The next best thing to duck hunting is watching duck hunting. Over the course of the winter, I have been enthralled with watching YouTube videos of epic duck hunts across the country. From Canada to the Midwest, to the flooded timber along the Cache and White Rivers in Arkansas, duck hunters follow the migration southward. Beginning in September and finishing the last day of January, duck seasons in various provinces and states have two things in common, that being optimism and uncertainty. It is amazing the treasures this platform, YouTube that is, holds in its vault of videos, some dating back almost 100 years. As I watched current videos that are posted daily, some of the older, iconic stories began to pop up. I couldn’t help but treat myself to take in once again what many call “The Glory Days.”
I happened upon a podcast with footage of an ordinary duck hunter from days gone by. I was mesmerized by the stories told by Kirk McCullough, as a hunter and a guide. It brought back those memories when I was in high school and college when I pursued waterfowl not only with a passion, but almost a vengeance. His story is worthy of sharing.
Born in Pine Buff, Ark. in 1959, Kirk began his love of duck hunting after his uncle introduced him to this addictive sport at the age of fourteen. He recalls not shooting a duck on this particular hunt, however the setting he witnessed on this glorious day hooked him for life.
He began hunting alone at the age of 16. By the age of 19 he was hunting ducks every day the season was open. His reputation as a successful waterfowler grew quickly leading to his career for many years as a duck guide on public land in Arkansas, primarily in Bayou Meto. It was in these flooded woods, that he met a man that began a true duck hunter’s relationship, Lester Capps. Lester developed what is known as the “Cut Down” duck call using a PS Olt duck call. In fact, this brought back great memories for the first call I ever attempted to blow, was my dad’s black, plastic, Olt. It was always stored in the gun cabinet but who knows where it is now. I created some God-awful sounds on that call, but back to the story.
The cut-down was an extremely loud call that gave an advantage over other duck hunters by capturing the duck’s attention and holding it until they set their wings for the decoys. Kirk mastered and perfected this innovative call and considers Lester a mentor and the forefather of the “Cut-down” era of waterfowl hunting in Arkansas. Interestingly, Lester died on November 20th, 2004, at the age of 67, on the opening day of duck season in Arkansas.
As I continued to watch this podcast, trailers of old duck hunting videos that Kirk produced in the late 1990s began to pop up. Included were “The Sky’s the Limit,” “Green Timber Duck Hunting,” and “Shoot to Kill.” He discussed how it was back then and how many ducks there were in this area of Arkansas. He compared hunter numbers then, compared to today and noted there were more hunters then than now. I was perplexed by this statement. I would have thought otherwise, but I will do some research on this.
He described what he encountered with law enforcement when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service created the “Waterfowl Task Force.” He told stories of how game wardens began checking hunters with intense frequency. One morning, he states, he was checked by the same warden three times. According to McCullough, and his comments on this podcast, the only citation that was ever given to one of his clients was due to an unplugged shotgun. This is remarkable, because there are so many opportunities for unintentional infractions when it comes to duck hunting. He is to be commended, for this is quite the feat to stay “legal” guiding for so many years for so many clients.
In 2000, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission moved to prohibit licensed duck guides from hunting and guiding on public land. A lawsuit was filed against the Commission. Finally, the case was settled in the Supreme Court of Arkansas in 2001 upholding the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s regulation. Due to this ruling, Kirk no longer guides in Arkansas Wildlife Management Areas and has not guided duck hunts in 20 years.
I have never met this duck hunter, but I think he is still in the business of selling duck calls and “cut-downs.” I noticed that we are the same age, so I will probably try and reach him if for no other reason to tell him how much I enjoyed his story. Who knows, I may be the owner of a cut-down in the future.
As I continued to watch videos, I came across one I haven’t seen in decades. Do you remember one of the first hunting shows that first aired on Sunday afternoons in 1965? “The American Sportsman” ran from 1965 to 1986. First hosted by South Dakotan Republican Governor Joe Foss, this television series highlighted hunting across the world. It was later hosted by Grits Gresham, an outdoorsman from Natchitoches, La. before its best-known host, Curt Gowdy.
I remember laying on my stomach in front of the television on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. anticipating with uncontrollable excitement what celebrities like Bing Crosby, Phil Harris, and Foster Brooks would be pursuing. I remember an episode with Mr. Bill Walker, along with Walter Payton, and of course Curt Gowdy, on a duck hunt years ago. In fact, you can still find this episode if you search for it. I remember a pheasant hunt in South Dakota with Bing Crosby and Phil Harris. On this hunt, an albino pheasant was taken. Neither would claim the bird, so the other hunter could take home the prize. A noble gesture indeed, to offer a hunting companion the bounty from the field. If I remember correctly, someone on the show said, “well, if no one claims the bird, I guess it just had a heart attack.” The entourage of hunters erupted in laughter.
These were iconic hunts back in the day and I wish the show still aired. Over time, though hunting and fishing was still a significant part of the show, episodes of whitewater kayaking, sky diving, and mountain climbing became more prevalent. I’m not sure if there was pressure from editors to “quiet” the sport of hunting and fishing, or to diversify to attract more viewers. Regardless, I was “irked” to no end when hunting or fishing wasn’t in an episode. Additionally, when professional basketball went past 3 p.m., I was hard to live with until the game was over. How dare they interrupt my passion with the hoops.
I wish this show was still being produced. Do you remember it as vividly as I do? If you live for the lake and the woods as I do, I’m sure you miss it as much as me. Those were great times, and reliving these days through the old hunting videos and listening to pioneers of the industry still bring a chill to the back of my neck. The vintage shotguns, the classic canvas jackets, the topwater plugs from decades ago, and the cut-down Olt, will always live on and will remain timeless in our outdoor heritage.
I invite you to find these old hunting and fishing shows and go back to an era that will bring back memories that will never be lost. They are the best of the best, for sure. Let me know what you find, who knows, you may find something special I haven’t seen yet. If so, please share.
Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.
