Greg Jacobs + Doak

Q: Q: WHAT AREAS OF THE STATE DO YOU OPERATE IN?
A: I work for Kim Freeman at Elms Lodge in Altheimer, so in and around Altheimer and Wabbaseka.

Q: WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR GUIDE OFFERING?
A: We’re close to Bayou Meto Waterfowl Management Area, that’s a big draw. At Elms, we also farm the ground, so a lot of the places we end up guiding are places we farm, so we take pride in our land. 

Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUIDED PROFESSIONALLY?
A: This is my third year to work for Elms as a guide. My dad is a lifetime guide, he’s been guiding for 30 years. It kind of runs in my family.

Q: WHAT PIECE OF GEAR COULD YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?
A: My shotgun. There’s a ton of things, but that’s number one on the list.

Q: WHAT SORT OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE ABOUT TO HEAD OUT ON THEIR FIRST GUIDED HUNT?
A: Temper your expectations. It’s really exciting; I get excited about people coming to this area. But temper expectations so it’s not a negative if you don’t have a bang-up hunt on your first trip.

Q: DO YOU TRAIN YOUR OWN DOGS, OR DO YOU WORK WITH A TRAINER?
A: I have a trained dog trained by Bo Brewer with Ridgemark Retrievers out of Brookland. He’s a buddy of mine from school here in Stuttgart and does a really good job.

Q: HOW LONG ON AVERAGE DOES IT TAKE FOR A DOG TO BECOME COMPETENT ENOUGH TO GO ON A HUNT?
A: My dog didn’t hunt until he was a year-and-a-half old. I got him as a six-week-old pup. Start to finish, four to six months. The dog is going to do what they’re going to do, the training is just to condition them to do it the way you want to do it.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME METHODS YOU’VE USED TO DEAL WITH GUN-SHY DOGS?
A: This dog I have is my first ever dog, and he isn’t gun shy. But if you have a dog that’s gun shy, start with a small caliber gun to get them in and around that action, then work your way up to what you’re actually going to be shooting around them.

Q: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO TEACH A DOG NOT TO DAMAGE A BIRD WHEN RETRIEVING?
A: I believe they use “force fetch,” which forces the dog to hold a bird until you tell them to release. You do it over and over until that’s what they have to do.

Q: WHO TAUGHT YOU THE MOST TO PREPARE YOU TO BE A PROFESSIONAL GUIDE?
A: No doubt, my dad. He knows what he’s doing. There are a lot of people who respect him, and I have the utmost respect in that regard. Learning how to kill ducks is one thing, but learning how to handle people in a professional manner is important, too.

Bill Free + Shug

Q: WHAT AREAS OF THE STATE DO YOU OPERATE IN? 
A: I'm a guide for Five Oaks Duck Lodge in Stuttgart. (I'm also the chairman of the World's Championship Duck Calling Contest.) 

Q: WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR GUIDE OFFERING?
A. The lodge I guide for has really gotten to know people as regulars. We have a lot of return customers that I have gotten to know personally. I look forward to seeing them every year. Some of our hunters have been coming for more than 20 years.

Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUIDED PROFESSIONALLY?
A: 15 years. 

Q: WHAT PIECE OF GEAR COULD YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?
A: A duck call. Rich-N-Tone is the one thatís around my neck.

Q: DO YOU TRAIN YOUR OWN DOGS, OR DO YOU WORK WITH A TRAINER?
A: I have mine professionally trained. Before that, I read a lot about training and tried to train myself. I recommend having your dog trained, but in doing so I learned something that's very helpful. All trainers say, "You have to train the trainer." The dog will do what it's supposed to do, and it's the guide or the trainer that messes up. So you have to train dog and owner both. 

Q: HOW LONG ON AVERAGE DOES IT TAKE FOR A DOG TO BECOME COMPETENT ENOUGH TO GO ON A HUNT?
A: It really depends on how much you want the dog to do. If you want him to just retrieve ducks, you can do it in three to six months of training. If you want the dog to stop on a whistle or run to the right or left, it's going to take you six to 12 months, and in some cases even longer. It just depends on how advanced you want your dog to be. A dog can make or break a hunt. 

Q: WHAT ARE SOME METHODS YOU’VE USED TO DEAL WITH GUN-SHY DOGS?
A: I haven't had that experience, but what I've seen trainers do is take small caliber guns, have the dog at a distance and shoot the gun. What you want the dog to realize is that every time the gun goes off, it's a good thing because a duck is likely falling and that's what they live for. 

Q: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO TEACH A DOG NOT TO DAMAGE A BIRD WHEN RETRIEVING?
A: A section of the training is called "force fetching," where the dog is taught to hold on to the bird until given a command to let go. It teaches the dog not to chew on the bird and to release on command. You should get the bird away from the dog quickly as to not tempt the dog. 

Q: WHO TAUGHT YOU THE MOST TO PREPARE YOU TO BE A PROFESSIONAL GUIDE?
A: I'm somewhat self-taught, but I have the opportunity every day to guide with five wonderful guides at Five Oaks, some of them have 30 years of experience. We don't get to hunt together often, but when we do, I always watch them as they guide. But I've learned the most from my own experiences. And you have to be a people person and able to put people at ease.