The Fowl Life

Latest Episodes:

E583 - The Fight Veterans Face After Service | Jeremy Vanderpool & Clint Shaddix Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

The uniform comes off. The mission ends. Then what? Special Operations veterans leave the military with leadership, discipline, and years of experience operating under pressure. Too often, those skills get lost in translation when they enter corporate America. A résumé cannot explain everything they carried, everything they learned, or what it feels like to leave the structure and brotherhood that defined their lives. Jeremy Vanderpool and Clint Shaddix join Chad to explain why Silent Valor Project was built and what real support for transitioning veterans should look like. They talk about connecting veterans with the right careers, supporting their families, protecting their mental well-being, and finding companies willing to invest in them for the right reasons. Chad also asks whether former operators should profit from stories that belonged to an entire team, whether Hollywood should make money depicting war, and why so many people promise to help veterans but never follow through. Silent Valor Project is not looking for empty thank-yous. It is building the relationships, resources, and opportunities that can give Special Operations veterans purpose and stability after service. Learn more, get involved, or donate at SilentValorProject.org. This episode is brought to you by Benelli Shotguns, Federal Premium Ammunition, Banded Brands, CamoSpace, Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels, HiViz Sights, Corning Ford, LEER Truck Toppers, Bodyguard Bumpers, and GATR Coolers & Drinkware.

E582 - He Bet Everything on 136 Acres and a Few Mallards | Matt Roseman and Banded Drake Ranch Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Matt Roseman saw a few mallards rise from a Texas marsh and bet everything on what that ground could become. He walked away from an almost seven-figure cybersecurity career, traded conference calls for tractors and 110-degree workdays, and went all in on building Banded Drake Ranch. What began with 136 acres and an old brick farmhouse has become 550 acres of meticulously managed waterfowl habitat, an 8,500-square-foot main lodge, a second clubhouse lodge, private casitas, sporting clays, pools, gathering spaces, and the kind of year-round experience serious duck hunters spend their lives looking for. Matt tells Chad how he found the property by accident, why its history made him believe it was meant to be, and what it took to transform the original marsh into a place capable of holding tens of thousands of ducks. Then Chad turns the conversation toward Matt’s wife, Lynda, and the years she spent supporting a vision that demanded nearly everything Matt had. Banded Drake Ranch was never built to be another hunting lease. It was built around habitat, ownership, family, camaraderie, and a shared obsession with doing things the right way. Chad has hunted ducks all over the world. He calls Banded Drake Ranch the coolest place in America to hunt them. Membership opportunities are still available. Learn more at TheBandedDrakeRanch.com. This episode is presented by Banded Drake Ranch and brought to you by Benelli Shotguns, Federal Premium Ammunition, Nutrien Ag Solutions, HiViz Sights, Mojo Outdoors, Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks, Banded Brands, Greenhead Gear Decoys, CamoSpace, and GATR Coolers & Drinkware.

E581 - The Duck Call Test Most Hearing Protection Fails | Jeff & Sara Thruston of ESP hearing protection Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

One shot is all it takes to damage your hearing, and most hunters do not think about it until years of gunfire have already taken something from them. ESP owners Jeff and Sara Thruston sit down with Chad to explain how their custom-fit electronic hearing protection protects against gunfire without shutting hunters off from everything happening around them. Chad gets into the difference ESP has made in his own hunts. He can hear ducks and geese, trust the sound of his calls, communicate across the blind, and catch sounds from turkeys that other hunters never hear. They break down custom fitting, hearing tests, wind suppression, volume control, comfort, product life, and why it is never too early or too late to start protecting your hearing. The hunt is more than the trigger pull. It is the birds, the calls, the dog, the people beside you, and every sound you will wish you could still hear years from now. Learn more at ESPAmerica.com. This episode is presented by ESP Hearing Protection and brought to you by Benelli Shotguns, Federal Premium Ammunition, Banded Brands, HiViz Sights, Avery Outdoors, Mojo Outdoors, Realtree Camo, CamoSpace, and Jargon Game Calls.

E581 - What Waterfowl See When They Look at Your Blind | Joel Kleefisch & Taylor Finger Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

What do waterfowl actually see when they are coming into your spread? TFL Midwest host Joel Kleefisch sits down with Wisconsin DNR Game Bird Specialist Taylor Finger for an inside look at how approaching birds see your blind, your camouflage, and every move you make. If you have ever wondered why birds flare at the last second or what might be giving you away, this is one you need to hear. This episode is brought to you by Travel Wisconsin, and Camospace!

E580 - Caesars Is Going All In On Rodeo | Tony Marini on Rocker Steiner, December 11th & What Nobody Knows Yet Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

Tony Marini has been part of the Reno rodeo world his whole life. His dad volunteered at the Reno Rodeo for decades. He grew up around the cowboys, knew the families, understood the sport, and now he's the guy Anthony Carano tapped to take Caesars Entertainment all the way into rodeo. Nobody's doing it like this. Caesars Rodeo is launching this December, and the names attached to it will blow you away. Rocker Steiner is the face of it, Dusty Tuckness is part of the team, DJ Silver is doing nightly activations at Caesars Palace during NFR. December 11th at PH Live is the night everything comes together in one room. Tony sits down with Chad and holds nothing back. How this came about, why Anthony Carano is the reason any of it exists, what the vision looks like going forward, and why the crossover between rodeo, hunting, and the lifestyle this audience lives every day is more natural than anyone realizes. This one's worth your time. And December 11th is worth your calendar. This episode is brought to you by Resistol Hats, Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels, Corning Ford, Bodyguard Bumpers, Bedslide, Demerbox, GATR Coolers & Drinkware, TKO Vitality, Almost Heaven Saunas, and Resistol Hats.

E579 - Pudgie Pies, Toasties & Wild Game | The Ultimate Camp Cooking Guide with Chef Ellie Lawton Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Up north they're called Pudgie Pies. Down south they're Toasties. Either way, they're the ultimate camp food, and wild game is the star of the show. Chef Ellie Lawton and Midwest Host Joel Kleefisch show you how to become the Pie Iron master of camp in this Fowl Life Eat Wild Series. Don't miss this one! This episode is brought to you by Travel Wisconsin and Camospace!`

E578 - Patrick Durkin | 40+ Years of Outdoor Writing, MeatEater, and What It Takes to Stay Relevant Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

He's been writing about the outdoors longer than most people have been hunting. Patrick Durkin is a Navy veteran, a Wisconsin native, and one of the most respected voices in outdoor media. With over 40 years of writing under his belt and a longtime role with the hit show MeatEater. Midwest host Joel Kleefisch sits down with Patrick for an exclusive look at his life, his career, and what it takes to stay relevant in a space that keeps changing. Patrick doesn't hold back on the industry, on what makes good outdoor writing, and on why it's all important. This is The Fowl Life Podcast, Travel Wisconsin Edition. This episode is brought to you by Travel Wisconsin and Camospace!

E577 - Are You a Good Shotgunner? | Four-Time World Champion Derrick Mein Has the Answer Aug 08, 2026

Show notes

Derrick Mein just got back from Europe. World Cup in Italy. World Championships in Portugal. Third in the world out of nine hundred competitors. One target behind the new world champion. Chad sits down with the four-time world champion and two-time Olympian and asks the question every hunter has wondered about themselves — are you actually a good shotgunner? Derrick breaks it all down. Stance, eye dominance, sight picture, muzzle movement, follow through. Why you stop your gun and miss. Why both eyes open isn't always the right answer. Why the mental game catches up with everyone, even the best in the world. They also get into ESP Hearing Protection, Federal ammunition at competition level, what it costs to compete when most of those nine hundred shooters in Portugal paid their own way, and the 156-inch archery eight pointer hanging on the wall behind him. This episode is presented by Federal Premium Ammunition and brought to you by Benelli Shotguns, HiViz Sights, Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks, ESP Hearing Protection, Avery Outdoors, Realtree Camo, Jack Link's Protein Snacks, CamoSpace, Oakley Sunglasses, and Featherlite.

E576 - Tony Vandemore | The State of Duck Hunting, Canada's New Laws, and What This Season Has in Store Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

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.

E575 - Protect Your Hearing or Lose It | Chad Belding on ESP Hearing Protection Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

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.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected