Live Stages

The outdoorsman in Bourgeois is in many ways the heart and soul of who he is, though living in New York as a chef does not easily allow him to nurture the wild blood that runs through his veins. He often catches himself daydreaming about walking the woods hunting squirrel or freezing to his core in a duck blind in hopes of shooting a limit. Luckily, he can make yearly pilgrimages back home to Louisiana and around the United States to “feed” the wild side within. There are few more satisfying moments in his life greater than the ones he has of cooking gumbo following duck hunts with friends and family.

“I have called kitchens my safe space since I was a little boy. I have run kitchens all around the world—from beach bars to Michelin stars—but it’s the hunting and fishing camps that have taught me my foundation. And, if I’m being honest, they still teach me even today. Although, I don’t consider myself a wild game chef; I simply cook with what is around me. But over the last 30 years, my kitchen has been filled with pursuits fallen victim to rod-and-reel or trigger.“

As a professor of biochemistry at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Mark Merchant has travelled around the globe studying the immunology of crocodiles in Africa, Australia, Central and South America, and southeast Asia. Throughout his travels, he has accrued a wide variety of recipes from an extensive expanse of locations. His love for hunting and knowledge of international cuisine sparked a desire to prepare a wide variety of nontraditional culinary dishes using waterfowl. His newly published book, “Waterfowl Cuisine: From Field to Table,” has changed the way that we think about waterfowl as table fare.

“Are you tired of cooking ducks using the same three or four recipes over and over again? Join me to explore a new way to think about waterfowl as table fare. You’ll expand your horizons as we prepare several nontraditional dishes (duck ramen, egg rolls, and duck po’boy sandwiches), learn about different ways to stretch your harvest, and master the ability to make a broad variety of diverse dishes that will delight your friends and family.” 

Delta’s witty wordsmiths take over Delta Duck Trivia, and promise to bring you engaging and entertaining duck facts from the four corners. Grab a spot and see if your duck knowledge verges on mastery or if you need special waterfowl courses from Dr. Chris Nicolai and Dr. Frank Rohwer.

Barton Ramsey, a native of Mississippi, 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 has been training dogs for waterfowl and upland hunting since 2009. He is also one of the founders of Cornerstone Gundog Academy, and online video resource for do-it-yourself gundog training. Barton’s goal is to make a lasting impact in the realm of gundogs by providing not just well-bred Labrador Retrievers but also a route for all lab owners to achieve the highest levels of success with their dogs, both in the field and at home.

Mossy Pond Retrievers was developed in 2003 by Georgia native, Brad Arington, with just one dog and a dream. Over the years, Mossy Pond Retrievers has expanded to its current size of 130 dogs in training and 18 employees. Arington has earned hundreds of master passes and many QAA titles and SRS wins. He’s also placed many dogs on the National Derby List. Mossy Pond Retrievers has a second training and boarding facility located in Marlboro, New York. Mossy Pond Retrievers is an Orvis-Endorsed training facility, and has relationships with Banded and Avery dog products. When not running dogs across the country in four different retriever games and competitions, you’ll find Arington at his Mossy Pond Lodge, filming episodes for The Fowl Life television show, or spending time with his wife Ellen and their four children.

Lee Howard, a native of Pierce County Georgia, is the manager of Mossy Pond Retrievers. Beginning his training career in 2008 with Brad Arington at Mossy Pond, he has seen it grow to a kennel of 130 dogs and multiple trainers. Howard has obtained hundreds of AKC Master passes, large number of Master National Passes as well as several of SRS wins and placements. When not running across the country with a load of dogs Howard has a beautiful family, wife Traci and 2 sons, he enjoys spending time with.

Jeremy Criscoe, owner and founder of Whistling Wings Kennel located in Union Grove Alabama, has been training gun dogs, outdoor adventure companions, and producing the finest imported british labradors for the discerning outdoor enthusiast for over 25 years! After finishing his military Naval career, he chose to follow the generational passion of canine training for the public. He has competed in field trials in the United Kingdom, American AKC Hunt Test and other sanctioned trials. With the family legacy of gundogs and his personal experiences breeding and training over the years, it has produced a proven method for developing family hunting dogs that are sought after throughout the US.