Angie Stephens
Chief Financial Officer, RNT Calls Inc.
Number of days you hunt a season: 32
Where do you hunt? Arkansas County
Club name: Two Bayous
What kind of gun do you use? Winchester 20 GA
Favorite duck call? Timber NV or any Short Barrel
Preferred wader: camo or solids? Drake Waterfowl Breathable Waders Solid
What got you into duck hunting? I have always gone with John and the children but never considered myself a hunter or took a gun. When COVID came in 2020 I realized that we would not have guests hunting with us that duck season, so I took that opportunity to get my hunters education card and started hunting with John, my brother-in-law Heath and my son Reece.
What’s your go-to duck hunting story? One of my favorite stories is about our dog Rowdy. John had gone to get the boat and I think Reece (my son) was asleep in the blind so it left Heath (my brother-in-law) and me as shooters. Heath called the shot and we both killed a few birds (me — probably just one) but Rowdy never jumped off his stand because neither of us thought to call him. John is in charge of Rowdy, and he was getting the boat. I think if Reece had been awake, he would have called him to get the ducks. We just sat there and so did Rowdy. Finally Heath asked why Rowdy had not gone after the birds. I yelled “Rowdy” and he jumped in and got the ducks. Rowdy was only two at this point, and when I told his trainer Tim about the hunt he was so proud of Rowdy for not breaking with John out of the blind.
Favorite meal after a hunt? If I had someone cooking our breakfast, I would answer fried eggs, bacon and toast; however because I am the cook, most meals after the hunt are breakfast casseroles because that is the quickest to prepare when you are also hunting (made the night before).
What’s your favorite memory of hunting with your children? Our son has always hunted, and by the age of 12 I would say “he was taking me” not “me taking him.” Our daughter has never enjoyed the early hour and the cold temperatures. She will go once in a while, and of course if we also take her friends. Now she lives in New York and isn’t home long enough to add a duck hunt into her visit.
Which Arkansas executive calls ducks the best? I don’t think anyone I would hunt with can call as well as my husband. When I started hunting with my husband, my brother-in-law and my son, I noticed that when it is just us four, John doesn’t call as much as Heath or Reece. I wish everyone could hear from the blind what I hear. The three of them on duck calls sound like ducks in nature.
