Ducks Unlimited Podcast

The DU Podcast kicks off Goose Camp with an all‑star group of partners, storytellers, and friends from the waterfowl world.

Host Matt Harrison is joined by Jimbo Robinson, Brooke Richard (Higdon Outdoors), and Seth Dortch (Rough Country) to talk camp culture, late‑season realities, and how DU partnerships turn into better fundraising, better gear, and better conservation.

This episode is part storytelling, part behind‑the‑scenes look at how ideas are born around a muddy Arkansas blind: raffle innovations, DU‑exclusive items, UTV/truck outfitting for waterfowlers, and why Goose Camp is where the best conversations happen.

You’ll hear:
  • Why snow geese are humbling (and addictive) — and why you still go tomorrow
  • How Higdon & DU collaborate on raffles, gear, and event‑friendly packages
  • Rough Country’s crossover into the waterfowl community (UTV/truck builds DU members actually use)
  • The power of DU events: customization, fundraising concepts, and partner synergy
  • Camp culture, youth‑weekend anticipation, and the laughs you only get at Goose Camp

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org

SPONSORS:
Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited
Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:
Whether you’re winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Creators and Guests

Host
Jimbo Robinson
DUPodcast Host
Host
Matt Harrison
DUPodcast Outdoor Host

What is Ducks Unlimited Podcast?

Ducks Unlimited Podcast is a constant discussion of all things waterfowl; from in-depth hunting tips and tactics, to waterfowl biology, research, science, and habitat updates. The DU Podcast is the go-to resource for waterfowl hunters and conservationists. Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands conservation.

VO:

Can we do a mic check, please? Everybody, welcome back to the Ducks Unlimited podcast. I'm your host, doctor Mike Brazier. I'm your host, Katie Burke. I'm your host, doctor Jared Hemphith. And I'm your host, Matt Harrison.

VO:

Welcome to the Ducks Unlimited podcast, the only podcast about all things waterfowl. From hunting insights to science based discussions about ducks, geese, and issues affecting waterfowl and wetlands conservation in North America. The DU podcast, sponsored by Purina Pro Plan, the official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited. Purina Pro Plan, always advancing. Also proudly sponsored by Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails. Whether you're winding down with your best friend or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.

Jimbo Robinson:

Hey, everybody, and welcome back to the podcast. I'm your host, Matt Harrison. And today joining me, I have the one and only mister Brooker Shah, and also joining as well is mister Jimbo Robinson, and we are at Goose Camp. So if you hear a bunch of hollering and fighting or whatever it might be going on in the background, Jimbo's getting attacked right now, that explains it a little bit.

Matt Harrison:

We're

Jimbo Robinson:

at Camp. Thousand twenty six. Yeah. Snow Goose Camp.

Matt Harrison:

Snow Goose Camp.

Brooke Richard:

So I'll talk a bunch, but I'm losing my voice.

Matt Harrison:

We were goose hunting this morning, and Brooks down there, he's like, let me tell y'all something. He's like, trying to call a goose with a voice that is going out is tough.

Brooke Richard:

It is. That's why you have electronic calls It is true. During conservation season. Yeah. Their their e collars are running.

Brooke Richard:

Jimbo got this app on my phone. And, you know, wife's calling about the baby. I mean, it's tough. This snow goose guideline's tough deal, man. You gotta you gotta watch out.

Brooke Richard:

These bird these birds are tough. Almost half as tough as this crew. It's rough crew, man. You you don't want home with this bunch. Tell you that.

Matt Harrison:

Birds and a tough crew.

Brooke Richard:

You might learn something when hang around these folks. You gotta be careful. No. It's been fun, man. Super cool day.

Brooke Richard:

Didn't get to slap the trigger a whole lot, but that's about 1% of what it's about anyway. Super cool time, super cool people, and we got to go snow goose hunting. Life's good.

Matt Harrison:

No doubt.

Jimbo Robinson:

Snow goose camp is a fun deal. A lot of event partners are here, and a lot a lot of guys in in the industry that work with our events team are here, and and, it's a great opportunity to share. Obviously, in the field, everybody's schedule in this industry is tough during duck season. And a couple years ago, I said, hey. Let's let's do a snow goose camp the first week because everybody's still kind

Matt Harrison:

of into it. Sure.

Jimbo Robinson:

Like, if this was next week, we'd all be out. Right? NWTF. And then the next week, you're not thinking about anymore. Right?

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. So this has been a great opportunity. Right after duck season ends, the next day, we bring some staff in. Our regional directors of the year come in for the first three days, and then we do this corporate partners hunt. And it's been awesome.

Jimbo Robinson:

Brooke really allowed us this year to expand. We have a spread that we set up right outside of town, and I called Brooke early in the in the fall and said, hey. We wanna double our capacity of of, you know, event partners that we bring, corporate partners. And and so he said, we're in. What do we need me to do?

Jimbo Robinson:

And just like Brooke and Higdon do all the time, say, what do need from us? Yep. And so Brooke came down on Tuesday, got to spend a little bit of time with the regional directors here, which was great for him and for Higdon and and got, you know, an opportunity for him to talk to them about what they need in their fundraising for this spring and and a new raffle board program that they've launched, so it's been which is really cool and gave them a great opportunity to talk. And and then we went out Wednesday and set up a really awesome spread.

Matt Harrison:

It looked really good.

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh, yeah. Had the donut. Yep. His donut didn't work as good as my donut, but we won't talk about that. We doughnut gonna talk about that.

Brooke Richard:

My goodness.

Jimbo Robinson:

But

Brooke Richard:

It's all it's all about the doughnut. It's all about the doughnut.

Jimbo Robinson:

That's the kill zone.

Brooke Richard:

So It it was so cool, though, man. I mean, not that I'm anybody, but to come here with you guys, and you probably don't realize this, but even for someone like me, whatever that means, to be able to do what I love and that's hunting in general. I love waterfowl. Think they're phenomenal creatures. And even if you go and don't shoot any of them, it's still so cool to go and just be able to do it.

Brooke Richard:

But you look down the line and I'm sitting there and, you know, I've got my heart and soul in this thing just like you do, Jimbo, and it you look at the people you get to hunt with. And I'm like, everybody I don't know how they feel about me being there, but I am just so excited to get to hunt with people like like you and, I mean, the brands that are sharing a blind with you from, you know, Migra, Shin, Higdon, YETI. Yeah. Well, I mean, where the list goes on and on. You know?

Brooke Richard:

Tom Beckby. I mean, it's just like Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

The the coolest I mean, when you look down, you see Jim Boat there. Right? I mean, to me, an icon in the industry, a legend.

Brooke Richard:

I feel that way about you. Gotcha.

Jimbo Robinson:

I feel that way about you too, Brooke. Yeah.

Brooke Richard:

Are we talking

Jimbo Robinson:

I can't. Maddie. I had

Jimbo Robinson:

to hit him. Maddie Maddie took the button away from you. Yeah.

Brooke Richard:

Jimbo needs the buttons, so we're cutting we're cutting all donations. We Jimbo's gotta get the buttons. I gotta

Jimbo Robinson:

get one of these machines too.

Matt Harrison:

Mean, I gotta get these

Jimbo Robinson:

old old butts. But

Brooke Richard:

That is power. Ronquist.

Jimbo Robinson:

You know, it's so funny. Ronquist and I, you know, you got two Jimbos, and and for all there's a lot we have a lot of crossover friends, And I get some of his bad text messages, throughout the season complaining about these things, and I get a lot of positive messages. But it it's funny because Jimbo Ronquist and I have become, really good friends.

Brooke Richard:

How could you not, man? He's incredible.

Jimbo Robinson:

He's incredible over the past few years. And and you know what's cool about Jimbo is is he always adapts. Yeah. Right? He adapts to the age.

Jimbo Robinson:

Adapts to the people. He adapts to whoever he's been around, and I think that that's why he is, in my eyes, a legend, but in the industry and always will

Brooke Richard:

a good person, man. Him him being at Drake and just everything that he does for the waterfowl community. Yeah. Like, I'm I'm proud down. Proud to call him a friend just as a human being to be able to I'm gonna look back one day if I'm lucky and be able to say, like, I got to go on a snow goose hunt with that man.

Brooke Richard:

He's that type of guy. It's incredible. And I feel that way about a lot of people in this room, most of them and Seth Thor to Rough Country. I mean, the people that are in this room, I looked at everybody and I was like, everybody got their license. We all understand the game plan.

Brooke Richard:

The outdoor industry can go down in one swoop. We are so like, everybody we're okay. We're good. You know? And we

Jimbo Robinson:

were That's what Jimbo said last night.

Brooke Richard:

Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. If we didn't do the right thing, we got busted here to take down a lot of the industry.

Brooke Richard:

I mean, I don't know what I mean, I I don't even know.

Matt Harrison:

When you think about the guys that are here, not only are they great human beings, they're great hunters, they're great men, they're great family men. I mean, they're the best of best.

Jimbo Robinson:

Like I mean, Jacob from from Tom Beckby, I don't know what his vision is, but he picked up geese seven miles away. Yeah. And I said, Jacob, like, man, you have to understand me and Mike Wilson's eyes, I mean, I'm mine are 40. His are 43. We can't see that far.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. So when they get a little closer, let us know what's going on with them. Yeah. But it was awesome because I kept telling them, like, man, are they snows or specks? Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Because, I mean, what what's what's happening right now on the in the Arkansas is, number one, if you're a youth, and this is probably gonna come out after youth hunt, but we are leading up this weekend in Arkansas as youth season. Yeah. And, man, as adults, we always look forward to it all. But if you're a kid right now, the amount of ducks I saw moving back up from the South was incredible.

Matt Harrison:

Saw more ducks today than geese.

Brooke Richard:

Oh my gosh. I did for sure.

Jimbo Robinson:

No doubt. So if you're a kid this know, if you're a kid and you got to enjoy youth weekend when it came Yeah. That anticipation would would be incredible. But, yeah, Jacob, we got to see y'all.

Matt Harrison:

No doubt.

Brooke Richard:

Yeah. No. And I think it's a cool thing, Jimbo. You touched on it. But, I mean, today is February 5.

Brooke Richard:

Not to date this thing, but I think it's important. And so conservation season just started. Everybody knows that Arkansas and a lot of other states around Arkansas got hit with a lot of ice and cold weather. I got here yesterday or two days ago really, and everything was just solid ice. I mean, the geese left, the geese are south of here.

Brooke Richard:

So they're just now starting to thaw and come back. It is like, if you don't know anything about snow goose hunting, this is as good as it gets. You're gonna have fresh birds as soon as they do it, but you're just waiting for them to do it. And here over the last twenty four hours, all you've seen is all these snow geese trickling back in. So the expectation, if you've ever been snow goose hunting is always high.

Brooke Richard:

Everybody wants a 100 of them and run it to the plug with mag tubes and you get all that, but these birds are so smart and so intelligent. And even this group of people who has so much experience, you're you're dealt the hand you're dealt. You just deal with it. You roll with the punches. And that's what that's what we do and that's what we did.

Brooke Richard:

And hell, we we only shot 17,251 snowgies today, but we're gonna try again tomorrow. You know?

Matt Harrison:

Hey, now. Don't be lying over there.

Brooke Richard:

No. But it it really is. It it's cool. And, I mean, it's just a grind, man. It's it's it's

Matt Harrison:

Like just you said too, it can turn on any day.

Brooke Richard:

It is going to turn. It might it it could have been the day. It might be

Matt Harrison:

the next day. But at some point, it's going to just

Brooke Richard:

As soon as I head back to Paducah Well,

Jimbo Robinson:

that's what I was just about to say as

Matt Harrison:

we leave camp.

Jimbo Robinson:

If it was duck season, I'd be calling home and asking mama Yeah. And the boss, hey. Can I stay one more day?

Brooke Richard:

Yeah. And then that's exact that's a great great way to put it.

Jimbo Robinson:

Now, like, with Snow Geese, it's like, I gave it everything I had for four days, and it's time to go home. I mean, I gotta get back to work.

Brooke Richard:

There's a reason there's as many of them as there are.

Matt Harrison:

And that's that's good point.

Brooke Richard:

That's because they're not easy, man.

Jimbo Robinson:

We're on the verge. What's really funny is is there's a lot of the industry in this room Yeah. And outside and and hanging out by the fire. But what's really funny is is this industry is gonna split for only about five or six days, and then we'll be back together

Matt Harrison:

whether you're gonna be in Seaweed

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. At Southeast WildFX, or you're gonna be in WTF in in Nashville. So it's really cool, and and and a lot of different people are crossing paths.

Matt Harrison:

You're right.

Jimbo Robinson:

And some are going there and some are going other places, and and the industry will will gather back up. So

Matt Harrison:

Well, Brooke, what did kinda your season look like as far as waterfowl goes? Did you have a good season chasing ducks? I know that this time of year, you're kinda finally starting to digress just a little bit, but now, like Jimbo just said, now it's show season some. You'd be going to NWTF. I don't know if y'all send anybody to Seaweed, but you have other things coming, you know, into play soon.

Matt Harrison:

But how did the season goes in a hole for y'all this this past year?

Brooke Richard:

Man, it was good. You know, every every season it depends what you define as good. I I base our season off of good based off of what I do, and that is trying to film TV to show the rest of the world how to duck hunt what we're doing and the products we use. So in in that aspect, it was very good. We got lucky.

Brooke Richard:

Consistency was not the name of the game, but we went. We got lucky. We got what we needed. It was incredible. That's awesome.

Brooke Richard:

Got to hunt. You know, went to Canada early. It was pretty tough there. We went late just because we love going late because it's colder. Ducks are ducks are, you know, green, and we really chase geese around.

Matt Harrison:

But Yeah.

Brooke Richard:

You know, then you you come down, you go hunt Missouri with our our good friend, Ira McCauley, the founder of Mo Marsh, and have the the coldest it's ever been up there. And we spent seven days there, it was the best duck hunting I've seen in a decade. Wow. You know, I mean, just unreal, bunch after bunch, 50 pack. I mean, between Ira, Joe Weimer, I mean, man, they're just it there was a place to be when we were there, and and you can't plan it.

Brooke Richard:

They were telling me not to go. Everyone was questioning why we're going, but that's just duck hunting. When it's not supposed to be good That's normally when it's good. You you should just go anyway because we're there to hunt, not to harvest, and just just go. And that's what we do, and and I follow that philosophy.

Brooke Richard:

And, man, if there's birds around, let them fly over, and and we know what do with them after that. And if it doesn't work out, it's no big deal. You don't

Matt Harrison:

know though unless you get

Jimbo Robinson:

That's a one. Kill them sitting on the couch.

Brooke Richard:

You can. They got a Nintendo job. You should see back

Jimbo Robinson:

at Well Yeah.

Matt Harrison:

We're sitting here, but I think our group kinda called it quits a little earlier today and went to the Mexican.

Jimbo Robinson:

Hey. Hey. My group, I'm not gonna say who killed more geese today, but it was the group that persevered through lunch and had Little Caesars in the blind.

Brooke Richard:

But did you really win? Were you eating guacamole and spicy salsa?

Jimbo Robinson:

I was eating Little Caesars.

Brooke Richard:

At 02:00? Oh, that's hot and ready. Hey. The Caesars good.

Jimbo Robinson:

In the blind?

Matt Harrison:

It wasn't good as my chicken quesadilla.

Brooke Richard:

And I just wanna say as a happily retired You're

Jimbo Robinson:

like a little kid, Maddie. I got a

Matt Harrison:

crayon look with that.

Brooke Richard:

Literally ordered the book. He offered the kids meal, then he asked for crayons to eat, not to color with. I didn't understand what was going on, but he said the blue one was good. But I've gotta give big big hats off to to Jimbo here. You know, he as a happily retired guide and and a dabbler of a snow goose guide, the work that these guys have put in to make this possible to hunt is if you're listening to this, there's a great chance that you have an opportunity or have gone on a guided hunt.

Brooke Richard:

Jimbo has really been the head guide of this whole deal. I'm just here to help. But, man, the work that it takes to chase these snow geese around is is impressive. And I don't care if it's it's snow geese. I'd put snow geese at the top right there with your C duck guides.

Brooke Richard:

I mean, it is hard to get people on good hunts, both from a property acquisition standpoint, permission standpoint Decoys. Decoys, blinds, brushing, keeping keeping everybody safe, and it's it's so much. But thank

Jimbo Robinson:

all about you know, to me, I love chasing chasing waterfowl. It's a massive passion of mine and and just have the opportunity to even do this. Right? Sure. To be here with all of y'all to be able to open our camp up for this week.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's the partnerships and the and some of the cool inner workings that happened here last year just are special, and and it's it's what it's, you know, it's what this this week is all about. It's what, this camp is about.

Brooke Richard:

So The reality is is for

Jimbo Robinson:

three heck by the way, I'm a heck of a god with an electronic caller.

Brooke Richard:

Yeah. Yeah. I'd put you kinda in the middle. But You're good, man.

Seth Dortch:

You're Yeah.

Brooke Richard:

Hey hey, man. He works hard. It won't be for lack of effort, but, hey, he's on him. I'd book with him. He's expensive.

Brooke Richard:

Man, I'll tell you

Jimbo Robinson:

that. On him today. All eleven.

Matt Harrison:

I bet you are.

Brooke Richard:

But it it it's a it's a really cool thing. You know?

Jimbo Robinson:

I did take a selfie with a snogus dead.

Matt Harrison:

It's the

Seth Dortch:

first time

Jimbo Robinson:

in my life.

Matt Harrison:

Yep. You know, finally

Seth Dortch:

proud dad.

Brooke Richard:

Finally talked some Proud dad. Talked somebody into finally taking a picture with you.

Jimbo Robinson:

I know. After all these years.

Brooke Richard:

Thank god you had that e collar. Oh, man. It's cool, though. You know, with with everything that we do is, an industry, and I'm not trying to speak for the entire industry, but Ducks Unlimited all of its partners and people who support it all the way down to the volunteer level of your son helping rip tickets at your local DU banquet, They work so hard, and and we work so hard with you guys to be able to provide this opportunity for three hundred and sixty three days a year to be able to come here and snow goose hunt with the people that make it work. It does not matter about the birds.

Brooke Richard:

So we actually get to sit here and watch the things fly over that we care so much about, and we get to reap the benefits of hunting in mud and ice to shoot nothing. And and we wanna wake up tomorrow to go do it again because we love it that much. You're it's just it's it's a cool feeling to step back and look at

Jimbo Robinson:

it.

Matt Harrison:

It's like I had a conversation with the Rough Country guys. You know, this is their first time ever duck or goose hunting or anything like that.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. Well, we thought they went with Brook today.

Brooke Richard:

Yeah. They're gonna have to go again if they wanna see what it really looks like.

Matt Harrison:

But I I was telling them, I said, man

Brooke Richard:

Do not book with me.

Matt Harrison:

I told him, I said, look. You know, what's fun about camp? We were laughing on the way home, cutting up. Like, it was so funny. He made a point.

Matt Harrison:

He said, man, coming in yesterday, he said, every corner I looked in, there was either geese or ducks. He said, oh, man. We're about to hammer them in the morning. You know, we're about to hammer some geese. Yeah.

Matt Harrison:

And he said, then we go today and not fire a shot. But on the same token, I said, man, said, look. You know, it's fun to shoot. Don't get me wrong. We all love to shoot ducks, shoot geese, but, man, the laughs.

Matt Harrison:

I mean, we stayed up till midnight last night Yeah. You know, talking and getting up early going out in 25 degree weather in the ice and snow.

Brooke Richard:

Hey. I've gotta I've gotta give a huge shout out since you brought up Rough Country. I got to see I I loved guiding because I love showing people what I love to do both as a caller and, like, look how close we can get them. Look how much fun you can have. And that was one of the things that I I still to this day enjoy a bunch.

Brooke Richard:

And and Seth Thorch, who's been a buddy of mine for a while from Rough Country, brought these two other individuals from Rough Country that don't get to waterfowl hunt. Yeah. And Seth, the entire time we were hunting was explaining everything to him, and we'd see ducks off in the distance. And he's like, man, look at those. Those are mallards.

Brooke Richard:

And it was cool for me to see Seth be able to share that with people the same way that that I do. It's like yeah. Said that even though where his gun was, he could care less, but he wanted to make sure these guys understood what was going on. And that's passing it on is what it's all about and getting new people into it.

Jimbo Robinson:

Well, that's what

Matt Harrison:

is so special about too. You you talking about, you know, events and how good of a job Jimbo does. And, you know, when you get to experience something like that where people are passing that on to others, like, it kinda makes you step back and realize, like, man, what DU does for Yeah. Waterfowl and for the conservation side of things? It really makes you put in perspective how special it truly is, being able to step back.

Matt Harrison:

Like, today, Jim Jim Ronquist didn't even load his gun. I noticed. Like, he didn't even load it. Yeah. Because he's there to,

Brooke Richard:

you know, sell his shit. He knew he was on a hunt that I was running. He didn't have to load it. Yeah. We were joking.

Brooke Richard:

I I stood up in the blind, but you were there, Matt, and I was like, Jimbo, this is the third time we've hunted together this year on my accord or something I had to do with, and we've we've shot

Jimbo Robinson:

one One gadwall.

Brooke Richard:

One gadwall. You know, Jimbo and the DUTV crew came up to the Higdon Farm, which is it's normally decent. I'll I'll be very, very nonchalant about that. It's good. Well, show up as Curse of the Camera's a thing, and we hunted two days, sunrise, sunset, and shot a gag wall.

Brooke Richard:

And I look over there and he's like, I might need new friends. I'm like, I suggest you quit coming on hunts with me. Like, I I don't know what it is, but

Jimbo Robinson:

I wanna say this. This yes. I have helped put this on, but this wouldn't happen without David Schuessler, Brett Baker Yeah. And some of these defievers, Mike Wilson and Derrick Davis. And that I mean, like, all of us, we've been doing it for quite a few years now.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's kind of like, you know, everybody kinda knows what what to do. It's it's not me. I'm I'm just the one that gets to sit here and and and maybe recap and talk about it. But the the the event side, the events team, on the event fundraising side, all those guys that are here, and the rest of the were here earlier in the week, just getting everything ready and prepared. And and it's a team effort, and and we do it because of how much our partners do for us.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. And and that's something we'll never forget. Not only do they help on the corporate partner side with with their financials, but we, on the event side, use a lot of these products in our events.

Brooke Richard:

But you guys give us a platform to do it. I mean, that's the biggest thing is, you know, like, why do you? Like, well, why do you? Because without what they're doing, none of us get to do this ever, both as hunters or manufacturers or or retail businesses. Like, DU's pulled it all together, and and it's so important.

Brooke Richard:

And and not to harp on the DU thing, but who else is doing something? You know? Like, there there's other organizations out there, but what you guys do is so beyond impressive. And the last thing I wanna be doing is is snow goose hunting right now with a a new baby. But I've had so much fun on this.

Brooke Richard:

I feel bad about it. I've I've had and I haven't even killed a snow goose, and I could care less if I do. You know? This has been wonderful, and I really appreciate you guys having me. Well, we just been

Jimbo Robinson:

to Paul. We thank you and and Ben and John and Beau Brooks and the whole Higdon team up there in Paducah. We thank you all for all y'all do for DU. And and, man, y'all are gonna be on another podcast coming up in April to talk about some stuff DUX, some new launches y'all gonna have, maybe launching that DUX. And so everybody look forward to our new series Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Which we're calling the DUX series, which is sponsors and partners that are gonna be at DUX twenty twenty six.

Matt Harrison:

And if you didn't come last year

Jimbo Robinson:

Better buy you a ticket now. Better go ahead and

Matt Harrison:

mark your calendar for those couple days. Jimbo, what's the exact date? July 31 to August 2. You better plan on being in Memphis.

Brooke Richard:

I might have my voice back by then. That'd nice.

Jimbo Robinson:

But we're gonna have some podcasts and and Higgins on that will be on it and talking about what their their new setup this year at DUX, bigger and better, and then some maybe some new products. So catch up Brooke and the team and Bo and whoever else on the DUX podcast sometime between April and and June. Think that's when those are

Brooke Richard:

I I really appreciate you guys having me on. Absolutely. If you ever snug this hunted, you can respect what I'm about to say. I'm going take a shower and go to bed. This is a young man's game, and I'm not getting any younger.

Brooke Richard:

So you

Matt Harrison:

got We're gonna roll it right on to the next. We you get to pass the baton to mister Seth Dortch himself.

Brooke Richard:

You guys enjoy all that. I'm gonna

Jimbo Robinson:

Go take a shower.

Brooke Richard:

I'm gonna go find some food. Thank you guys so much.

Jimbo Robinson:

Thank you, buddy.

Matt Harrison:

Appreciate it. Absolutely.

Brooke Richard:

And thank everybody here for listening. We'll catch you on the next one.

VO:

Stay tuned to the Ducks Unlimited podcast, sponsored by Purina Pro Plan and Bird Dog Whiskey after these messages.

Matt Harrison:

Seriously, thank you, Brooke.

Seth Dortch:

You gotta take a shower. You stink. I can smell you from here.

Jimbo Robinson:

You What a transition. What a transition. Talking about Brooke not showering.

Matt Harrison:

Yeah. And Snow Goose Camp.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's rough country out here.

Matt Harrison:

It is.

Seth Dortch:

That's right.

Matt Harrison:

Alright. We are back to it rolling with the DU podcast at snow goose camp, and we have with us mister Seth Dortch.

Jimbo Robinson:

And by the way, this snow goose camp is not some professionally guided thing that DU's selling. Absolutely not. This is

Seth Dortch:

a It's top tier it's top tier professionals.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. It's private club.

Seth Dortch:

We didn't kill a goose today, Seth. I wouldn't kill.

Jimbo Robinson:

They did not kill a goose. I think killed geese.

Seth Dortch:

Or did we just let a lot of geese go?

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. It's conservation season. It is. So hey. You got

Matt Harrison:

a point.

Jimbo Robinson:

But this is not we don't have guided snow goose hams. I'm not a professional snow goose. I just have a really good e collar, a lot of decoys Yep. And a cool spot to go.

Seth Dortch:

That's right. That's And a cool lodge.

Matt Harrison:

That's all that matters.

Jimbo Robinson:

And a side by side, muddy boots. I got muddy everything right now No cool lodge.

Seth Dortch:

It's only gonna get worse. At least you're leaving now. But but before it gets worse.

Matt Harrison:

Yeah. Exactly.

Jimbo Robinson:

Well, I'm not. I'm going home for two days and bringing the kids back for youth weekend. Just in time. Again.

Matt Harrison:

Just in time for all the ice to be melted and be turned straight at mud.

Seth Dortch:

Least you got at least you got

Matt Harrison:

worth it.

Seth Dortch:

At least you got good recon on ducks. I do. Got a couple spots. I mean, we saw a good bit of ducks today.

Matt Harrison:

We saw a lot of ducks today.

Jimbo Robinson:

A lot. Stop. We're not gonna talk about the I know. You saw it there.

Seth Dortch:

We we don't know the the coordinates or location that we're at.

Jimbo Robinson:

No. No.

Matt Harrison:

I was talking about on the videos on my phone.

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh, yes. Yeah. I can't wait to bring the kids.

Matt Harrison:

It's gonna be awesome, man. We're taking a couple youth this weekend too that have never really they've shot wood ducks back home in Mississippi, which is still duck hunting, but, you know, they haven't ever got experience.

Jimbo Robinson:

Chip's bringing his whole baseball team. I don't know how many of them are coming. I love it. I sent a message out to some of the dads. Leila's coming for sure, and she's bringing a friend.

Jimbo Robinson:

And then the friend's dad's coming with his son too. And then I don't know. There's there may be well, there's nine kids on the team and two of them aren't coming. So there

Matt Harrison:

could be seven kids with kids who are alive, second, third, fourth, catcher, pitcher

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. Right field.

Seth Dortch:

Well, you know, that's what what something is so cool, like, to see Tripp, like, come into the age that he is. Like, I mean, it well, especially I mean, for me going back to where it's like, Jimbo's my RD. I mean, Tripp's a little dude.

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh, yeah. It's tiny.

Seth Dortch:

What to see the whole progression of, like, man, Trip has just ate up with it, like, absolutely all about it. And that's really I mean, that's what I mean, a large layer for all three of us and why we do what we do is to be, you know, passing that on and see Trip, like, just Take it all off plane. Get at you know, it's like He gets after it. Even for me I know even more so for Jimbo, but, obviously, me is somebody that is connected to their family, but then me as a dad as well. It's like Yeah.

Seth Dortch:

Man, that's freaking awesome. It is. Like, it's so so

Jimbo Robinson:

picture cool. Of Leila, my daughter, six. She's ate up with it, but she's not ate up with with it like him. She likes this place, and she likes the ride out. She likes watching slate because Leila does not like the cold, and she has told me that it's too cold even with all the gear.

Jimbo Robinson:

But there's a great picture of we have a a member in camp that wears, I think, fourteen three XL tall waders, and then Leila has the smallest waiters that

Matt Harrison:

she I remember seeing.

Jimbo Robinson:

It's a hilarious picture of them standing side by side holding their waiters up. But but it's cool to see I let Chip go this year by himself with a buddy and his dad and the guy's dad. And and one of the proudest moments was when the dad said, hey. Look. I want you to know that he Tripp's etiquette in the blind, his safety, the way he, you know, knows knows his way around here made this job a lot easier and how proud he was, which made to me, I was like, alright.

Jimbo Robinson:

We're doing it right. 100. And and he is you know, knows when it's time to blow his duck call and knows when it's time not to. And and so It's important. Very important.

Jimbo Robinson:

Very important.

Matt Harrison:

Well, Seth, you're with Rough Country. Brought a couple of your Rough Country fellow workers here to camp, and

Seth Dortch:

Yeah, man.

Matt Harrison:

We we talked a little bit about it on it, the previous episode with our I say episode. I guess previous guest with Brooke about Conversation. Yeah. Yeah. Previous conversation.

Matt Harrison:

We talked a little bit about this is their first time ever Correct. Coming to any type of duck or goose camp, and I think they enjoyed it. I think they had a good time. I know that they have enjoyed the camp setting, but I hope we get to shoot at some geese tomorrow because I really want them to get the experience that. But how cool is it to be able to bring, you know, a couple of your not only coworkers, but friends too and get to experience, you know, first time Arkansas conservation goose season?

Seth Dortch:

Yeah, man. No. It's it's awesome. I mean, there's so many layers to it. Right?

Seth Dortch:

I mean, most importantly, way beyond the hunting, way beyond how many birds we shoot is getting to connect them with all of you guys. I mean, especially for us being in this world for so long, I think at times we can take for granted the the value and the community dynamic of what goes on at duck camp, goose camp, turkey camp, so on and so forth. And to really introduce them into and all the touch points from the conversations you have to the connections that you make to the relationships that are developed personally and professionally. Obviously, we're here on representing the Rough Country brand and who we are as a company and and what we do and why we do it. And and all of that get them really seeing a full scope of, especially in the the hunting community, the brands and the people behind them and and picking each other's brains about, like, man, how can we be better for our customers?

Seth Dortch:

How can we be better for the hunting community? How can we give more support? How can we support Ducks Unlimited more? So, man, yeah, it's it's a lot for me to process, honestly, just out of the fact of, man, even a a trip like this and experience like this for more internal HQ Rough Country to come to has been a long time coming. I mean, y'all know I've talked to y'all in in a lot of different ways over the years just like trying to do anything I can to get to this point because, I mean, I tell people all day long, Rough Country out of anybody in the automotive UTV aftermarket world, Rough Country is in the best spot and position to support this community across the board from products to community to organizations to conservation.

Seth Dortch:

And that excites me because, like, that that's what we're that's what we're all about. Yeah. And so, man, it's very grateful grateful that that Tim and Birx were, you know, willing to come, so on and so forth.

Jimbo Robinson:

And that's with Tim last night that brought some things full circle. And one of the cool ones was is I was, talking about it started with, man, we can have light bars and and and things at our event, and we end it by the end of it, Mike Wilson, who's the director of fundraising in Region 8, which includes Texas, Mexico, and Oklahoma was like, man, I got some guys that would sell full lift kits, which then it went into building poster boards for a full body lift kits and lights and bumpers.

Seth Dortch:

And and, man, my mind was going instantly,

Jimbo Robinson:

and it just was a brainstorming thing that was just before dinner. It was like, man, there's a lot of events that can have a full truck kit.

Seth Dortch:

100%.

Jimbo Robinson:

And they've got dealerships all over The United States, and and we were talking about, okay. So we have a poster we have a poster board at an event. They buy a full thing, and then they go to a local dealer. It's So not like Rough Country's undercutting their local dealers, and they send the local dealer Yeah. The truck to the local dealer.

Jimbo Robinson:

Local dealer installs it, and it was just a cool moment for me because that's what this week is all about for us. 100%. Brainstorming with different partners. It was a great deal we had with Gunnar last year, which is why this thing took off with our two tone kennel that, you know, you can only buy at DU events right now, and and there were only 500 of them made. And that was done at this camp last year.

Jimbo Robinson:

Jake Drees and I worked on two or three different projects from YETI. I mean, that's that's

Matt Harrison:

what this was. These camps are so important. For sure. Because you don't have the the conversations like you do at camp elsewhere. You just don't like it don't If it's over Zoom or Teams or a phone call, email, those conversations are not what like Jim has said last night at 12:00.

Matt Harrison:

You know, this is just a great opportunity. I know for a fact I would not be in my position where I'm at Ducks Unlimited if it wasn't for camps like this because For sure. Connections, networking, it led one thing to another, but it all ties back into helping conservation. Just like you said, Seth, you know, the involvement there and putting it back into the dirt where we all care about, it's just so important. These camps, they're priceless.

Matt Harrison:

They're that's why I even if even if I know I'm going to a camp, the odds of, you know, having a successful hunt, quote, are slim, I'm still going to that camp because I know that Seth Dorch, a Jimbo Robinson, you know, a Jim Ronquist, whoever it might be is gonna be there. I know that the ideas that are gonna be, you know, thought about, the opportunities that are gonna be discussed, it's you cannot get them anywhere else except here, and that's why I think it's so vital

Seth Dortch:

to the East. You can't you can't be you can't have influence in a community that you're not involved in. And you can't understand what the community you're involved in is doing if you don't come to stuff like this. Yep. Because this I mean, be when we take our hats off for Ducks Unlimited or for Rough Country or so on and so forth, we'd be doing this anyways.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yep.

Seth Dortch:

So it's like, you know, getting more people to to understand, like, man, this is what goes on. Like, this I mean, from all it takes to to the work you gotta put I mean, for I mean, Snow Goose Camp example, I mean, the amount of work that goes the amount of work you and Brooke put in for for putting spreads out and all this thing. Like, it's all those touch points to be able to to better understand it.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. But it's that's to me, that hard work is is a small part. Right. Like, it's one day that Get it done. Hopefully, something happens at this camp that's gonna pay off for all of us in the long run.

Matt Harrison:

Well, look what happened last year.

Jimbo Robinson:

Well

Matt Harrison:

The Gunner and Kennel the the special Gunner and Kennel that

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah.

Matt Harrison:

Was released. I mean, it's incredible.

Jimbo Robinson:

And Streamlight, you know, there's Will. Yep. Will is here with Streamlight and did some cool things with them and and and got some more Streamlights and events and was able to connect Will with somebody at this camp to maybe get Streamlites in the store. And and that's what, like, Jeremy and I have talked about. Without Jeremy, this wouldn't this wouldn't happen either.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. Jeremy Smith and our operations team is he's here, and and and he helps me. We we find the partners and and work with him and people that may not go to other things as well. You know, they do a lot of these corporate relations hunts. So it's try to bring people that don't go to others and and some that do and don't and and get the right team here that also works on the event side, and it just it was full circle.

Jimbo Robinson:

And and when Seth and I met last year in June, before DUX, you know, gave Birx a bunch of ideas, and and it's been, you know, in the process and and continuing to discuss ideas. But it's one of those things that these things don't happen overnight.

Seth Dortch:

Right.

Jimbo Robinson:

And it's this continuation of these conversations that make stuff happen. Because one of the things you don't wanna do is you don't wanna rush anything. And so it's just a continuation of how do we want this to look and how can it be worked best into our event system or how can it work best for DU and Rough Country. And I think that's what that's come on in. You're good.

Jimbo Robinson:

That's what Pipe me some You're up next, big boy.

Seth Dortch:

Pipe me some pipe me some Zach top.

Matt Harrison:

That's what The one and only mister Addison.

Jimbo Robinson:

Addison. Walked in the room, ladies and gentlemen. And he's on here next, but but that's what's been cool. And and y'all brought the CF Moto.

Seth Dortch:

Yeah, man.

Jimbo Robinson:

Decked out. Somehow my phone was trying to connect to this thing early, and I'm like, what is what's this thing got? Bluetooth? He's like, it's got CarPlay.

Seth Dortch:

Yeah. Man, yeah, it's but being able to to bring I mean, that's like, even our YouTube Historically, a lot of people know Rough Country from the truck, SUV, Jeep world. But, yeah, I mean, man, our UTV category from suspension, lighting, windshields, racks, bumpers, winches, the whole man, it it continues to grow. But it it's it's showing up where it matters with the right people, you know, taking taking the initiative to generate exposure, so on and so forth. And, I mean, this is where that stuff happens.

Seth Dortch:

Like, we we should expect ourselves to put our product in the environments that we expect our customers to put them in. Right. And so yeah. Tomorrow? Yeah.

Seth Dortch:

Yeah. Oh, it's gonna be fun. It's not gonna

Jimbo Robinson:

look very good tomorrow when you get done.

Seth Dortch:

But, you know, going going back to to DU Expo, like, I mean, I I could talk thirty minutes around just the how excited my I am for for DU Expo. I mean, you know, especially on the Rough Country front from being back in Memphis, like, us coming coming there for the first year and all. I mean, Rough Country has never done a hunting event historically. And so for DU Expo to be the first one to do it and the feedback that senior management got and but, like, really was excited about Yep. Is huge.

Jimbo Robinson:

So Let's see if Moe will be there?

Seth Dortch:

Potentially.

Jimbo Robinson:

I just wanna see what it looks like when you get done with the trial.

Seth Dortch:

I'll you gotta come you gotta come to DU Expo to find out. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Because what Seth's gonna drive that thing through tomorrow? Mine is complete mine is the wrong color. Yeah.

Matt Harrison:

Wrong color.

Jimbo Robinson:

Light brown. Yeah. But,

Seth Dortch:

yeah, man, I think it's I mean, Rough Country is extremely excited about the the growth and the the future of

Jimbo Robinson:

It's showing up everywhere.

Seth Dortch:

Yeah. Especially of DE Expo. And I I mean, events across the board, like, even on the, like, the national level from regional directors and regional banquets and so on and so forth. Like, man, the more that we can support and generate excitement around newer products, like collabs, so

Jimbo Robinson:

on and forth. Duck hunters use?

Matt Harrison:

Yeah. Exactly. Talking about today. Everything that they represent as Rough Country, whether it be tires, rims, accessories for a UTV, like, the whole nine.

Jimbo Robinson:

Like, everybody so what's what I think is cool, and this is shout out to Rough Country, but, you know, the baby diesels as we call them. Right? The fifth that's what I call them.

Seth Dortch:

The 50 diesels. That's what I have. Mic micro diesels.

Jimbo Robinson:

No. I like baby diesels. You know, they they're becoming very popular. You know, more and more I see, I mean, half of our people at the office are driving them now. Well, there there's not a lot of leveling kits for them, but Rough Country and them are making a heavy duty incredible leveling kit for that.

Jimbo Robinson:

And I've got one, and and four of my friends have been like, where'd you get yours? Because I couldn't find one because it's so there's they're heavier.

Seth Dortch:

Right.

Jimbo Robinson:

And so, you know, it's it's it's what our people in this industry, it's what they do to their trucks. They all want wheels. They all want rims. They all want

Matt Harrison:

Lift kits.

Jimbo Robinson:

Lift kits and all that. Mean FloorMAN. Right. The whole they they make it all in especially on the UTV side.

Seth Dortch:

Yeah. Well, and that goes back to I mean, Rough Country has always been that product, but from a really, like, community investment standpoint, it it's it's what DU has always been about. It's bringing together the right people to get Yep. The right people involved. And

Jimbo Robinson:

And timing is a lot of that too.

Seth Dortch:

For sure. No doubt. Timing and the right people, and that that can create

Jimbo Robinson:

Because when you live in one world, right, let's be honest. I mean, the two guys you brought have never duck hunted. Right? Right. So they bring a guy like Seth Dorch on who's grown up doing it his whole life.

Jimbo Robinson:

And so Seth has Seth introduces this duck hunting community to them, and they've always been in it, but they didn't really know they were in it.

Seth Dortch:

Right.

Jimbo Robinson:

Right? The UTV accessories and what people are doing with them now weren't always about duck hunting because we didn't have side by sides back then.

Seth Dortch:

Right. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

Right? Side by side world has exploded in the last ten years. And so, I mean, I think the explosion we can say is ten, fifteen years old, but, you know, they were dabbling in the world, but they didn't know it. So when a guy like Seth comes along and can collide these two worlds and the timing with DUX, not saying that was a perfect timing because there's been lots of other outdoor shows, but timing with DUX for you For sure. For what happened with you and what you're trying to do with them and what you're trying to do with DU, it just Clicked.

Jimbo Robinson:

Timing is everything. That's You know?

Seth Dortch:

Yeah. 100%.

Jimbo Robinson:

That's why it worked.

Seth Dortch:

Yeah. Yeah. For sure. But no, man. We're I mean, we're excited to be here.

Seth Dortch:

I mean, even just the fact I mean, the the history that all three of us have together. Absolutely. Like, man, we get we literally get to sit here at hunt camp, have a have a conversation, like, do a podcast, like, you know, and and really promote the fact that, man, we are all invested in this way beyond, like, oh, man. We just gotta go.

Matt Harrison:

We we gotta go to

Seth Dortch:

work and so on and so forth. But, man, we are really invested in the fact of the mission that our companies and our organizations are on for the the waterfowl community. Like, everything we do is tied to it. Yeah. I mean, our reputations are

Matt Harrison:

The whole night.

Seth Dortch:

Our families. I mean, you know, even FaceTiming the girls tonight, it's, you know, you know, it's just a fact of they're so supportive of, you know, what I'm trying to do to to what we are all trying to do together. And it's like, man, all of those touch points, I think a lot of people connect with and understand.

Matt Harrison:

100%.

Seth Dortch:

And, you know,

Jimbo Robinson:

right most right now that Matt has on two different socks.

Seth Dortch:

Didn't I

Jimbo Robinson:

couldn't help it. He's talking about touch points. I'm looking at your socks. Well, they're two different colors. Hey.

Seth Dortch:

That's that's toe.

Matt Harrison:

I think they came like that.

Seth Dortch:

That that's toe points. Tow points. No.

Jimbo Robinson:

But you're right. You nailed it. Yeah. You nailed it.

Seth Dortch:

We're we're, you know, we're we're doing

Jimbo Robinson:

I'm blessed.

Seth Dortch:

We we always So blessed. We always do it for the ducks, but right now we're doing it for the snows. So we'll The snows. Yeah. We'll we'll

Jimbo Robinson:

get got the best in one group. Okay now. I was

Matt Harrison:

Did they really, though? Because we end up eating Mexican.

Jimbo Robinson:

So We had Little Caesar's in the blind.

Seth Dortch:

Don't It would've been Kay Casey's breakfast pizza would've been better.

Jimbo Robinson:

No. No.

Seth Dortch:

You don't like Casey's No.

Jimbo Robinson:

Little Caesar's Hot and Ready.

Seth Dortch:

Oh. You know

Jimbo Robinson:

they're not 10 $5 anymore? They're $10.

Matt Harrison:

In what?

Seth Dortch:

In what? Inflation.

Jimbo Robinson:

They were $10.

Matt Harrison:

You got the sub no. You got the extra cheesy crust.

Jimbo Robinson:

Poor meat.

Matt Harrison:

No. It ain't gonna no way.

Jimbo Robinson:

But There's no way. Still good.

Matt Harrison:

They are. They are. Especially get some ranch, some buttermilk ranch.

Jimbo Robinson:

But we did not have ranch in the blind.

Matt Harrison:

You should have picked it up. Yeah.

Jimbo Robinson:

I didn't go, but, anyways.

Seth Dortch:

I'll I'll so I'll I'll end our conversation out. Man, I'm I'm I'm proud of what both of y'all are doing. Well You know, Matt Matt with you on the digital front, Jimbo with you on events front. I mean, dude, I I mean, even telling Tim and Birx about mine and Jimbo's history, and it's like, man I mean, being a chairman for Martin Mallard is like I mean, Jimbo saw me Skyhawks. He he saw me in a lot of high moments and a lot of stressful moments and a lot of failure.

Seth Dortch:

I mean, it's like, man, it's so cool to to see the impact that both of y'all have on the DU front because I see it all the time.

Jimbo Robinson:

I think it's what what but the hard work was who what's made you who you are today.

Jimbo Robinson:

Oh, what a Perseverance, the the And when you

Matt Harrison:

love what you do. When you love

Jimbo Robinson:

what you do. I mean, he's always been passionate, and he carried that weight of the ducks on the vent on his shoulders when he was the chairman. And I always knew Seth was gonna be extremely successful in whatever he did because he was so passionate about DU. He's so passionate about being successful in his DU fundraising event Yeah. That he carried the weight of that event on his shoulders.

Jimbo Robinson:

Yeah. So his low time was just the stress of that event Right. And how well he wanted to do. And he pushed to it, persevered it, and had incredible events when he was the chairman, but you always saw that no matter what, Seth was gonna give it 110% and make it and do the best he could, and the same thing he's doing now. And and so that there was never a doubt in my mind of of how successful Seth was gonna be.

Jimbo Robinson:

It was how where does Seth wanna go? Yeah. Sure. Right? Because the sky's the limit.

Seth Dortch:

Well, right right now, I'm just wanting to kill geese. I know. Hey.

Jimbo Robinson:

You're in my group tomorrow, boys. Y'all are in my group tomorrow. So

Matt Harrison:

Uh-oh. That's what I'm

Jimbo Robinson:

talking about. We are going to be sloppy because it is I have never in my life seen mud like it is right now. It's six inches deep out there.

Seth Dortch:

I love it. That's what we're watery tomorrow. That's what what Rough Country's for.

Matt Harrison:

Well, Seth, thank you so much for taking some time out of your

Seth Dortch:

busy schedule. Busy busy camp. Busy camp. No.

Matt Harrison:

I think we're getting ready to

Jimbo Robinson:

eat here.

Matt Harrison:

Just a minute.

Jimbo Robinson:

Podcast, Addison

Matt Harrison:

Edmunds. Addison Edmunds.

Seth Dortch:

Get on the way.

Matt Harrison:

Next. Well, Seth, thank you so much, bud. Thank you, man. Can't wait to get after some geese tomorrow.

VO:

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VO:

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