1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. My name is Clay Nukeleman. This is a production 2 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: of the Bear Grease podcast called The Bear Grease Render, 3 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: where we render down, dive deeper, and look behind the 4 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: scenes of the actual bear Grease podcast presented by f 5 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: HF Gear, American made purpose built hunting and fishing gear 6 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: as designed to be as rugged as the places we explore. Hey, guys, 7 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: I want to take a minute and talk about something 8 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: that I think is really important right now. In the 9 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: United States, the Spring two legislative agendas and public comment 10 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: periods for state agencies are coming out, and as I 11 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: hope you've heard, many have strong wrong anti hunting and 12 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: specifically anti predator hunting agendas. Washington State recently canceled the 13 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: spring twenty two bear season, despite it being recommended by 14 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: their Fishing Wildlife Colorado Bill SP twenty two DASH oh 15 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: three one is set to ban mount Lion, bobcat and 16 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: lynx hunting. Arizona is experiencing a strategic push from the 17 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: animal rights crowd to change current regulations about lying and 18 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: bear hunting by flooding the public comment process. California has 19 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 1: petitions filed to suspend bear hunting in the state until 20 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: further population studies can be done in Vermont. Anti hunting 21 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: groups are pushing for a full band on the use 22 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: of hounds in hunting, and the list can go on. 23 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: Years ago, if you told me that hunting was strategically 24 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: under attack, I would have called you an alarmist crying 25 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: wolf when there wasn't one here. We all live in 26 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: some version of cocoons with limited visibility of the wider nation. 27 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: That cocoon is partly geographic, but mainly the un is 28 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: our own interest. When I started working with Bear Hounty 29 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: Magazine in twenty thirteen, my eyes popped wide open when 30 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: I saw bear hunting and the crosshairs of many states, 31 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: and I saw how the tools of bear management and 32 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: the methods of take that make bear hunting viable had 33 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: already been banned in many places. Just as a short, 34 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: non complete overview, California band bear hunting with hounds and 35 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: mountain lion hunting in the nineteen nineties. Washington State banned 36 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: hounds and bait for bear in nineteen six, Oregon band 37 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: bear hunting with hounds and bait in the mid nineteen nineties, 38 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:38,799 Speaker 1: Colorado band bear hunting with hounds and bait in ninety one, 39 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: New Jersey Band all bear hunting completely on the basis 40 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: of public opinion. Several years ago, we started saying that 41 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: we've got to guard the gate. Guard the gate because 42 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: predator hunting is the gate of the anti hunting community 43 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: to come into the space of the North American model 44 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: of wildlife conservation, which I might add is the most 45 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: success full act of wild animal and habitat management on 46 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: planet Earth. Since the frontier days of America, there has 47 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: always been a political and ideological divide between the urban 48 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: and rural areas. The masses often have the attention of 49 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: the politicians because of money and votes, and as I've 50 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: always said, it's a one phase cell. To convince someone 51 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: with no history or knowledge of hunting that killing a 52 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: bear or a predator is bad, it's a much more 53 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: complex story to convince them that it's a good thing. 54 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: And this is why we as hunters have to work 55 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: harder than those that oppose us, and we should because 56 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: we actually have stock in this thing. There is something 57 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: that we've now seen work twice in the last year, 58 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: and it's when hunters from all over the country, hunters 59 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: of every striping creed, participate in communicating with legislators and 60 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: the powers that be. Last year, a California bill was 61 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: submitted to banned bear hunting, and the legislator was bombarded 62 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: by people who love wildlife enough to know the hunting 63 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: is good, and it swayed the political process and the 64 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: bill never made it to the floor. And just the 65 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: last few months, the public outcry of hunters to reinstate 66 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: the spring bear season in Washington got the spring bear 67 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: hunt back on the agenda of the Commission and was 68 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: recently discussed again. Inside of a democracy, the main tool 69 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: that we have as our voices. We all know that, 70 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 1: and I urge us all to become more active participants 71 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 1: in every way by making our voices heard. I found 72 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 1: the easiest way to do this is by following the 73 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: lead of the wildlife organizations that have all this communication 74 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 1: stuff dialed in. Most of them are a one stop 75 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: shop for letting your voice be heard. I have zero 76 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: affiliation with any of these groups that I'm about to say, 77 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: but I want to give you some groups to check out. 78 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: And what you have to do is just get dialed 79 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 1: in with these guys systems and the way that they 80 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: communicate with legislators and just do it. A good group 81 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: that I love is Sportsman's Alliance. I would say do 82 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: whatever they say. It's just that some A new group 83 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: that I really like so far, and they are brand 84 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: new is a group called how for Wildlife. They seem 85 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,600 Speaker 1: to be really streamlining the process of communication. There are 86 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: many other groups that are fantastic Hunter Nations, Safari Club International, 87 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: and the list goes on, including a bunch of state 88 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: agencies which are essential that you be members of. Whichever 89 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: group allows you to easily and consistently communicate use them. 90 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: You know, years ago and when I was a kid, 91 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: talking about being a public land hunter wasn't cool. I mean, 92 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: that's where everybody hunted, and it's kind of the place 93 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: you didn't want to hunt. In the last ten years, 94 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: it's become cool to talk about and to hunt public land. Well, 95 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,679 Speaker 1: I can tell you the new thing that we're gonna 96 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: make cool is defending hunting. I love it that some 97 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: people are calling into account social media influencers to use 98 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: their voice in a positive way. I mean, it's really 99 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: a modern issue that we're going to have to deal with, 100 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 1: and if we really love hunting, we will and will 101 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: joyfully unite our voices in in in very productive, educated, 102 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: classy ways will say hunting is good. Wildlife management in 103 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 1: this country has worked. We are the good guys that 104 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 1: love wildlife and want to see all species of wildlife thrive. 105 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: We're the guys that are putting our money towards habitat 106 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: conservation inside of a country where urban sprawl is just 107 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: devouring habitat. We are the good guys where an animal 108 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: has cultural value through hunting, that animal and its habitat 109 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: is protected. And lastly, the best thing that we can 110 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: do to protect this lifestyle that we love is to 111 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: clean the inside of our own cup and make sure 112 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: that we're representing this lifestyle with honor and dignity in 113 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: every aspect of our life. So right on, guys, let's 114 00:06:52,160 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: get to the render. Speaking of boots, he caught Brent 115 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: on a good day and he's not wearing his Wow, 116 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: this is the first time crocs are flip flips, I think, 117 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: is all I've ever seen Brent Raven. Well, the last 118 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:17,239 Speaker 1: time we went out to the mew barn, squishing between 119 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: your tube, Well, no, I just didn't have access to everything. 120 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: So yeah, this is the first time I've seen Brent 121 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: where the first time we wear boots. We've been all 122 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: over the country together and not scared of coronavirus. He's 123 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: just worried about getting worms. Yeah wait just a second, 124 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: did you I'm scared of getting him again? Did you 125 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: freak get beer boots? Whenever you all went hunt hunting 126 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: bear camp? What did y'all come back for? He forgot 127 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: his bot, I forgot my boat. Remember it was important, 128 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: would have went barefooted. But welcome to the Burger's Render. 129 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: Doing that, we have we have some man, this is 130 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: a big day at the Burgers Render. We have some 131 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: real guests with US State boys. Or I could tell 132 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: when I when I walked up and I saw you 133 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: in your your dress clothes, think place in dress clothes. 134 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: And Brind's got shoes on, has faded overalls today. He 135 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,119 Speaker 1: very nice. I hung that on a bob war fence. 136 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: Brinton has a zip tie in lieu of a button. Beautiful, 137 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: good custom custom. Yeah, well, we're gonna do something a 138 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: little bit different today. I'm gonna introduce my guests right 139 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: off the bat. Well they go first. Well, I just 140 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: I don't, I just I'm just so excited. I just 141 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: He's just gonna blurt it out at some point if 142 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: he tries to introduce to Yeah. Usually I talked for 143 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: ten minutes before I introduced the mystery guests. Right, Austin Booth. 144 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:58,959 Speaker 1: Austin Booth, director of the Arkansas Game of Fish, is 145 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: with us. Austin them to have you. Man, it's really 146 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: good to be here. Thanks for coming to Northwest Arkansas 147 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: has excellent boots. Yeah, what kind of tell us? Tell 148 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: us about these boots, Austin, So these are dinner lights. Uh. 149 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,079 Speaker 1: I like them because they're very similar to what I 150 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: wore in the Marine Corps for eight years. Super comfortable. 151 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: Can't tear them up, you can resole them. Really, Santa, 152 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: apparently Santa brought them to you. Santa Claus did indeed 153 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: bring them. Hey, let me tell you. My problem with 154 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: boots like this is I really like what you're doing 155 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: here and that you're you're using them like like dress 156 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: boots almost. I mean, like, you know, they look nice, 157 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: there's not a scuff on them. But you're gonna you're 158 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: gonna walk out of here, and because you have those on, 159 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 1: you're gonna be like you're gonna like run across the 160 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: ditch or you're gonna go do something, and you're gonna 161 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: scuff them up, and then you've built You've built this 162 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: this idea in your head that these are the boots 163 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: I wear, like these are like my church boots, but 164 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: then they beat up in no time because they're not 165 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: church boots. It messes with my head because I can't 166 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: keep a pair of boots nice. I mean, it's a problem. 167 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: I just heard you say your shoes make you do things. Yeah, 168 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: they do. And I don't wear crocs. I got I 169 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 1: got crocs for I got crocs from my children, your 170 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: kids listen to this podcast. I know, and I love them. 171 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: I love mused by you, and I will wear those 172 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: crocs at different times, but I will not wear them 173 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: when my family's honor is at stake. The fight that 174 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: happen often crocs, I firmly we have. There was you know, 175 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 1: sometimes you're around someone and they say something that you're like, 176 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: That's what I've been trying to say my whole life, 177 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: and you just take it from them. Um Ron Bayne 178 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: Hunting Dog Podcast. He says you should never not wear 179 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: shoes that you couldn't protect your family in a volcano. 180 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: Why couldn't you? When have you? Why is the volcano relevant? 181 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: Volcano is a metaphor. I mean volcano. If you're a human, 182 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: I would like that is more culturally relevant. Well I 183 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: get it though when you say that, it's like, yeah, 184 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: you don't want to be wearing flip pups. You wanted 185 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:27,560 Speaker 1: to be wearing these. Still I'm wearing leather boots, so also, 186 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: I like your boots. That's all we're trying to say. 187 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: Thank you. That's a really other you anticipate this was 188 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: going to start off this way. I knew it was 189 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: gonna be something similar about something meandering and humorous play 190 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: We oh photo evidence that shot. So are other mystery 191 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: us that we're very honored to have. Luke Naylor, Arkansas 192 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: Game Fish Commission waterfowl biologist. Luke was on the Luke 193 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: was on the Main Burgers podcast last week. I told 194 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: I told him he carried the weight of it, carried 195 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 1: the weight of it as usual. Yep, he did. Great. 196 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: Now I still stand by my analogy that you being 197 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: the lead guy for the Arkansas Game of Fish Commission, 198 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: lead waterfowl guy in the duck hunting capital of the world, 199 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: he is essentially, like I said, Steph Curry of the 200 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: Golden State Warriors. Yeah. Yeah, my jump show is not 201 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: that good. Quite. I don't think that's gonna work. You 202 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: would have typically, I'm about the only guy showing up 203 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 1: on a on a w A to change in and 204 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: out of hunting boots and wearing my Choco sandals. That's 205 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 1: pretty much Choco to and from a hunting location. So 206 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: I'm I got problems with volcano, I guess. But but 207 00:12:58,160 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: it works out. You got all kind of problems if 208 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: you were in Chuckos chaos, I mean, only worn. I 209 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: think there's something that we need to get it out 210 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: of the way with Luke, okay, about a certain object 211 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: that falls from trees. Oh it's true. Yeah. I wanted 212 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: to make a public apology to all my listeners from 213 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 1: the South about the way Luke pronounced the word acorn an. 214 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: You know what. I listened to it twice one time 215 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: on the way up here, and the only thing I 216 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: could get over was you saying pronouncing I know. I 217 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: knew it would come up. I knew it would come 218 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: up there. I didn't hear I don't you know. I 219 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: honestly didn't remember him saying it either. He did. He's 220 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: had in the truck too on the way here. Yeah, 221 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: get a lot of really Kansas. Yes, I'm a native 222 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: kans and they don't trees. How much was the telephone pole? Yeah? 223 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,599 Speaker 1: Pretty much is so. Yeah, there's there's a few acorn 224 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: berrying trees in Kansas, but not near the number there 225 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,199 Speaker 1: are down here. So you do have some respect for 226 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: where you're at. Just go and call you kind of 227 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: gotta go. I've I've been here for a while and 228 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: I can kind of you just gotta kind of read 229 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: the room and it it's particularly hostile, you go with acre. 230 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: You just just avoid the subject altogether. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 231 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: Well no present company accepted you. You you gave us 232 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: some great knowledge on the podcast. So are you gonna 233 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: introduce the rest of us? Yes, I was gonna say so, 234 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: the regular crew that's here to my right, Misty Nuclem. 235 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: Great to have you, Misty. Did you guys know that 236 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: most of the comments would get about the burglary surrender 237 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: about Misty? Yeah, because she's better than us. Yeah, very 238 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: much so. Brett Reeves. Great to see Brett, great to 239 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: be seen. Josh Billmaker here, glad, I'm glad. Hey, Daniel 240 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: Rupe couldn't be here. His mustache is excellent. I have 241 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: that in my notes what did you guys think? The 242 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: first thing I'll photo was Calfish hunter. Should we possibly 243 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: get some context for why we're talking about Dan's mustache, Well, 244 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: he post we we would not out this information because 245 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: we follow hippo guidelines here at the Barges podcast, we 246 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: probably should talk about what Dan just couldn't be here. 247 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: So last week Daniel saw my mustache and Daniel was 248 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: that the inspiration, no doubt, No, I mean it's not 249 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: really debatable it is. I have to say. It's the 250 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: most fake looking real mustache. You'll see it. It looks great, 251 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: it's fantastic. So Daniel couldn't be here, and then unfortunately 252 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: Gary Newcomb couldn't be here. That's very unfortunate. Yeah, Dad 253 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: couldn't be here either. So so we've got a got 254 00:15:52,720 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: a great yeah subtle for us. Hey, while we're while 255 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: we're taking care of some business here, I want to 256 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: to two Metta related things. So meet eaters coming out 257 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: with a whole big waterfowl deal. You can go to 258 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: the meat eator dot com forward slash waterfowl and see 259 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: all the stuff that they're doing. So one of my 260 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: guests who on the podcast was Sean Weaver, who is 261 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: meat eaters waterfowl guru. Shawn is a cool guy. Shawn's 262 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: twenty eight years old. He puts seventy thousand miles a 263 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: year on a truck, which is true and has for 264 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: like the last ten years, and he he travels all 265 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:39,239 Speaker 1: over the country and it's just a genuine good guy. 266 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: And uh so he he came here and I interviewed him, 267 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: and I thought he was so good on the podcast 268 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: because he wasn't from Arkansas. Everybody else was from Arkansas, 269 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: including me, and so we were establishing that Arkansas is 270 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: duck hunting capital of the world. And I was kind 271 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: of playing the why is it? I don't understand and 272 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 1: Sean to me kind of sealed the heel because he's 273 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 1: got no stock in Arkansas and his I liked. I 274 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: liked what he said about He just kind of gave 275 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 1: an outsiders look in Arkansas. I say that to say. 276 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,400 Speaker 1: Meteors coming out with a new series called Duck Lore, 277 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: and it's Sean traveling all over the country hunting with 278 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: people and so it's pretty cool and one of the 279 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 1: episodes will be in Arkansas maybe maybe maybe not with me, 280 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 1: there's not an episode in Arkansas. We got big problems 281 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 1: because this is the kind of capital of the world. 282 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: So you can go to the Meteor dot com forward 283 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,159 Speaker 1: slash Waterfowl and you can see First Light has a 284 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 1: new waterfowl waterfowl gear system coming out, and you can 285 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: sign up for our newsletter. That is uh, that's good. 286 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,360 Speaker 1: The only other thing on a meeting or agenda is, uh, 287 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 1: how many you guys know Spencer new Hearth. Yeah, okay, 288 00:17:53,480 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: our guest series, Spencer new Hearth works hunting editorial guy, 289 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: A good good. Yes. I had a dream the other 290 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: night and I remember nothing about the dream other than 291 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 1: that Spencer new Hearth walks past me and I call 292 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:17,239 Speaker 1: him beach Nut, and you're gonna make this public, You're 293 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 1: gonna release this on the Nut. I just remember addressing 294 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: him very seriously, Mr Nut, beach Nut, come here, you 295 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: know something. So I just I'm doing my part in 296 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:31,880 Speaker 1: uh to just make sure that that's what everybody calls him. 297 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: I think that's a moniker that I'm pretty sure Steve 298 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: Rinella is on this wagon too, as is everybody else 299 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,679 Speaker 1: at Meat Eater. So beach Nut, we really like, we 300 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: really appreciate what he does for us. Okay, moving right along, 301 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 1: moving it was weird. It was very weird. Okay, that's 302 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: why I've made it a point. I you know, made 303 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 1: it a point to make this very public. Okay, moving 304 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: right along. I almost lost my eye yesterday. I feel 305 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:01,719 Speaker 1: like I had rode with these guys for like twenty 306 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 1: minutes before I told them that. I wasn't like, you know, 307 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: like either you know, Clay's got pink eye or Clay 308 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 1: is pink Yeah, that's my first thought. It's like I've 309 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 1: got small kids, like, oh, if your eyes read, you 310 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:24,200 Speaker 1: just assume somebody. Yeah. Well, I didn't want it to 311 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 1: be the first thing I said with you guys. Um No. 312 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: So yesterday I had two of my buddies from Oklahoma 313 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: come up here. Um, Alan Grigg and Brian Wrangles. Very nice, 314 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: very they they they are really good guys. They ride horses. 315 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: They wanted to come up and squirrel hunt on their horses. 316 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: Me on the mule, and we hunted yesterday. And at 317 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: about eleven o'clock yesterday, I was riding to a tree. 318 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: So when you when you're squirrel hunting on mules, part 319 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:57,959 Speaker 1: of the deal is that you can get to the 320 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,120 Speaker 1: tree quick. So the dog's tree and the squirrel especially 321 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: this time of year. They're going in Den's really quickly. 322 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: Usually it's the quicker you can get there, the better. 323 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: And going to a tree, and I mean, just like 324 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: we've done for lots of miles, riding through thick forest, 325 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 1: you just kind of put up your arms and just 326 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: go and stuff brushing across you, and you know, And 327 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: I just took a stick. You know, I didn't see 328 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: it happened. I don't know how big it was, but 329 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: it was in your and you didn't see it. Yeah, 330 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:31,360 Speaker 1: I just took a stick in my right eye. And uh, 331 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: for a minute there, I really thought I'm gonna open 332 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:38,119 Speaker 1: this eye and I'm gonna see black. You know. I 333 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: was envisioned what I'd look like with a glass eye, 334 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: and like what what I was gonna put that's actually 335 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: in the middle. I wish I would have thought about 336 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: that because I was just the hospital. No, I was 337 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: picturing and walking around with him with a patch. I 338 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: also had visions and I and and because Clay is 339 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 1: so descriptive in text message, I'm I'm shaking my head. No, 340 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,720 Speaker 1: he's like I had issue with my eye, heading to 341 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:06,199 Speaker 1: the doctor, may need, may need to ride. And my 342 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: response is on a scale of one to ten, with 343 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:14,120 Speaker 1: ten being blindness. Where we are and he didn't text back, 344 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 1: and we called, We talked on the phone. You didn't 345 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:20,639 Speaker 1: on the phone. You did. But when I talked to 346 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: him on the phone, I was a little concerned, to 347 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: be honest, because you can usually hear it in Clay's 348 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: voice that everything's all right and it's usually a good 349 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,440 Speaker 1: story or whatever. And I couldn't hear that when I 350 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: when I I just got on the phone, it was like, well, 351 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 1: I mean, it might be hard from the text if 352 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: in fact we are at in blindness. So so I 353 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: just picked up the phone and called him and said, 354 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: what's what's going on? And I could tell he wasn't 355 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: quite sure. Well, it hurt like heck, and at first 356 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: I just thought it would just kind of go away, 357 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 1: and so we just kept hunting, kept hunting, and I 358 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 1: just kind of was squinting and it was watering, and 359 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: about four hours later it was worse than when it happened, 360 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: you know, And so we had a hall off the 361 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 1: hunt and I just was like, man, I can't even 362 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 1: see you out either eye because when you squinch up 363 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: this eye so hard this I started water in two 364 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: and you just it was. It was pretty painful. I 365 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: went to the eye doctor and I took off a 366 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: chunk out of my cornea and uhry he said. He said, 367 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: if it had been two millimeters further as I'm seeing 368 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,680 Speaker 1: right now to the west, uh he said, it would 369 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 1: have caused permanent damage. If if you if that happens 370 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 1: on your pupil, like it's basically I mean, from what 371 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: I could tell, like not, but it's no big deal. 372 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: It's it's almost already healed. Isn't that crazy? But if 373 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,959 Speaker 1: I hadn't gone to the doctor, he said, what happens 374 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: is it's when you get an eye injury, it abraid, 375 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: it abraids your eye, and then when you blink, it 376 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: tears the scam off your every time you play, they 377 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: put it. They put a contact lens, like a medicated 378 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 1: contact lens over it, and then so that when it 379 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: was like but yeah, to get rid of the worms, 380 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: but it Brent stays for pink. Your eye heels very quickly. 381 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: And I'm serious, like, right now I feel perfectly fine, 382 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: and yesterday I can hardly see how so yeah, miracles 383 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: modern science, folks, Well, what my buddy Alvin says is 384 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: he said, we take for granted how often stuff just 385 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: goes normal, Like you go, you go squirrel hunting and 386 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: you don't get hurt, and you come home and you 387 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: just think that's normal. It's so. Anyway, I lost another 388 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: tooth today. Yeah, yeah, Austin man. You uh so, you've 389 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: you've been at the game and fish now since July 390 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: July one, July one, so little over six months. That's right. 391 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: So give us a little, uh the walk through of 392 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: your career and where you've been and how you got here. 393 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: Grew up in a small town in Lonoak County. UH 394 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,920 Speaker 1: left in two thousand four to go to college. Uh 395 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: dad was a ninja builder. Mom became a nurse after 396 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: she put her kids through college. But anyways, Uh, I 397 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: went to college at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. 398 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:32,680 Speaker 1: Then I went to law school at the University of 399 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:36,920 Speaker 1: South Carolina, and uh then took the start taking notes here. 400 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: He's a lawyer. Okay, that's one finger check, yeah, okay. 401 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: Then took a commission in the United States Marine Corps 402 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: in two thousand ten. He's a Marine number two and 403 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 1: served on active duty in the Marine Corps for eight years. 404 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 1: UM got out in two thousand nineteen, came home, was 405 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: the chief staff for the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs 406 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: and did that for eighteen months and then I started 407 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:05,920 Speaker 1: at at Game and Fish and July. So in the Marines, 408 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: you were a lawyer for the Marines. Yes, really, So 409 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 1: my first three years I did nothing but basically prosecute cases. 410 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: What I mean, like, what I don't understand why the 411 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: I mean the Marines defending themselves? Yeah? Is it? Is? 412 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: It stuff happens inside the Marines. Well, so the Marine 413 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: Corps a a cross section of society, right, so it's 414 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: very interesting cross section of society. Um, but we have 415 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 1: marines that that that break the law and are you serious? Yes? 416 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:48,680 Speaker 1: Actually yes? And uh. In the Marine Corps, uh, you know, 417 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: we have the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which it 418 00:25:55,320 --> 00:26:00,080 Speaker 1: is very similar to what we would see in civilian jurisdictions. Uh. 419 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: We hold them accountable. And there's a Marine Corps jury, 420 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: Marine Corps judge, Marine Corps prosecutor, Marine Corps Defense counsel 421 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: and uh uh it's very similar to what you would 422 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,880 Speaker 1: see out in town. Okay. So there it's like its 423 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: own internal, own criminal justice system. So you were just prosecuting, 424 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 1: just regular stuff. It wasn't like you name it all 425 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: over the place. For nine years, the jury selected at 426 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: random like they are except for within a smaller yes, 427 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: now mostly at random. UM. There's some guidelines on if 428 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 1: you're a certain rank you know, there can't be anybody 429 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: of junior rank on on on the panel. Um. And 430 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 1: there has to be a certain officer to enlisted ratio. 431 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: So we can just reach into hattan people out. But 432 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 1: then we get this big panel and then we go 433 00:26:56,280 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 1: through the Vadar process where each side trust to keep 434 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 1: people off if they think they'll be unfair. That's very 435 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: similar to what happens out in town. So I did 436 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:11,119 Speaker 1: that for three years, uh, and then went to Afghanistan. Um, 437 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:15,119 Speaker 1: it's an operational stuff over there. And then came back 438 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,119 Speaker 1: and went to the hill for three years. So in 439 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: Afghanistan you were like on the ground. I was on 440 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 1: the ground still as a lawyer. Uh. But then what 441 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: we call operational law, which is I mean use of force, 442 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: drone strikes, rules, an engage front, you know, vetting, targeting packages, 443 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: stuff like that. And then okay, so I tried to 444 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,399 Speaker 1: get out of the Marine Corps after Afghanistan, but that 445 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 1: really just wasn't a marketable skill to law firms. Really, yeah, 446 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: it seems like it would be. That's all right, and 447 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: you're you're married and have three kids, married and have 448 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:52,440 Speaker 1: three kids, and uh, hey, I just want to say 449 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:55,240 Speaker 1: this because this was news to me the director of 450 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 1: the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. That position is a 451 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: hired position. It's not an appointed position. And that's right. 452 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 1: That's that's good intel to know. I mean because for 453 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: someone who's lived in this state his whole life, I 454 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,120 Speaker 1: could not have told you that. I thought I knew 455 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: that the commission was governor, right, and I just, you know, 456 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 1: kind of lumped all the leadership together in some way. 457 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 1: But the director of the agency, I mean, you applied 458 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:25,360 Speaker 1: for the job and got hired. That's right, that's good. 459 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: And when we were doing our g t R public meetings, 460 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: I don't want pull anything, but someone would always ask me. 461 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: They were like, so, you're thirty five years old, how 462 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: exactly did you get to be the director of the 463 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: ark Star Game Fish And uh I was telling the 464 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 1: same thing. I said, do you really want to know? 465 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: They're like, yeah, of course, give us the inside, and 466 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 1: I tell him I'm like, I went online. I googled 467 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: the head. I found his website and I sent him 468 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: in my cover letter and resume and they said, what 469 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 1: did you know any of the commissioners. I was like, yeah, 470 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: I knew one, and we had lunch of Bear was 471 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: his inn road and we had lunch and he told 472 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: me not to apply. So, yeah, it's high. So Austin, 473 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: did you grow up hunting? I did mostly duck hunt, 474 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: a little bit of deer hunting, but mostly wing shooting, 475 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: dub and ducks hunting. Public land in Arkansas, public land 476 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: in Arkansas. We had it, you know, we had some 477 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 1: leases every now and then if we could find him. 478 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: And oh yeah, let me ask something. Brent, you're not 479 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 1: a hillbilly. You are a flat lander. So is Austin 480 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 1: also a flat lander? Okay, it's helpful. I just I 481 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: just think it's helpful to category in the room. Just 482 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 1: so you know, if you call me a hillbilly or 483 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: him a hillbilly, now that there's two of us here, 484 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 1: you better have the right shoes on cross. Uh. I've 485 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: had the threatening the quick call them me a hillbilly. 486 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: Clay throws a cham around kind of loosely. Yeah, now, Luke, 487 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: we we got into little bit of your history on 488 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 1: the main podcast. But you've been with the game fish 489 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: since two thousand six, correct years you went. Where'd you 490 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: go to school? I went to undergrad at Kansas State 491 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,719 Speaker 1: and then graduate school at the University of California Davis, 492 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: so spent some time out there. So, yeah, I grew 493 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 1: up in Kansas and just my wife and I went 494 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,000 Speaker 1: west for graduate school for a few years and then 495 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: decided to come back east. As the California people say, 496 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: once you crass crosses here in Nevada, you're back east. 497 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: East Arena is back in Yeah, yeah, so anywhere out here, 498 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: you know. That's I like what you said there, because 499 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: directional descriptors are totally based on your perception of where 500 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 1: you're at. Because Austin was asking me about ger Stoker 501 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: a minute ago. He saw a painting that we had 502 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: hanging that was a guy fighting a bear with a 503 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: knife in crocs. He was not wearing cross and uh 504 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,440 Speaker 1: so the book that that story is in is called 505 00:30:56,560 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: Wild Sports in the Far West. Right here, there was 506 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: a time when Arkansas was the far West. That is 507 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: neither here nor there. But so you man, Luke was 508 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: hunting public land this morning when you got the invite 509 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 1: to come here. So I was driving back from a 510 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: little morning in BioMed How how much do you think, uh, 511 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: participation inside of the places that you're regulating helps you 512 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: manage a lot. I don't know how much. I don't 513 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 1: know how you could do this job if you if 514 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 1: you don't spend time in those places. I have the 515 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: opportunity to speak to some college courses, you know, wildlife classes, 516 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: conservation classes, whatever the name may be. And I've kind 517 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: of got a standard presentation I give and tweak from 518 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:42,959 Speaker 1: year to year, and that's been some of my I've 519 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: been kind of hanging on that advice the last few 520 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 1: times when I talked to students, said you gotta I 521 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: think I ordered something. You gotta walk where you want 522 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: to work. And and I've that was instilled in me 523 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: early on. I was a public land hunter growing up 524 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: in Kansas, a lot of a lot of duck hunting. 525 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: Qualent doesn't of course, had had some had an uncle 526 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: that had a farm for years out west, which tall 527 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: and and had some awesome opportunities there with family over 528 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: the years. But but nine public land and uh, and 529 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 1: that just instills a totally different perspective and I don't 530 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 1: know how I could relate to anyone else, do anything, 531 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: have any credibility really with all the stuff we're talking about, 532 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: the g TRS if I didn't actually live it myself. 533 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: Uh so, yeah, I like to just get out. And 534 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: I went out and just took a walk in the 535 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: woods by myself this morning, and may may go out 536 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 1: tomorrow morning with some friends. We'll see, but you know, 537 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: kind of it's a refreshing to do that at least 538 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,320 Speaker 1: once kind of by myself every year and just go 539 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 1: kind of wonder around and uh there's no no pressure, 540 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 1: no strings attached to anything, just go out and see 541 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:51,560 Speaker 1: what's going on. So again, coming into this topic in 542 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 1: this world not knowing a lot about it, which is 543 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: to be interesting that you can live in a state 544 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: like Arkansas and be is active in the hunting space 545 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:03,600 Speaker 1: as a bunch of us are over here and know 546 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: nothing about duck hunting. But when you told me that 547 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,280 Speaker 1: you didn't, you know, everybody hunts private land sometimes, but 548 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: you were like, man, I pretty much hunt public land 549 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 1: in Arkansas. And I mean, you're you're the guy making 550 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 1: putting a lot of your fingerprints on what's going on 551 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 1: around here. I I just thought that that did give 552 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: you a lot of credibility. You know, well I appreciate it. Yeah, 553 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 1: you gotta walk a mile into shoes, right, so it's 554 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 1: uh more or I guess most people don't walk like 555 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: I do, but a lot of people are something like that. 556 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 1: Put in another man's crocs, right right, Yeah, I might 557 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,920 Speaker 1: as well have been in croc today. My waiters were leaking, 558 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 1: so wouldn't make it. But but yeah, it's you get 559 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:43,959 Speaker 1: you gotta get out there and experience it, just like 560 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: like other folks do. I do it. It's been turkey 561 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,960 Speaker 1: hunting here, deer hunting here. You know, it's all public land. Yeah, 562 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 1: and sure I'm not afraid to to go out and 563 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 1: ask permission to snow goose hunt or go out and 564 00:33:57,280 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 1: somebody invites me to a place, I'll do that. That's 565 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: a that's a couple of times a year versus to 566 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: all the other trips compared to all the other trips 567 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 1: I do on public land. So keeps you, uh, keeps 568 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: you kind of grounded on what's really going on out 569 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:13,959 Speaker 1: there a little more connected. How feasible is it really 570 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 1: to hunt ducks and all that on public land in Arkansas? 571 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 1: It is most people. I guess I'll start out by 572 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: putting in perspective from somebody outside Arkansas. Most folks coming 573 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: from outside Arkansas come here and have a duck hunt. 574 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:34,000 Speaker 1: And we've got about forty five thousand people every year 575 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:36,759 Speaker 1: come from out of state to hunt ducks in Arkansas, 576 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:41,360 Speaker 1: and about of those are on private land, but on 577 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 1: public land invariably. Those folks have come from out of 578 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: state to duck hunt on public land typically, and I've 579 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 1: talked to a bunch of them over the years that 580 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:52,360 Speaker 1: the one day in Arkansas they will see more ducks 581 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: than they see in an entire season of hunting ducks 582 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 1: somewhere else big states for US out of state hunters, 583 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:02,320 Speaker 1: or Georgia, South Carolina, Um Tennessee of course, coming across 584 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 1: a Memphis a lot. But it's it's to a person 585 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 1: they say that this is I mean one day in 586 00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 1: the woods here when the water's in and this time 587 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,800 Speaker 1: of year, and they'll see more ducks, and they'll see 588 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 1: uh in a couple of seasons sometimes. So it's just different. 589 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:23,759 Speaker 1: The the intensity here is extremely high, the pressure is high. 590 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:26,440 Speaker 1: You can't you can't ignore it, and you know, pretend 591 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 1: like it's some sort of a wilderness experience to go 592 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 1: duck hunting on public than in Arkansas, because you're not 593 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 1: typically gonna find a lot of solitude. I found relative 594 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: solitude this morning, which means there's somebody. I think Clay 595 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 1: was asking me how close somebody was and you know, 596 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 1: a few hundred yards and you can barely hear their 597 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:46,359 Speaker 1: duck call. That's that's kind of solitude in public land 598 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:50,279 Speaker 1: in Arkansas. Um, but it works, and and I think 599 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:54,240 Speaker 1: it's the folks can take off um where I'm hunting. 600 00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:56,600 Speaker 1: You you just get a pair of cheap hip boots 601 00:35:57,040 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: and a duck call and go walking. I didn't even 602 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,800 Speaker 1: have a decoy with me to really and yeah, you 603 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 1: just walk in and kind of the old timer way 604 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,080 Speaker 1: of doing things. You just kick the water. Duck's key 605 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:08,839 Speaker 1: in on that the being in the woods. Ducks really 606 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:12,680 Speaker 1: key in on the moving water, the splashes and the 607 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:15,520 Speaker 1: sound the call. So they're kind of hard wired to 608 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 1: look for that. Take any ducks this morning, I talked 609 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: to I shot to two ducks. I should the two 610 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: that that came in and did it? Did it right? 611 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 1: Like I like to shoot them so they would be 612 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: fully committed that where they mallards. Yeah, yeah, they were great. Right, 613 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 1: that's synonymous in arcas compared this right here, what he's 614 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: talking about doing on public land. How many vehicles running 615 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 1: parking lot this morning? There's usually this when it's like 616 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,040 Speaker 1: it is now, they'll be fifty to seventy five, sometimes 617 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:50,080 Speaker 1: over a hundred at our major access points. And that's 618 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:53,000 Speaker 1: on and in the area you're hunting by meeting. I 619 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 1: assume it's probably twenty thousand acres of water right now 620 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:59,880 Speaker 1: because we're on a major flood. Twenty acres fifty to 621 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:03,279 Speaker 1: mt vehicles. Just what you said, what would you do 622 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 1: if you pulled up and put six hillbillies? What would 623 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:08,799 Speaker 1: you do if you pulled up to a trailhead in 624 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:11,480 Speaker 1: Montana where there was a million acres in front of 625 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:14,400 Speaker 1: you and there was fifty vehicles there? You go somewhere, 626 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: you turn around and go back home. But you can 627 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:23,440 Speaker 1: do that here. That's pretty cool. The question why, because 628 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: you can do dislike what what Luke did. You can 629 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: get two d and fifty yards away from somebody and 630 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:34,799 Speaker 1: you can do that and still be successful. Absolutely you can. 631 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:37,400 Speaker 1: And that's just that's a big difference. And I just 632 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:40,600 Speaker 1: thought about how different that was then if you and 633 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 1: I had pulled up somewhere with a trail here that 634 00:37:42,719 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 1: had fifty vehicles and we wouldn't even stop. We just 635 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 1: keep going, and he and we would be walking, and 636 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 1: he was walking. Yeah, I don't know much smaller area 637 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 1: and he had a space to do it. Brent, tell 638 00:37:55,000 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 1: us about your duck hunting history. My brother than I 639 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,360 Speaker 1: guided for better probably twenty six years. I guess. I 640 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:05,560 Speaker 1: think what I figured it up. And I've been I've 641 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:08,399 Speaker 1: been hunting. I killed my first green head when I 642 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:12,239 Speaker 1: was twelve, I think, and I can remember it just 643 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:15,319 Speaker 1: like it happened this morning, and twelve years when I 644 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: was twelve. That was a few years ago. Yeah, it 645 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:24,879 Speaker 1: was right after the Great War and uh Spanish American. Yeah, 646 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:29,600 Speaker 1: that's where I learned speak spending. I got caught. But 647 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:33,160 Speaker 1: we we guided at Raydale. We had a camp. We 648 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:36,080 Speaker 1: bought a camp over at Raydale, right on the Arkansas River. 649 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:39,279 Speaker 1: We were ten minutes from Buckingham Flats, which is now 650 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:41,720 Speaker 1: can we why can't we talk about all this public 651 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 1: land and not and it's okay to be specific or 652 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:47,239 Speaker 1: I mean it just is. I mean that's it, but 653 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:51,200 Speaker 1: I mean it's a it's a serious question because I 654 00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: don't understand we don't use names of stuff well in 655 00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:59,280 Speaker 1: bio media. I mean, if you're duck hunting on public 656 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,759 Speaker 1: landing Arkansas, in that part of Arkansas, it's by me 657 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:06,560 Speaker 1: to or if you're if it's north east Arkansas, it's 658 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 1: Black River or Black Swamp, or we're comfortable saying that. 659 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:14,279 Speaker 1: It's just a serious question. Yeah, I mean, do you 660 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:18,239 Speaker 1: ever talk about the places I hunt? It's over. I'm 661 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:20,319 Speaker 1: gonna quit pointing your finger me. I'm gonna tell you 662 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:23,400 Speaker 1: if you all asked me, like a name of a 663 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:26,760 Speaker 1: road or a or the nearest town where I turkey 664 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 1: hunt Stone Face, I don't know what I want. Two 665 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:35,000 Speaker 1: or three, any street You've already gone too far, already 666 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:39,280 Speaker 1: with it. We'd say, just turkey hunt in the eastern 667 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 1: deciduous for us. This photograph that I brought my son 668 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:44,240 Speaker 1: wanted to come to a renter, but he couldn't come today. 669 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:47,720 Speaker 1: He was toy open. I think when I took this picture, 670 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:50,719 Speaker 1: this was on the blue line and by me. Luke 671 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:57,560 Speaker 1: may have heard of that where yeah, standing right there 672 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 1: is that Luke in the background. No, No, I don't 673 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:03,439 Speaker 1: think I was lurking back. That that's my brother back there. 674 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:06,839 Speaker 1: But we had this dog for thirteen years. That that 675 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:09,920 Speaker 1: that's in this photograph with him. But that that photograph 676 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:12,759 Speaker 1: says so much to me. And one reason I brought 677 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:15,440 Speaker 1: it today the show was just for y'all to look at, 678 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:20,400 Speaker 1: was this was on the last podcast you talked about 679 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:23,120 Speaker 1: driving by Luke. You talked about your dads and he 680 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:25,279 Speaker 1: drove by, and every other house had a black dog 681 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 1: and in a boat in a driveway. What that was? 682 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:32,280 Speaker 1: This was my life right here for almost thirty years. 683 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:37,239 Speaker 1: It was we I deer hunted some for something to 684 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:40,000 Speaker 1: do until ducks season opened up. I mean that, and 685 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 1: that the whole community of people that I was around, 686 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:46,200 Speaker 1: that's what they did. Everything else was just to keep 687 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:48,759 Speaker 1: you out of jail long enough for duck season open 688 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:52,080 Speaker 1: up and then for the next our sixty seventy ninety 689 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:55,160 Speaker 1: days whatever it was gonna be. That's what we did 690 00:40:55,200 --> 00:41:00,439 Speaker 1: every day. And it was the hardest job I've ever 691 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:03,719 Speaker 1: had outside of law enforcement, the hardest thing I ever done, 692 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:06,400 Speaker 1: in the most fun. I mean, I made the best friends. 693 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:09,359 Speaker 1: And you talked about people coming from out of state. 694 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:13,960 Speaker 1: We had clients from all over. The hunted with us 695 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 1: from Pennsylvania and Georgia and North Carolina and South Carolina 696 00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:22,279 Speaker 1: like the biggest, vast majority of them come from there. 697 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 1: And we remember one day we took a guy from 698 00:41:25,239 --> 00:41:29,480 Speaker 1: Pitts from Pennsylvania, from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We took him into 699 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:34,160 Speaker 1: Buckingham Flats and we went in there and nine ten 700 00:41:34,200 --> 00:41:37,200 Speaker 1: o'clock ducks just shut off. It was over with, and 701 00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,319 Speaker 1: we liked there was probably four or five of us 702 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:42,560 Speaker 1: in there. I'd say there was four of us in there, 703 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:46,400 Speaker 1: and we liked, like two ducks having a limit for everybody. 704 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:48,720 Speaker 1: So we started picking up the equips and we're walking 705 00:41:48,719 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: out and the guts he's passed away now, but the 706 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:55,880 Speaker 1: guy from from Pennsylvania was walking around beside me, and 707 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 1: I said, Mr Roberts, I'm I'm sorry, it wasn't any 708 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:02,359 Speaker 1: better than it was today. And he said what I said, 709 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:04,520 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, it wasn't any better than that was normally 710 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,359 Speaker 1: ten o'clock. You're waking up from a nap, getting ready 711 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:10,360 Speaker 1: to get something because you've already limited up several hours before. 712 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:13,120 Speaker 1: And he reached and grabbed me by the collar of 713 00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:15,799 Speaker 1: my shirt and turned me around. I thought he's fixed 714 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 1: to hit me. He said, boy, you don't realize what 715 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:22,440 Speaker 1: y'all have here. He said, I saw more ducks this 716 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 1: morning than I have killed than I have seen in 717 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:28,839 Speaker 1: two years at home, he said, And I killed more 718 00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:32,279 Speaker 1: ducks this morning than I have over the last two 719 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:35,919 Speaker 1: years at home. He said that you've got something special here. 720 00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:39,359 Speaker 1: And if I never and I would say that up 721 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:42,600 Speaker 1: until that point, I would always apologize to a client 722 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:45,399 Speaker 1: if we didn't kill a full limit. I never said 723 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 1: it again after that because he was right. Yeah, and 724 00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:54,000 Speaker 1: it was this would have been ninety eight or ninety nine, 725 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:59,200 Speaker 1: and it was you could go and you could put 726 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:02,520 Speaker 1: two hundred and fift three ducks in a in a 727 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:04,680 Speaker 1: hole in the woods, right on top of you. I 728 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:07,879 Speaker 1: had them so close they were blowing that their wing 729 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 1: tips that touch you on the arm. My brother caught 730 00:43:10,280 --> 00:43:12,719 Speaker 1: a mallard hen one time. They're not saying that. The 731 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:15,279 Speaker 1: directors here, they they're gonna have to catch him. He 732 00:43:15,360 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 1: let him go. He called a mallard him, come him. 733 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:22,400 Speaker 1: I thought you were gonna say, my brother wants killed. No, 734 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:26,080 Speaker 1: just fluttering by, looking for a place to light. And 735 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:28,000 Speaker 1: he reached out and grabbed it by the neck. And 736 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:30,440 Speaker 1: he said it went that duck went up his arm 737 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:32,160 Speaker 1: like a roast in the year. He said that he 738 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 1: was clawing and he durned it, Lucy, but it was 739 00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:37,759 Speaker 1: I mean, you just get them in that close, and 740 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:41,400 Speaker 1: that's not what's the most? You ever just estimated and 741 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 1: we know your estimation is gonna be thirty percent higher 742 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:46,480 Speaker 1: than the truth. Well what's the what's the most do 743 00:43:46,520 --> 00:43:50,160 Speaker 1: you think ever landed in a set of decoys? You know, 744 00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:53,480 Speaker 1: came in in Buckingham Flats. We had two guys from Memphis. 745 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:58,520 Speaker 1: We went in there on a Tuesday morning and we 746 00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:01,600 Speaker 1: were the only folks in there. We had where's one 747 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:04,400 Speaker 1: vehicle in that parking lot on a Tuesday morning? This 748 00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:11,440 Speaker 1: been about four eight three or four And if it 749 00:44:11,520 --> 00:44:15,759 Speaker 1: was one duck, it was seven eight hundred. I was 750 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:17,880 Speaker 1: gonna say a thousand, but you weren't gonna believe it. 751 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:26,080 Speaker 1: So we started working ducks and and fifty ducks because 752 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:29,839 Speaker 1: I don't even know really what ducks would look like. Luke, 753 00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:33,759 Speaker 1: have you ever experienced anything? Most people don't. Now, Yeah, 754 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:37,040 Speaker 1: not to that scale. But UM been fortunately, been on 755 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:39,520 Speaker 1: some good hunts with some good friends, and I see 756 00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:43,400 Speaker 1: that start to happen. It's strange, what what happens? There's 757 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:46,719 Speaker 1: something so fascinating about hunting in the timber that it 758 00:44:46,719 --> 00:44:49,560 Speaker 1: it does. As Brent started to describe, they kind of 759 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 1: just there's just this cascade effect or where they start coming. 760 00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:56,840 Speaker 1: And I watched a few of them do it this morning, 761 00:44:57,320 --> 00:44:58,719 Speaker 1: and I was about ready to leave and a few 762 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:00,840 Speaker 1: ducks came in. They finally just found a spot and 763 00:45:00,840 --> 00:45:03,080 Speaker 1: they broke through the trees, away from me and away 764 00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:05,960 Speaker 1: from this other group just just kind of started settling 765 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,160 Speaker 1: in and half a dozen of them started it. And 766 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:10,080 Speaker 1: and really all it takes is a few to start 767 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:14,480 Speaker 1: the train. And I mean just in just quickly, there's 768 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:18,440 Speaker 1: probably sixty seventy ducks just pulled right in behind them. 769 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,359 Speaker 1: So if there's enough ducks around, it can build into 770 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:24,120 Speaker 1: the hundreds like that, if the key is being patient 771 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:26,759 Speaker 1: enough to let it happen. And they started lighting like 772 00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,719 Speaker 1: a hundred yards away, okay, they kind of and they 773 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,160 Speaker 1: just and it was just like a rolling carpet. They 774 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:35,760 Speaker 1: just started just rolling. Rend you ever see anything like that? Awesome, 775 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:40,520 Speaker 1: big big groups like that. Hunting on the White River 776 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,040 Speaker 1: bottoms one time, and we had a group of six 777 00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:48,680 Speaker 1: guys and one group came in about three minutes after 778 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:52,919 Speaker 1: shooting time and we limited out one and one group 779 00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:56,480 Speaker 1: of ducks. How would that be? Would you have you 780 00:45:56,640 --> 00:46:01,080 Speaker 1: had to have reloaded? No, but how would you limit out? 781 00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:03,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not a game warden or anything, but 782 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:05,920 Speaker 1: if you only got three shells in the limits four, 783 00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:07,680 Speaker 1: how do you limit out? Because the ducks are that 784 00:46:07,719 --> 00:46:10,719 Speaker 1: close and there's that many. Sometimes if it gets right, 785 00:46:10,719 --> 00:46:12,279 Speaker 1: you gotta be careful. One of the one of the 786 00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:16,799 Speaker 1: first times I had had but I had my head 787 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:18,360 Speaker 1: down here one of the first times we were in 788 00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:21,280 Speaker 1: government Cyprus several years back, ten plus years ago, and 789 00:46:21,280 --> 00:46:24,520 Speaker 1: and uh, they finally started coming in that they did it. 790 00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:29,000 Speaker 1: They broke through. And if things are going right, and 791 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:32,520 Speaker 1: I'm sound kind of arrogant, I guess, but if you're 792 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:34,880 Speaker 1: shooting them right, which means they're down inside the tree right, 793 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:37,520 Speaker 1: not flying skimming the tree tops and all that, you know, 794 00:46:37,600 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 1: each his own that that that's it's legal to make 795 00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:44,400 Speaker 1: your own make your own decisions. But um, really, shooting 796 00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:47,040 Speaker 1: a secondary like if if ducks are doing it right 797 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:49,719 Speaker 1: in the woods, shooting them is kind of an afterthought 798 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:52,400 Speaker 1: because it gets to the point where they're they're in 799 00:46:52,640 --> 00:46:55,959 Speaker 1: so close and and there's there can be so many 800 00:46:56,040 --> 00:47:00,719 Speaker 1: of them and they really um there, I mean acrobats, 801 00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:03,680 Speaker 1: but getting that many ducks up out of the woods 802 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:08,000 Speaker 1: and out of gun range. Uh, A man can operate 803 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:11,040 Speaker 1: a gun much quicker than they can get out. It 804 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:15,160 Speaker 1: really Once it happens like that, Um yeah, it really is, 805 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:16,839 Speaker 1: you're kind of like, Okay, I guess we're gonna shoot 806 00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:19,640 Speaker 1: him now, started the top and yeah, and you work 807 00:47:19,719 --> 00:47:21,759 Speaker 1: as they come up. You just keep working the ducks. 808 00:47:21,760 --> 00:47:26,360 Speaker 1: That's after they've landed, after they coming, when the shooting starts, 809 00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:29,440 Speaker 1: you start high and then as they work up you 810 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:31,640 Speaker 1: take them. Is it going out? It could be the 811 00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:34,160 Speaker 1: ducks there are still coming in talking about that train starting, 812 00:47:34,239 --> 00:47:35,800 Speaker 1: you know, and if a bunch of them on the water, 813 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:38,319 Speaker 1: they're just gonna keep coming. You shoot the ones here 814 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:40,160 Speaker 1: and then other ones get up. You're just basically bang 815 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:47,319 Speaker 1: bang bang. It's a safety thing too. Yeah. They're easy shots. Yeah, 816 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:51,239 Speaker 1: you talk, you'll think y'all shot twenty gauges. That was 817 00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:56,000 Speaker 1: my guide. Gun wasn't open under twenty Wow. So do 818 00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:58,399 Speaker 1: you like as a duck hunter if when you're thinking 819 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:02,640 Speaker 1: about your duck hunting career, is that like, is that 820 00:48:02,719 --> 00:48:06,080 Speaker 1: like killing a ten point buck limit out and you know, 821 00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:09,920 Speaker 1: limiting out in one minute. So look at that. How 822 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:12,600 Speaker 1: does that give me a scale? Here? Luke and I 823 00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:14,960 Speaker 1: were talking about that on the way up here. I 824 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:17,799 Speaker 1: think I'm in the minority here, but I would much 825 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:21,759 Speaker 1: rather kill a few ducks short of my limit but 826 00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:25,200 Speaker 1: have a longer hunt. I mean, I love being I'll 827 00:48:26,080 --> 00:48:30,000 Speaker 1: see those those blue notches on their wings in the sunlight, 828 00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:31,600 Speaker 1: and I love being a lot to see that green 829 00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:35,880 Speaker 1: that knee on emerald green head in the sunlight. Uh. Sure, 830 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:38,960 Speaker 1: it's awesome to limit out really quickly, but I wouldn't 831 00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:42,360 Speaker 1: much rather you know, string that over a few hours. 832 00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:49,279 Speaker 1: That makes sense, Yeah, it's it's really it's about seeing them. Yeah, 833 00:48:49,360 --> 00:48:52,319 Speaker 1: if I can shoot some ducks, great, But I know 834 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:54,279 Speaker 1: if I've shot some ducks, that means I saw a 835 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:56,360 Speaker 1: lot of ducks, and I had a lot of ducks close. 836 00:48:56,680 --> 00:48:58,640 Speaker 1: That's way more important at the end of the day 837 00:48:58,719 --> 00:49:00,799 Speaker 1: seeing them and talking to him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that 838 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:16,879 Speaker 1: communication you have after you calling. We always we would 839 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:20,160 Speaker 1: tell clients we can get this over with quick. You know, 840 00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:24,040 Speaker 1: at one point there was a point system where you know, 841 00:49:24,200 --> 00:49:27,040 Speaker 1: males and females. Drakes and hens were a different point value, 842 00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:30,319 Speaker 1: and you went up to a hundred, and hens were 843 00:49:30,320 --> 00:49:32,799 Speaker 1: a hundred. If you killed a hen, whoever killed that hen, 844 00:49:32,880 --> 00:49:35,480 Speaker 1: that was their limit. So we would tell during that 845 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:39,239 Speaker 1: hun during that time and even after, you know, if 846 00:49:39,239 --> 00:49:41,440 Speaker 1: we got close on if there was close on hens, 847 00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:43,799 Speaker 1: you know, we'd say no, you know, we're shutting it 848 00:49:43,840 --> 00:49:46,279 Speaker 1: down before we got to a limit, because we've been 849 00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:49,960 Speaker 1: gonna walk out there limited ducks. So I would we 850 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:51,680 Speaker 1: would always tell them the boys, we can get this 851 00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:53,960 Speaker 1: done quick, or we can sit here and let the 852 00:49:53,960 --> 00:49:56,200 Speaker 1: sun come up and we can shoot the boy ducks, 853 00:49:56,320 --> 00:50:00,080 Speaker 1: you know, and and see a show. From that time on, 854 00:50:00,239 --> 00:50:03,799 Speaker 1: and everybody to a man was yeah, we want to 855 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:05,200 Speaker 1: we want to stay here and we want to watch 856 00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:09,759 Speaker 1: it because it is so you try to shoot the 857 00:50:10,000 --> 00:50:13,279 Speaker 1: drake Mallard just pick out the boys. Yeah, boy, that's 858 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:17,840 Speaker 1: harder to It's it's not every band I ever killed, 859 00:50:18,239 --> 00:50:20,960 Speaker 1: except for one. I saw it on the duck's leg 860 00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:23,680 Speaker 1: when I shot him. We're kind of different duck hunters, 861 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:27,440 Speaker 1: you know, because here's the deal. Look, Craig mack Austin, 862 00:50:27,560 --> 00:50:30,560 Speaker 1: tell me there's a difference between a man that hunts 863 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:37,919 Speaker 1: ducks and a duck hunter and experience. Yeah, you gotta 864 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:41,360 Speaker 1: be careful how far you take that before you offend. 865 00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:46,080 Speaker 1: Somebody ain't worried about offending Clay Well, you know, I mean, 866 00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:49,120 Speaker 1: I'm a pretty serious duck hunter, and uh, I pretty 867 00:50:49,160 --> 00:50:53,480 Speaker 1: much just hunt, you know, the timber. But it's amazing 868 00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:55,400 Speaker 1: what you can see if you just look. You know. 869 00:50:55,600 --> 00:50:58,440 Speaker 1: It was always and we would tell new hunters, you know, 870 00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:00,959 Speaker 1: pick out one duck. There's gonna be few there, maybe 871 00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:03,759 Speaker 1: fifty come in, but you gain shoot them all. You've 872 00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:07,600 Speaker 1: got to find one. And then being gads, we would 873 00:51:07,600 --> 00:51:10,600 Speaker 1: always let the client shoot first, start shooting, they get 874 00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:15,120 Speaker 1: their chance, and we'd shoot hours. And then how does 875 00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:17,279 Speaker 1: that work? And I'm not I'm not saying that's bad, 876 00:51:17,320 --> 00:51:19,520 Speaker 1: but why does the guy get to shoot? Why does 877 00:51:19,560 --> 00:51:21,280 Speaker 1: he get to shoot while I'm out there hunting too? 878 00:51:21,800 --> 00:51:26,960 Speaker 1: I'd like to shoot him. But in a wing, you're 879 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:30,880 Speaker 1: not taking away anything from anybody. But because usually in 880 00:51:30,920 --> 00:51:34,160 Speaker 1: a guided situation, the guide's not hunting too. But that's 881 00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:38,759 Speaker 1: common practice, that's pretty common, and it gives you an 882 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:44,840 Speaker 1: extra limit for the picture. Okay, you so give you 883 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:47,799 Speaker 1: an extra limit. Yeah, you're taking novice hunters too. It's 884 00:51:47,880 --> 00:51:50,200 Speaker 1: nice to have. I took some out just last week 885 00:51:50,280 --> 00:51:53,640 Speaker 1: and I had my gun with me. No intention of 886 00:51:53,640 --> 00:51:56,480 Speaker 1: shooting first at all, but you know, had to go. 887 00:51:57,160 --> 00:52:01,160 Speaker 1: Um cripple goes off something. You gotta have somebody experience 888 00:52:01,239 --> 00:52:04,080 Speaker 1: that kind of knows how to take care of things, 889 00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:07,200 Speaker 1: and you're hunt When novices you've got a dog, for example, 890 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:10,879 Speaker 1: you tell everybody that, hey, once that dogs out everybody else, 891 00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:14,800 Speaker 1: but nobody else shoots like I'm gonna shoot because I 892 00:52:14,880 --> 00:52:17,279 Speaker 1: know what the dogs doing. So it's important a lot 893 00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:19,319 Speaker 1: of times to have a guide or have a more 894 00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:22,800 Speaker 1: knowledgeable hunter, more experienced hunter to be to be ready 895 00:52:22,840 --> 00:52:25,359 Speaker 1: to help out with some situations like that. And he 896 00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:27,440 Speaker 1: has a few more ducks for the picture too, Yeah, 897 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:30,200 Speaker 1: few more ducks for the picture. Put all the mallards 898 00:52:30,280 --> 00:52:32,759 Speaker 1: up front. Um, do you feel like this is all 899 00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:36,760 Speaker 1: inside baseball? Josh, No, I have intentionally never duck hunted. 900 00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:41,640 Speaker 1: That's on purpose, on purpose because I have a bit 901 00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:46,080 Speaker 1: of an obsessive personality, and I know that first I see, 902 00:52:46,080 --> 00:52:50,759 Speaker 1: I love to fly fish. I mean I get obsessed 903 00:52:50,760 --> 00:52:54,279 Speaker 1: with fly fishing. Actually tell you guys, I got my 904 00:52:54,400 --> 00:52:59,919 Speaker 1: first trout fishing guide gig this weekend for some guy. 905 00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:11,400 Speaker 1: My guide license. Everybody that's I'm obsessive about gear and 906 00:53:11,480 --> 00:53:14,800 Speaker 1: about fly fishing and tying and all that kind of stuff. 907 00:53:14,840 --> 00:53:17,279 Speaker 1: I know, the first time I go duck hunting, it's 908 00:53:17,320 --> 00:53:20,520 Speaker 1: gonna be You're gonna like this. My brother in law 909 00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:23,600 Speaker 1: loves my brother in law, Scott Anderson, duck hunts over 910 00:53:23,640 --> 00:53:26,200 Speaker 1: and around the Tulsa area a lot, and he's always 911 00:53:26,200 --> 00:53:28,040 Speaker 1: wanting me to go. And I'm like, I've never just 912 00:53:28,120 --> 00:53:33,160 Speaker 1: been too gung ho about it because because of that reason. Okay, 913 00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:36,440 Speaker 1: talking directly about the podcast, this is what we usually do. 914 00:53:36,640 --> 00:53:39,520 Speaker 1: What what was your favorite part that stood out to you? 915 00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:44,279 Speaker 1: Anybody can start, Yeah, I'll tell you it was. It 916 00:53:44,320 --> 00:53:47,000 Speaker 1: has been my favorite of all the ones. He really, 917 00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:50,480 Speaker 1: he actually said this yesterday. It's been in my favorite 918 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:55,120 Speaker 1: since even Bear Hunting Magazine when we first started. It's 919 00:53:55,120 --> 00:53:58,879 Speaker 1: been the because there was everyone that talked on there. 920 00:53:59,320 --> 00:54:02,560 Speaker 1: I could relate everything somebody was saying. You know, it 921 00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:07,480 Speaker 1: was from Jim bow to the whole thing, the biology 922 00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:10,200 Speaker 1: and the the area because this, you know, these were 923 00:54:10,320 --> 00:54:14,000 Speaker 1: questions that clients would were asking me. I've had people 924 00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:18,239 Speaker 1: from New Jersey they they wanted to know some of 925 00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:21,080 Speaker 1: them never seen stars at night. They were standing outside 926 00:54:21,080 --> 00:54:23,000 Speaker 1: in front of the camping in Raydale on the bank 927 00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:24,920 Speaker 1: of the Arkansas River and looking up at the stars 928 00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:27,880 Speaker 1: and be amazed, and they were just it was just 929 00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:30,160 Speaker 1: one question after another. What kind of tree is this? 930 00:54:30,280 --> 00:54:32,239 Speaker 1: Why do ducks come down here? The things that you 931 00:54:32,280 --> 00:54:36,280 Speaker 1: addressed in that thing, and it was from me lying 932 00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:38,520 Speaker 1: to them and tell them to pick cottonfield was the 933 00:54:38,560 --> 00:54:42,279 Speaker 1: remnants of where they raised grits at that. I never 934 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:47,200 Speaker 1: corrected that, but to to actually tell them the truth 935 00:54:47,239 --> 00:54:51,200 Speaker 1: about things that I could actually answer. But all of 936 00:54:51,200 --> 00:54:57,239 Speaker 1: those things were just an intrinsic part of their experience. 937 00:54:57,360 --> 00:55:00,320 Speaker 1: And it made me realize, like the guy that's snatched 938 00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:03,600 Speaker 1: me out of my waiters there from Pennsylvania, of what 939 00:55:03,719 --> 00:55:05,719 Speaker 1: we had, you know, and what we have and what 940 00:55:05,760 --> 00:55:07,959 Speaker 1: we were, what we were able to do, that those 941 00:55:08,000 --> 00:55:09,759 Speaker 1: guys were just gonna be able to see for like 942 00:55:09,840 --> 00:55:14,320 Speaker 1: three days until the next year. Every from we'll start 943 00:55:14,360 --> 00:55:17,239 Speaker 1: to finish this nostalgic for I loved Yeah. Man brought 944 00:55:17,239 --> 00:55:20,640 Speaker 1: back a million million memories. I know. There was one 945 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:23,960 Speaker 1: thing I listened to it the second time when it 946 00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:26,160 Speaker 1: actually came out, and I thought man, I bet I've 947 00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:29,600 Speaker 1: offended a bunch of people. Well did Here's what, Here's 948 00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:32,200 Speaker 1: what I think. This was the only thing that guardered 949 00:55:32,200 --> 00:55:36,080 Speaker 1: my attention other than you say in pronunciation was the 950 00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:40,080 Speaker 1: first word the first duck hunting podcast, and as far 951 00:55:40,120 --> 00:55:42,279 Speaker 1: as I know, I'm the first duck guys you ever knew. 952 00:55:42,360 --> 00:55:48,160 Speaker 1: And my reference was corn bread, which was really going bad. 953 00:55:48,239 --> 00:55:51,200 Speaker 1: Trump's everything got called out for your love of corporate 954 00:55:52,440 --> 00:55:54,719 Speaker 1: which is true. No shame in that, No, It's right. 955 00:55:54,840 --> 00:55:58,200 Speaker 1: I loved it. I've I've listened to every single one 956 00:55:58,239 --> 00:56:02,080 Speaker 1: of the Bear Grease cast and Beer Greased renders except 957 00:56:02,320 --> 00:56:05,359 Speaker 1: for the most for the most recent render um way 958 00:56:05,400 --> 00:56:12,759 Speaker 1: to go Austin. Yeah, I had some special perspective on it, 959 00:56:12,800 --> 00:56:14,960 Speaker 1: not because I worked for a Game of Fish, but 960 00:56:15,040 --> 00:56:18,400 Speaker 1: because I grew up Arkansas dunk hunting, and then I 961 00:56:18,520 --> 00:56:21,600 Speaker 1: left it, and I did it in South Carolina, did 962 00:56:21,600 --> 00:56:30,160 Speaker 1: it in Virginia. Was Oh, the look of disgust. But 963 00:56:30,640 --> 00:56:32,920 Speaker 1: I tell people it was so much different. But it 964 00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:35,680 Speaker 1: made me such a better hunter, not just because I 965 00:56:35,719 --> 00:56:38,200 Speaker 1: appreciated it, but because I had to pay attention to 966 00:56:38,239 --> 00:56:42,320 Speaker 1: so many more variables when you're hunting. You know, public 967 00:56:42,400 --> 00:56:46,160 Speaker 1: land off of the Potomac River with you know, you 968 00:56:46,200 --> 00:56:48,680 Speaker 1: gotta worry about tides. You you've got to worry about 969 00:56:48,680 --> 00:56:51,800 Speaker 1: like when the temperature folds into single digits, big water, 970 00:56:52,600 --> 00:56:55,720 Speaker 1: just a million different variables. And I had my boat 971 00:56:55,760 --> 00:56:59,120 Speaker 1: inside my garage out there one winner, and my dad 972 00:56:59,560 --> 00:57:03,600 Speaker 1: came out. They're understanding and in the garage talking, and 973 00:57:03,880 --> 00:57:06,520 Speaker 1: he looked in it in my boat and said, son, 974 00:57:07,440 --> 00:57:20,240 Speaker 1: why in the world do you have blue building? And 975 00:57:20,400 --> 00:57:23,439 Speaker 1: you know, he you know, It's like, what, Dad, It's 976 00:57:23,480 --> 00:57:28,720 Speaker 1: just that's just what we have at here? What is 977 00:57:28,720 --> 00:57:32,040 Speaker 1: the blue bill decoy? It? It's so a blue bill 978 00:57:32,200 --> 00:57:35,920 Speaker 1: is a type of duck. It's a diver, not a 979 00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:39,920 Speaker 1: dabbling duck. Uh. And Luke's gonna correct me if I 980 00:57:39,960 --> 00:57:43,880 Speaker 1: get anything wrong here. It's a fun bird to chase. Uh. 981 00:57:44,080 --> 00:57:47,360 Speaker 1: They five very erratically, so they're fun to shoot. They're 982 00:57:47,400 --> 00:57:49,560 Speaker 1: not quite as tasty and not near as pretty as 983 00:57:49,600 --> 00:57:52,600 Speaker 1: a mallard. Okay, I mean blue bill kind of sounds 984 00:57:52,680 --> 00:57:55,040 Speaker 1: nice to me. It's not. I'm a I'm more of 985 00:57:55,080 --> 00:58:02,240 Speaker 1: a mallard guy. Right, you always have a Um, I'm 986 00:58:02,240 --> 00:58:06,640 Speaker 1: out at the one mallard I've ever killed. So I 987 00:58:06,680 --> 00:58:08,680 Speaker 1: loved it from that perspective. And then the second thing 988 00:58:08,720 --> 00:58:11,040 Speaker 1: that I really liked about it was the outro your 989 00:58:11,160 --> 00:58:14,840 Speaker 1: description of it's a good thing when North American hunters 990 00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:17,880 Speaker 1: love a career so much that that they chase it 991 00:58:17,920 --> 00:58:20,880 Speaker 1: for its feathers, it's for for its meat, because we'll 992 00:58:20,920 --> 00:58:25,120 Speaker 1: do whatever we take to try to preserve that. And uh, 993 00:58:25,200 --> 00:58:28,000 Speaker 1: as I've kind of approached the game of fish as 994 00:58:28,040 --> 00:58:31,040 Speaker 1: an as an outsider, but as a life on beneficiary 995 00:58:31,080 --> 00:58:34,520 Speaker 1: of it, I'm very focused on trying to restore that 996 00:58:34,640 --> 00:58:39,680 Speaker 1: connection between consumption and sportsmanship. So yeah, yeah, man, that 997 00:58:39,760 --> 00:58:42,000 Speaker 1: statement is so true, and I mean that's really the 998 00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:45,320 Speaker 1: message that we're trying to to send to the broader 999 00:58:45,960 --> 00:58:50,360 Speaker 1: world is that, Man, the best thing that could happen 1000 00:58:50,600 --> 00:58:54,000 Speaker 1: if you were a game species is that guys like 1001 00:58:54,080 --> 00:58:58,200 Speaker 1: this would sit around a podcast one beautiful lady h 1002 00:58:58,600 --> 00:59:09,040 Speaker 1: and then what would talk about hunting that inside bou Yeah. Yeah, 1003 00:59:09,920 --> 00:59:12,160 Speaker 1: I mean that's the best thing that can happen because 1004 00:59:12,280 --> 00:59:15,480 Speaker 1: where where where an analyze cultural value and see these 1005 00:59:15,480 --> 00:59:17,320 Speaker 1: are the things that I think need to be on 1006 00:59:17,400 --> 00:59:20,520 Speaker 1: all of our tongues just to intuitively be able to 1007 00:59:20,520 --> 00:59:22,240 Speaker 1: say it. I want my kids to be able to 1008 00:59:22,280 --> 00:59:25,400 Speaker 1: say this is that where an animal has cultural value, 1009 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:29,320 Speaker 1: it's protected and its habitat is protected. And when you 1010 00:59:29,640 --> 00:59:32,720 Speaker 1: when you when you when you can't hunt something, when 1011 00:59:32,720 --> 00:59:36,040 Speaker 1: when when the common man has no incentive because he 1012 00:59:36,080 --> 00:59:39,680 Speaker 1: cannot partake of that resource, he has no incentive to 1013 00:59:39,720 --> 00:59:42,560 Speaker 1: protect that. And I mean that's the North American model, 1014 00:59:42,960 --> 00:59:46,600 Speaker 1: is that we've given people the common man incentive want 1015 00:59:46,600 --> 00:59:50,360 Speaker 1: to protect wildlife, and we've built this culture, this hunting 1016 00:59:50,400 --> 00:59:54,440 Speaker 1: culture into our families and North America, oddly enough, as 1017 00:59:54,480 --> 00:59:56,600 Speaker 1: the most big game animals of anywhere on the planet 1018 00:59:56,880 --> 01:00:00,800 Speaker 1: and the strongest, most robust hunting culture of anywhere on 1019 01:00:00,840 --> 01:00:03,960 Speaker 1: the planet and other places, but they do not fishing. 1020 01:00:04,040 --> 01:00:08,640 Speaker 1: And fishing we got our slot limits that we observed. So, Brent, 1021 01:00:08,760 --> 01:00:12,840 Speaker 1: would you say, in light of claysure Mark, that the 1022 01:00:12,840 --> 01:00:18,200 Speaker 1: mallard is valued culturally in Southeastern Yes, I would say, 1023 01:00:19,120 --> 01:00:22,000 Speaker 1: I would say it would be Jesus and then the 1024 01:00:22,040 --> 01:00:26,080 Speaker 1: mallard duck. No, it's not even close. But he the 1025 01:00:26,120 --> 01:00:29,200 Speaker 1: mat of ducks the next one on the wrong. No. 1026 01:00:29,440 --> 01:00:31,800 Speaker 1: I thought that was an interesting question because it's so 1027 01:00:31,880 --> 01:00:34,920 Speaker 1: in It's like there's no question. I mean, like you 1028 01:00:34,920 --> 01:00:37,920 Speaker 1: guys that are in it deep that never I mean 1029 01:00:38,000 --> 01:00:40,480 Speaker 1: has it ever crossed your mind that why are we 1030 01:00:40,560 --> 01:00:44,080 Speaker 1: targeting this animal? So why is this one so special? 1031 01:00:44,440 --> 01:00:46,280 Speaker 1: I mean, these guys they're all looking at me like 1032 01:00:46,320 --> 01:00:55,240 Speaker 1: I'm crazy. They're like, yeah, yeah, well that's interesting because 1033 01:00:55,640 --> 01:00:57,560 Speaker 1: that and that's why I wanted to talk about it. 1034 01:00:57,600 --> 01:00:59,640 Speaker 1: And I thought that was cool section of the podcast 1035 01:00:59,720 --> 01:01:03,360 Speaker 1: and it answered my questions because there's always functionality. There's 1036 01:01:03,360 --> 01:01:08,320 Speaker 1: always function behind something that seems just totally cultural. You know, 1037 01:01:08,720 --> 01:01:10,960 Speaker 1: they're they're the vocal duck, they're the biggest duck, they're 1038 01:01:11,000 --> 01:01:14,440 Speaker 1: meat duck. They're the most widely geographically distributed duck. So 1039 01:01:14,480 --> 01:01:18,320 Speaker 1: it's a no brainer once you understand these pieces of 1040 01:01:18,360 --> 01:01:22,480 Speaker 1: science behind it. You know that, uh that's like, yeah, 1041 01:01:22,680 --> 01:01:26,440 Speaker 1: the king of ducks, man, the mount duck. There is 1042 01:01:26,440 --> 01:01:28,760 Speaker 1: a cultural connection. I mean, as we just kind of 1043 01:01:29,280 --> 01:01:33,160 Speaker 1: denigrated bluebills here for a second. You know, if you 1044 01:01:33,200 --> 01:01:36,600 Speaker 1: go out like the legendary and people here again they 1045 01:01:36,680 --> 01:01:39,160 Speaker 1: kind of like I might get struck by lightning. But 1046 01:01:39,200 --> 01:01:41,720 Speaker 1: you know, water follow hunting didn't start in Arkansas, I 1047 01:01:41,720 --> 01:01:47,240 Speaker 1: mean just right, So but you think about the I know, 1048 01:01:47,360 --> 01:01:50,400 Speaker 1: I know, I'll have my letter on your desk in 1049 01:01:50,400 --> 01:01:54,880 Speaker 1: the morning, but but you think about you know the 1050 01:01:54,920 --> 01:01:59,640 Speaker 1: diving ducks, campus back scalp, bluebills, you know that decoy carving. 1051 01:01:59,720 --> 01:02:03,560 Speaker 1: That's the East Coast tradition and Great Lakes tradition built 1052 01:02:03,560 --> 01:02:09,680 Speaker 1: around totally different species, largely different life histories, different behaviors, 1053 01:02:09,680 --> 01:02:12,680 Speaker 1: different ways of pursuing them. It's all duck hunting, but 1054 01:02:12,880 --> 01:02:16,439 Speaker 1: much different techniques used. Uh. You know my time out 1055 01:02:16,560 --> 01:02:18,760 Speaker 1: six years out in California in the Central Valley where 1056 01:02:18,760 --> 01:02:22,320 Speaker 1: the with the northern pentail is king, and it's fascinating 1057 01:02:22,400 --> 01:02:24,240 Speaker 1: watching that. When I was out there was kind of 1058 01:02:24,320 --> 01:02:29,840 Speaker 1: during this transition phase where pentel populations were declining, uh, continentally, 1059 01:02:30,760 --> 01:02:34,840 Speaker 1: bag limits were declining. Uh. So it went from back 1060 01:02:34,840 --> 01:02:37,400 Speaker 1: in the days where Brent meant to the point system. Uh, 1061 01:02:37,400 --> 01:02:40,600 Speaker 1: they were pentails were bonus duck in the seventies in California, 1062 01:02:40,840 --> 01:02:42,600 Speaker 1: which meant you could shoot ten of them per day, 1063 01:02:43,480 --> 01:02:46,720 Speaker 1: and and it built this whole culture of managing habitat 1064 01:02:46,880 --> 01:02:51,400 Speaker 1: for pin tails, which is a different structures, wide open, huge, huge, 1065 01:02:51,520 --> 01:02:53,080 Speaker 1: You know, I hunted one time out there with a 1066 01:02:53,120 --> 01:02:56,200 Speaker 1: friend over you know, three thousand decoys and this is 1067 01:02:56,760 --> 01:03:00,000 Speaker 1: just a totally just wide open water like four to say, 1068 01:03:00,080 --> 01:03:05,600 Speaker 1: since deep, wide open and as pentel limits dropped, people 1069 01:03:05,600 --> 01:03:09,280 Speaker 1: started managing for mallards, and so now people in California 1070 01:03:09,320 --> 01:03:11,880 Speaker 1: are managing much much more from mallards than that they 1071 01:03:11,880 --> 01:03:15,680 Speaker 1: did in the seventies, eighties and early nineties because kind 1072 01:03:15,680 --> 01:03:18,800 Speaker 1: of the the the king ducks sort of switched based 1073 01:03:18,840 --> 01:03:23,680 Speaker 1: on uh, you know, just regulations, kind of apparent population 1074 01:03:23,800 --> 01:03:28,120 Speaker 1: size and kind of the availability to to have that 1075 01:03:28,120 --> 01:03:30,720 Speaker 1: that harvest opportunity, and so it's it's it's kind of 1076 01:03:30,720 --> 01:03:34,000 Speaker 1: these regional we have these regional differences and what duck 1077 01:03:34,040 --> 01:03:36,840 Speaker 1: is important. But you know, as we talked about on 1078 01:03:36,840 --> 01:03:40,080 Speaker 1: the podcast, I mean, it's it's just there's just no 1079 01:03:40,200 --> 01:03:44,280 Speaker 1: doubt who's king here, and it's the Mallard in most 1080 01:03:44,320 --> 01:03:47,800 Speaker 1: parts of the country, and nobody, nobody can challenge the 1081 01:03:47,880 --> 01:03:51,360 Speaker 1: argument that that Arkansas is the king of the mallard 1082 01:03:51,480 --> 01:03:53,920 Speaker 1: local Like, I mean, the mallard is king in Arkansas 1083 01:03:53,880 --> 01:03:58,120 Speaker 1: as the king four mallards, so that that's pretty much undebatable, 1084 01:03:58,160 --> 01:04:01,840 Speaker 1: just despite uh uh, you know, rumors of its demise 1085 01:04:02,160 --> 01:04:04,800 Speaker 1: are are greatly exaggerated. So yeah, tell talk to me 1086 01:04:04,840 --> 01:04:10,439 Speaker 1: about that, because it's probably everybody just wants to talk 1087 01:04:10,440 --> 01:04:12,760 Speaker 1: about the negative, and that's what you hear, but I 1088 01:04:12,800 --> 01:04:15,640 Speaker 1: hear guys say that, you know, there's not as many 1089 01:04:15,680 --> 01:04:18,680 Speaker 1: coming down. You know, it's different than it used to be. 1090 01:04:18,760 --> 01:04:20,480 Speaker 1: And I know that it is different. I mean, just 1091 01:04:21,760 --> 01:04:23,720 Speaker 1: talk to me about that. Yeah, it's totally different, but 1092 01:04:23,760 --> 01:04:27,800 Speaker 1: you always gotta kind of compartmentalize, right that different doesn't 1093 01:04:27,840 --> 01:04:32,360 Speaker 1: necessarily mean worse or it's always gonna stay this way. 1094 01:04:32,440 --> 01:04:35,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it may change right right back. We don't. 1095 01:04:35,040 --> 01:04:38,880 Speaker 1: We don't know. Um, a lot of good things have happened, 1096 01:04:38,880 --> 01:04:42,200 Speaker 1: just this could be a whole another conversation. But if 1097 01:04:42,240 --> 01:04:44,800 Speaker 1: you think back, well, it's kind of interesting where people 1098 01:04:45,120 --> 01:04:48,200 Speaker 1: um established their frame or reference, right. It's it's always 1099 01:04:48,200 --> 01:04:50,440 Speaker 1: fascinating to talk to people. Had a colleague in Louisiana 1100 01:04:50,720 --> 01:04:53,280 Speaker 1: who he's lived there now. He actually was from California, 1101 01:04:53,320 --> 01:04:56,200 Speaker 1: but lived there for over thirty years now, and was getting, 1102 01:04:56,280 --> 01:04:58,760 Speaker 1: you know, finger in his chest from from some guy 1103 01:04:59,320 --> 01:05:02,000 Speaker 1: talking about how terrible duck hunting was now and and 1104 01:05:02,480 --> 01:05:04,120 Speaker 1: he finally asked, you, it's like, man, I've been duck 1105 01:05:04,160 --> 01:05:06,640 Speaker 1: hunting in Louisiana thirty years. I wasn't born and raised here. 1106 01:05:06,640 --> 01:05:08,160 Speaker 1: He said, how many years have you been duck hunting? 1107 01:05:08,280 --> 01:05:12,080 Speaker 1: Just out of curiosity. Well eight like, well, so so 1108 01:05:12,120 --> 01:05:14,240 Speaker 1: where's your frame or reference? And I think it's I 1109 01:05:14,240 --> 01:05:16,919 Speaker 1: think that's really important because some old timers, I say 1110 01:05:16,960 --> 01:05:23,120 Speaker 1: that kindly have a different perspective on it. And right, Uh, 1111 01:05:23,360 --> 01:05:26,520 Speaker 1: there have been a lot of changes. And if you think, uh, 1112 01:05:26,680 --> 01:05:29,200 Speaker 1: kind of continentally and what's happened for waterfowl habit that 1113 01:05:29,320 --> 01:05:31,680 Speaker 1: we've done a lot of good stuff. We've put a 1114 01:05:31,720 --> 01:05:34,480 Speaker 1: lot of wetlands back on the landscape across the entire 1115 01:05:34,600 --> 01:05:39,400 Speaker 1: mid continent Mallard range. So we should expect the distribution 1116 01:05:39,440 --> 01:05:42,480 Speaker 1: of those birds to change. It does not mean that 1117 01:05:42,600 --> 01:05:45,600 Speaker 1: Arkansas is still not king and it doesn't mean that 1118 01:05:45,720 --> 01:05:49,680 Speaker 1: Arkansas is maybe getting fewer ducks. An argument could be 1119 01:05:49,720 --> 01:05:52,480 Speaker 1: made that, hey, populations have been high for the last 1120 01:05:52,520 --> 01:05:56,200 Speaker 1: five to ten years, let's say record highs. You can 1121 01:05:56,240 --> 01:05:58,480 Speaker 1: make the argument that Arkansas maybe should have seen a 1122 01:05:58,480 --> 01:06:01,919 Speaker 1: bigger boost then what we might have. Well, some people 1123 01:06:01,960 --> 01:06:05,280 Speaker 1: have have perceived um and even what we've counted in 1124 01:06:05,320 --> 01:06:08,520 Speaker 1: some of our some of our data. But it's just 1125 01:06:08,600 --> 01:06:11,040 Speaker 1: kind of a broadening out of this whole duck range 1126 01:06:11,360 --> 01:06:14,680 Speaker 1: and it makes people uneasy. More people are shooting ducks 1127 01:06:14,720 --> 01:06:17,720 Speaker 1: in more places. It doesn't mean that Arkansas is still 1128 01:06:17,760 --> 01:06:20,320 Speaker 1: not the leader. Um, it makes it a little bit 1129 01:06:20,320 --> 01:06:25,360 Speaker 1: more unpredictable here. And and so that predictability, I mean, 1130 01:06:25,400 --> 01:06:29,040 Speaker 1: you know that mother nature is never predictable. But but 1131 01:06:29,160 --> 01:06:32,080 Speaker 1: humans just want everything to be exactly the same. We 1132 01:06:32,120 --> 01:06:35,200 Speaker 1: want those seven hundred ducks in the decoys right in 1133 01:06:35,200 --> 01:06:37,760 Speaker 1: the whole every single day we go. And it's kind 1134 01:06:37,760 --> 01:06:40,360 Speaker 1: of a human coping mechanism to always remember the most 1135 01:06:40,400 --> 01:06:43,960 Speaker 1: positive experiences. And so you have it framed like you 1136 01:06:44,000 --> 01:06:47,760 Speaker 1: can never expectations, never go anything but up. The social 1137 01:06:47,800 --> 01:06:51,120 Speaker 1: scientists in this field tell me, they say expectations, they 1138 01:06:51,160 --> 01:06:55,480 Speaker 1: just keep ratcheting up every time. You got four years 1139 01:06:55,520 --> 01:06:58,920 Speaker 1: of duck hunting that happened once. What you said about 1140 01:06:59,000 --> 01:07:01,960 Speaker 1: the hunder ducks in there that happened one time. That's 1141 01:07:02,000 --> 01:07:06,000 Speaker 1: a great perspective. Yeah. Well, and I think it's human 1142 01:07:06,080 --> 01:07:12,600 Speaker 1: nature too to want to uh find reasons, maybe not 1143 01:07:12,600 --> 01:07:15,600 Speaker 1: not an excuse for not being successful, but like to 1144 01:07:15,760 --> 01:07:18,880 Speaker 1: just to talk about the time you went that it 1145 01:07:18,960 --> 01:07:21,400 Speaker 1: was bad, you know, or or that or how your 1146 01:07:22,000 --> 01:07:24,760 Speaker 1: luck has changed or whatever, you know. And I think 1147 01:07:24,760 --> 01:07:29,040 Speaker 1: another cohe mechanism, which print I know you've got opinions about, 1148 01:07:30,120 --> 01:07:35,800 Speaker 1: is um this gear. I mean, the amount of of 1149 01:07:35,960 --> 01:07:38,680 Speaker 1: money that people are spending on every single piece of 1150 01:07:38,680 --> 01:07:41,760 Speaker 1: gear now compared to what they were spending on it 1151 01:07:41,840 --> 01:07:45,880 Speaker 1: twenty five years ago. It's just absolutely nuts. And hey, 1152 01:07:45,880 --> 01:07:48,760 Speaker 1: this America then spend their money how how however they 1153 01:07:48,760 --> 01:07:52,600 Speaker 1: want to, and that's awesome, But you know, people have 1154 01:07:52,800 --> 01:07:56,480 Speaker 1: high expectations and sometimes the season doesn't deliver on that, 1155 01:07:56,840 --> 01:07:59,520 Speaker 1: so they buy this piece of gear that that's that's 1156 01:07:59,520 --> 01:08:03,760 Speaker 1: gonna help reconcile that gap. I think the expectations didn't 1157 01:08:03,760 --> 01:08:06,680 Speaker 1: go even further. The more you spend on gear, the 1158 01:08:06,680 --> 01:08:12,040 Speaker 1: more expectations you're more invested. Yeah, you do these parking 1159 01:08:12,080 --> 01:08:16,960 Speaker 1: lots and you've got sixty eight thousand dollars, and we 1160 01:08:17,000 --> 01:08:20,519 Speaker 1: talked about what there'd be two three hundred vehicles in 1161 01:08:20,560 --> 01:08:24,040 Speaker 1: bio meat on a given day, and half of those 1162 01:08:24,080 --> 01:08:27,360 Speaker 1: have got got you know, fifth, let's say fifty two 1163 01:08:28,200 --> 01:08:34,200 Speaker 1: seventy plus thousand dollars parked there to bring some duck 1164 01:08:34,240 --> 01:08:38,000 Speaker 1: meat home. Well, and then I wonder how many were 1165 01:08:38,000 --> 01:08:43,760 Speaker 1: people talking bad about Arkansas duck hunting forty years ago? 1166 01:08:44,439 --> 01:08:46,200 Speaker 1: I mean, do you do you see what? Like? I mean, 1167 01:08:46,200 --> 01:08:48,439 Speaker 1: there were there were people that had bad duck hunts 1168 01:08:48,439 --> 01:08:51,040 Speaker 1: forty years ago. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, we're sure 1169 01:08:51,080 --> 01:08:54,479 Speaker 1: they did, and but there wasn't an Internet then. The 1170 01:08:54,520 --> 01:08:59,160 Speaker 1: biggest roadblock, or the biggest stumbling block that we ran 1171 01:08:59,240 --> 01:09:04,400 Speaker 1: into was overcrowded. And as duck hunting got more popular, 1172 01:09:05,160 --> 01:09:09,840 Speaker 1: and it was I can attribute it only to what 1173 01:09:10,040 --> 01:09:13,200 Speaker 1: I saw. You know, a TV show comes out about 1174 01:09:13,240 --> 01:09:16,679 Speaker 1: duck hunting, and in the next year, the parking lot 1175 01:09:16,680 --> 01:09:19,800 Speaker 1: start getting fuller and fuller and fuller and fuller people. 1176 01:09:20,160 --> 01:09:23,479 Speaker 1: And I would say it would have been a boon 1177 01:09:23,880 --> 01:09:29,519 Speaker 1: to duck stamp sales and ammunition sales, and Pittman Robertson 1178 01:09:29,600 --> 01:09:33,960 Speaker 1: probably benefited from that, which benefitted the whole state everything. 1179 01:09:34,800 --> 01:09:37,360 Speaker 1: But you've you've also still got a limited amount of 1180 01:09:37,360 --> 01:09:41,920 Speaker 1: space with the large influx of new people. And that's 1181 01:09:42,000 --> 01:09:47,360 Speaker 1: about to say I enjoy this, this sociological discussion about 1182 01:09:47,439 --> 01:09:51,080 Speaker 1: human expectations. The last thing that I want people to 1183 01:09:51,120 --> 01:09:55,839 Speaker 1: think is that, you know, me and Luke are saying, Uh, 1184 01:09:55,880 --> 01:09:58,559 Speaker 1: the duck hunting in Arkansas is absolutely perfect, and anybody 1185 01:09:58,600 --> 01:10:02,280 Speaker 1: that thinks otherwise is a crazy person. No, I mean 1186 01:10:02,960 --> 01:10:07,160 Speaker 1: it's a challenge resource continentally. Uh. I think we've got 1187 01:10:07,160 --> 01:10:09,760 Speaker 1: some access problems. We've got some habitat problems which will 1188 01:10:09,800 --> 01:10:13,599 Speaker 1: be uh part two. Uh, we got plenty of habitat 1189 01:10:13,640 --> 01:10:19,479 Speaker 1: problems in in Canada. Uh So yeah, we we deal 1190 01:10:19,520 --> 01:10:24,320 Speaker 1: with unrealistic expectations a lot. But uh but on the 1191 01:10:24,360 --> 01:10:27,320 Speaker 1: flip side of that, it's a challenge resource and we 1192 01:10:27,400 --> 01:10:31,719 Speaker 1: need to be more adaptive and how we manage the resource, 1193 01:10:31,880 --> 01:10:35,160 Speaker 1: but also and how we how we deal with people, 1194 01:10:35,760 --> 01:10:39,599 Speaker 1: uh in their favorite sixty days of the year. Yeah, Hey, Austin, 1195 01:10:39,600 --> 01:10:43,639 Speaker 1: tell me about tell me your philosophy, Just what you 1196 01:10:44,320 --> 01:10:47,880 Speaker 1: see this next trail looking like for the game and 1197 01:10:47,920 --> 01:10:51,360 Speaker 1: Fish and your leadership inside of it. Yeah, we're in 1198 01:10:51,600 --> 01:10:55,040 Speaker 1: a really nice turning point right now. Not necessarily turning 1199 01:10:55,479 --> 01:10:58,240 Speaker 1: a nice turning point because I'm the new guy here 1200 01:10:58,240 --> 01:11:01,439 Speaker 1: and I think everything needs to change, but churning point 1201 01:11:01,479 --> 01:11:05,360 Speaker 1: culturally in in the agency where a lot of people 1202 01:11:05,400 --> 01:11:08,559 Speaker 1: internally know that we need to change. Uh. We We've 1203 01:11:08,600 --> 01:11:13,080 Speaker 1: got major fluctuations going on on the regulatory landscape and 1204 01:11:13,160 --> 01:11:18,320 Speaker 1: also some major changes um habitat as well. And I mean, Luke, 1205 01:11:18,640 --> 01:11:20,960 Speaker 1: tell me if you think um wrong here. But the 1206 01:11:21,040 --> 01:11:23,479 Speaker 1: number one thing that we have going for right now, 1207 01:11:23,600 --> 01:11:27,000 Speaker 1: I think we got a really solid set of commissioners, 1208 01:11:27,800 --> 01:11:37,440 Speaker 1: and so you want a badmouth, any of looks like 1209 01:11:37,640 --> 01:11:40,000 Speaker 1: I already I already kind of like I held out 1210 01:11:40,040 --> 01:11:42,560 Speaker 1: when we talked about the when Austin talked about the 1211 01:11:42,600 --> 01:11:46,240 Speaker 1: hiring process, and because there's lots of other stories from 1212 01:11:46,240 --> 01:11:59,000 Speaker 1: the staff side down, Missouri needs a new water. Yeah, 1213 01:11:59,200 --> 01:12:02,960 Speaker 1: I got no gt rsum, No, it is there. I 1214 01:12:03,000 --> 01:12:04,920 Speaker 1: agree with that because and the only thing I'll say 1215 01:12:04,920 --> 01:12:07,400 Speaker 1: about it as as a evidence of that is that 1216 01:12:07,840 --> 01:12:10,840 Speaker 1: probably one of the biggest issues that this agency has 1217 01:12:10,880 --> 01:12:13,720 Speaker 1: ever tackled, and that's I don't think that's hyperbole, is 1218 01:12:13,720 --> 01:12:17,080 Speaker 1: the GTR stuff. And we started that in well a 1219 01:12:17,080 --> 01:12:20,240 Speaker 1: couple of times. But let's say, and so that's an 1220 01:12:20,360 --> 01:12:23,240 Speaker 1: entire term of one commissioner seven years now, which you 1221 01:12:23,280 --> 01:12:25,840 Speaker 1: could do the math. So that's like, however many of 1222 01:12:25,920 --> 01:12:28,400 Speaker 1: that is total, ten or twelve of them different people, 1223 01:12:29,120 --> 01:12:32,760 Speaker 1: and we have held the same ground and continued on 1224 01:12:32,800 --> 01:12:38,360 Speaker 1: the same path towards change since with would that make 1225 01:12:38,439 --> 01:12:42,240 Speaker 1: different commissioners? Yeah, And and I mean there's not a 1226 01:12:42,280 --> 01:12:46,720 Speaker 1: single commissioner that I know that I can that I 1227 01:12:46,800 --> 01:12:49,840 Speaker 1: would would point out be like, oh, yeah, he's not 1228 01:12:49,840 --> 01:12:54,400 Speaker 1: a very good guy. They're all awesome. Uh. There they 1229 01:12:54,439 --> 01:12:57,479 Speaker 1: all served the state for seven year terms. It's all 1230 01:12:57,560 --> 01:13:00,360 Speaker 1: unpaid and they put it in just an immense amount 1231 01:13:00,439 --> 01:13:02,840 Speaker 1: of work. And they all do because they hear about 1232 01:13:02,840 --> 01:13:06,439 Speaker 1: the resource. Uh. What I meant by that comment is 1233 01:13:07,280 --> 01:13:09,439 Speaker 1: we don't just have great people right now. We've got 1234 01:13:09,439 --> 01:13:15,400 Speaker 1: a rare chemistry going on where where um, we're all 1235 01:13:15,400 --> 01:13:18,559 Speaker 1: pointed in the right direction and we're all get stuff done. Yeah, 1236 01:13:18,640 --> 01:13:21,040 Speaker 1: we we can get stuff done. So back to your 1237 01:13:21,040 --> 01:13:25,720 Speaker 1: original question, Uh, we're we're about to roll out a 1238 01:13:26,080 --> 01:13:30,719 Speaker 1: strategic plan for the agency. Haven't had one and sometime, um, 1239 01:13:30,800 --> 01:13:33,720 Speaker 1: but we're gonna roll that out soon. And Uh, the 1240 01:13:33,720 --> 01:13:38,320 Speaker 1: way that I'm thinking about everything is, uh, habitat first, 1241 01:13:38,880 --> 01:13:42,080 Speaker 1: and our kansons always Uh in the Marine Corps we 1242 01:13:42,200 --> 01:13:44,760 Speaker 1: say that about the mission mission first. Marine always well, 1243 01:13:45,479 --> 01:13:49,639 Speaker 1: habits at first and our kansons always and and you know, 1244 01:13:49,880 --> 01:13:51,400 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, everything we do comes 1245 01:13:51,439 --> 01:13:54,439 Speaker 1: back to habitat. We can talk about you know, the 1246 01:13:54,479 --> 01:13:57,360 Speaker 1: deer resource, the duck resource, the trout resource, everything comes 1247 01:13:57,400 --> 01:14:00,400 Speaker 1: back to habitat. And if we don't stay lacey focused 1248 01:14:00,400 --> 01:14:05,240 Speaker 1: on that, then everything else is just details. Second Arkansas, 1249 01:14:05,280 --> 01:14:08,519 Speaker 1: that means communicating then what's going on the resource having 1250 01:14:08,520 --> 01:14:13,400 Speaker 1: regulations that make sense and providing meaningful quality public lands 1251 01:14:13,400 --> 01:14:17,479 Speaker 1: with access. And you've been having these, uh these public 1252 01:14:17,520 --> 01:14:19,559 Speaker 1: meetings that are different. Tell us about one of your 1253 01:14:19,560 --> 01:14:22,400 Speaker 1: public meetings. What would be like, Yeah, so the public 1254 01:14:22,400 --> 01:14:25,120 Speaker 1: meetings that we do with the g t rs WrestleMania. 1255 01:14:26,520 --> 01:14:32,920 Speaker 1: Actually no, actually, so I worked on g t R. Okay, 1256 01:14:33,080 --> 01:14:36,639 Speaker 1: so we haven't. The next podcast will be about green 1257 01:14:36,680 --> 01:14:41,920 Speaker 1: tree reservoirs. So green tree reservoirs are this flooded basically 1258 01:14:41,960 --> 01:14:46,000 Speaker 1: flooded timber, which you talked about in the podcast ton 1259 01:14:46,080 --> 01:14:50,439 Speaker 1: about Tony course. So g t R g TR means 1260 01:14:50,680 --> 01:14:54,160 Speaker 1: intentionally flooded timber. Yes, Brent, I know would agree with 1261 01:14:54,200 --> 01:14:58,280 Speaker 1: this definitely, Luke. But there are people in Arkansas, for 1262 01:14:58,280 --> 01:15:01,280 Speaker 1: a good reason, that are not interested in hunting Dutch 1263 01:15:01,320 --> 01:15:06,440 Speaker 1: over a rice field or a moist I'm not the 1264 01:15:06,439 --> 01:15:08,800 Speaker 1: The only thing they want to do is see ducks 1265 01:15:08,880 --> 01:15:15,559 Speaker 1: Lane and we're on and I get it because it's magical. 1266 01:15:16,280 --> 01:15:18,599 Speaker 1: But I worked on the hill for a little bit 1267 01:15:18,600 --> 01:15:20,920 Speaker 1: when I was still in the Marine Corps. Uh, So 1268 01:15:21,240 --> 01:15:26,240 Speaker 1: I I got to see some congressional town halls and 1269 01:15:26,640 --> 01:15:30,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to take a little bit different approach from 1270 01:15:30,720 --> 01:15:34,400 Speaker 1: just bringing our poor staff in and uh, you know, 1271 01:15:34,439 --> 01:15:38,599 Speaker 1: passing the microground and letting, letting Luke and did everybody 1272 01:15:38,600 --> 01:15:43,160 Speaker 1: else get yelled at? So what we did was we 1273 01:15:43,320 --> 01:15:48,360 Speaker 1: made it not informal, but we intentionally selective venues where 1274 01:15:48,560 --> 01:15:51,519 Speaker 1: we could cook for people. It was a goal of 1275 01:15:51,560 --> 01:15:54,200 Speaker 1: mine from day one that I wanted to get off 1276 01:15:54,200 --> 01:15:58,080 Speaker 1: the stage to eye with people and actually literally break 1277 01:15:58,120 --> 01:16:01,680 Speaker 1: bread with them, and corn bread. I don't think we 1278 01:16:01,760 --> 01:16:06,080 Speaker 1: had corn bread. I think we had some rolest you. 1279 01:16:07,439 --> 01:16:10,639 Speaker 1: Next time, we'll, Luke try that in avout the waterfowl position. 1280 01:16:10,760 --> 01:16:13,320 Speaker 1: Now we'll have corn bread when we do our black 1281 01:16:13,360 --> 01:16:19,679 Speaker 1: panther town halls. Luke's still gotta tell us about his podcast. Yeah. 1282 01:16:19,720 --> 01:16:24,240 Speaker 1: But um, so we walk into this meeting, uh, I 1283 01:16:24,280 --> 01:16:27,559 Speaker 1: would kick us off, talk very high surface level about 1284 01:16:27,640 --> 01:16:30,920 Speaker 1: what we were doing on each gtr uh, and then 1285 01:16:31,120 --> 01:16:34,000 Speaker 1: I would bring up the commissioners, bring up a staff. 1286 01:16:34,520 --> 01:16:37,840 Speaker 1: All the commissioners were wearing blue Arkansas game and Fish shirts. 1287 01:16:38,000 --> 01:16:41,640 Speaker 1: I would introduce all the commissioners and where they were from. 1288 01:16:41,760 --> 01:16:45,719 Speaker 1: And then all the agency staff, including Luke and myself, 1289 01:16:45,760 --> 01:16:48,400 Speaker 1: we're wearing white shirts. And I would introduce each of 1290 01:16:48,439 --> 01:16:50,960 Speaker 1: the staff members saying, this is Luke Naylor. He's our 1291 01:16:51,320 --> 01:16:54,920 Speaker 1: waterfowl biologist. If you have questions about anything pertaining to 1292 01:16:55,040 --> 01:16:58,519 Speaker 1: ducks or geese, just ask him. This is Rob Willie 1293 01:16:58,520 --> 01:17:02,240 Speaker 1: over here. Rob Willie is as our habitat program coordinator. 1294 01:17:02,400 --> 01:17:05,559 Speaker 1: If you have questions about forest management and red oaks 1295 01:17:05,560 --> 01:17:09,000 Speaker 1: and white oaks and all that stuff, ask Rob. And 1296 01:17:09,080 --> 01:17:11,439 Speaker 1: so we would go down the line. And then one 1297 01:17:11,439 --> 01:17:15,120 Speaker 1: of the last things that I I always did is 1298 01:17:15,400 --> 01:17:18,800 Speaker 1: I said, if you're raising I'm sorry if you're wearing 1299 01:17:18,800 --> 01:17:22,400 Speaker 1: a white shirt and you hunt ducks on public land 1300 01:17:22,439 --> 01:17:26,320 Speaker 1: raisor hand and and then I would say, all right, 1301 01:17:26,360 --> 01:17:28,720 Speaker 1: we're gonna talk again in an hour, and I would 1302 01:17:28,760 --> 01:17:31,000 Speaker 1: turn the mic off. And we had maps set up 1303 01:17:31,120 --> 01:17:34,640 Speaker 1: around the room, and you know, people are eating barbecue. 1304 01:17:35,080 --> 01:17:37,960 Speaker 1: At some places they're having a beer, and uh, the 1305 01:17:38,080 --> 01:17:44,080 Speaker 1: conversation was actually conversation. It was actually productive, meaningful dialogue. 1306 01:17:44,080 --> 01:17:47,280 Speaker 1: And uh. In all four public meetings, I made a 1307 01:17:47,320 --> 01:17:51,120 Speaker 1: point to remove myself from the crowd and just kind 1308 01:17:51,120 --> 01:17:54,519 Speaker 1: of go back and observe in every single time, I 1309 01:17:54,600 --> 01:17:56,679 Speaker 1: would look out over the room and there were white 1310 01:17:56,680 --> 01:17:59,240 Speaker 1: shirts and blue shirts and and they were each in 1311 01:17:59,280 --> 01:18:03,599 Speaker 1: their own little pocket of of people and the only 1312 01:18:03,640 --> 01:18:05,719 Speaker 1: thing that was happening was heads nodding up and down. 1313 01:18:06,200 --> 01:18:10,559 Speaker 1: So that was tremendous for me to watch. You know, 1314 01:18:10,600 --> 01:18:12,719 Speaker 1: these guys like Luke that I see work so hard 1315 01:18:12,800 --> 01:18:16,280 Speaker 1: every single day, Uh, in their element, in their expertise, 1316 01:18:16,840 --> 01:18:22,040 Speaker 1: actually having ida a conversations with people. So they've been successful. Huh, 1317 01:18:22,120 --> 01:18:25,600 Speaker 1: they've been very well luquid. Well, yeah, compare that to 1318 01:18:25,640 --> 01:18:28,160 Speaker 1: the old way of doing things, and you know, there 1319 01:18:28,240 --> 01:18:30,879 Speaker 1: was there was a need to be to be present, 1320 01:18:30,960 --> 01:18:32,680 Speaker 1: to be to kind of open your doors and have 1321 01:18:32,760 --> 01:18:35,519 Speaker 1: people come in and have an opportunity to communicate. But 1322 01:18:35,600 --> 01:18:38,440 Speaker 1: you know, we used to hold a series of regulatory 1323 01:18:38,520 --> 01:18:42,719 Speaker 1: public meetings every year and they it got to the point, 1324 01:18:42,960 --> 01:18:45,120 Speaker 1: you know, you'd have you'd have twenty or thirty game 1325 01:18:45,160 --> 01:18:48,120 Speaker 1: and fish staff and about five members of the public show. Um. 1326 01:18:48,760 --> 01:18:51,080 Speaker 1: And we did a few of them a couple of 1327 01:18:51,160 --> 01:18:55,040 Speaker 1: years ago about g t RS and went pretty well. Um, 1328 01:18:55,080 --> 01:18:57,519 Speaker 1: not not a lot of yelling and screaming and people 1329 01:18:57,560 --> 01:19:00,200 Speaker 1: angry at each other. Um, that's a good thing. That's 1330 01:19:00,200 --> 01:19:04,840 Speaker 1: actually like it was only a little bit I do 1331 01:19:05,080 --> 01:19:07,120 Speaker 1: And but what was neat about this new way is 1332 01:19:07,120 --> 01:19:10,240 Speaker 1: that they could there's a difference between having a passionate 1333 01:19:10,240 --> 01:19:15,719 Speaker 1: conversation with someone disagreeing, agreeing, whatever, having an argument versus 1334 01:19:16,040 --> 01:19:19,920 Speaker 1: um having a podium either whether that be us or 1335 01:19:20,000 --> 01:19:22,160 Speaker 1: be a member of the public, and it kind of 1336 01:19:22,200 --> 01:19:26,000 Speaker 1: puts everybody on the same level playing field where we're 1337 01:19:26,040 --> 01:19:28,880 Speaker 1: not talking literally in a lot of cases, talking down 1338 01:19:28,920 --> 01:19:32,120 Speaker 1: to people given power points, and everybody's going to sleep 1339 01:19:32,160 --> 01:19:34,840 Speaker 1: and tired of hearing it. And then also have an 1340 01:19:34,840 --> 01:19:37,400 Speaker 1: open mic night to the public where people get start 1341 01:19:37,479 --> 01:19:39,720 Speaker 1: to get amends and preach it brothers and all that 1342 01:19:39,800 --> 01:19:42,080 Speaker 1: kind of stuff, and it kind of just you kind 1343 01:19:42,080 --> 01:19:44,880 Speaker 1: of get the whole crowd riled up. It ends up 1344 01:19:44,920 --> 01:19:50,040 Speaker 1: being one person that's you know, you don't get any 1345 01:19:50,040 --> 01:19:53,800 Speaker 1: information out to anybody because that person, whether it's us 1346 01:19:53,920 --> 01:19:56,960 Speaker 1: or them, like it's it's not productive for either of us. 1347 01:19:57,520 --> 01:19:59,840 Speaker 1: And they all left home with somebody they felt like. 1348 01:20:00,320 --> 01:20:02,960 Speaker 1: And we would end every meeting the same way too, right, 1349 01:20:03,520 --> 01:20:06,360 Speaker 1: you know, we had an hour of dialogue with staff, 1350 01:20:07,160 --> 01:20:08,880 Speaker 1: I would come back up there, we'd paint out some 1351 01:20:08,920 --> 01:20:11,360 Speaker 1: door prizes, and then the last thing we would say 1352 01:20:11,439 --> 01:20:14,040 Speaker 1: is is I would say, is there anybody is gonna 1353 01:20:14,040 --> 01:20:17,080 Speaker 1: walk out that door tonight with their question? Not answered, 1354 01:20:17,720 --> 01:20:20,760 Speaker 1: and sometimes we'd have a few of them raise your 1355 01:20:20,800 --> 01:20:23,320 Speaker 1: hand and we'd sort through it that way. But eventually, 1356 01:20:23,800 --> 01:20:26,759 Speaker 1: you know, that was their time to ask, to ask questions, 1357 01:20:26,760 --> 01:20:29,200 Speaker 1: to have an open mic because I am sensitive people 1358 01:20:29,200 --> 01:20:31,240 Speaker 1: that are upset and I want to hear him out 1359 01:20:31,520 --> 01:20:34,080 Speaker 1: as a director dest my job. But we heard him 1360 01:20:34,120 --> 01:20:36,960 Speaker 1: out and everybody walked the door, didn't have a question 1361 01:20:37,040 --> 01:20:40,599 Speaker 1: or or they forever hold their peace. Well, it sounds 1362 01:20:40,640 --> 01:20:43,400 Speaker 1: like it sounds like you're making the agency more accessible 1363 01:20:43,400 --> 01:20:47,759 Speaker 1: to people. That sounds what's what the goal is. Guys, 1364 01:20:47,840 --> 01:20:51,080 Speaker 1: thank you so much for coming. Appreciate it. It's gonna 1365 01:20:51,080 --> 01:20:54,360 Speaker 1: be thanks for your contribution to the to the main podcast, 1366 01:20:54,760 --> 01:20:57,960 Speaker 1: both of you. And this next this next week is 1367 01:20:58,000 --> 01:21:00,679 Speaker 1: gonna be uh, We're gonna get in to the nitty 1368 01:21:00,720 --> 01:21:03,800 Speaker 1: gritty of the Green Tree reservoirs, which is why we 1369 01:21:03,840 --> 01:21:07,880 Speaker 1: started this whole conversation. And for the record, I approached 1370 01:21:07,880 --> 01:21:10,720 Speaker 1: these guys about this. They didn't. They didn't call me 1371 01:21:10,760 --> 01:21:12,320 Speaker 1: and say, hey, we want you to do a podcast 1372 01:21:12,320 --> 01:21:13,800 Speaker 1: on this. That's all the way it happened. At all 1373 01:21:14,880 --> 01:21:17,639 Speaker 1: I heard about what was going on, I knew nothing 1374 01:21:17,680 --> 01:21:20,479 Speaker 1: about it. I thought that I should learned a little 1375 01:21:20,520 --> 01:21:23,479 Speaker 1: bit about it and thought that's interesting, and then so 1376 01:21:24,080 --> 01:21:26,200 Speaker 1: we're making this. We're gonna do a two part series 1377 01:21:26,280 --> 01:21:29,759 Speaker 1: on you know, arganstas duckhunting in the GTR situation. Yeah, 1378 01:21:29,840 --> 01:21:32,880 Speaker 1: so thanks for coming up here, guys. Luke appreciate it. 1379 01:21:32,960 --> 01:21:36,840 Speaker 1: Thanks Austin, thank you, man, appreciate it. Thanks for having Yeah, 1380 01:21:38,040 --> 01:21:41,760 Speaker 1: thank you so much here say yes