I know what some of you are thinking. “Where has Rocky been and what has happened to Ducksouth?” I have been held up in a cave in Oxford, MS. J/K! At least that’s what it felt like for a couple of months from my perspective. I have had friends go through depression before and or go through very depressing times. I lost something very important to me a few months ago. It was not by accident or happenstance. It was by my choice. Maybe i wasn’t depressed, but it was real freaking close.
I am gonna chase a rabbit for a second. I called Justin Harrison (aka gator) about a year ago, soon after he lost Gauge. I wanted Josh and I to put together a nice piece for Justin and Ducksouth to show the bond of two best friends (even if they aren’t the same species), how big of a part these four legged critters are to a duck hunt, and to shine the spotlight on a highly talked about duck dog from Ducksouth. In the back of my mind, it was gonna be one of the best articles to come out since we changed the site’s format. All Josh and I needed were the details. I called Justin and he was his normal self until I brought up the words story and Gauge. He said, “I don’t want to talk about it right now. I may in a few months, but not now”. Why do I tell you all of this?
That is the way I have felt for the past few months. I know where you were coming from now, Justin. I didn’t want to talk to anybody. Duck hunting was the last thing I wanted to talk about. Why? I sold my hunting lodge a few months back. I have never been emotionally attached to any material possession I have ever owned. Most came and went without a second thought. This was different. I poured blood, sweat and tears into building a top notch guide service that touched the hearts and souls of hunters from forty nine states over the last twenty years. There have been a lot of laughs, dead ducks, and awesome memories made in that time span. I could tell you stories for days of the great and not so great hunts and hunters that came through Mossy Island’s doors. Maybe I will! Either way it is time to pull the bootstraps up and go.
Where am I as a guide and Mossy Island going from here? We are headed North and West. One of the main reasons I sold Mossy Island was being locked down in one geographical location. It is time to go to the ducks. If you have paid attention to the migration over last few years, it is definitely moving to the North and West. No till farming, pressure, and warm winters have played the biggest part in the changing migration. It is time to go to them.
Where is Ducksouth heading? There are a few things we learned last year. The podcast will be starting back up shortly. The podcast has a dedicated following and for the most part has been very successful. Each episode averages around 2000-3000 partial downloads (listeners could listen up to the last minute and shut it down and be considered a partial download) and 300-500 complete downloads per episode. The Ducksouth Migration Report will continue this year. It will include more locations in the Central and Mississippi Flyways. My goal is to put you on the ducks by finding out exactly where they are. We will still have written feature pieces. It may be about a fellow Ducksouth member, a strategy, or a product. I also hope to add some more featured video to the site and Facebook group. All of it will still be coming to you in our Ducksouth Newsletter. I look forward to seeing you guys sooner rather than later. Again, sorry for the absence.
