Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo Brings Together Experts and Attendees to Talk Training on The Duck Dog Stage

Presented by Eukanuba and Lucky Duck, stage seminars detail retriever instruction, hunting with multiple dogs, your pup’s first season, and more.

The Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo will take place July 26 to 28 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, featuring three continuous seminar stages and a 120,000-square-foot show floor packed with industry vendors. The Duck Dog Stage, the Duck Hunters Stage, and the Field-to-Table Stage will showcase a collection of top experts in the waterfowl industry.

Eukanuba and Lucky Duck are returning as the sponsors of the Duck Dog Stage, where expert trainers and their incredible dogs will inform and entertain Delta supporters in attendance.

“We are thrilled to continue to support the work of this leading waterfowl conservation group,” said Jim Niemann, assistant brand manager for Eukanuba. “It is through value-grounded partnerships like Delta Waterfowl that together we can create more opportunities for active dogs and owners to bond over a shared pursuit.”

The lineup for the Eukanuba/Lucky Duck Duck Dog Stage includes:

Josh Miller – River Stone Kennels 

Josh Miller is the owner of River Stone Kennels in New Richmond, Wisconsin, where he trains retrievers and, alongside his wife Whitney, breeds British Labradors. Josh is also the owner of Retriever Roadmap, the online program that helps guide you in training your own dog at home.

Chris Akin – Webb Footed Kennel

Chris Akin has trained more than 3,800 dogs over four decades, evolving his training program into one of the most accomplished hunt test programs in the country. Since opening Webb Footed Kennel, his program has produced more than 350 Hunting Retriever Champions, 175 Master Hunters, and 80 Grand Hunting Retriever Champions. Akin’s own dogs’ titles include two Super Retriever Series Championships and an ESPN Great Outdoor Games Gold Medal.

Brad Arington – Mossy Pond Retrievers 

Mossy Pond Retrievers was developed in 2003 by Georgia native, Brad Arington. Over the years, Mossy Pond Retrievers has expanded to its current size of 130 dogs in training, where he has earned hundreds of Master passes, many QAA titles, SRS wins, and has placed a number of dogs on the national derby List. When not running dogs across the country, you’ll find Arington at his Mossy Pond Lodge, filming episodes for The Fowl Life television show.

Al Arthur – Sandhill Retrievers

From the very beginning, dogs have played a prominent role in Al Arthur’s life. As an adult, his father’s influence inspired him to make his own name in the dog training business. In 1997—after working for several industry leaders—Arthur joined the team at Sandhill Retrievers. Since then, he has won the 2015 National Field Trial Championship, and he is currently ranked in the top three U.S. open handlers.

Barton Ramsey – Southern Oak Kennels

Mississippi-native, Barton Ramsey is the owner and founder of Southern Oak Kennels—a Labrador retriever kennel which focuses on importing, breeding, and training field-bred British Labs. Barton began training dogs for waterfowl and upland in 2009 and is also one of the founders of Cornerstone Gundog Academy, an online video resource for do-it-yourself gundog training.

In addition to the scheduled seminars, attendees will be able to view the newly released Delta Waterfowl Kennel from Lucky Duck.

“Lucky Duck will continue to support the Million Duck Campaign and Delta Expo to ensure that we have more ducks over our decoys for years to come,” said Ricky Hart of Lucky Duck. “For this reason, we have released an exclusive Delta Waterfowl kennel to help raise money for the ducks! In addition to the wealth of great training tips and tricks featured, the Kennel can also be seen on both the Duck Dog Stage and Lucky Duck booth during the Expo.”

The schedule for the Duck Dog Stage can be found on the event website, showcasing informative seminars that cover topics including “A Gun Dog’s First Season,” “Training Your Retriever,” “Hunting With Multiple Dogs,” “Tools and Tips from the Field,” a panel Q and A, and more.

“Duck dogs are not only a huge part of the pursuit of waterfowl, but they are an incredibly enriching part of our and our families’ lives,” said Brad Heidel, senior director of corporate relations for Delta Waterfowl. “Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, and whether you’re looking for tips to take with you into fall seasons or field-trials, the experts on the Duck Dog Stage will have something for you. We’re looking forward to talking all things duck dogs with attendees, and we’re grateful to both Eukanuba and Lucky Duck for their continued support.”

The Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo is presented by Federal Premium Ammunition. Among its many attractions, the Expo features 120,000 square feet of your favorite waterfowling vendors, the NEW Delta Grand National Double-Reed Calling Contest, the Delta Waterfowl Callmakers Championship, decoy carving demonstrations, and much more. There is also a duck dog parade for all to enjoy.

Get your tickets online or avoid additional ticketing fees by purchasing your tickets at the doors. Find more information, here. —Christy Sweigart