🇺🇸 God Bless America 🇺🇸

Is it not absolutely thrilling that the best time of the year in our great country is finally here!? It's November and once again time to chase them big ol' mallard ducks! So thankful for this time of year and we are thankful for you, too! Dennis and I are so very grateful for all the kind energy you guys have sent our way. Thank you for visiting the website and the Dr Duck YouTube channel and for all the awesome engagement there and on social media as we kick off another season of sharing our journey. 

I believe this November has a little more pop to it, being an election year. Our country is in such interesting times with so many controversial issues going on. I want to encourage you not to take anything for granted because you might live in an area that thinks along the same lines as you, please be sure to get out there and cast your vote, it matters!

With my son retiring from the military in April, Dennis and I decided we were overdue for a duck trip and wanted to share with Timo all the beauty and excitement of waterfowl hunting in some of these places he hadn't yet had the opportunity to visit. Timo was so excited about this idea and planned to do nothing but hunt and help out with Dr Duck Co stuff this first year out, while getting acclimated to civilian life. The good Lord determined that whatever He had planned was more important than our plans and took my son home on September 08 of this year. Many of you have reached out and while I know I can't possibly reach back to each of you individually, your comments and prayers have been so, so big for me during this time; I will never be able to thank you enough for taking time to reach out. My son did nine tours overseas, was the recipient of a Purple Heart, multiple Bronze Stars with Valor and other accolades but I can promise everyone reading this that none of these were as meaningful to him as the opportunity to do what he did with the heroes he did it with. He loved serving this country and everyone he came in contact with and his time on this earth is nothing but a life-long record of service to others. My son served this country so that we, including all our friends reading this, can be free to do what we do, chasing birds, loving our families, and serving others. Dennis and I decided after a very brief discussion we would continue to take these trips this season in memory of my son and this is why you see the "in memory of FUDD" at the end of every video this season. My hope is that you too will go this season like never before, exercising your right to do all those things you love! Go chase birds, love your family and serve others, maybe even by just sharing time with them in the outdoors, but go and please go and please vote. 🇺🇸

Dennis and I hit the road mid October to find some public ground in Colorado. We ended up meeting and hanging out with some great folks there, Hal Spears and Rob Grell. We have a video up on the Dr Duck YouTube channel of our time with them as well as a podcast episode sharing some of that conversation. The duck numbers weren't great, but the time shared and the sights were nothing short of epic. We moved on from there to meet up with an old friend I had met at the Harrisburg, PA Great American Outdoor show years ago, Travis Stauch, who started Wild Valley Outfitters in Canada with his buddy and now business partner Doyle Weaver. While I've know Travis for a while, we never had the opportunity to share a blind and we changed that on this year's duck trip. Still so many birds up North, was a great time seeing those numbers and you should keep an eye out for those episodes on the Dr Duck YouTube, fun stuff.

We are through two months of bringing Dr Duck Co back home and doing some cool things I am excited about as we work to restock our inventory. You will notice all of our new shirts are being made in America. With so much of our country resourcing things out and sending money to other countries, this was important to me and Dennis. We have a couple shirt options already up and are currently working on new hoodies and hats that will also be made in our great country.

What about the bags? We have had so many folks ask about Journey bag inventory, thank you so much for that. We are working on them and will eventually have them in stock but it is not going to happen this season as originally planned. We have tried very hard to move that product to the US as well but are not having much luck due to policies on types of plastic we can utilize in the US among other things beyond our control right now. We are making some cool changes to the Journey backpack yet keeping it waterproof and super effective for what we all do in the field. Thank you for your patience during this stretch and your unwavering support of the public land journey, the bags will be worth the wait. Subscribe to our newsletter through the website and I will continue to keep you posted!

We have started a tips portion to the site as well so be sure to leave your comments below, including any tips you would like to see delivered here throughout the course of this season and moving forward, thank you.

Good luck to everyone sharing time in the outdoors this season, be safe, take someone hunting and make sure you go vote and help get this country lined out. Safe travels and remember to enjoy the journey!

-Billy Campbell @thefowlhunter

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. -1 Timothy 2:1-2