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Little Woods Season 1: Episode 5- Brent Calhoun: ft. Cole, Whitt, Jacob, Drew
136 Plays3 years ago
Special Guest Brent Calhoun shares some of his background with the crew.
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Transcript
Introduction & Lineup
00:00:16
Speaker
All right, guys, we made it to episode five. Episode five. Cole brought us in last time. He's looking for redemption. Come on, Cole, bring us in right quick. What's going on, guys? Hey, how y'all doing? What's going on? How you feeling? Episode five, we got a good interview on tonight. Um, looks like it's going to be me, Drew, Cole, Jacob, and our boy Brent Calhoun. He's a local guy.
00:00:47
Speaker
Kind of a local legend. I'm pretty sure he's what's wrong with duck season this year in general, but we're not gonna get into that night. We're going straight to the point, the facts. We're going to the things that built him up. Brent, welcome. Glad to have you tonight. Thanks for taking some time out. I know you busy. Glad to be here, but where'd y'all get that music? You know, Kia Fong from 94 ringtone?
00:01:15
Speaker
We had to find something that wasn't trademarked. So yeah, you're probably right.
Duck Calling Competitions
00:01:25
Speaker
That's right. That's about the best we can come up with is it's not that good, but it'll be the outro too. So you can laugh at it then too, if you want to. No, we got, we got a local legend here. Like you said it, I mean, uh,
00:01:43
Speaker
Brent's been there, done it, you know, junior world. We can't even win a man's world, you know, but hey, we got time. And let me tell you about the world this year. I was thinking practice more than I ever have. And I believe that was the number one mistake. I screwed up bigger than hell first round. Now let's back up just a second. Let's back up just a second. So you're talking worlds.
00:02:13
Speaker
So everybody needs to kind of know kind of, we're going to have to back up and we're going to get to this world. Don't you worry, Brian. I know your matter and I'll get out about it, but we step on back to junior worlds back when you just used to slay them. And, and when we say worlds, we're talking about calling like duck calling, right? Is it goose calling too, or are you just only do duck? Man, just duck calling competitions. I believe I started.
00:02:40
Speaker
I remember the first contest when I won. I won a lot of them in between, but first one I won was a little over inky dink at the Walmart distribution center pond there in Sarsi, Arkansas. You're kidding me. I think I won. I don't remember what I won, to be honest with you, but I still got the little plaque, but I was proud as heck. So it's a good time. I think I started DuckCon when I was nine or 10 years old. I remember
00:03:09
Speaker
There's an old guy that taught my dad how to duck hunt, Mr. Art Beechin here locally on the biodesar. My dad grew up hunting there and kind of taught me there, which we had a farm of stuff too. And I remember he had a little cassette tape, Mr. Art Beechin did, and that's how I learned to call him, little cassette tape. And then from there I kind of took it naturally and dad found a lady,
00:03:34
Speaker
Miss Charlotte Mary had actually, a lady taught me how to competition call. She was a three-time women's world champion like, 97, 98 and 99 or something like that. And really took me under a wing and kind of just took off from there. And back then that was kind of the late nineties through really probably 2010 was like the peak of competition duck calling. And it was, it was great. No, that was a
Balancing Childhood & Duck Calling
00:04:02
Speaker
great time. I, I, I remember,
00:04:04
Speaker
Everybody else was just trying to pass school, you know, and Brent's over there. He's, he's going to these calling competitions and just whooping everybody's butt. And I couldn't even, I get suited up in a pad pads for football and I just get plowed down. So that was pretty impressive, Brent. I liked that. Jacob, you, you took a little bit of time. I mean, you, you competition call every once in a while. I hear it. Uh,
00:04:31
Speaker
I like to try routine out every once in a while. I don't have a set of air compressors in my chest to be running one that long, but, uh, no, I, I remember the first time I heard competition call and I was like, man, this is some, it didn't make sense to me, but after I, I watched it and, uh, I guess got more information about how it is. I enjoy it now, uh, watching it. I've been to a couple of worlds down there.
00:05:00
Speaker
And I like watching them guys get up there. It's pretty amazing what they can do.
00:05:28
Speaker
I mean, competition duck calling was nothing like, well, there's several different styles nowadays, but the main one is what they call main street. And it's basically take a call and push it to the max. You try to run a call as efficiently and as high energy, I guess you'd say, as you possibly can with that screwing up. And it's a very fine line in between doing perfect and screwing up. And fortunately, I've not had any
00:05:57
Speaker
major screw-ups until the last few years, but I've gotten older, gotten busier, and haven't been able to put the time into it like I like to, but I had a little time this year and put a lot into it, and I still screwed it up, but either way, that's duck on. I've always said, if you can consistently put yourself in the top 15 or 10, it's kind of like a beauty pageant. It's all subjected from there. If you could just... That's right. If you could just throw three ridges without screwing up, you got a chance at the end of the day. Yeah.
00:06:25
Speaker
At the end of the day, I mean, it does become a little bit subjective, which I, you, you would have had my vote. I promise you you would have. Man, the guy who won this year, Seth Fields, he's, he's been, he probably travels for more contests than anybody. I know him puts it a lot into him, observed it. I mean, he's a heck of a caller and heck of a dude. And I think he's won, I'm not sure if he's won a world goose, but I know he's won a world live duck. He's won a ton of two man contests and.
00:06:53
Speaker
I think his last one he needed to try to win to get them all was this year. He stroked it. There wasn't nobody close to him. That's pretty incredible.
Mississippi Contest Adventure
00:07:07
Speaker
Yeah, that being said, let's back up just a little bit because I experienced some of these junior world, you know, traveling around with Chip, old man Chip, you know, I see him now.
00:07:20
Speaker
walking as is, but listen, we gotta go back to Mississippi. And I know what you're talking about. I know you'll know what I'm talking about here is we traveled down to Mississippi one time, me and Brent, he had to go call down there at the expo. And we flew in, we flew out of- That's right, I can't remember. I already got a little session or something, we flew. Yeah, yeah, fly. We picked up at Searcy, flew out of Cessna, okay. So we get down there, we're running late,
00:07:50
Speaker
Chip usual, go away. Anyways, so we get there, he pays a black guy to use his Cadillac to drive to the expo, okay? So he's like, hey, man, you gonna be here all day? He's like, yeah, he goes, well, here's like, you know, a couple hundred bucks. I'll be back. Well, though, though, black man says 10-4. Well, I'm telling you, whenever I say we ran 17 stoplights, I'm not exaggerating. Me and Brent are rolling in the side. I'm talking about rolling.
00:08:20
Speaker
We roll through 17 stoplights and we make it just in time for Brent to call. And I will never forget that. I don't even remember if I wanted the stinking thing, but I do remember that I forgot about that story. Now, too much football in my life. I'm a CTE, I guess. Now I can picture that gray old hoopy Cadillac and he gave that fellow a couple hundred bucks and he worked at the little old Rinkinac Airport.
00:08:47
Speaker
And we hauled an ass all the way, all the way there. Didn't check up for nothing. I think it's Jackson, Mississippi too. Jackson, Mississippi. We cut through every stoplight and we were laughing. Chip's like looking over here, you know, he can't hear out of the dried ears. So he's deaf in one ear. And we all laughed about, you know, we all laughed about. Anyways, so we're just rolling through and man, it was just an experience. Man, I don't even remember how old. We couldn't have been more than over 13 or 14. I mean, at least. I mean, I think it was going to say 13 or 14. That's what I was going to say.
00:09:18
Speaker
You know, just drive that sess and that old guy would, you know, we flew and then chippers are back in there sleeping. But, uh, man, you know, just that experience, you know, we, we, we forget about, but, uh, that was, uh, that's what the competition styles back. Just don't, you know, on a limb. I don't think anybody went as hard as go taking me to contest my dad. And he still loves
Family Influence & Childhood Memories
00:09:38
Speaker
it. I mean, he goes there when I'm with me, he'd take me, you know,
00:09:42
Speaker
across the sea to go to one when I was a kid. I mean, he's one of the main reasons I was able to be as successful as I am, or was. I mean, I guess I'm still somewhat successful at it. And I can't thank him enough for all that, but I'm glad you brought that up to the story. That was a good one. Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, Chip, I mean, I feel like, still, and to you, like, you know, the competition, I mean, that was your driving factor whenever you jumped, because he brought you there. And plus, he brought you to the woods, too. I mean, he brought you to beach homes,
00:10:11
Speaker
Multiple other spots, but I mean that that's where you get your drivers from your daddy and I mean a chip ought to be You know, he ought to be on for that because that's that's your background man. That's what that's where he that's that's where you learn what you got Yeah duck calling moving dirt really how I got brain today career wise and everything
00:10:32
Speaker
That's right. I mean, you, you get your dad involved like that. I mean, there's no, the sky's the limit. I mean, that's, that's the best thing to have for support at home. I, I'm happy for you, Brandon. I, you know, kind of outside looking in, we were together there kind of peewee football. I don't think I was going to school with you and dad's arc. You were homeschooled, weren't you? Is that how you got to do a little bit more? That's, that's how you got to do a little bit more of this calling, huh?
00:11:00
Speaker
Oh yeah. Homeschool killed the eighth grade man. Then Cole was, we was lifelong friends since we was little. I guess we all met out there with it. Mr. Julie Wrigley's swimming pool. I don't know what our mama's done, but they might've been having a little more fun than us, but I remember we had fun as kids. I guarantee that's right. No, we had a blast. That was a good time. Yeah. Julie Wrigley's swimming pool. Ryan Wrigley, Cole.
00:11:27
Speaker
Me, you, we got in a lot of trouble out there. That was a good time. Pools are a blast for kids. My mom has definitely had a lot more fun than us, but you know. Those lime aretas. Were lime aretas a thing then? I don't even know. I think it's but a lot of aretas, you know, whatever.
00:11:45
Speaker
Ah, that's right. Well, I mean, that's a great story.
Travel & Competition Adventures
00:11:49
Speaker
Going down to Jackson, Mississippi, in your own little airplane, who flew that thing for you guys? Y'all have any ideas? I don't have a clue. Back, you know, I don't know what it cost today, but back then you could get a private little assessment rent for probably $50 an hour, you know? That's pretty awesome. He might've knew somebody too. I don't know. I need to ask him about that. It might've been a buddy of his or something, but we did that more than once.
00:12:15
Speaker
Indiana one time and Illinois, I mean, sure beat the heck out of driving all that way. No, that's, I mean, that's a way better way to travel. At Mississippi is kind of one example in Arkansas, obviously, because we're here. But has there been any other kind of states that when you were, especially in juniors, I think you were hammering it pretty hard then. Is there many other states you've been to most commonly or? Yeah, I mean, the way the world, you know, world work,
00:12:44
Speaker
context works out, I always explain to people like this, it's set up like the Miss America Pageant. You kind of got to win a prelim to qualify. So in the way it works is not every state, majority of states have a state contest that only state residents can compete in. Like I said, you know, one Arkansas state twice, every state, you know, Mississippi has their ears, you know, Missouri has their ears, but there's also basically a
00:13:08
Speaker
open or they're called regionals. Anybody can enter those. So most of the time a state will have their state contest and a regional. So you can travel anywhere you want to in the country and complete the contest. I've been to Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Texas maybe. I've been to Louisiana for one, Tennessee, Memphis, and Newton City.
00:13:36
Speaker
Kinda like, I hadn't really gone farther east than Tennessee or Mississippi, but pretty well up the Mississippi Flyway, if you look at it on the map, where the contest are. Yeah, that's pretty incredible.
Diverse Contest Events & Equipment Evolution
00:13:51
Speaker
I mean, and it takes a lot of time of your day to do that. It takes a lot of...
00:13:58
Speaker
You know, dedication from the family to want you to do that. That's, that's pretty awesome, Brent. I'm happy for you, man. I, all those just, you know, I, at the end of the day, I feel like I could call better than you, but you know, you sure did win a lot more than I did. So props to that. I remember, uh, we went to a little contest and this would have been your kind of contest there. It was a, it was Jeff Fools put it on and, and I think it
00:14:28
Speaker
Johnson City, Illinois or Jackson, somewhere right there along the Mississippi River in Illinois. And they had anything from a coon calling contest, a hoot out contest, squirrel. I mean, it was entertaining. And all them contests was after dark and everybody had been pretty liberating by the end. But the reason I brought that up is my brother, actually, my dad talked him into calling him one. And I don't know what kind of judges we had, but that sucker beat me.
00:14:56
Speaker
He's never blown in another one and he tells everybody he's beaten and he left it at that. I'd pay big money to go to that. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I haven't looked at a man. That was a heck of a time there. Yeah, I'd pay big.
00:15:27
Speaker
Yeah, I've been with, you know, back in the day, man, it was kind of a, I don't know, pissing match, I guess, between a lot of call makers and stuff. And anymore, you know, it's not that way. People don't really bounce around. Some people do, but the way I look at it back in the day, if you switch calling, it was kind of a no-no.
00:15:50
Speaker
Nowadays is you know, everybody's more understanding so but I'm all I miss Charlotte Mary You know, I grew up blowing the little old wooden beach of calls with mr Art Beach made out of Flint, Michigan he's a man on the land there behind my house that my dad grew up helping him on and I kind of hunted there too and Well, then when I would start taking lessons from a Charlotte Mary, she used echo calls out of baby mr. Rick in one week
00:16:15
Speaker
I guess I graduated from elementary school. You'd call it with Ms. Charlotte teaching me to Mr. Rick to high school. And when you started going to Rick's for lessons, you kind of moved up a notch. And I just remember going to his house and his old call shed there. It wasn't much more than an old shop building up behind his house, but it's pretty neat. I can remember, you know, in November right before the contest, there'd be 40 people in there. And it was a very fun time. Yeah, Drew, I've been with,
00:16:44
Speaker
I've been with Echo for a long time. I blow other calls when I'm hunting stuff, but Mr. Rick, he's as good as he is in the business.
00:16:56
Speaker
Yeah, that's, that's kind of what got me blown a duck call is, uh, one of the echo, I guess it was a CD or whatever MP3 back then. It was, it was, uh, you know, Mr. Rick on there giving his rundown on it. Just, it wasn't really a competition based type deal, but it was just like a two minute CD or something I had downloaded. And that's, that's kind of what got me blown a duck call a little better.
Dedication to Duck Calling
00:17:24
Speaker
I think it's pretty cool to kind of think about, you know, the whole duck calling competitions that it's, you know, we have people go train here and there for Lord people chain train for gymnastics that train for swimming, whatever they might be, Olympics shooting, running. I mean, and then, and then we got these people training for duck calling competitions. I mean, I.
00:17:50
Speaker
The, I might be the only person that's never heard of that before, but I mean, that's literally the first time I've heard of that. And I think that's pretty incredible. I, my kind of made up world Brent was that you were just really good at duck calling and that you didn't have to go to training, but that's pretty cool to kind of hear. I mean, uh, it just goes to show you that if you put enough time into it, I mean, my thing is I was growing up was riding horses. So, uh, I literally did it every single day.
00:18:17
Speaker
day of the week. And so that's, I mean, that kind of goes into effect. I mean, you, you get what you put into it and, and that's pretty cool to hear. I mean, echo it, it's the, it's the most local thing for us. I mean, it's BB Arkansas. So, I mean, that's, that's closest that we have anyways. And I mean, R and T's down stuck guard, I guess, but is there something closer? Yeah. R and T they, Mr. Butch Richard back, he, he has been,
00:18:47
Speaker
Very influential in the duck calm world and teaching kids and stuff too. You know, we just, my dad, you know, I think the merits owned a equipment company back then and dad kind of knew him, they even shot it through that. And they also owned a guide service there, just north of our house about three miles. I grew up at that place too when I was younger. And so we, that's kind of the crowd we ran with. Now the guys are armed here, super guys. I'm still good friends with Jimbo today and Mr. Butch is a heck of a man.
00:19:15
Speaker
There's different people like that all over the country. You had Mr. Tim Grounds in Illinois. He helped a lot of people. He had Bernie Boyle up in Iowa, who helped a lot of people. Barney Kaliff, heck of a caller, buck gardener. Every kind of region had this, you see a call maker in a region. That's David Gasson out of Alabama. Eli Haydale out of Louisiana. Duck Commander.
00:19:44
Speaker
have their own groups of people, where you kind of regionally blow those calls. But now, the way the internet and the world works, you know what these other calls are. But back then, you just knew it was in your little circle. So it was kind of neat going to those contests back then, because you'd all come together and be like, hey, what are you doing? Oh, yeah, yeah, I blow that call. That sounds good or whatever. So it's kind of neat.
00:20:05
Speaker
Well, let's dumb it down real quick. I mean let's uh, let's be real, you know, I didn't blow the call till later because I had guys like Brent the blind with me, you know, I mean Hey, you being a pit and you put earplugs in not because the shotgun Going off because this sucker be blowing it left and right. I'm talking about like Lungs going out and I'm like look over over to him like I've sent another end of the blind
00:20:32
Speaker
But no, you know, you got all these people and, you know, you got people like Brent, you know, that put their footprint on it. And but now it definitely sent me back because I said, man, I got a buddy that got a couple of rings can bring them on down. You know what I'm saying? They fit on my baby toe because as young as I was when I won them, I'd like to get one of the big ones, but hopefully.
00:21:01
Speaker
One day I will if I keep putting a little more stick to it. Now, so when you win that, you get a ring? Is that what I just heard? Yeah, man, when I was a kid, you know, the junior world, I can remember the prize list, like in the back of my hand, because when I was a kid, man, I'd look at that book. It's $1,000 first place, Remington 8th sending me shotgun, a bag of buck grub. That was a dang Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce special. That's a million-dollar special. Buck grub. I don't know who made it down there, maybe Pruducio.
00:21:30
Speaker
That's Arkansas, baby. Yeah. Now, I mean, look at the fries or whatever. All I can see is whenever I go over to Brent's is Brent's, you know, fat face, just smiling there with that trophy, you know, and sponsors on his shirt, you know, left and right. There's more sponsors than shirt. And that was what was wild to me. And, you know, that's what makes it, you know,
00:21:58
Speaker
Kind of funny that he talked about the sponsorship shirts. Back then in the 90s and mid 2000s, Duck Kong was like NASCAR, man. You had all these stuff on the shirt. Go free as hell if you wore it out there today, but I spent days who had them shirts and stuff, and my dad took off with it. He had his truck decked out, man. We looked like freaking Willie Robertson rolling up in the town. Your dad's truck had all the sponsors on it and everything?
00:22:23
Speaker
Oh yeah. Y'all don't remember that, uh, white dog, the camo trim on all of them during stickers on. Oh yeah. All that good stuff. What a, what a,
00:22:51
Speaker
What do you got planned in the future for a duck call and you're just going to keep hitting it hard and keep training and blowing duck calls and what do you think? Yeah, since we have my little girl Kendall, she's two and a half now and she's going on 12, it kind of limits her my chances to go. But fortunately, I ever win a couple of regionals here locally in the last few years so I can still qualify. You know, every time I go to one,
00:23:18
Speaker
If I don't do good or I do good, I tell myself, man, I'm going to start going to more, but it seems like time just gets away from you. You don't get to go to them as often, but I'd like to go to
Career in Duck Habitat Management
00:23:27
Speaker
them. My wife and Julie going to them and watching with me and you know, you can make a little mini vacations out of it now with the family and stuff. So, you know, I plan to keep doing it as long as good Lord allows me the ability to do it. And I feel like I've got too much vested in it now to quit. Yeah. Now, you know, I think we need to transition here to,
00:23:49
Speaker
you know, like what that brought on to you, Brent, you know, you know, your daddy moved dirt, so he was around the farm and then you had the duck calling and you know, let's go into what that led into, you know, you are a management of a big group over here that lays multiple properties and I mean, let's be honest, you farm for ducks. So let's kind of get into that, kind of how that all fell into place and where you at now.
00:24:17
Speaker
I like to use the term farming for ducks. I manage habitat. That's right. There's a lot more into it than just farming for ducks and leaving some grain out in the field ain't farming for ducks. I mean, managing for them is a whole different ball game. I think we could talk for days on that, but I kind of got started talking about my duck hunting background growing up and
00:24:42
Speaker
My dad, he farmed for a while and he got out of that. Well, I guess he's technically still farmed for a while, but he got into dirt moving. In the late 90s, early 2000s was the reservoir boom down in Arkansas County. So he got to build a lot of reservoirs with dirt pans. And then in the mid to late 2010 through present day is when the kind of the duck hunting developed and started in this area.
00:25:10
Speaker
And in that, that he did more duck property development, moving dirt than probably any other contractor in the state. I added it up one time. I think he had developed over a million acres of waterfowl habitat. And then from Texark County, Arkansas, the thing, Moreton Bottoms there, and the Arkansas River, to Lepanto, I mean, all over the state, you name it, he built a duck pond. And so, you know, I kind of had that instilled in me. I was thinking on the way over here, me and my brother built our first duck hole.
00:25:40
Speaker
Built a levee on the place there, or my dad's old farm when I was probably 13 or 14 years old. I remember doing that. Just kind of, you know, my dad loved duck hunting. That's kind of what got me into it. And then the management side of it, he was always, dad was always one of those guys around here that was more proactive, wanting to do things for the waterfowl and develop properties. And so we were some of the only folks and still are in that part of the county.
00:26:10
Speaker
that flooded fields for ducks and did things for ducks. So kind of had a background in that. And when I went to college, I went to college to be a coach or a business manager, majoring in clean charge and business and got out of that. And my dad was working for the folks I work for now just developing their property and Java have kind of fell in my lap. And it's just been a huge blessing to me and my family. And that's what I do now is take care of duck hunting property.
00:26:38
Speaker
Yeah, well, I don't think we needed to jump over the football career
Football & Coaching Experiences
00:26:43
Speaker
either. I mean, you know, you might've went for kinesiology, but I think you were all American there at OBU at one point, weren't you? I don't know. I want to mention I'm American, but yeah, I played. No, no, he's done it now, boys. I mean, don't let him doubt you. He went and he played his five years. He's still looking.
00:27:06
Speaker
He's still looking for his NIL deal. I don't know where it's at, but it's a little bit late, isn't it, Brent? Man, y'all get a kick out of this. They probably stopped about two years ago, but we got done with football. You get these guys in these little semi-pro leagues, send you a message on Facebook, how you going to do them? Now, I remember after my senior year of football, I didn't want to touch one.
00:27:29
Speaker
I've always told somebody if you see me running you better see what's chasing me if they go running with me because I'm done with the football except I do I do coach Deserts Peewee thing now. I really enjoy that. So I guess that's where I do my football picks now. Yeah He was definitely all-american. Don't let him lie to you. Division two in which that's a lot of respect but now Speaking of desert football He's coming up. I mean My little boy he's coming up
00:27:58
Speaker
He's a blocker, there's no doubt about it. You think he's going to be a blocker? Well, he's going to be, I mean, hopefully we got some athletes. I hope, yes, I hope he is some blockers, cause I hope he has some athletes. Cause if Samuel's running the ball, it's going to be bad. You know what I'm saying? But, you know, Brent, this year I got onto him pretty hard. He had a rough crew this year and nothing wrong with it. But, you know, we might have to bring Mike Cox out of the area to help him coach, you know, but, you know, I'm hard on him.
00:28:28
Speaker
But listen, Brent has definitely, definitely brought a edge to Dez Arc youth program. And I know people think, you know, maybe it's a little too early now, it's never too early. Get your kid out there learning the right technique as what Brent brings and learning what Brent can bring because he has got a education and something that a lot of us don't. You know, I mean, I don't know nothing about coach football. You know, I don't feel like none of us do, but he does.
00:28:58
Speaker
That's the edge for desert football. And, you know, that's kind of where we're going. You know, he's got to, he's got to leave Samuel down the line to him. Cause it starts early. Well, I can tell you one thing, but I've learned coaching Pee Wee football last four years. You take whatever, you know, and call it about football and throw it out the window. Cause it is coaching Pee Wee football and coaching football. You coaching the kids trying to keep the mind out. I love it. But now I enjoy the heck out of it. It's a fun deal.
00:29:29
Speaker
I think Peewee football was the last time I was any good at football because I was about the same size as everybody else then. And then I just grew and I was, and I was little, so that's pretty
Career Shifts & Life Balance
00:29:40
Speaker
awesome. That, uh, it, when you were at OVU, did, did you have, have any aspirations besides, I mean, obviously we kind of hinted at it. You do some duck management now work on a, uh, farm like that, et cetera. But, uh, was there anything else kind of creeping up on you when you were at OVU?
00:29:59
Speaker
As far as career-wise, not really. I mean, I did some student teaching there at Arkadelphia and helped them one summer and fall or whatever, but I probably wouldn't have minded it much, but my passion's been outdoors and hunting, you know, hunting, fishing, duck calling and stuff like that, developing properties. Kind of had a, you know, my last few years of college, there's a guy there locally by our farm
00:30:27
Speaker
was paying me already to take care while still in school during the summer and fall to come and help take care of his hunting property and kind of had intentions of doing something in the private sector as far as, or not private sector, but, you know, more of a contractor based deal. But the gig I got now kind of fell in the lap and couldn't turn it down and triggered that a bit. Was that like right when you got out of undergrad? Is that about the time that rolled out or what? And I graduated in December of 2014.
00:30:58
Speaker
and didn't have any intentions of doing any kind of work until that spring because i was about to hunt my ass off for that winner and i did and i enjoyed it and uh so that that i'm graduating december 14 went to work for my current employer on may 25th 2015 and started that gig there and so that's where we are now but no i didn't i didn't really feel the pull to do anything else i just
00:31:24
Speaker
Kind of wanted to find something in that industry. My dad still run his business. I helped him some, you know, between December and May of that year, but I was, really had my mind on finding something in the outdoors. Hey Brent, since you do that as a career managing the ducks and waterfowl stuff, did that affect your, affect how you enjoyed hunting? Do you still, you still like to get out there and go on a public hunt or?
00:31:53
Speaker
get out and, you know, shoot some ducks and stuff like that? Or I mean, did that kind of put a hinder on how you duck hunt now? I think I would enjoy hunting. I don't know if I would enjoy it, but I wouldn't be against going and hunting public ground with some buddies and stuff. But to be perfectly honest, you know, I don't like leaving my property during hunting season, just whether I'm hunting or not, because I don't want nobody else out there fooling around.
00:32:23
Speaker
And then you should go hunt in public land. It kills your day. Your day's over by noon. We got to run a joke out there for a moment. All y'all do is hunt. Y'all got it made. But man, I think I've hunted maybe 15 times this year. And it's counting God and everything.
00:32:43
Speaker
Yes, I still have a burning passion for it, but it's in a different way. I enjoy seeing the guys I work for be happy and seeing their faces light up when they get a big wad of ducks or they rip into them. And that's where I get my joy now. And I really like seeing the work we do all year long come to fruition there during hunting season and see it work or see it not work and learn what you gotta do to fix it next year. That's what I enjoy now.
00:33:11
Speaker
That's pretty
Introducing Others to Hunting
00:33:12
Speaker
cool. What I'm going to say, what he ain't going to say is that, you know, a public land now is a young man's game. So you got to kind of sit out there all day, be able to sleep, you know, and Brett done that, everybody's done that, but man, it's a different game and, you know, public land is dog eat dog, you know, you know, when you get a little older, get a little family, it's different.
00:33:40
Speaker
You know, I'm feeling that now myself. I feel like with feeling he don't have no kids. But I mean, even Jake, I mean, Jake's getting a little older and about to have one. But I mean, it's it's it's where you got to be able to, you know, your mind's got to be on ducks. And, you know, I think where Brent saying is is that his mind's on taking care of the property, make sure things good, because that's his livelihood, you know. Yeah, I get that too.
00:34:08
Speaker
Go ahead. It's just, you get that satisfaction when you take somebody hunting and that's something I like to do here lately is take guys and let them shoot some birds that's never hunted or, you know, I'm trying to, which I got a kid coming, but, you know, get some youth out there and let them, let them get a little action. You know what? That's a, I like that feeling, you know, from, let somebody else enjoy it for a little while if that makes sense. That and then I,
00:34:37
Speaker
It's gonna sound horrible, but finding creative ways to go hunting and kill ducks the way we do. And then, hey, tomorrow morning, it's gonna be sunny, 30 degrees Northwest wind out of 10 mile hour, but I got a rabbit hunt planned at seven o'clock in the morning. So that's, you know, I'm looking forward to that. That's really gonna be a blast, huh?
Outdoor Interests & Future Plans
00:34:59
Speaker
So, you know, I just- Is that out there on the farm or what? Yeah, they're close by.
00:35:06
Speaker
Oh Timmy Timmy's Timmy gonna come we gonna try to get after some rabbits That's an entertainment in itself there Timmy Smith which will get on the podcast and that'll that'll probably ruin the world there because that's a He's a legend over here. I mean even more than Brent. I mean Timmy Smith, you know Y'all gonna run some dogs. Oh, yeah, that's the guy the guy he's got come against dogs and
00:35:34
Speaker
We went with them last year, one time late in the season. And, you know, I don't know. I don't even remember. I mean, we can try and grab it. Just watching bacon was really run correctly. I had no idea. I did a little bit growing up with some guys, but looking back, we wasn't hunting them to all drop. This guy, you jump a rabbit and you sit there and they're going to bring it back to you. It's fun to watch them work. That's pretty awesome. I mean, we get to talking about all this, you managed duck hunting the wise and
00:36:02
Speaker
and all your duck hunting career, but I mean, it just, it goes to show everybody that, like everybody that at least I'm friends with here, we got multiple things outdoors that makes us pretty happy. I mean, there's other things and Brent already knows where I'm about to lead to on this. There's other things I know he's interested in, especially outdoor wise and it's coming up as well. You know, we get into March, it's about time and Brent,
00:36:32
Speaker
We ain't talking about turkeys yet. It's too soon too real too soon Kind of made a tradition out of the last several years of the night duck season's over. I get my turkey call. Yeah, that's right You know That's I've been kind of I might I don't know if I'm screwing myself this or not Took Molly with me some last year and she enjoyed it. You see we got on a bird and she said uh, you think we're gonna kill him
00:36:57
Speaker
I said, I don't know. I've screwed more up than a keel, but I'll give it a shot. He screwed it up. Yeah. No, that's what makes it fun about turkey hunting. I think, you know, the duck hunting, out of all of us sitting here at this table talking right now, I mean, you've, you about got a solution to a problem for them and you still get fooled. I mean, we had a full moon this last week. I feel like we both talked and we're like, God, duck hunting is hard right now. But I mean, you, uh,
00:37:28
Speaker
You go off into turkey hunting. Oh Lord. We got a lot of failures left ahead of us. Somebody and I eat the hunt. It's, it makes it pretty fun though. That's why we go. Kind of eat up with the turkey hunting. Cause my dad didn't, my dad went turkey hunting one time with some guys in Missouri and he killed one and he said, never gone back. Cause he said he'd go broke for me. And I said, well, you did that anyway. You should have started turkey hunting. Oh, that's awesome.
00:37:57
Speaker
Man, you know, we get on this turkey huntin', you know. Whit's invited me, and Brent's invited me, you know, I mean every year. To be honest with you, it sounds like it's too good to be true, because once you get hooked, you're gonna be there. I don't leave that in my life, but I mean, I know, you know, Brent, that's a getaway from Brent, you know, I think that's a getaway from Whit. Everything is kind of a solo deal, you know. Maybe another guy, you know, I'm more of a,
00:38:26
Speaker
a group guy, but, you know, it seems like Brent's, you know, his career growing up, you know, everything, and then you get to go out on your own, you know, it's relief. And, you know, I want to kill a turkey, but, you know, it's not, I'm not ready yet because I ain't ready to give it up. I ain't sure you can sit still long enough to kill one. There ain't no way he can sit still long enough.
00:38:51
Speaker
I came and I farm and I'm going to leave that my excuse that I farm. I don't need it because guess what? I need to farm. My family needs me to farm. Sounds like excuses. Leaving all that out there on the table.
00:39:10
Speaker
Maybe getting farming in the row of hills of Kentucky somewhere, you know. Yeah, somewhere with a bunch of turkeys. A bunch of tree lines and creek bottoms up there. That'd be a good heck of a spot to farm. Yeah, I'd love if he did that. We need to send him up there. Get a big commercial outfit going cold, of course. What's the competition turkey scene looking like for Collin? Collin? Man, shoot.
00:39:39
Speaker
Don't give me a start on that. I have went and won. They used to do one down at Matt's every year, and I enjoyed the heck out of watching that. That's interesting to watch them suckers get out there with the fans and stash around and hoop and stuff. I mean, like a penalty guy, a sucker, he's stroking heads on winning contests right now, so he might have that in the bag. That's wild. Were those competitions kind of
00:40:08
Speaker
around the same time as the duck calling, or was it like a side act? What was it? No, you know, I think their biggest ones in February, I've never been to duck calling contests that had a turkey calling with it, except that rooster chase there in Illinois that I was talking about the crow calling. They might have even had a cottonmouth calling contest. I don't know.
00:40:33
Speaker
We're talking in Jake's territory there, you know, pine cone eating, you know, all that other stuff, all that combat. I'll probably do somebody there. I think the big turkey contest is there in Nashville, February at the big convention, which I've never been to that, but I heard we need to go to it, and I'm sure we're about to try. Yeah, I think this year we need to try to go down there for sure, Brent. I'd go with you in a heartbeat. You got a chance to walk? Guys trip to the turkey calling scene. Let's go.
00:41:02
Speaker
Yeah, it's bad whenever I call Brent Duckman, because I mean, not only does he manage, but I mean, whenever he wasn't, he was killing ducks. I mean, I'll give it to Brent. He can kill hell out some ducks. And his job fits him perfect because it's land management and it's ducks. Whenever I said earlier, he's duck farming. No, he's definitely farming because he's all about the land.
00:41:32
Speaker
first of all, because he's building, you know, reservoirs and he's building, you know, the land to make it better for tolerant and also better for ducks. And I mean, that goes hand in hand. I mean, when you got that, you know, and that's where Arkansas is at its best whenever, you know, he was always on my daddy, even whenever I wasn't there to, you know, you need to put up your fields, flood them up, man, flood them up. And, you know, daddy wouldn't listen, but
00:41:58
Speaker
Hey, we got him to do it, but, you know, Arkansas is at his best when it's got the most water, most flooded, and Brent knows about that. So, look, you know, he has that for sure. But, you know, it's turkey stuff. I mean, that's a, you know, can it kill one? Can it kill one? Can it kill one, Brent? I've been forcing to kill a few, but I'm an amateur at best. I guarantee that. But I sure don't mind chasing them.
00:42:26
Speaker
Have you ever tried a grand slam on the turkeys? No. I'm just hoping for a frigging layup man. I'm hoping for a blunt, a sacrifice blunt or something. I can think talking about no grand slam. I take a hit or a walk, get on base. Hey, that's awesome. I'm with you there. You know, and, and
00:42:50
Speaker
The reason we kind of brought him on tonight, Brent, thank you. You've been such a good sport. I mean, the main reason we brought him on is because if all of us guys on this podcast right now, Little Woods Outdoors, if we have a problem or some kind of question, and me especially, I know I probably aggravate you, Brent, but I don't mean to.
00:43:11
Speaker
When I'm calling asking, you know, how do you plant this? What time of year you do this? I mean, it's because you probably done it and you probably had some failures with it. I mean, that's, that's the best thing about it in my opinion. And it's going to continue. I'll probably keep aggravating you about it, but I mean, y'all the food plots, anything from food plots for deer. I mean, it's not just duck farming you're doing, you're farming for everything. So that's pretty awesome.
00:43:38
Speaker
Man, you got to fire it up today. Tell them about your little project behind your house. I'm looking forward to come see it now. I know I've been on you about getting that done. I'm glad to see you getting it done. That's right. Hey, it's getting closer and closer, but the big thing's going to be when I burn that thing off. I might have about eight county fire departments out here when we do it, but I'm going to try not to let it get out. It don't matter. It's going to look good and it's going to be right. And like he said, it's a,
00:44:06
Speaker
You know, same to kill that first year back there. I mean, what you're doing back there is going to be definitely generational because I mean, what you're doing right now is going to set the tone. I'll be there for the fire. Yeah, Drew's. Lumberjack, Jacob, you know, hacking at a fire and then all of a sudden I got a baby on the way, you know, he got to go back, you know, but.
00:44:33
Speaker
Jake talking about them guys, sure, but that stuff's about to be over, buddy. Whoo! I ain't scared of getting in trouble. Yeah. Y'all got any current duck hunting stuff going on? Y'all anybody hunt lately? Doing any good? Any reports? Just four moons kicking our tail. I don't know about anybody else.
00:44:54
Speaker
Nah, we're, we're kind of dealing with the same thing. This, I mean, I feel like the full moon's been on since last Thursday or so it's, it's been a while and the weekend this past weekend was bad. Uh, during the week here, I, I got up this morning with full intentions to go to the cash. Cause there's been some spots over there that water's probably about right. I mean, you talked about it not too long ago and, uh, it would have been right, but we had about a 20 mile an hour wind and some cloud cover. And I was like, Ooh.
00:45:25
Speaker
I thought that we had, uh, and I invited you to go, but you wouldn't go with me. So, well, my, my, uh, financial endeavors or my new, uh, job endeavors, um, have kept me from that. And I felt bad. I mean, uh, I want to let y'all know. I mean, Brent knows, uh, I'm not a good friend right now because I'm pursuing a career, but, uh,
00:45:54
Speaker
Anyways, we should have been there today. I think we would have killed. Cash is up. And we should have some stores for you. But, you know, Brent's late. That's one thing I want to get into. Brent's pretty much a country club duck hunter now. I mean, that's why I want to end it there. He's a country club. He don't go on public ground no more with us. He lays up. What we going to do? What we going to do? Whatever. We ain't going to do nothing, you know, because we're on the country club.
00:46:25
Speaker
Yeah. It sounds like there's a little bit of, it sounds like there's a little bit of jealousy there or something, but it is what it is. Well, there is because, you know, last year, uh, I mean, I ain't gonna lie to you. I killed more birds and ran it on public ground or on profit. I mean, I did. I mean, I killed the, I mean, I killed geese and then, uh, you know, he called me. I made you kill. And then, you know, he said, he's telling me, I said,
00:46:53
Speaker
Well, I mean, you're farming for ducks. I mean, let's be real, you know, but no, we're all dancing. It's competition. Everything competition feels me and Brent. We've been competition since we've been young. He's a lot bigger than me. And I mean, I'm a lot smarter. But anyways, that's just what it is. But no, we keep it friendly. You know, I killed more public land ducks last year than he did. I'm gonna leave it there. I'm gonna let him answer that.
00:47:19
Speaker
You probably gonna keep killing more public land ducks than me too. You can have that award there. I'd go with somebody really twisting my arm into it and they could come get me at the launch at six o'clock or something, you know what I mean? I have biscuits ready too.
00:47:42
Speaker
I just got one more, just one more thing to ask. And it's like, if you had to, uh, give the best advice to somebody that's looking for some ground to develop or lease or, you know, just whatever it is to hunt on. I mean, what's your best advice? What should they look for or, uh, what to stay away from? Maybe. I don't know. I always tell people.
00:48:08
Speaker
If you're looking to buy land, good land gets bought, not sold. So if you see it on the internet for sale, it's either marked up way too high or it ain't no count. So the best, my best advice is pick the area you want some land in and look at the maps, look at the property and see what something you might be interested to be, target deer, duck, you know, see what surrounding areas are around you. And then don't be bashful when approaching the landowner, you know, and then
00:48:35
Speaker
A lot of land around here is still owned by some older generation folks that aren't up to date with what's kind of going on in the area. So that's the easiest way. That'd be my advice is, you know, seek it out. Go look for it, but not on the internet, on a property's page or something. It's listed. Don't get me wrong, there's some good properties listed, but the good ones get bought, not sold.
00:49:04
Speaker
That's right. That's the best advice I've heard all day. Yeah. I mean, that's good advice right there. I feel like out of the land that I would rather buy, I mean, a lot of it's either not for sale, they know about it, or it just got sold, so. I always remember this, everything for sale. Amen, that's for sure. What kind of profits are you coming at? So I agree with that.
00:49:36
Speaker
This is the first of many because I mean his story is big, you know, I mean, we got just a little bit of it, but he's got a big story and I think we can expand and help people, you know, to, you know, father endeavor into hunting and also into different stuff, you know, I mean, that's why we brought him on and we're gonna bring him on again. Brent, you think you got another episode in you?
00:50:03
Speaker
Yeah, maybe we'll not wait till after the hunting season and get a little more break. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, I don't mind coming along. I'm enjoying myself. Maybe we all get together and do it too. It'll be fun. I feel like we'll get you fired up a little bit. I know you're getting more out because I mean, this is your job and waterfowl is your life.
00:50:25
Speaker
Um, as you wind down here, hopefully a little bit of that vacation and then we get into Turkey season and you just fire right off. So I enjoyed it. Jacob, uh, we lost drew earlier in the video and Cole, uh, and especially Brent Cohen. Thanks everybody for being here. I enjoyed the heck out of it and, and hopefully we'll catch you on the next episode. We're about to beat the episode six already, baby. It'll be this Sunday. Everybody get ready. Thank y'all. Thank you.