FowlWeather Podcast

Montana is a destination for many, but it doesn’t run on its own. Heather Harris is the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks as Grassland & Wetland Coordinator for the state. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Trent University, that’s in Canada, and her M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Mississippi State University. She grew up in Northern Ontario where she spent most of her time outdoors. She spends a good portion of her spare time hunting turkey, waterfowl, upland birds and big game and training her bird dog Riggs. She also happens to be DrMike’s sister-in-law so this one is fun! Join us for another great interview on the FowlWeather Podcast.

Chesapeake Bay is the birthplace of American waterfowling. The bounty…the abundant fish, shellfish, and waterfowl made being a waterman a reality, but the bounty of the bay and its watershed, also made it a place to live and thrive. As populations grew in the Chesapeake watershed so did the pollution and other environmental problems; waterfowl are still abundant in the bay, but are the hay days of the bay gone forever? Can we bring it back to its glory days? Today we meet with two great guys from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, that know a lot about the Chesapeake Grayson Haynes, Government Affairs Advisor, and Jim Kauffman, Pennsylvania Field Representative and Wildlife Health Coordinator.

Situated just off the North Shore of Oneida Lake sits Toad Harbor Taxidermy. We meet with avid duck hunter and taxidermist Matt Colesante. Matt focuses on realism in his mounts, separating his great mounts from just good mounts of others. We sit down w/ Matt, his father Rip, and son Connor, 3 generations of taxidermist and duck hunters, in the shop to talk waterfowl taxidermy, tricks and tips for getting a good mount to the taxidermist, and his evolution from the love of ducks to a premier taxidermist of the region.

Some are calling it a Godzilla El Niño, a Super El Niño of monster proportions, but will it all unfold as told? In 2015, NASA scientists coined the informal term Godzilla El Niño to describe a weather pattern that massively distorts the jet stream and causes extreme global temperatures. DrMike dives deep into what the coming El Niño means for the summer growing season, duck production, duck migration, and duck hunting conditions. Plus, a turkey season bust, farm news, and planting and hunting plans for the 2026 season.

Coastal North Carolina is rich in waterfowling history and Ed Farley, hailing from the Matamuskeet region exemplifies the NC state motto Esse Quam Videri, the motto in Latin reads as genuine, honest, and disciplined, rather than just appearing to be so. Ed Farley, Manager of Conservation Programs for VA, NC, SC, and GA grew up with wetlands and ducks in his blood and followed that tradition into a career that benefits all the great people across duck country USA. Today we join Ed to hear his story of waterfowl wonderment and growing into an impactful hunter-conservationist.