The Fowl Life

Chad sits down with Tony Vandemore of Habitat Flats, for the conversation we are all wanting to hear right now. The season is just around the corner, and things are more exciting than they have been in years. Tony was up at 1 a.m. watching radar and hoping for rain. That's the preseason nobody sees.
The prairies are wetter than they've been in fifty years. Baby ducks on every piece of water. Tony breaks down what that means for the season, why mallards only move as far as they have to, and what five billion extra bushels of corn in the northern states is doing to migration.
They get into Canada's new ten-day license rules, the possession limit debate, instant credibility on social media versus the way they actually came up, and whether we're really living in the golden age of waterfowl hunting right now.
Tony started Habitat Flats in 2007. He knows this stuff as well as a person can. It's his entire life, and we are so grateful to have him back on the show to share his knowledge. This one's worth every minute.
Book a hunt at habitatflats.com or email tony@habitatflats.com.
This episode is brought to you by Benelli Shotguns, Federal Premium Ammunition, Banded Brands, Mojo Outdoors, Avery Outdoors, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Realtree Camo, CamoSpace, Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks, and GATR Coolers & Drinkware.

Chad's been around guns his whole life. Shotguns, handguns, sporting clays, turkey hunting, duck blinds. Tens of thousands of rounds, and for most of that time, hearing protection was an afterthought.
That changed when he met Jeff and the team at ESP Hearing Protection and got custom fitted for the first time. This episode is his full, honest take on what that experience was like, why he resisted it for so long, and what's different now.
He gets into how the custom molds work, what it's like to call turkeys while wearing them, why he's hearing gobbles from further away on the roost, and how his handgun training has completely changed. He also talks about the guys he knows in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who can't hear their phone ring without hearing aids and why he's not willing to go down that road.
At 50, Chad's not slowing down. He wants to hunt hard for the next 30-40 years. And that means taking care of everything! From the body and mind to his eyes and ears.
And this one is presented by ESP Hearing Protection. This episode is brought to you by Benelli Shotguns, HiViz Sights, Nutrien Ag Solutions, CamoSpace, Avery Outdoors, Realtree Camo, Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks, and Bodyguard Bumpers.

The deadline is August 7th. Act now.
ducks.org/save-the-duck-factory
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/24/2026-14995/national-wildlife-refuge-system-request-for-information-on-implementation-of-drain-tile-setbacks
The prairie pothole region; stretching across Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and up into Canada, is responsible for producing up to sixty-five percent of the ducks that fly down every flyway in North America. Since the 1960s, duck hunters have invested in 1.7 million acres of wetland easements through duck stamp purchases to protect those wetlands permanently. No drainage. No impact. Forever.
That protection is now being threatened.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has published a request for information regarding the 2024 rule that governs tile drain setbacks on those easements, and has signaled an intent to repeal it. If that rule is weakened, those wetlands could lose up to twenty-eight percent of their inundated area in the first year alone. Fewer wetlands means fewer pairs. Fewer pairs means fewer ducks. This is the science. This is what's at stake.
Chad sat down with Dr. Scott Stephens, Sr. Director of Prairie and Boreal Forest Conservation Strategy at Ducks Unlimited, and Dr. Mike Brasher, Senior Waterfowl Scientist at Ducks Unlimited, for one of the most important conversations ever recorded on this podcast. They break down what easements are, what tile drainage is, what the 2024 rule does, why it matters, and exactly what you can do right now to protect it.
If you've ever bought a duck stamp, you are an investor in this habitat. Your voice matters right now.
The comment deadline is August 7th.
Go to ducks.org/save-the-duck-factory to sign the petition and submit your comment to the Federal Register. The direct Federal Register comment link is also in the show notes.
This episode proudly features Ducks Unlimited and is brought to you by Benelli Shotguns, Nutrien Ag Solutions, MOJO Outdoors, Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels, Corning Ford, LEER Truck Toppers, and GATR Coolers & Drinkware.

In this episode, Midwest host Joel Kleefisch and the single most important tool for migratory patterns. What happened to bird banding?! In this exclusive Fowl Life Podcast, Midwest Host Joel Kleefisch pins down Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources Chief Game Bird Ecologist Taylor Finger about what you can expect when it comes to bands, neck collars, and GPS backpacks. Don’t miss this fascinating insider info!
This episode is brought to you by Travel Wisconsin and Realtree Camo!

In this episode, Midwest host Joel Kleefisch and the single most important tool for migratory patterns. What happened to bird banding?! In this exclusive Fowl Life Podcast, Midwest Host Joel Kleefisch pins down Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources Chief Game Bird Ecologist Taylor Finger about what you can expect when it comes to bands, neck collars, and GPS backpacks. Don’t miss this fascinating insider info!
This episode is brought to you by Travel Wisconsin and Realtree Camo!