them, so they're pretty
(21:31):
cool dog.
And uh, yeah, he'll.
There's times when we've shotducks and I was with a buddy.
He's had dogs forever too, andhe was just like man don't I was
about to call him off.
He's like man, don't call himoff, let him work, let him work.
And that's the thing with thesekind of dogs you just got to
let them work and they'lleventually find the duck.
(21:52):
And sure enough, all I saw washis tail and he got into this
muskrat hole or something.
Anyway, he was way down inthere and he pulled out this
green head mallard and just likethat's.
All it took was just let themwork.
You know those dogs, they knowthey know what they're doing,
and it's almost like you justgot to stand back for a minute
and let them do their thing.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Yeah, well, I mean, that's the thing about working
dogs especially.
You said that he's, you know,quite headstrong and stuff.
And I've got hounds, I've gotthe coon hounds and I got the
beagles, and around the housethey're, them.
Being so headstrong isincredibly, uh frustrating to
say the least sometimes.
But uh, but when you're outhunting though, it's a really
good trait, because they they'reso headstrong, they're not
(22:35):
going to give up, they're goingto work and work and work and
they're going to get that scentgoing, get that animal tree, get
that rabbit going and, um, yeah, I just it's a trait of, I
think, any good working dog, butat a in home situation it can
be, uh, it can be a bit annoyingyeah, yeah, nox lives in our
garage like he's not much of ahouse dog and I find he he's
(22:57):
uncomfortable and he almostlooks nervous in our house
environment.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I mean, he's the very best with my son, he's grown up
with him and like when webrought my son home from the
hospital we like lift him in theface Like I've never been
nervous around anybody.
But uh, yeah, there there'ssomething else.
He's just like you know.
He's literally like a firmanimal sometimes I just like
(23:21):
give him the space and you knowwhen it's time to go, he's just
full bore.
And to see him, I don't know.
I've always wished like I hadlike a GoPro on him, because he
has like a hell of a he's at theend of his career kind of thing
.
He's coming down for sure.
But I probably got a year ortwo left with him.
Have like a hell of a he's atthe end of his career kind of
thing.
He's coming down for sure.
But, um, I probably got a yearor two left with him.
(23:44):
But like to see his highlightvideo if I had a GoPro on him,
just like tackling geese out ofthe air and like pulling on,
pull himself up on ice and theducks still moving and he's like
floating on almost like a icesheet going down the saint john
river.
Boys like are you gonna callhim off?
I'm like no, he's gonna getthis duck and sure enough, and
(24:04):
usually gets them.
I've seen him even go like downunder roots and stuff in the
river and like I mean he's justnext level, it's crazy in the
current and stuff.
And just like how did he justget that duck?
Like yeah, I just got back froma fishing trip and boys, we all
just sat around and had somedrinks and talked about Knox for
a bit, just like his highlightsof I don't know jumping off
(24:27):
like 12-foot banks into thewater and chasing stuff.
But yeah, they always say youonly have one really good dog in
your life and I'll bet youhe'll be it.
I've heard that I.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
I hope that's not true, though I, yeah, I know you
hear that.
I mean, I've currently got sixworking dogs and they're all
pretty good, um, but yeah, Iknow I hate that saying because
I was like man.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
I hope everyone's good, but yeah yeah, yeah, no,
they're, they're fun and they'rejust like, I don't know, to see
them work with all the trainingyou put in with them and stuff,
and it's like it's pretty.
It's pretty freaking cool.
And yeah, and I love comingback from like.
There's been times when we comeback with like four man limit
(25:12):
and then all of a sudden we'llbe walking back and he'll just
bring another duck out of thewoods and we're like we didn't
shoot that and we're way, we'reway'll be walking back and he'll
just bring another duck out ofthe woods and we're like we
didn't shoot that and we're way,we're way away from our blind
and he just picked up a cripplefrom somebody else's crew, maybe
the day before, who knows, butit's a dead duck either way.
But that's going to be hard to,you know, defend an DNR.
(25:32):
But yeah, we've got an extraduck here, but that happens.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
I swear, my dog just found it.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure they've heard that one before.
Yeah, no we didn't shoot it, mydog just go along and happened
to grab it, like, oh, yeah, I'msure.
Yeah, exactly, license hisvoice.
Yeah, I remember it was twoyears ago and I was with my
friends, uh, ryan, with Saliesand Logan Elliott They've been
on the podcast before andthey'll probably hear this and
we were hunting this.
Uh, really good.
Uh, duck pond is quite largeand there's some other guys
(26:03):
hunting it too.
We'd offered for them to huntwith this and uh, they're like
no, no, we'll hunt over here.
You guys, the training couldhave been better, but anyways,
it had the instinct and, um,they were shooting away and they
weren't getting anything.
And then the dog could hear usshooting and then, you know,
(26:23):
splash and like ducks hittingthe water.
And then, sure enough, we'relike, we hear something, we look
and the dog had left them.
It was swimming over to us andit was like getting ducks for us
.
We're like, it's like boythat's embarrassing yeah, their
dog abandoned them.
And then it's like five, tenminutes later, like calling for
the dog, like yeah, he's overhere getting our ducks, but it's
(26:44):
like, geez, that's uhembarrassing.
But the dog, he, he wanted someaction and we were.
We, uh, we had it for him, butit's uh yeah, oh, go go ahead.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
They can't.
They can't stand it whenthey're not being worked either.
A lot of times, if it's a slowmorning, you'll get a look from
a dog.
Let's just pure disappointment.
Like, where the hell did youjust bring me?
Yeah, I thought you scoutedthis, but yeah, it's, it's wild.
What they'll do Like it's prettycool and I what they'll do like
(27:20):
it's pretty cool, and I meanI'm not, it is I would, I would
have a lab any day, or like youknow there's there's a couple
other breeds that are good, butuh, yeah, I mean it doesn't
really matter what you got, aslong as you put in the work.
Um, I think that's what awaterfowl guy needs to do is, if
you're gonna get a dog, makesure you put in the work,
because other hunters I don'tknow, it's almost like one of
those you know codes.
(27:41):
If you're gonna buy a huntingdog, please put the work in,
because there's nothing worsethan a crazy animal in the blind
.
That's just you know, goingnuts and yeah, and just you know
not doing the appropriatethings that it should be doing
in the blind.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
But yeah, yeah, we were hunting with a guy last
year and his dog retrievedreally well, but as far as
staying still in the blind, notso much the ducks would be
coming in, the dog would alreadyrun out and they'd flare off
and stuff and it's like, yeah,your dog needs a bit more work.
But I know it's not the, thebreed, necessarily, or you know
(28:20):
the lineage it's.
You know everyone always saysthe dog, whoever's got the best
dog is whoever works the dog themost.
That's with hounds or you knowupland dogs, retrievers, doesn't
matter what yeah, yeah, and Imean training's really good.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
But also guys, like I've seen guys show up to a duck
blind and I'm like where's hisshot caller?
And they're like, well, I don'thave one.
I'm just like, okay, see howtoday goes, I don't know.
I think I think shot callers aregreat for many aspects keeping
your dog in control but it'salso safety, like I mean,
there's been times I've had tobuzz nox when he's been after a
(28:57):
whistler or something, and thatthing is like gone and I'm
literally I'm saving his lifebecause he could, he'll be,
he'll swim till he'll die, kindof thing.
You know, he could be swimmingdown to St John if I didn't, you
know, buzz him back.
But yeah, I think that's,that's a big piece of technology
(29:18):
.
Luckily we have, because I'veheard stories where old guys had
a chessie and it's gone over tothe island and started eating
the duck and they couldn't getit back because they're just a
hard-headed dog.
Yeah, I couldn't imagine havingknocks out without a shot
caller because, like, I don'tknow, they can whenever he
finally just wants to be like,yeah, screw you, make it happen.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Yeah, well, I mean that's, yeah, any working dog
like I like said with the houndsas well.
I don't shock them much, butit's there if, if I need to, you
know if they're going straightfor a road or something like
that, or you know you neveranything right.
100 yeah, yeah, no, they're,they're key yeah, and then you
(30:02):
know too you're talking about,you know how he is and all that.
It's a shame.
And you know this comes back onthe uh not to get all going on
this, but when people areselling these dogs, breeders to
put them into working home,because look how much your dog
does and always wants to work onthat and then you know the
breeder could sell it to youknow somebody else that just you
know they just want it for acouch potato and right.
(30:25):
You know it's not it's not goingto go well yeah, I, yeah, I
can't believe that sometimes.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
I mean, the good thing is like a lot of waterfowl
guys that have dogs, you know,labs and such they're.
They'll actually, you know,they screen people and they want
to know are you actually goingto hunt or run this dog?
Because it's just unfair tothem.
They're like they're workhorses, like let them, let them run,
let them do their job thatthey're bred for.
(30:52):
I couldn't imagine knocks in acity and just be nuts.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Yeah, but yeah, absolutely.
And then, um, you had anotherstory, uh, if you want to tell
about, uh, it involves verylarge fish yeah, that's brutal
one.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Yeah, well, I've, I've done a bit of sea duck
hunting myself and uh, yeah,this happened this year.
I mean people can look on ctvnews and stuff.
It's uh, it's out there, but uh, it's kind of been in the back
of my mind.
I don't, I don't hunt so much.
I hunt a bit on thenorthumberland straight close to
my cottage.
Uh be close to amherst, so I'vehunted, knocks there and shot
(31:33):
black ducks and stuff on thewater and had them go out and
retrieve.
I mean I swam there, I windsurfand water ski and all the rest
of it there.
But down near the bottom of novascotia it's an unfortunate
story is, uh, dude I know senthis dog out and uh, after a sea
duck and uh, yeah, I was comingback with the duck and uh, great
(31:56):
white came up just like a basslure and hit him.
And uh, yeah, I was coming backwith the duck and uh, great
white came up just like a basslure and hit him and uh took her
down and let her go.
I'm guessing the great whitedid onto her thinking it was a
seal, but didn't feel blubber,so probably let her go.
Once it was just bone muscle,like a dog would be.
And, yeah, she got back to theboat and unfortunately bled out,
(32:18):
so that's something you got tobe careful of.
I guess that's a new one for anew one, to really give yourself
anxiety out on the ocean, butyeah yeah, no, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
I mean I know guys um in the states and all that you
got to worry about um poisonoussnakes and alligators uh, you
don't think often that, like,well, you know, you got to watch
out for sharks, great whitesharks.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
I mean that's crazy, yeah yeah, but it's like it's
crazy, I think I don't know.
I've been hearing from by hisbiologist.
He said the amount of greatwhites that are kind of like
between you know, cape bretonand bigby, andoonenburg and all
those areas.
They're just, they're there andyeah, they kind of just go back
(33:06):
and forth and it's possible.
I mean, I don't know, they'realways in the ocean.
But yeah, that's a new one andI mean a seal and a dog would
probably look fairly similarfrom the bottom so you could see
how it could happen.
But yeah, so yeah, that's afriend of mine.
I don't know if he's going tobe she-duck hunting so much
(33:28):
anymore.
I would say no, no.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
I couldn't imagine having to think about that.
You know like well you know,there's a chance that your dog
could get whacked by a greatwhite yeah yeah, it's terrible.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
And then there's people that surf right around
there and I'm just like, okay,good on you.
I guess, yeah, you should feelit.
That wouldn't be what I woulddo.
But yeah, no, no, I mean dogsare pretty cool and I like how
you can do different things withthem.
I've got Knox into shed hunting, I don't know.
(34:08):
Okay, probably like seven yearshe was like four or five when I
started doing that or somethingwith them and he's found some
moose sheds that have beenpretty big, and this year he
found a dead uh, whatever youcall them, like the dead head
deer skull.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah, it was a nice eight point and he's found some
really big um sheds over theyears of deer.
So yeah, it's cool and it's, Imean it.
Sheds over the years with deer.
So yeah, it's cool and it's, Imean it's nice.
You're out in the woods and allof a sudden your dog brings you
back a big shed for your garageand you're like, well, this is
sweet, yeah.
But yeah, I just like randomly,I was on youtube and some guy
(34:50):
down the states and he's like,try this, and I bought it.
I usually don't buy crap online, but anyways, it was like a
almost like a chapstick and youjust rub that on your sheds and
it's got the scent.
So I had a shed in the garageand I throw that out in the
woods for him and he startedgetting really into it.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
So really that's how you it's a chat.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Yeah, yeah, and I mean that's what they'll do,
they?
And I mean that's what they'lldo.
They'll just get the scent.
And I mean that's what they'rebred for.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Yep, oh, that's neat, that that's how you started,
just with a kind of chapstickthing, because you see guys that
do use the dogs for shedhunting and it's always curious
how they do get them on that.
Yeah, it's like that.
And then you've been fortunateenough to shoot uh, quite a few
banded birds as well.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
I yeah, I think it seems to just be this kind of
area around frederton.
I think they band with fairamount of birds I don't know if
it's more, or muck doe or whereum, but yeah, we've, we've got a
lot of ducks banded.
We got into some geese thatquite a few in the flock were
(36:05):
banded, kind of like felt badafter we shot so many.
We were just like, well, geez,we just had a great hunt.
And then we looked down and wewere like, oh shit.
And then I think one of theboys got a hold of one of the
guys who banded.
He's like, geez, boys couldhave given them a year, but we,
we didn't really know, butthat's how it goes.
But uh, yeah, and then I shot,uh yeah, one band of double
(36:31):
banded birds in sussex.
It was a pretty cool hunt, uhand uh looked down at the number
and I was like, well, thisdoesn't make any sense.
So I kept running it throughthe canada, whatever site on my
phone and it wasn't working.
So then reached out to a buddywho's a guide in pei and also a
biologist and he's like I thinkyou should try this.
(36:53):
And anyways, I got a hold ofsome some professor in Denmark
and it was a flock fromGreenland.
Yeah, so he told me all aboutit.
It was pretty excited.
It was one of the first shotnew brunswick and there's I know
a couple guys that have shotthem recently.
Um, but yeah, they the smallflock of like 300 geese in
(37:17):
greenland and they fly down eastand winter in new jersey.
So yeah, I got that's coolfeatured in a magazine about it
or something.
Take Em magazine.
Oh yeah, yeah, it was prettycool.
I really should have mountedthat bird.
(37:37):
I don't know why, I just keptit banned, but he was kind of
cool.
He had little white spots underhis wings and he wasn't huge.
He wasn't like a giant goose byany means, but I don't know wow
, so he came from greenland tonew brunswick, canada?
Speaker 1 (37:55):
yeah, that's.
And then?
Speaker 2 (37:56):
they uh, yeah, winter in new jersey, and then they go
all the way back up every year,I guess.
So, yeah, yeah, I don't knowhow many bands I've shot, but a
lot, I guess.
It just seems.
They just seem to be around, Iguess, and uh, and then I hunt
in Nova Scotia and I don't thinkI've ever got one.
(38:16):
So I guess it just dependswhere you are.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Yeah, the luck of the draw.
So I mean, what's your go-to uhgun and ammo setup when you're
out, you know, hunting ducks.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Yeah.
So I mean, over the years,obviously I went into the pump
first.
I think everyone, if you'regoing to get into waterfowl, you
should start off with pump.
There's nothing wrong with a 20gauge.
I think 20 gauge are great Alittle less recoil.
They still drop birds from wayout too.
They all work.
(38:49):
And then, I don't't know workyour way in.
And if you want to go semi,most of the guys I hunt with,
once you get experience, I meanseem to be the way to go.
Um, I mean you can still misswith the semi, so I don't think
it really matters but um.
But yeah, I run a.
I've kind of been a Browningsnob for some reason.
(39:10):
I kind of worked my way up.
But I had a Browning BTS as myfirst.
It was a heavy pump but itejected below, which I kind of
loved.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, it waskind of a cool gun.
I should have kept that one.
And uh, then, uh, yeah, then Ihad a browning um gold or
(39:34):
something for a bit tried an sx2, that's winchester was heavy,
but then I got into the maxisand never went back.
I mean it's light, I find itfits me.
I think that's one of thebiggest things is waterfowl.
Guys need to just go into ashop and try everything and see
what fits.
I mean the A5 maybe is a bitbigger than the Maxxis but that
(39:57):
might fit people better.
You could look down the barrela little easier with that one,
so maybe use that, but Maxxishas fit me great.
I use an improved choke.
I think it's a modifiedimproved choke.
It's kind of a little different.
I got it out of the states andI got this kind of big, yeah
(40:22):
part attachment to it, but yeah,I don't know really whatever
fits, I think that's the biggestthing.
Just make sure you get a gunthat you can kind of swing and
throw on your shoulder reallyfast and obviously practice a
little bit of ski shooting.
I find with our hunting ourgroup of boys we start early
(40:43):
with we like to go down, do thetraditional hunts down in the
south of the province.
So we'll hunt teal and woodduck for the start of the year
and they're fast and if you canshoot those you can shoot
anything after that.
I find Once you shoot thoseearly season, you make enough
misses and you figure out speedand where you should lead a bird
(41:05):
.
Then when you're on black ducksand mallards and geese.
It's fairly easy after that.
They're a lot slower bird.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, I mean, it's interesting too.
You say that about the 20gauges are fine because everyone
thinks waterfowl, 12 gaugesright.
And if I didn't hunt geese I uh, I wouldn't own a 12 gauge
because, like you're saying, the20 gauge is great, it's quick,
it's fast shooting.
Uh, like you were saying, the20 gauge is great, it's quick,
it's fast shooting because lowrecoil, it really is awesome for
ducks, it's just.
Yeah, I own a 12 gaugespecifically just for goose
(41:36):
hunting.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
Yeah, and I mean, yeah, I guess my Maxxis is a 12
gauge, but I've never I did hitthree and a half for a season
when I was younger and I foundin a goose blind or duck blind,
didn't matter.
I would shoot the first shotand then it would just be hard
for me to recover.
I'm a smaller dude and, uh, Iwould not, I wouldn't recommend
(41:57):
three and a half for many.
I mean, you can shoot mostlyanything with three inch and we.
So what I'll start the seasonwith is I usually start with
number threes, uh, for smallerducks, and then work my way into
number twos or BB.
Twos and BB are all you needfor most, um, birds.
So, yeah and uh, yeah, makesure you you give them a bit of
(42:23):
lead, cause, uh, aim at theirbeak, I guess.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
But yeah, it depends, yeah, no, it's a, like you're
saying too, practice.
I mean, the skeet shootingreally does make a difference
and help, in the grand scheme ofthings, when you are out duck
hunting.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
Yeah and ducks are a different thing, but like, yeah,
then you go pheasant hunting.
It's a whole different ballgame.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
so You've done a bit of pheasant hunting.
Did you have your dog along forthat, or?
Speaker 2 (42:51):
uh, no, I never really got him into.
I mean, I've shot partridge withhim and he'll walk up to it and
he's been force fetched so I'lltell him to pick up anything.
I'll pick up a loaf of bread,but, um, no, I when I've done
pheasant hunts, I've gone withguys that have gsps or wire
hairs or setters and stuff, butso, yeah, um, but the cool thing
(43:14):
, uh, about knox is like, um, Imean, I think this province, I
don't know, I think it's aweagle, but uh, I think you
should be able to use dogs whenyou've wounded an animal,
because, yes, yeah, it's crazy,like when he's on blood, like I
was out with him on a moose hunt, or he was just at camp,
(43:36):
anyways, and another group theylost the moose and anyways, well
, I just had him out there andfor it was the day after, but
man, he'd follow blood or it wascrazy.
Anyways, I think the moose didfinally get away, but I just did
the walk with him and I wasthis is crazy like just little
(43:57):
drops he would find, and youknow, we were, you know, just
out for a walk, but it was cool,just to see what he could do.
It's like he, I think.
I think that would be.
I think that'd be cool if youcould do that, cause I don't
know kind of cool to see a dogwork on blood trails.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
Well it's.
It's legal in a lot of theStates and all that Not all of
them, but quite a few in Canada.
Um, I don't know if it is inany provinces, maybe some, but
it's not really a thing here.
But yeah, it definitely shouldbe.
I I mean, it's just, uh, part ofyour due diligence to try
everything possible to find awounded animal.
And, you know, with the right,it's not just necessarily the
(44:36):
dog that's trained in I thinkthey should be leashed and stuff
like that but just also thehandler, because we had a girl
in here on the podcast talkingabout before and, like she, she
knows her stuff, she's wellversed in you know tracking and
all that and what to look forand everything and when to put
you know to go in or like let'sjust give it some time, and you
know that's a lot of it too isjust having the person trained.
(44:57):
But if both the animal andperson are trained, I think it
it, you know, should be anecessity everywhere for sure be
available yeah, I mean yeahexactly.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
And if we did some kind of course or something that
you got to do, I mean I woulddefinitely do that course with
them.
And yeah, I mean, I don't seeany harm in it as long as you've
got your dog on the leash andor in some kind of control, that
if you know they found theanimal and the buck jumped up
and he wasn't going to jump onit or chase it or do something
(45:31):
to the animal.
But I don't think there'sanything wrong with it.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
But no, I mean ethically, I think it's yeah, it
should, it should be, you know,definitely legal that you can
do that, because the amount ofgame that people have lost is,
you know it, you're just sick toyour stomach and it happens
every year to, unfortunately,you know lots of people and um,
with a dog, that could, you know, end a lot of that.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
Yeah, a hundred percent, yeah, and I mean I
couldn't think of anything worseand I mean it keeps like if
somebody shoots a giant bull,you know, then you, you can, you
can find that bull or your dogcan be like yep, he's not here,
so then you can.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
Actually, you know, we've got a short season, then
you can move on and try and findanother bull yeah, or at least
be able to sleep that nightknowing that, like, all right, I
didn't really hit it.
100, yeah, 100.
Well, you know, john, thanksfor coming on the podcast.
It was really interesting tolearn about the Chessies.
I didn't know anything aboutthem.
(46:37):
Like I said, I just alwayslumped them in with the lab
category.
I guess not, though, anymore.
Yeah, yeah, I'm excited forthis waterfowl season and
hopefully, like I said, you comeon down here.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
like I said, you come on down here, I'll take you out
coon hunting and with thebeagles, and then this fall you
know, see the chesty mark I'llhave to get you out for uh, I
have to get you out forwaterfowl hunt.
It's pretty pretty wicked.
It's a it's a good time.
I mean, I like to deer hunt and, uh, I like to get after moose
and bears, but I don't knowwaterfowl hunt.
(47:10):
It's just like gettingeverybody together and you know
you can, you can take kids out.
It doesn't matter about noise,it doesn't matter about scent
yeah, it's, it's a good time.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Yeah, Stay real still .
And yeah, no, it's all.
It's all the things I like.
Speaker 2 (47:27):
Yeah, and I mean duck holes and the rest of it.
There's another part to it thatyou've got to learn all these
little tricks, but once you'vecalled a duck back, it's pretty
cool Working birds, I guess.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
Yeah, just the interaction with them, whereas
with deer I mean not really youcan some, but it's just yeah,
it's cool.
And then you know you screw upon one group.
There's another group coming in.
Speaker 2 (47:55):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, and when, I don't know, you got
a tornado of birds coming on topof you.
There's nothing like it.
It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
Well, yeah, yeah, exactly.
So yeah, can't wait, we'll haveanother.
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