It’s not everyday you see brown bears when duck hunting. Hunters head to Cold Bay, Alaska for a memorable duck hunt.
From Ducks Unlimited:
“Alaska waterfowl hunting begins long before the season, and this hunt shows why it matters.
In Cold Bay, Alaska, birds don’t just pass through. They depend on this place to survive.
In Part 1 of this special Ducks Unlimited Television series, DUTV co-host Colin Mulligan travels to Cold Bay, Alaska, inside Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, to hunt Pacific black brant and learn why Alaska is the foundation of the Pacific Flyway. From vast eelgrass beds to tidal-driven bird movement, every decision here is shaped by habitat, science, and respect for the resource.
Joined by Ducks Unlimited conservation leaders, this episode connects the dots between hunting opportunity and the science that protects it. Alaska produces a majority of the Pacific Flyway’s green-winged teal, pintails, brant, emperor geese, and cackling geese, making this remote landscape essential to hunters thousands of miles away.
This story is about more than rare birds or bucket-list moments. It’s about understanding why places like Izembek matter, how banding and habitat science guide conservation, and why gratitude belongs at the center of the hunt.
In this episode:
- Why Alaska is the “duck and goose factory” of the Pacific Flyway
- How eelgrass sustains brant and the entire coastal food web
- What waterfowl banding teaches us about migration and survival
- Hunting shaped by tides, weather, and wild landscapes
Explore more:
• Learn about Pacific Flyway conservation: https://www.ducks.org“
To see more from Ducks Unlimited, please click here.