The Big Honker Podcast: Public Land - Illinois - Allan Doran

This series highlights the highs and lows of hunting public land across different regions of America — the early mornings, the pressure, the competition, and the grind that comes with earning every bird. In this episode, Jeff Stanfield and Andy Shaver are joined by Allan Doran from Illinois. The guys discuss Illinois' unique public waterfowl hunting draw system, explaining how it helps reduce crowding and keeps the chaos to a minimum during duck season. Allan also tells of the excitement that comes each year when they divvy out the blinds. Allan shares stories from hunting the legendary rivers of Illinois, where changing water conditions, migrating birds, and diverse habitat create some of the finest waterfowl hunting in the Mississippi Flyway. He reflects on where the past few seasons rank compared to previous years and what factors have influenced hunting success. The conversation wraps up with Allan describing an often-overlooked danger that comes with hunting big rivers—one that neither Jeff nor Andy had ever considered. This series is brought to you by the great people at Chêne Gear.