The Standard Sportsman

Joe Kiefner grew up hunting ducks in Missouri’s famed Bootheel and was introduced to Louisiana’s rich waterfowling heritage while attending LSU. His fascination with ducks and the magic of migration inspired him to create Migration Station, a waterfowl-tracking platform built to separate real trends from duck-camp hearsay. Joe joins the show to explain how the tool works, what the data reveal and what is ahead for the website. Before diving into Migration Station, Cason, Brent and Joe discuss the subdued energy heading into duck season, the Arkansas State Duck Stamp and why hunters should be careful what they wish for when it comes to flooded corn.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

Name a national waterfowl hunting magazine and Shawn Swearingen has probably produced and article or two for publication. Based in the DC but growing up in Oregon waterfowling gives Shawn a broad perspective on topics duck and goose hunters encounter afield. Cason and Brent give an update on the drought and the Buy Two Duck Stamps sweepstakes underway. Then Shawn shares insights from recent articles he's had published on the skyrocketing cost of leases, how DIY hunters are being priced out, and some intriguing decoy strategies. Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

It’s a change of pace this week as good friend and former guest Chris Harrell takes over hosting duties, putting Brent and Cason in the guest seats. Chris digs into the history of the famed Bill Byers Hunter Club, founded by Cason’s grandfather and still operating today. The conversation also turns to lessons and stories from their younger days, along with how Brent and Cason are working to pass their love of duck hunting on to their own children.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

Arkansas and much of the Deep South are locked in a serious drought as duck season approaches, leaving hunters and habitat managers with some difficult decisions. Do you hunt birds as soon as they find pumped habitat, or play the long game by carefully managing pressure under tough conditions? With the cost of diesel and irrigation running high, can enough water be put on the landscape to attract and hold the early “Halloween mallards”? And will a strengthening El Niño deliver meaningful rain in time? Cason and Brent sort through the questions, uncertainties and tough choices shaping the season ahead.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and Arkansas has worn the title of Duck Hunting Capital of the World for generations. Despite a run of difficult seasons, the state remains at the forefront of the sport. Duck hunting is more than recreation here—it is closely tied to tourism, agriculture and the economies of rural communities. Cason and Brent break down what duck hunting means to Arkansas, why the title carries responsibility and how deeply the tradition is woven into the state’s identity.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

Former Arkansas Razorback All-American and Miami Marlins third-round draft pick Camden Kozeal joins the show to discuss his lifelong passion for the outdoors. A Nebraska native and longtime waterfowler, Kozeal discovered an entirely different style of duck hunting after transferring from Vanderbilt to the University of Arkansas. He compares hunting in Nebraska and Arkansas, shares his pursuit of big bass, and recounts his first big buck. Wise beyond his years, Camden also discusses stewardship and why his generation of hunters needs to do better by the resource.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford represents Arkansas’s First Congressional District, home to much of the Delta’s storied duck country. His diverse background has served him well in Washington, particularly when addressing the needs of American agriculture and wildlife conservation. A dedicated hunter and conservationist, Crawford connects the dots between today’s agricultural economy and waterfowl and elaborates on how much duck hunting means to Arkansas.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

Recorded as the first real north wind of fall reached the end of their flyway, Cason and Brent tackle several hot topics in the duck hunting world. They begin with an update on the Buy Two Duck Stamps campaign as momentum builds toward duck season. With Prairie Pothole Region wetland easements again facing scrutiny from the USFWS, hunter-funded habitat conservation remains as important as ever. The guys also examine President Trump’s executive order addressing traditional lead ammunition and share some history while explaining why lead shot remains prohibited for waterfowl hunting. They close with a discussion of the Open Fields Doctrine, recently in the news in Arkansas and Pennsylvania.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

The aftermath of September 11 showed what this country is capable of when differences are set aside and everyone pulls on the same end of the rope. Much has changed since then, including duck hunting. While nothing in the waterfowl world approaches the gravity of 9/11, some lessons about unity and cooperation still apply. The guys discuss growing collaboration within the waterfowl science community and how good data starts and ends with duck hunter input. Cason and Brent also question whether available data adequately captures outfitter harvest. The show wraps up with an update on proposed solar and wind projects in the Arkansas Delta and the research underway to measure their potential impacts.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.

The annual Breeding Population and Habitat Survey left much to be desired for midcontinent mallards, though improved May pond numbers offered some encouraging news. Cason and Brent provide their annual breakdown with eastern Arkansas native Robert Riley, who grew up hunting the famed Claypool Reservoir near Weiner, where his grandfather—and later his uncle—served as caretakers. Robert joins the BPOP discussion and shares a few personal stories about hunting Claypool and the lasting influence of his late grandfather.Send us Fan MailAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.