The Standard Sportsman

Back in 2017, Arkansas native Austin Foster started experimenting in his shop with one goal — to build the ultimate turkey load. What began as tinkering turned into obsession: countless tests, tweaks, and trial runs until he landed on a shotshell that blew his hunting buddies away. Word spread fast, and before long Rocky Ridge Ammo Co. was born.

Today, the brand is redefining performance with premium, handcrafted TSS and stacked ste...

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Shawn Daniel grew up chasing mallards in the Arkansas timber, and after eight combat deployments with the Rangers and a stop in the corporate world, he’s come full circle. Today, Daniel leads Darby’s Warrior Support, a nonprofit dedicated to introducing military special operators to the traditions and healing power of duck hunting.

In this powerful episode, Shawn shares how the camaraderie of the duck blind...

Theories abound as to how one attracts and holds ducks on a property. Imprinting is often associated with dumping corn after the season but is it all that effective? Cason and Brent sift through the impact of quality habitat before, during and after the season and its effects on public and private land hunting. There might be a little SEC football chatter as well. 

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Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Ducks Unlimited, Sitka G...

Gator Tail Outboards has become a household name in the waterfowl world, but it all started with a college side project. Founder Kyle Broussard began tinkering with shallow-water motors and turned that curiosity into an iconic brand. Alongside Bubba Watkins, who now leads sales, the two share the story of how Gator Tail grew from a single motor into a complete line of boats.

But this episode isn’t just about duck boats. Broussard an...

Duck season is right around the corner, and if you’ve got any influence over your hunting ground, this episode is packed with strategies to help you hold more birds. We sit down with Mike Flaspohler, a retired wildlife biologist from the Missouri Department of Conservation, where he oversaw premier waterfowl habitat at Grand Pass, Four Rivers, and Ted Shanks Conservation Areas.

Joining the conversation is his son, Kale, th...

The USFWS has released its 2025 Waterfowl Population Status Report alongside the Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest Report, and the guys are breaking it all down. From breeding populations and May pond counts to hunter numbers and harvest data, this episode dives deep into the science behind the numbers. Tune in for a unique, duck hunter–level conversation that puts the trends in perspective and sheds light on how they may...

Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Famer Ronnie Ritter joins the show to share the powerful story behind Hunters Feeding the Hungry. What started as a venison-driven effort has grown into a lifeline for thousands of Arkansans, especially in a state ranked #1 for food insecurity. Ritter walks us through the program’s history, its incredible impact, and why every pound of donated protein matters. For waterfowlers looking for a meaningful way t...

Cooler weather is finally rolling into the South, and you know what that means...duck season is right around the corner. The guys break down a must-do preseason checklist so you’re ready to be successful when the first flights arrive.

Plus, fresh updates on solar and wind projects headed for the Arkansas Grand Prairie, and Dr. Doug Osborne helps clarify banding data as it relates to harvest from last month’s episode

Thanks to our spo...

As summer fades and the first whispers of the fall flight stir in the north, the waterfowling world is already buzzing.

 Before the season kicks off, Cason and Brent tackle some of the most pressing and fascinating topics shaping the months ahead. They dive into pre-BPOP and May Pond Count insights, unpack how perfectly timed weather can make or break a season, and examine the dramatic plunge in snow goose numbers. They don’t shy aw...

This past weekend at the wildly successful and well-attended Ducks Unlimited Expo (DUX) held in Memphis, The Standard Sportsman hosted a live podcast in the DU Duck Den booth. Joining us on the show were Kyle Broussard of GatorTail, Dr. Jared Henson with DU, John Stephens of RNT Calls, Justin Martin with Duck Commander, Radcliff Menge of Tom Beckbe, and Karl Gunzer and Ray Voigt of Purina Pro Plan/Sporting Dogs. The guys dive into ...

On this episode, we’re joined by Jimbo Robinson, Ducks Unlimited’s Director of Event Marketing & Field Support, for an inside look at the 2025 Ducks Unlimited Expo. Happening August 1–3 at the Renasant Convention Center in Downtown Memphis, this year’s event is shaping up to be one you won’t want to miss. Highlights include the World Cutdown Calling Championship, hands-on dog training workshops, in-depth waterfowl science sessi...

The technology regarding suppressed shotguns is advancing, but how long will it take to become useful afield? Host Cason Short knows a ton about the subject from a layperson's standpoint and shares where the industry is headed. The passage of the Big Beautiful Bill and its $0 tax stamp on suppressors has generated considerable buzz. The guys also get into pressure and the role that shotgun blasts play. From subgauges to the po...

Waterfowl bands are the most coveted trophies in waterfowling, while providing essential data to Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM). With the recent news of proposed budget cuts that could impact bird banding, the guys sift through some of the history of banding, discuss how banding has tapered since the 1980s and 1990s and just where Arkansas ducks come from per banding encounters. They also share a handful of entertaining stories ...

Southeast Arkansas farmer and passionate waterfowler Jason Smith joins the show to sift through the hurdles farmers are facing in the current economy and how that impacts the ducks. He also shared intimate knowledge of Cutoff Creek Wildlife Management Area and expounds on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s plan to implement more walk-in-only areas in other WMAs. The guys also delve into the impacts on farmers and subsequently ...

Retired U.S. Navy Diver John Barklow joins the show to share his remarkable story that led him to his current position as Senior Product Manager for the Big Game product line at Sitka Gear. He connects the dots on how his time as a diver and then training Navy SEAL teams for cold-weather combat made him uniquely qualified to take the company’s product line to a whole new level. Barklow also launched an initiative titled "Knowl...

Stephen Findley is a passionate waterfowl hunter with a deep respect for the sport's heritage. Based in Alabama, he owns Vertical, a marketing firm that serves some of the biggest brands in the outdoor industry. For over a decade, Stephen has worked as a photo and video creative in the outdoor industry. His passion for waterfowl hunting runs deep, and it shows in how he approaches his craft and the culture surrounding it. Find...

Scott Perry is a consummate Arkansas duck hunter who respects the sport's traditions and heritage. Along with his twin brother, Jason, he started the iconic McAlister brand from the 1990s, the premium outdoor brand Mountain Khakis, and dusted the cobwebs off Duxbak. Perry shares some behind-the-scenes stories of starting those brands and navigating the outdoor apparel industry. The guys also have a robust discussion of the rom...

Chris Sprangers is the Managing Partner and Director of Outdoor Brands for North House Outdoors. They are one of the bigger players in the outdoor marketing space, and Chris has spent a few decades in the outdoor industry, including a stint as Brand Partnership Manager at Cabela’s. He joins the show to pull back the curtain on what goes into branding an outdoor company and what it takes to survive in the ultra-competitive waterfowl...

There's nothing to hunt, so might as well talk about it. Despite being at the front end of summer, plenty of things are going on that impact waterfowl. In this week's episode, the guys share some intel about the May Pond conditions, planting season struggles in the deep south, and baby boomers fading out of duck hunting. Even Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill has some good and some bad for ducks. Finally, Cason and Bren...