It was a grand celebration of duck hunting the way only Louisiana could do it. Delta Waterfowl’s third-ever Duck Hunters Expo roared to life just before noon Friday, led, of course, by a raucous ensemble of jazz musicians marching in step with a parade of duck dogs whose owners sauntered proudly through the halls of the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Before the French horns and tubas turned over the party to a cacophony of duck and goose calls, Gov. Jeff Landry of the “Sportsman’s Paradise” that is Louisiana anointed the whole weekend, cut the ribbon, and started a non-stop flow of waterfowl hunters into the sold-out exhibition hall and arena. Once inside, Expo-goers discovered more than 200 exhibitors waiting to show off the latest in duck boats, calls, waders, decoys, shotguns, ammo, and anything and everything else you could want to enrich a duck hunter’s lifestyle. And there was no shortage of helpful tips and tactics on three action-filled demonstration stages.
The Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo delivered an exceptional start to the 2024-2025 waterfowl season for 23,167 people who visited Louisiana’s capitol city for the three-day show.
“It was an excellent, fun weekend celebrating all things ducks and duck hunting,” said Brad Heidel, senior director of corporate relations for Delta Waterfowl. “We were confident Louisiana duck hunters would embrace Delta’s Expo—and they sure did. Families and people of all ages showed up to talk about duck hunting, meet industry pros, and see the latest gear. Our exhibitors are happy, and the entire Expo exceeded our expectations.”
On Saturday night, 850 people attended the sold-out Duck Hunters Grand Banquet, highlighted by the offering of special auction items such as a hand-carved decoys, custom duck calls, and the 2024-2025 federal duck stamp carrier art original painting.
“The banquet was a defining moment for Delta,” said Scott Terning, vice president of events for Delta Waterfowl. “There was so much energy in the room with so many Delta volunteers, donors, staff, Board members, Expo sponsors, industry vendors, and die-hard duck hunters. It was a great moment to celebrate together as we’re about to start a new duck season.”
A field of 18 talented duck callers took to the stage for the inaugural Delta Grand National double-reed calling competition. Seth Roussel of Shreveport, Louisiana, emerged as the winner on Saturday, captivating attendees and taking home the title of “Delta Grand National Champion.” The contest was presented by Mack’s Prairie Wings and Drake Waterfowl.
The Delta Waterfowl Callmakers Championship paid homage to the late Sonny Kirkpatrick (1937-2012) of Haynesville, Louisiana. Dozens of artisans entered the tribute-style custom callmaking competition presented by Chene Gear and Treadstone Logistics. Dax Piper of Pinckney, Illinois, was crowned the overall champion and took home the Butch Richenback Cup.
The 2024 Duck Hunters Expo was presented by Federal Premium Ammunition. The Expo’s many attractions included the Duck Dog Stage presented by Eukanuba and Lucky Duck, the Duck Hunters Stage presented by Benelli, Realtree, and Blindspot Outdoors, and the Delta Waterfowl Field-to-Table Stage presented by BOSS Shotshells and First Lite.
“We want to send a big thank you to all of our sponsors and exhibitors—we appreciate you,” Heidel said. “Thanks to all the people who showed up. You made Expo a huge success and a lot of fun.”
Mark your calendars for July 25-27, 2025, when the Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo moves to the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. We’ll see you there!
Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.
For more information, contact Brad Heidel at (651) 403-1772 or bheidel@deltawaterfowl.org.
