For the Fowlers Podcast
Introducing "For the Fowlers," a new waterfowl hunting podcast based in Northern California. Our goal is to dive into every aspect of this sport we're so passionate about.
We aim to create a valuable resource for new hunters, helping them get into the sport, while also engaging experienced fowlers with our stories and those of our guests.
For the Fowlers Podcast
Ep. 9 "Ducks, Camera, Action!" with Fowl Mouth TV
On this episode, I sit down with Anthony “Houn” Calhoun, the voice behind Fowl Mouth TV, to unpack a season that’s short on easy limits but rich with lessons about motion, mindset, and the power of community.
We trace Houn’s start from turkey woods to flooded fields, the Grey Lodge storm that hooked him for good, and the crew dynamics that make a hard season bearable. You’ll hear how a dozen coot decoys and a last-minute YOLO resi turned into a seat in a blind, why blades can pull birds from the sky and still flare them at 30 yards, and how small tweaks—remote control timing, placement off the guns, and ditching a noisy wind unit—can change a hunt. We also compare refuges across the Sacramento Valley, from organized chaos at Grey Lodge to a love affair with Colusa, and dig into why Grizzly Island can be a heartbreaker if you don’t know its quirks.
Beyond tactics, we go deep on documenting hunts without killing the vibe. Houn shares a practical filming setup—external power, pre-record buffers, and fast workflows—that captures real moments while keeping the hunt first. And we talk about what makes Northern California special: generous public access, a tight community, and a responsibility to defend hunting through honest storytelling and support for California Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, and Delta Waterfowl.
If you’re chasing better motion-decoy decisions, curious about building a crew that pulls new hunters in, or just need a boost after a slow start, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share this with a hunting buddy, and drop a review on Apple or Spotify—then tell us: when do you kill the spinner?
What's up guys? Welcome to another episode of For the Fowlers. I'm Brandon. Man, can't believe it. Here we are in December. This season sure is flying by, but really hoping that everyone who's able to get out is having some success out there, love seeing the pictures once again. Keep sending those, keep sharing those, love hearing the comments. Yeah, really happy to see the folks out that are able to get out and are having some success. So, well, for today's episode, really looking forward to this one. This one we'll have a guest coming on here in a couple seconds, but uh really excited to be chatting with this person here, bringing on a fellow NorCal waterfowl podcaster straight out of the 707 in the Bay Area. Be sure to check their channel out on YouTube if you don't already. Make sure to check them out and subscribe to their channel. Great content over there, but uh excited to bring on the host of Fowlmouth TV, Anthony Calhoun, aka Hoon. What's up, Hoon?
SPEAKER_00:What's going on, man? Glad to be here.
SPEAKER_01:Right on, man. I appreciate you jumping on. You know, it's been it's been good connecting with you. You know, we've been on Instagram and texting a little bit. Um, I know I caught up with you at the opener at Farmers, but yeah, how's everything going?
SPEAKER_00:It's been it's been slow. It's been slow. I've been good, but you know, hunting's been real slow. You know, we've had we've had a good amount of challenges opening up the season for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Well, Ryan, we'll we'll jump into how your season's going. But uh, yeah, like I said, I wanted to have you on. I know we talked a little bit before we uh started recording here, but I wanted to have you on uh for the Fowlers because you know, watching your content and and your videos on Foulmouth on YouTube, I noticed I'm like, you know, this is the guy that I want to get to know. You know, you and your crew seem to be very similar to mine and my crew, where you know we just want to go out and have a good time, you know, enjoying the sport we love, you know, getting out there meeting people, obviously teaching people, you know, bringing the kids along, mentoring some, you know, maybe some new adult onset hunters, really the camaraderie, and like I said, just building that network. So seemed very similar, and I figured, hey, let's get to know each other a little bit on the podcast.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. Yeah, definitely. There's a lot of similarities. I know there's there's a lot of things that listening to your podcast, there's a lot of things that you're talking about that we've either talked about or we even, you know, off of the podcast, we've talked about too. So yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, right on. Well, uh, tell me a little bit about yourself. I know I said you're you're from 707 area in the Bay Area, but tell me a little about yourself. Did you grow up in the Bay and how'd you get into hunting?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. Born and raised, born and raised in Vallejo. You know, spent most of my childhood just fishing. I didn't get into hunting hunting at all until maybe I'd say maybe about nine years ago. I got into turkey hunting, started with turkey hunt first and then deer hunting. My in-laws have some property back back in the south. And so I kind of got my hunting career started. And then for waterfowl hunting, I I believe I'm on my fifth season now, but I got a buddy Logan, you know, you'll see him on uh he's my other co-host, and he bugged me for man, I it had to be three or four years to get into the sport and you know, finally finally COVID came along and was sitting in the house bored, and that uh that online hunter safety course came available and was able to get into that and it was pretty easy. And yeah, I just through through Logan pushing me to to get my my hunter's license and and get into it with him, and I kind of just finally did it and jumped in head first and man hasn't haven't looked back and hooked.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I'm always curious what what hooked you? I know you said you dipped your toe in a little bit with some turkey hunting and whatnot, but you know, it's something about waterfowl hunting that just pulls us in. What was it for you?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, my my greatest, like I guess my best description is of it is it's like fishing, but you can see the fish. You can actively see it, you know. You're not dropping the line and hoping a fish swims by and and grabs your bait. You can actually see him, you can interact with them. Kind of kind of like turkey. Turkey was a huge thing that where you can talk back and forth to the birds and communicating with animals is something something special, and when you do it right, it really gets really gets your your blood flowing for sure. So, you know, my my first experience duck hunting we did opening day at Grey Lodge, and I believe it was the 21 season, the end of the yeah, the end or 20 season, and when that was when we had that that crazy storm on on opening day, and I think it rained probably about six inches on Grey Lodge that day, and went out there and man, there were birds flying everywhere. And I shot I shot only shot one duck that day, and it was a baby ringneck, but I was dude, I was I was ecstatic about it. I was hooked, and I'm like, man, this is what I've been missing the whole entire time. And then that just turned in, that rolled into constant, constantly looking and trying to find information on how to do this, how to set decoys, and it just became an addiction.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, absolutely, man. And you know, it's funny, I I I heard you tell that story on your channel, and it was funny to hear, like, okay, so new hunter, you know, I know it's opening day, so the birds are gonna be out there. I get it. You'll get the local birds and whatnot. But I was like, man, he went to Grey Lodge his first hunt and he came back. You know, good for him, you know, sitting in that crazy storm. And I know, like, you know, we as hunters, we like, you know, that miserable weather, you know, that you know, so we're used to it now, but like I think that if I were to bring on someone and their first hunt, they're just sitting there just getting poured on, right? And you know, I'm I'm sure back then, I don't know about you, but for me, like when I started out, I didn't have my nice, you know, sitka Gore-Tex jacket. So, you know, if I'm sitting in the store, I'm getting, I'm getting cold, I'm getting wet, all that. But no, that's cool, man. You were talking about, you know, kind of working with the birds, seeing them, watching them work and calling them in, and and you know, that's really what hooked me was it wasn't so much, you know, hanging out at the refuge or, you know, you know, hunting private property and you know, getting all camoed out, walking through the field with my shotgun. It honestly what hooked me was the first time I went out solo, right? And you're you're hitting there, hitting the call, hitting the whistle, you know, everything that you're doing, you set up, you know, you got your spread set up the way you do, and you're watching the birds work. And when they come in, it doesn't matter how they do it, but when they come in and you knock them down and you did it, that's all you. It wasn't like, oh, my buddy set up the spread or he said what decoys to bring. That's when I was like, oh, I I I'm I'm a hunter now, you know. So I uh I didn't look back, but yeah, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_00:I I did a few I did a few solo hunts my first year too. It was it was overwhelming, but oh yeah, I kind of went off of the the little bit of knowledge that I had, and you know that my my attitude was I I can't I can't get better if I don't attempt, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's impressive. I I'd have to think about it and I want to actually connect with the guy that got me into hunting after trying to get him on the episode sooner than later. But yeah, god, I don't think it was my first season, maybe at least my second or third, because you know, it's a lot to go out by yourself. But I it finally got to the point where I was like, I was so hooked, and I was it didn't matter if it was you know 70 degree day, bright blue skies. I wanted to go out, and you get all these kind of seasoned hunters like, ah no, I'm good, it's November, you know, blah, blah. So I'm like, I got tired of just hearing no all the time. So I'm like, I'm gonna go by myself.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. And and I I there's times where I, you know, it I knew it was slow, and you know, I couldn't get anybody to come with me, and I went anyway. Yeah. And it was just me. I enjoy for one, I just enjoy being out there. Yep. There's nothing, there's nothing more beautiful than than watching the sunrise and the cold crisp air and watching the birds fly. I I I just enjoy it and it's peaceful. Yeah. And it and it really resets me, you know, mentally.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and it's fun to you know go out and hunt with your buddies and whatnot. But if you kind of think about it, it it is easily kind of a solo sport at times too, you know, because you know, it's one of those we're sitting quiet, you know, keep your head down, that type of thing. Don't try not to make too much noise. But I'll tell you what, on those slow days, it is nice to have a buddy with you.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_01:So well, right on. Well, you know, you talked about how you got hooked and everything, and I'm sure you know, you you mentioned you always started reading about it and checking things out on Instagram before you dove into YouTube, all that. But you know, I think that's what's so great about your video or your video series is you know, just it's another avenue for folks to kind of go on and you know, kind of hear from other hunters in Northern California. You know, we talked a little bit before we started, you know, you're obviously pretty seasoned, your buddy Logan's seasoned, but you got a couple guys in your crew that, you know, maybe, you know, have maybe half the time in that you guys do. But you know, you guys brought them along. And I think those kind of stories are pretty funny how you got those guys started. But uh, you know, I I do want to talk a little bit about you know your YouTube podcast and you know how that got started. You know, tell me how kind of Foulmouth TV you know came to be.
SPEAKER_00:You know, uh over the last really when we got we got we're it was our first year last year in uh getting a rice blind. So you know, we went through a lot of different you know, trials and tribulations, and there was a lot of things, there's a lot a lot of hard lessons per se. And you know, I started talking back and forth with guys and like man, it it'd be it'd be dope to just sit down and do a podcast. And we I mean we sit down after every single hunt and have a 30 or 40 minute conversation about what was going on and how we could have did this and why we didn't do this, and you know, what we could make this adjustment or you know, whatever it we'd have, you know, lengthy conversations. I'm like, man, we should just put this record it and put it out there to let people listen to it, listen to how our brains are working and how they should be working for those new hunters that are coming in, knowing what questions do you need to start asking and what do you need to start looking for. Because that was something that that I I didn't have, you know, going, you know, not growing up, but growing up in the duck game per se. Yeah. You know, that there was a there were a few podcasts out there that would be talking, they would talk about their hunts, but they wouldn't they wouldn't break it down like that. So it's just you know, it was super secretive. I don't I'm not a huge secretive person. If if I have success, I'm gonna let the people who ask me know that I have success. I'm gonna give them the tips that helped me out. So that that was something that really drove drove the channel uh into existence per se.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you know, it's funny, that's kind of the same reason why we started our podcast was, you know, we were talking so much hunting, you know, during the season, during the off season, my buddies and I, and we're like, why don't we just kind of record this? And and just you know, you guys say it. It's like we're not trying to become like big influencers or whatnot, but it's like let's just record it. And if our buddies listen to it, cool. If some other people want to listen, fantastic. But you know what's funny is I I was kind of laughing to myself when you were saying that you know you guys would talk for like 30-40 minutes after your hunt. And I don't know how your family or spouses feel about it, but drives my wife nuts, and my buddies' wives were there to be like, weren't you just in a blind with them all day? Why are you guys on the phone now? You know, because like we you know, we'll talk that night and be like, you know, we're literally breaking down that hunt and then planning our hunt for seven days later. You know what I mean? So that's really what kind of kicked off the podcast is now we have kind of this dedicated time to you know break it down.
SPEAKER_00:So yeah, yeah. And then and that's something that you know also you can you can use it as a tool for yourself too, because you can go back, let's just say years down the road, you can come back and look at some of the stuff that you guys talked about and some of the things that you guys struggled with, or you know, find some things that actually worked. We're like, man, remember when we hunted this place on this podcast, we talked about using this and and putting this in, you know, this decoy configuration, blah, blah, blah, this and that, right? Yeah. And it's more of like a it's a uh audio journal per se of what you got going on.
SPEAKER_01:So that that's exactly that's exactly it. I know you you've talked about it. God, what is it, that North American Waterfowler, right? Yeah. That app, you know, and you can keep the journal for like, you know, your harvest, your setup, you know, how the wind was, what the weather, you know, overall weather was, and you know, really what you guys are doing, and then what my buddies and I are doing with our conversations and a little bit with this podcast is like that's exactly it, a little audio journal, you know. Yeah. So and if other people can learn from it or or find it useful, fantastic, you know.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So well, right on. So, you know, obviously with Foulmouth TV, it you know, my podcast is more you know audio only and whatnot, but you guys have the YouTube channel and have done a great job like filming your content and uh filming your podcast. But you know, was there a moment when you knew that it was going to be like more than just filming hunts, you know? Like obviously you wanted to do kind of the I don't know how to say like in studio kind of conversations, but you know, as far as what you guys wanted the vision for the podcast to be.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I I you know, what when me and Logan initially talked about it, it was more of kind of just like a rough draft. Basically, hey, let's let's shoot, let's shoot a couple hunts and then let's do some podcasts on top of it. And then, you know, once we did the first podcast, then more ideas started coming out. And you kind of just roll into it, right? So, and it's like, you know, hey, why don't we start doing hunts and then doing post-hunt podcasts to go with the actual hunt video, whether you know we were successful on the hunt or whether we weren't, you know. Yeah. And just kind of talk about what we were seeing and stuff like that. So it kind of just evolved kind of into that, and I'm pretty sure it'll evolve even even more, and we'll start doing more things on top of that. But we were we're pretty pretty set on on podcasts and and hunt videos to begin with. We just we put out more podcasts than I thought we would have so far. Right on.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you mentioned Logan a couple times there, and I know we talked a little bit about your um your buddy Sean. You know, tell me a little bit about your crew there. Are they a bunch of guys you grew up with or from the neighborhood, work? How how's your hunting crew come together?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so I'll start with Sean. Sean, me and Sean played baseball together when we were teenagers, and then ended up playing baseball together in high school. And then after we graduated, didn't really run back into Sean until I'd say about five years after after high school, and then we kind of just clicked and we we've been you know pretty tight ever since. And uh, you know, we we got him, he's uh he's going into his second season this year. We got him hooked last year, and man, he's he's he's all into it. Yeah. So it's it's it's good to it's good to see.
SPEAKER_01:And and real quick about him, because I I know you guys I heard the story that was him that you guys got him. He was a little boozed up and you got him to commit to the rice blind, right? But was how how did he get into hunting? You know, being it's only a couple years, was it through you guys or uh Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So so it was through us. We had been bugging him once I got into it. I had uh started to bug him on on getting into it, and he's his fishing is his thing. Okay. And you know, he's got a lot of money tied up in in his fishing hobby, and he didn't want to put any money into another hobby, so had to had to do the little al had to take a alternative route on getting him there. So we ended up buying his son a pair of waiters for his birthday. Oh, cool. And then we took his son hunting to Grey Lodge, and his son was hooked. So that kind of put him in between the rock and the hard place and kind of forced him to have to get in there, and then I wanted his first hunt. He actually and he just went straight into the blind. I actually we had five people that wanted to hunt, and I ended up uh working a deal out where he split the the fourth seat with the other person. So it kind of lessened the financial blow for him. And yeah, caught him at the right time, caught him when he had when he had a little too much and he agreed to it, and man, he's that's he's been hooked ever since. So it's a you know looking back, I'm glad it happened. He does a lot of work when it comes to blind prep decoys, and he he's super super active when it comes to the work that's involved with with the rice flying.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's cool, man. That's kind of like with our group, everyone has a role to play, right? And you know, I don't want to say like some people do more, some people do less. Everyone has a different job and everyone carries their weight, you know. So that's cool. But what what about uh Logan, what about Logan?
SPEAKER_00:So yeah, Logan, I met Logan probably around the time I linked back up with Sean. Logan was friends with Sean's younger brother, so he was in the younger crowd. But Logan was always He was always kind of ahead of his age bracket or maturity-wise, right? So he just kind of linked with us. We you know, we always we called him when he started hanging around, we called him the prospect, right? Because he was he was a younger kid, and you know, he had a good head on on his shoulders, and you know, he hung out with us for a while, and then all of a sudden he just it just he just became part of part of the group, and you know, that's that's been it's been 15 years now.
SPEAKER_01:So is he like the I guess like the common denominator or foundation for like how you guys all got into waterfowl hunting? It all kind of started with him.
SPEAKER_00:Oh yeah, for sure. If Logan didn't if Logan didn't hunt, we we wouldn't we wouldn't be in it. I would have never I would have never thought to get into the sport.
SPEAKER_01:Sure.
SPEAKER_00:Because I I just I wasn't around it when I was younger. Yeah. So something that something that I didn't know. Yeah. I knew it existed, but I didn't know how and why and yeah how much fun it was. So he definitely started with me, and then that spilled over into uh we got another buddy, Brandon. Haven't seen him on the channel yet, but we'll get him on there. Got him into it a year before Sean. And then we got another buddy, Danny, which he's taking a sabbatical this year per se, but we we got him into it too. But it all it all started from Logan getting us into it. It went from me to Brandon to Sean to Danny. Um, so that's just slowly.
SPEAKER_01:No, that's cool. I mean, you obviously see you know the camaraderie or the relationships and on your channel, and yeah, you can tell you guys have been boys for a while, so that that's cool. Good group of dudes. All right, well, let's uh let's continue talking hunting. I know we kind of chatted a little bit about it, but overall, how's your season going so far?
SPEAKER_00:And it it's been slow, man. It's been it's been a struggle for sure. It's probably the most frustrating beginning to a season that I've had thus far. So we uh we made opening weekend at Grey Lodge. Ended up only shooting one bird there. Then I made the second weekend at Grey Lodge, and that was the video I posted on YouTube and we walked out with three birds there. And then we hunted a few times at our rice blind, but our rice blind is i it's it's it's not huntable really. We we tried force it so the the biggest struggle there is when they harvested the rice it was right after that storm in in late October so the the machines went through and completely tore the fields up. So they couldn't get anything in there to disk the field for one. And then so now we're do now we're waiting on a stomper. So they ended up flooding the field and we have throughout the field we probably have maybe maybe ten inches of stubble sticking up out the water. So it it's really uh it's really you really can't hunt we have we've hunted it a few times and we've just we've thrown some decoys in in the ruts that the that the machine has made and just hunting like a little pocket of water. But you know it it's been rough man and and the Stomper is in high demand now. That's the that's the biggest thing is everybody all these rice fields are in the same exact position. And they're all dependent on that stomper to come through and stomp those fields. So we had just this week we were supposed to get a stomper in and the guy the engine on the stomper blew. Right? So that put us back that put us back another week so now you know I'm not looking forward to getting stomped until I want to say Monday of next week, Tuesday of next week. So it's really we're you know deep into it we're gonna be deep into December before we have it available to us.
SPEAKER_01:So it's been it's it's been a struggle and it's you know we've just been sitting around kind of twilling our thumbs you know and yeah that's that's tough man and and and unfortunately you're not the only one who has had that experience this season. But you know what I've heard a lot about this season is just you know us needing to r understand and some folks need to re understand that the farming comes first right so uh yeah yeah and you seem to have the right attitude about it but yeah I mean here we are in December and you know it's still like that that's a bummer but hey you know what that's Mother Nature and you know like you said that stompers in high demand and I I think it was I think it was John on Filthy Spoon that was saying like man what a what a business to get into this season.
SPEAKER_00:You know just go buy a stomper and you know yeah for sure and you know you know I I understand make a pretty penny. Yeah and you know like I said I I am frustrated with it but I do on the other end I understand that it has nothing there's nothing that anybody can do to make this situation better right there there's nothing that they could have done to avoid this right so you know it's something that I I've come to terms with it's out of my hands it's out of my my club manager's hands you know my poor club manager you know he's panicking yeah he's trying he's trying to you know uphold his his end of the deal and make sure that that he delivers his product and and he can't you know and it's out out of his hands so you know it's just it's just the way it is you know yeah well I mean when the rice isn't ready or not huntable that leaves the refuge right and I don't want to you know take anything you're maybe gonna share on your channel but uh you want to talk about today's hunt?
SPEAKER_01:Um which by the way hey I really appreciate the invite too it's a it's a bummer I couldn't make it out today but I will get something going this season. But yeah I want to hear I mean hear about or you told me about it but I think it's kind of a funny story.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah so you know I I ended up getting a number 24 reszi at at YOLO. No I've never stepped foot on YOLO in my five years of hunting so I reached out to a few people for some advice. Yeah so I reached out to a few people from the channel and luckily I I got some some good information at least tips right so showed up this morning was sitting there at the booth kind of looking at blind averages and trying to figure out what I want to do. I had a game plan that I was gonna go free roam but you know I heard this guy this guy was at the do you want to share that tip though real quick?
SPEAKER_01:Because that's part of it.
SPEAKER_00:Well you you had to go out and buy oh yeah so you know one one of the tips that I got was you know coot decoys. Coot decoys were were a big were a big thing so I ended up going out and getting a dozen a dozen coots and you know I I understand the the whole coot thing I understand the confidence but I would much rather buy some some pintails or some mallards or widget and whatever. Especially when you gotta haul it out to the refuge you're like well I'm I got a dozen coots in here just yeah so you know I I ended up you know getting up on that and I took the advice that was given you know I'm not gonna be an asshole right you know I I'm gonna do you know if you say this works I'm gonna I'm gonna give it a shot. Right? So you know was at the at the window and I heard this guy he was asking one of the the the guys at the check station you know for tips and you know he's telling them you know the birds are on the clothes on you're gonna you're gonna need this you're gonna need that and oh by the way I recommend you have coop decoys all right so the so this guy he hell hell I don't have no damn coot decoys you know what a let me go see if I can find some so this guy is walking around the multiple people just random people hey you got coot decoys let me buy them off of you let me rent them off of you and they're just like nah bro I got my own hunt to worry about so you know I'm kind of just standing there and this guy walks up and he's like hey man you're you're a hoon right and I'm like yeah and he goes oh you know my my name is John you know duck chugger and I was like oh right so you know shook his hand and and Duck Tugger has been a good supporter of my channel so he always reaches out reaches out and comments on on the videos and stuff that I I put out but I just never seen his face before right so I was good to put that put his face to it to his name so then he introduces the guy that was asking for the coot decoys and his name is Sid right so I'm like oh you're Sid you're the one that that John's always talking about right so you know it was a funny it was a it was it was a real funny moment because as soon as he introduced himself as Sid all those stories from John kind of like popped into my head and man he fits it to a T, dude like it's you know you can't you can't whatever John is saying it it's a little over exaggeration but man it's it's spot on man. So you know me and him started talking he was trying to buy the the coot decoys off of me and I ended up just throwing an offer out hey man if if you he I asked him what Resi number he had he said he had number one.
SPEAKER_01:So I was like hey man if you let me hunt on your reszi with you I'll I'll bring my coot decoys out there and I go I got a blade too you know he looked at John and John shrugged his shoulders and he said all right well well you can you can roll with this so I ended up ended up getting up and hooking up with him that's my airpod fell out ended up uh hooking up with him and ended up hunting today out of the same blind with him so yeah that's cool and he said two good dudes and everything which is awesome so yeah I I actually put my notes here I wanted to ask being that it was the opener for uh spinning wing season and everything and I know one of your guys' videos was about that blade that you guys got at the CWA dinner. What were your thoughts on it?
SPEAKER_00:I I like the reaction that I got from the birds. Now there is going to be a learning curve for me on placement okay because you know they come in to a certain extent and then they flare off so there's gonna be some times where I'm gonna play a lot with with placement of the blade whether it's placing it you know 40 yards away from me so that when they do come down and you know kind of cupped up and go towards that blade before they flare they're within range of me you know they're they're just different it's just different things I have to play with. I need to play with shutting it off once they start once they lock in.
SPEAKER_01:So I was gonna ask your I I know there's different models and whatnot, but it comes with like remote you can turn it off and on and all that that's cool.
SPEAKER_00:Correct. So you know it we started off with with two blades. We started off with the wind blade and then the electronic blade. Ended up pulling the wind blade because it was just making too much noise and then just rolled with the electronic electronic blade. And like I said we we got a few we got a few birds to come in directly to it. For the most part it would pull them out of the sky. You can see them just start coming down and then they would they would work and kind of come in a little bit and then they would flare off. So it's just I'm gonna have to work with placement and it's gonna be a huge learning curve for me with that but it does you know I was pretty impressed with how well it pulled them out of the sky for sure. Yeah no that's cool and you know it sounds like a a future episode of Foulmouth you know once you guys figure that all out but you know it's funny man that mastering kind of the uh the spinning wing or the blade and you know when to use it where to put it it's definitely an art man and kind of like a science you know because I'll tell you what man there's sometimes where you know you think like man that thing's flaring everything within you know 500 yards of it right you know and then there's sometimes where that thing's just spinning and birds are diving right in it like kamikaze you know so it's like yeah does the motion you know because sometimes people are like they swear by the remotes and and all that so yeah it it it's an art you know yeah and and you know the the thing is I've been really pumped about using the blade right because everybody raves about it they rave and they rave about it. But I just I me personally I haven't seen it work like they say it works right so I I think there's some there's some there's a learning curve on where you know placement when to shut it off when to turn it on yeah you know so hopefully this season I can get that I can get that locked in.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah it's interesting it's just like a big flasher out there you know because sometimes I think like you know we spent all this money on you know the uh robo ducks you know the the mojos the lucky ducks whatever we got the duck body and the wings flapping out but then you put this basically this field goal post out there with the big blade in it same thing goes back to when Wind Whacker came out I'm like what the hell these things are just big ass wind chimes sometimes you know but I'll tell you what sometimes in the right wind when those things are spinning like I said kamikaze man or I'll I'll get like teal diving in on I've had some hunts where literally like the pin tailor just hovering over it you know and it all it is a ski pole with a couple blades on it right so yeah just to kind of get the attention but uh and and I'll tell you what there's no remote on that and it seems to work you know so yeah yeah yeah we got a couple of those and we we use those that are at our rice blind and yeah there's there's days where you know you get those teals those teal bombing in and there's days where they don't want nothing to do with it you're gonna end up pulling them. Yeah for sure for sure so well you I know you're out at YOLO today you know when it comes to the refuges and whatnot do you kind of primarily hunt like the Sacramento area do you get down in like Grizzly and Sassoon? Do you grasslands at all? What where do you like to go?
SPEAKER_00:I I have not been to the grasslands that's something that that I that's that's the place where I want to go my number one bird that I'm after is the cinnamon teal so I know they got plenty of them down there. So that's somewhere I want to where I want to I want to hit that too but primarily we hit Calusa a lot last year.
SPEAKER_01:I I still is is as hard as Grey Lodge is I still love hitting Grey Lodge and then Delevin and then I I haven't I haven't hunted sack for probably about three or four years but mainly Calusa Delvin Grey Lodge are are my three go-tos so you know it's funny you mentioned Calusa and I was thinking about this earlier obviously there's some down in the grasslands I haven't I haven't been to but I've been to quite a few down there but as far as like the Sacramento Valley goes even Grizzly Island YOLO I've been to every single refuge I've never hunted Calusa never put in for it for years I've put in for the lotto just never got to you know and this is back when you can put in for all the different refuges we used to you know coming I was living in the Bay Area at the time and you know driving up from the East Bay we would hit Calusa first and then we would kind of make our way through and go all the way to finish up at LDC and then work our way back to Calusa. And I always ended up having a better lotto number somewhere else. So I have never hunted Calusa. So yeah I've heard good things about it for sure but do you like you know hunted stutter a bunch of times hunted Zack hunted Delivant but just never Calusa.
SPEAKER_00:So yeah I I I got into Calusa last year and we got into some good hunting there.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah kind of kind of hooked on that on that refuge now so yeah just never like the opportunity you know I'm sure I've sure I can go drive over this weekend and sweat on and you know go on do an afternoon or whatnot but I just I've never done it. So you mentioned some of those places that you frequent what's your favorite refuge and maybe how come?
SPEAKER_00:Maybe why I think I'm gonna have to stick with Calusa. Okay. Calusa's gotta be my favorite and you know the what really stuck out to me is you know last year me and Sean ended up getting on right before three o'clock and and we found we found a spot you know in free run that man the birds were just coming in straight at our face. And so we ended up finishing that night and then ended up lottoing for the following night. And ended up going back to the to the same spot and ended up limiting out and that was my first limit ever since I started. And then it was also Sean's first limit which is crazy because last year was his first year. So here we got we got we got a first year hunter he's got a blind his first year any limits limits out his first year all duck hunting right so that that was that was a pretty special cool cool thing to be a part of um so that so that that always hold its rank you know in in in my eyes what about your least favorite my least favorite would be Grizzy Island. Okay how come the times that I've hunted it's it's a weird terrain per se it's all pickleweed there's not a lot of there's not a lot of stuff to hide in and it's it's chaos yeah it's you know it if you look at Grey Lodge it's organized chaos. Yeah but Grizzly is just straight straight chaos and and and it and you know I I could be a little biased on it because I don't know it as well. I've hunted it I've probably hunted it under 10 times probably about eight eight or nine times and it's just never it's never produced for me. There's always been you know it's not the the cart pass aren't kept up you're struggling through that you know it's just it's not my favorite.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah that that's a good point man because honestly I'm I'm kind of with you on that where if I had to think about my least favorite you mentioned Grey Lodge and Grizzly and and they're similar and you are right about Grey Lodge being organized chaos. It is still chaos but you know for me I think a lot of it is just and you know we're not old but just getting older where I'm like I'm not looking to race these 20 year old kids out to a spot or even once I get set up I'm not looking to have a headlight war out there. Like it's just not what I'm into you know but you mentioned it where I also haven't hunted those places as often as some of the other refuges up in like the Stack Valley or the grasslands. So to your point where it's like hey maybe if I knew Grizzly or Grey Lodge like the back of my hand it's my spot you know what I mean like there's some people that absolutely love those places you know that's where that's where migrates exactly exactly right but you know and it's funny because you know like I said I grew up in the East Bay I'm from Pleasanton originally and gr Grizzly is super close, you know, close to refuge but still I I just drove right past it. You know I I I I drove toast to go another hour and a half up to you know Delavin or whatever. And I know those are considered better refuges anyways but yeah it just wasn't it wasn't for me you know so no that that that's interesting for sure. But I I do want to circle back real quick kind of talking about the filming and I know I talked to you a little bit you know before we started recording about how you know I used to film some hunts with the GoPro and you know just kind of trying to capture those because you know obviously we do such a good job you know kind of enjoying the moment but you kind of want to be able to relive it and I can't tell you how many times especially now since I've started this you know podcast and you know started a whole new Instagram where it's like damn I didn't take a picture of those birds before you know I processed them or before you know before I left with the buddies and you know content creation just is it it's tough you know because you know we're we're we're so pumped and it's just one more thing to set up you know when you're out when you're out hunting. But uh I guess my question for you is like how how'd you get into kind of like filming and and you know why film and publish the hunts instead of just kind of keeping them like low-key and just enjoying them with your buddies.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah yeah so I I got into you know somewhat filming I I wouldn't say I'm a photographer but I I got into the whole film thing when me and my wife went on our honeymoon I did I filmed everything and got into Final Cut Pro as the editing software and I kind of you know did a a montage of our honeymoon. Spent a lot of time in it learned a lot about Final Cut Pro and just kind of like the the art part of it you know and then I kind of just filled in the honey you know the the setup that I run is so easy you know that I I won't miss I won't miss any of the action I have a a camera that kind of pre-records and then after the action happens I can just hit the record button and it'll have up to two or three minutes before button. So I'm able to you know enjoy that moment and celebrate and do you know whatever it is and be like oh you know let me hit the low let me hit the record button right and capture all of that right so it's made it pretty easy and I I've kind of figured out how to how to get around not having to change batteries out constantly because because I was a when I when I started filming some of the hunts last year I was changing batteries every hour and it you know excuse me and you know you you're so worried about you know what's flying around you're trying to change batteries out and then you end up missing opportunities. So this year I kind of got it got it dialed down. I run an external battery pack uh to my camera so I I don't even have to mess with it and so that so the the big you know the fun part is keeping all that keeping all that the you know having everything constantly being filmed and then I can sit there and and select on what I want to capture. And then it's just you know kind of going through watching it kind of put it into a timeline and capture everything, capture all the funny stuff, capture all the videos, the Bloopers, whatever it may be, and just compile it into one video.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, I've really enjoyed your uh your hunt videos. Like, you know, I know you've obviously put a few out there, and no, I think they're pretty cool for sure. But I wasn't gonna you mentioned like the batteries and stuff, dude. It was so hard, and and I know cameras are way better now, but like I said, I was out there years ago with my GoPro and I'd set up like a little tripod behind the blind there, like little like foot long legs, and you know, I'd be back there. I I'd carry like six different batteries with me, you know. Yeah, and then that's cool what you were talking about with the kind of pre-record because I used to wear like the little it'd be up here on my hat, and I wouldn't want to run it the whole time, so I'd just sit up there, boop, you know, hit it, but then I'd take it off and be like, is this thing on it? Okay, the red lights on, all right. Let me put it back on. So no, that that's cool for sure. Yeah, I mean, I was gonna ask what's the hardest part about filming it, but you kind of answered that, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Um, you know, captured the content, and but the the the hardest thing about filming is when you're the only one filming and you're with a group, you feel like you're kind of dragging them back because you know they're ready to go and you're like, hold on, hold on, I gotta get set up, or let's not start this so I can kind of capture some of the stuff. You know, I don't want to say, okay, action, but I want I want all the you know the jokes and stuff to start once I get everybody mic'd up or you know, whatever as I start rolling, you know. You know, that's the that's the only challenge is is being that that guy. Hey, let's take a picture, or let's let's let's film this, let's do this, and people are kind of like waiting on me to get started, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think God I don't remember who it was, but it was a pretty big like uh waterfowl TV show type thing, and they were basically saying, like, hey, we're showing all these great hunts, but I'll tell you what, like when you guys come out and hunt with us, like it's more of a production than it is a hunt. You know what I mean? Like, we're waiting waiting for the flight, we're waiting for the the right lighting, all these different things. And I know that's not what you're up to, but still to your point, you're trying to not only capture the hunt, but you're probably also thinking about foul mouth, too, you know? Yeah, and you're like, hey, you know, so like there's a little bit of that little added stress or whatnot. Because we you and I talked about where it's like this season, it's more than just me going out, getting my birds, cleaning up the spot, and getting off the refuge or getting out of the blind. Now it's like, okay, I gotta make sure, did I capture enough for Instagram? Did I, you know, do was it a good enough hunt or good enough experience that I check in with someone at the check station to maybe talk about on the podcast or something? So it's a whole it adds a whole nother element to it for sure.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I and I try to I try to be very minimal with it, you know, and I try to be very quick with my setup. Like I'll you know, if we're gonna hunt, I'll have kind of stuff pre-set up. Sure. So I don't, you know, I'm not that guy that's flowing people down or whatever. And and you know, with the pre-record option, man, it is such it comes in clutch, dude, because you know, just conversations and you know, whatever it is, it's already captured. You just gotta hit the hit the record button.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I'll tell you what, whether it's Sean or anyone else, they start knocking down those limits like they're doing, uh they're gonna love that you have that filmed and that captured. So, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. Yeah, even you know, Sean, Sean said he loved he, you know, he really liked the video that I put out when we were at Grey Lodge. And I mean, that was only a three-bird day, you know. Yeah, you know, I caught a lot of jokes in there and just us being you know stupid and talking shit to each other, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, I I I saw that one for sure. That was a good video for sure. Cool, man. Well, you know, let's talk a little bit about, you know, and this kind of both kind of the premise for our podcast is building that sense of community, that waterfowl culture. And you know, we kind of talked a little bit about content building and whatnot, but uh let's talk a little bit specifically to NorCal, like, you know, why that matters, you know, why building NorCal waterfowl content matters. And and I guess for me, and maybe you can kind of build off it, is like we as hunters, especially here in California, like we're definitely the minority, right? So, you know, if we can kind of put the sport in a good light, you know, supporting each other, you know, your video content showing like, you know, obviously not just the hunt, the harvest, but you know, talking about it, and you know, it's a learning experience, it's a way to bond with maybe your kids, you know, that type of thing. But talk a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean you you kind of hit it, hit it, hit the nail right on the head. It's just you know, that if you look at whether it's political climate or you know, animal rights activist groups and and stuff like that, hunting is is a sport that's that's under fire constantly. And this is something that we have to fight for. And it's something I'm passionate about, it's something that every other duck hunter or big game hunter or turkey hunter, whatever it's pheasant hunter, whatever it is, they're they're passionate about it. And we have to continue to fight, you know, fight for it because any day and every day that this this fort is under attack by lobbyists and and whoever whoever else doesn't agree with the sport. You know, without people like us battling for it, you know, you got all the all the organizations, you know, the C D CWA, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl. You got all these organizations fighting for it. We gotta we gotta we have to join in that fight too. We can't sit back and let let these organizations do the fighting for us. So, you know, it's just something I'm passionate about and something I I want people to be able to look and look at our our channel and see how passionate we are about the sport and and hopefully gain that same passion or even want to be interested in getting joining the sport, you know. So us as Northern California, we're a special group, you know. We have we have a ton of refugees, a ton of public land that we can access, public waterways. You know, you have the the the Delta, right? You got you got that, you got the Susu Marsh, I mean you got all the public land up north. Uh we have a we have a very special place that that's you know, if you look at just California in general, you look how beautiful the state is, look how look at what we have available for us to hunt. You'll you go to Texas, they don't have public land like we do, right? So it's something that's special and something that that really needs to be respected and fought for.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, 100%, man. Yeah, God, I just saw it the other day and it was on Instagram, and I think it was like top 10, top 15 states for waterfowl hunting, and California was right there at number three, I think only behind Arkansas and Louisiana, right? And you know, we all know that just our hunting rights or privileges, however you want to look at it, are being attacked every single day, you know, and that's why it's so important that you know I love all these different podcasts that have been out, whether it's you know, Filthy Spoon, the conversations I've had, watching your channel, all these other California-based ones, and even just some of the folks I've connected with on Instagram since starting this, it's a good community out there, and the positive far outweighs the negative when it comes to like the folks that are you know taking it putting a the sport in a bad light, right? Correct. And then I'll throw it back at you, and where you said I hit the nail on the head. You did too when you mentioned those organizations, you know, California Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, and I think it was one of your first or second episodes, and this was spot on. What you guys said was like they're basically like the union for us hunters, you know what I mean? So you know, protect our rights, you know, obviously to access to you know, doing things with you know the limits when it comes to waterfowl, our firearm rights, things like that. Because, you know, you mentioned the animal rights and everything, like the really I think the reason why, especially here in California, it has to do with the fact that we use firearms, you know. So yeah, that's why it's you know, like I said, just the community support each other, that type of thing.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and and to touch on the community too, you know, since since starting my channel, I I've met more people than I have in the last five years. Same now, right? You know, you know, I met I bumped into to John from the Filthy Spoon last year before I even started the channel and kind of just kept in touch with him. And we had a we had a good time at Farmers last year and kind of you know, just kind of hit it off and kept in touch. And then man, once I did the the podcast on on his on his platform, it just kind of it shot me into a different category with me meeting different people and people noticing me and it drove it drove a lot of traffic to to the channel. And uh, you know, now you know when I go on the farmers, I see a couple people that I didn't know last year, right? Yeah, and uh able to kind of link up with them and and chat with them, and it's always uh it's always a good thing to kind of to start getting to know people.
SPEAKER_01:Well, and and I'm like you, you know, like I like meeting people, especially when we're out like at these refuges or heck just walking through, I don't care, sportsmen's kiddos, whatever, farmers. Yeah, and you know what's and and once again, hit the nail on the head is John said it where he's like these refuges, the check station is like the prison yards, you know, everyone's all like flexed up, you know, like you know, staring at each other, that type of thing. And you know what? Like I've had some great conversations out there, you know. Once, you know, I've kind of been like, hey, you know, I have this podcast, or you know, just kind of people realize like, okay, cool, like you know, they open up a little bit more. So no, it's been it's been cool. Well, hey, man, well, that's all I had here. Dude, I can't thank you enough for coming on, you know, uh coming on the podcast. And you know, I hope that we can get a hunt together. I really appreciate the invite for today. Um I'm like once again, I'm bummed it didn't work out. But yeah, guys, make sure that you check out Woon and the rest of their crew on Foulmouth TV on YouTube, and then your Instagram is foulmouth TV as well, right? Or did I get that right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, foul.mouth.tv.
SPEAKER_01:There you go. So check them out on Instagram if you don't follow them already. Give them a follow. Some good stuff over there. And yeah, make sure you're following for the Fowlers on Instagram as well. And continue to rate and review uh us on uh Apple, Spotify, and wherever else you're listening to this podcast. So Hoon, thank you again, man. It's good chatting with you. Have a great rest of the season, happy holidays, and we'll chat with you all soon.