December 6, 2025 • 10 mins
Originally aired on December 6, 2025. Doug's insightful interview with Mitchell Holder, for your listening pleasure.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back, eight thirty three on Sports Talk seven to
ninety The Doug Pike Show.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Thank you for listening. I certainly do appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
All the phones we go to find out what the
heck's going on down in El Campo.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mitchell Holder, what's going on? Man?
Speaker 3 (00:13):
And good morning, Doug. How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I'm good. Are you out in the middle of a
field somewhere?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
No, just did a little scouting this morning, okay, kind
to see if there was some geese to poke around at.
I gotcha, Rowe came up empty, but got to see
a bunch of ducks on my ponds.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
That's nice. That's a nice.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Change, getting fat and happy and so not a care
in the world.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
All of the worries in the very early part of
the season, the very first two weeks of the season,
when everybody always jumps the guzs and why don't we
have any ducks down here yet? Duck season's open. It's
because the weather didn't change. Right now, we're getting back
to where we need to be. Is that a fair assessment?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, I think so. I think these last couple fronts,
big full moon this past week. You know, it helps.
Definitely a bunch of movement and uh yeah, starting to
see big pushes of even more pentaios and snow snow
gee showing up. Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Now all compare it to the last two or three years?
What what numbers of snow geese? Is it any you
think there's a few more maybe here than last year
or not about the same one.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Probably about the same. Okay, they're a little bit late
getting down here though. It was you know, I just
usually I at least have a couple of goose hunts
in November, and the first goose hunt of the season
for us was this past Wednesday, which is the latest
in my in my twenty years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Is that where that video came from? Yes, only that
was worth waiting for.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It seems like, yeah, no, it was good.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
It was good. It was old cornfield that still had
some corn in it after harvest, and uh loaded up
in there and I was able to find a couple
guys to go and we just small, full body spread
and layouts and speckle bellies are mean though, I will
tell you that. I know it's like you will. Usually
(02:15):
we're you know, November, they're nice, but yeah, I got
to remember that it's not November. Anymore. So the the
segregation is on. They don't want anything to do with
a with a white decoy already. So do you.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Guys have more rice production or about the same rice
production this year as last year.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I would say it's probably on par as last year. Yeah,
it just depends on the rotation every year, at least
on our properties. You know, some years it's it's just
give and take on what fields are getting formed and
what aren't.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Well, I think you and all the other outfitters out
there have had to just adapt to the development of
the prairies. I mean, and that's across the board Man,
that's all the way from Highway six down to Eagle Lake.
Everything's getting built out and built up, and there's just
not going to be enough food to support a lot
more geese.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
But I'm hoping that at least when.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
People drive around the prairie this time of year, especially
people like me who used to know it for what
it was, I want to see a few geese at
least when I'm making that drive.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, yeah, where we are definitely. Yeah. You know, back
back back in the day, we could you know, you
could drive down fifty nine and see him on the
side of the freeway. Now you've got to kind of
get off, get off in it to see some geese
feeding somewhere.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Way off in it. That's okay, though, you know, I'm
just glad there's still some.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, you know that that kind of hurts.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
That's a good point. I'm still glad there are geese
coming down here.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
And as long as we can hold on to at
least some to kind of mix up a mixed bag hunt.
You know, got go out and set up for a
big duck hunt, you might shoot a few geese.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Right, No, yeah, yeah, I think as long as there's
as long as we continue to pump water for the ducks,
I think, you know, you speckle bellies and and what
few snows come down are still gonna still gonna make
make the trip.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Do you think you have more speckle bellies than snow geese?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Now, it's hard to say. It's hard to say. It
might be close to even, but you know it's just right.
Now you'll see a group of a couple of hundred
specks here, a couple of hundred there, so they're kind
of spread out a little bit more, whereas the snows
are going to be in bigger watch. It seems that's
a good point. More snow geese, you know, But yeah,
(04:46):
the speckle bellies are kind of off in their own
little pods already.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well, yeah, they'll sit around, uh, they'll break out and
and just go in little batches. Whereas those those snow geese,
for sure, they're kind of birds of a feather. They
want to stick together.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
And I've noticed I've noticed these speckle bellies starting to
more and more to hang out with the sand hills
than just going to.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Ask how many cranes you got down there?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Already, we've got quite a few cranes. Been seeing quite
a few shoot over by one farm. I think it's
got to be maybe a couple of thousands hanging out
for the past month or so. So yeah, and I
know there's more even more south of town.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
So I might try and come slip out with you
one morning.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
To do that kind of crane is so long, man,
Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely, bring something home to eat, for sure.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
It's not bad eating either is as nasty as they
smell on the ground, they really do eat.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Well, what do they call them? The ribbi of the sky?
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
That's right, that's right, Yeah, you wouldn't think. You wouldn't
think when you pick them up, did they.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Smell like my what I always told people, they smell
like grandma's attic. That's about it's musty and nasty and ye.
And as a caution to anybody who might be going
out there and having some of these things flying over,
let them know how dangerous those things are to dogs
and hunters.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Oh yeah, yeah, I've got one of my guys. He's
religious about putting the doggles on his dog in the
little ski goggles on it before we get cranehunting. So
and I've seen them, Yeah, I've seen them get real
close to those eyes before they try.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
That's what they're shooting for. I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I mean they're they're focused on a headshot if they
can get it, and that beak, if that bea hits
your hand or a dog's eyeball, somebody's going to get
hurt and it won't be that bird.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Oh yeah, I've seen those. I've seen crippled crane's talons
riff yeah, old pair of lightweight waiters before.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Oh my gosh, I wouldn't want to been on the
receiving end of that Holy cow.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
No, such a big bird.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, the relentless.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Is it still fair to say that if their eyes
are closed you got problems and if they're open, it's
probably dead now.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, it's uh. And shoot, when they're running,
you got a better chase them down because they're quick.
They'll run across the clouds.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Feel bad, like a miniature or something.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yeah, yeah, all.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Right, So back to the ducks real quick, and I'll
let you get back to whatever you're doing.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
You scouting still? Are you just back at the house?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
No, I just got back to the lodge. That anim
boy finished up scouting.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
His breakfast time for you, isn't it just about?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
So?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
What about ducks? What other than the pentails? But you
could you had me at pent tails, you know that?
But what else is?
Speaker 2 (07:48):
What else is showing up on the straps? Any any
mallards at all? Yet?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Uh, we've shot a couple just between you know the whole.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
That's normal. Yeah, that's about right.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, we're now a couple and then you know you'll
see one every now and then. But yeah, yeah it's uh,
we've gotten our our first one, our good actual greenhead.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
You're on the board.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
No one more question I'm sorry I keep racking your brain,
But one more question. What do you think is the
bigger deterrent to the number of geese and ducks we
get down here now?
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Is it? Is it weather?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Is it the fact that everybody up north is heating
their freaking roost ponds to hold the birds? Or is
it well I guess, or is it the changed agricultural
practices down here.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
It's probably a combination of all. I mean, I just
even you know, they got to make it here first,
you know, and there's plenty of people that are willing
to to plant food come ponds for them, so I mean,
we're we're ready for them. When there's plenty of habitat
down still here, I mean between the prairie and and
(09:03):
even down to the to the marsh and the bay.
You know there's Yeah, I think you got to have
that push, that real cold snap up yeah, same enough
to make it to justify their trip down here, to
stay down here long enough to turn around and go
right back. I think sometimes if it's if it's cold.
I was listening to a podcast the other day and
(09:24):
they said they're not really worried about the freeze line
when it comes to pushing ducks down into their area. Really,
they're looking at the snow, They're looking at the snow line.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
How long does that snow stew on the ground?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, because that keeps them from feeding right.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Right, more so than just the ice that there are
so many things to keep ice moving. Water. It's not
going to freeze up. Yeah, it's really got to freeze
to freeze it all the way up.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Man, all right, Mitchell Holder, you've had a long day already,
I'm sure. So I'm gonna let you get go and
get over to that stove and see what's on cooking.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
That sounds great, Doug. I appreciate it, and uh, we'll
be in touch, my friend.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
How do they get a hold of you if they
want to come hunt with you?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Just give me a shout two eight one seven four
four one eight eight eight or one specialties dot Com.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Thanks Mitchell, see buddy.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Thanks Doug. We'll talk to you soon, audios.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Good guy, really good guy, knows this stuff. He's been
out there a long time, just like David. Talk to
David from Riceland time to time as well. Yeah, I'm
glad to have both of them. I got the west
side completely covered. I got to find somebody on the
East Side I can trust as much as those guys,
and I think I think I know where to start,
at least to make that call.
Welcome back, eight thirty three on Sports Talk seven to
ninety The Doug Pike Show.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Thank you for listening. I certainly do appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
All the phones we go to find out what the
heck's going on down in El Campo.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mitchell Holder, what's going on? Man?
Speaker 3 (00:13):
And good morning, Doug. How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I'm good. Are you out in the middle of a
field somewhere?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
No, just did a little scouting this morning, okay, kind
to see if there was some geese to poke around at.
I gotcha, Rowe came up empty, but got to see
a bunch of ducks on my ponds.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
That's nice. That's a nice.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Change, getting fat and happy and so not a care
in the world.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
All of the worries in the very early part of
the season, the very first two weeks of the season,
when everybody always jumps the guzs and why don't we
have any ducks down here yet? Duck season's open. It's
because the weather didn't change. Right now, we're getting back
to where we need to be. Is that a fair assessment?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, I think so. I think these last couple fronts,
big full moon this past week. You know, it helps.
Definitely a bunch of movement and uh yeah, starting to
see big pushes of even more pentaios and snow snow
gee showing up. Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Now all compare it to the last two or three years?
What what numbers of snow geese? Is it any you
think there's a few more maybe here than last year
or not about the same one.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Probably about the same. Okay, they're a little bit late
getting down here though. It was you know, I just
usually I at least have a couple of goose hunts
in November, and the first goose hunt of the season
for us was this past Wednesday, which is the latest
in my in my twenty years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Is that where that video came from? Yes, only that
was worth waiting for.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It seems like, yeah, no, it was good.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
It was good. It was old cornfield that still had
some corn in it after harvest, and uh loaded up
in there and I was able to find a couple
guys to go and we just small, full body spread
and layouts and speckle bellies are mean though, I will
tell you that. I know it's like you will. Usually
(02:15):
we're you know, November, they're nice, but yeah, I got
to remember that it's not November. Anymore. So the the
segregation is on. They don't want anything to do with
a with a white decoy already. So do you.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Guys have more rice production or about the same rice
production this year as last year.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I would say it's probably on par as last year. Yeah,
it just depends on the rotation every year, at least
on our properties. You know, some years it's it's just
give and take on what fields are getting formed and
what aren't.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Well, I think you and all the other outfitters out
there have had to just adapt to the development of
the prairies. I mean, and that's across the board Man,
that's all the way from Highway six down to Eagle Lake.
Everything's getting built out and built up, and there's just
not going to be enough food to support a lot
more geese.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
But I'm hoping that at least when.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
People drive around the prairie this time of year, especially
people like me who used to know it for what
it was, I want to see a few geese at
least when I'm making that drive.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, yeah, where we are definitely. Yeah. You know, back
back back in the day, we could you know, you
could drive down fifty nine and see him on the
side of the freeway. Now you've got to kind of
get off, get off in it to see some geese
feeding somewhere.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Way off in it. That's okay, though, you know, I'm
just glad there's still some.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, you know that that kind of hurts.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
That's a good point. I'm still glad there are geese
coming down here.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
And as long as we can hold on to at
least some to kind of mix up a mixed bag hunt.
You know, got go out and set up for a
big duck hunt, you might shoot a few geese.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Right, No, yeah, yeah, I think as long as there's
as long as we continue to pump water for the ducks,
I think, you know, you speckle bellies and and what
few snows come down are still gonna still gonna make
make the trip.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Do you think you have more speckle bellies than snow geese?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Now, it's hard to say. It's hard to say. It
might be close to even, but you know it's just right.
Now you'll see a group of a couple of hundred
specks here, a couple of hundred there, so they're kind
of spread out a little bit more, whereas the snows
are going to be in bigger watch. It seems that's
a good point. More snow geese, you know, But yeah,
(04:46):
the speckle bellies are kind of off in their own
little pods already.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well, yeah, they'll sit around, uh, they'll break out and
and just go in little batches. Whereas those those snow geese,
for sure, they're kind of birds of a feather. They
want to stick together.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
And I've noticed I've noticed these speckle bellies starting to
more and more to hang out with the sand hills
than just going to.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Ask how many cranes you got down there?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Already, we've got quite a few cranes. Been seeing quite
a few shoot over by one farm. I think it's
got to be maybe a couple of thousands hanging out
for the past month or so. So yeah, and I
know there's more even more south of town.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
So I might try and come slip out with you
one morning.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
To do that kind of crane is so long, man,
Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely, bring something home to eat, for sure.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
It's not bad eating either is as nasty as they
smell on the ground, they really do eat.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Well, what do they call them? The ribbi of the sky?
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
That's right, that's right, Yeah, you wouldn't think. You wouldn't
think when you pick them up, did they.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Smell like my what I always told people, they smell
like grandma's attic. That's about it's musty and nasty and ye.
And as a caution to anybody who might be going
out there and having some of these things flying over,
let them know how dangerous those things are to dogs
and hunters.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Oh yeah, yeah, I've got one of my guys. He's
religious about putting the doggles on his dog in the
little ski goggles on it before we get cranehunting. So
and I've seen them, Yeah, I've seen them get real
close to those eyes before they try.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
That's what they're shooting for. I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I mean they're they're focused on a headshot if they
can get it, and that beak, if that bea hits
your hand or a dog's eyeball, somebody's going to get
hurt and it won't be that bird.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Oh yeah, I've seen those. I've seen crippled crane's talons
riff yeah, old pair of lightweight waiters before.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Oh my gosh, I wouldn't want to been on the
receiving end of that Holy cow.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
No, such a big bird.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, the relentless.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Is it still fair to say that if their eyes
are closed you got problems and if they're open, it's
probably dead now.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, it's uh. And shoot, when they're running,
you got a better chase them down because they're quick.
They'll run across the clouds.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Feel bad, like a miniature or something.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yeah, yeah, all.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Right, So back to the ducks real quick, and I'll
let you get back to whatever you're doing.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
You scouting still? Are you just back at the house?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
No, I just got back to the lodge. That anim
boy finished up scouting.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
His breakfast time for you, isn't it just about?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
So?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
What about ducks? What other than the pentails? But you
could you had me at pent tails, you know that?
But what else is?
Speaker 2 (07:48):
What else is showing up on the straps? Any any
mallards at all? Yet?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Uh, we've shot a couple just between you know the whole.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
That's normal. Yeah, that's about right.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, we're now a couple and then you know you'll
see one every now and then. But yeah, yeah it's uh,
we've gotten our our first one, our good actual greenhead.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
You're on the board.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
No one more question I'm sorry I keep racking your brain,
But one more question. What do you think is the
bigger deterrent to the number of geese and ducks we
get down here now?
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Is it? Is it weather?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Is it the fact that everybody up north is heating
their freaking roost ponds to hold the birds? Or is
it well I guess, or is it the changed agricultural
practices down here.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
It's probably a combination of all. I mean, I just
even you know, they got to make it here first,
you know, and there's plenty of people that are willing
to to plant food come ponds for them, so I mean,
we're we're ready for them. When there's plenty of habitat
down still here, I mean between the prairie and and
(09:03):
even down to the to the marsh and the bay.
You know there's Yeah, I think you got to have
that push, that real cold snap up yeah, same enough
to make it to justify their trip down here, to
stay down here long enough to turn around and go
right back. I think sometimes if it's if it's cold.
I was listening to a podcast the other day and
(09:24):
they said they're not really worried about the freeze line
when it comes to pushing ducks down into their area. Really,
they're looking at the snow, They're looking at the snow line.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
How long does that snow stew on the ground?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, because that keeps them from feeding right.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Right, more so than just the ice that there are
so many things to keep ice moving. Water. It's not
going to freeze up. Yeah, it's really got to freeze
to freeze it all the way up.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Man, all right, Mitchell Holder, you've had a long day already,
I'm sure. So I'm gonna let you get go and
get over to that stove and see what's on cooking.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
That sounds great, Doug. I appreciate it, and uh, we'll
be in touch, my friend.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
How do they get a hold of you if they
want to come hunt with you?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Just give me a shout two eight one seven four
four one eight eight eight or one specialties dot Com.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Thanks Mitchell, see buddy.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Thanks Doug. We'll talk to you soon, audios.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Good guy, really good guy, knows this stuff. He's been
out there a long time, just like David. Talk to
David from Riceland time to time as well. Yeah, I'm
glad to have both of them. I got the west
side completely covered. I got to find somebody on the
East Side I can trust as much as those guys,
and I think I think I know where to start,
at least to make that call.
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