I’ve lost track of the number of issues of Greenhead I have helped produce here at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. Memory may be the first casualty of age, but rather than go back and count issues I prefer to dwell on the winning streak of publishing industry awards our duck hunting magazine has put together.
One of the many behind-the-scenes players making Greenhead so successful has been Brent Birch, who in title has served as editor but in reality has been hunting industry expert, institutional memory and all-around go-to guy. Brent’s expertise and contacts within the sport (he knows people who not only hunt but are talented enough to photograph and write about the experience) are invaluable.
For proof you can just read this latest issue, another award-winner in my humble opinion, and take my word that it’s not me but Brent who knows the science behind modern waders or which photographers shoot the best duck dog photos.
And if Greenhead leaves you hungry for more duck hunting literature, and for further proof of Brent’s expertise, you might want to check out The Grand Prairie: The History of Duck Hunting’s Hallowed Ground. Dropping in September, the 350-page book is the brainchild of Brent and Witt Stephens and details the colorful past of Arkansas’ hunting mecca.
With the valued cooperation of the Museum of the Grand Prairie in Stuttgart, Brent has used the resources accumulated in his 40 years of duck hunting experience to pull together the photography and writing talent to make history come to life. Historic photos, some never before seen in print, and the words of the many influential people who helped shape the region, make The Grand Prairie: The History of Duck Hunting’s Hallowed Ground a can’t miss for lore-loving waterfowlers. It is available to order at ArkansasGrandPrairie.com.
The book’s contributing talent includes Dwain Hebda, Greg Churan, John Gordon and Kenneth Keiser, who are Greenhead veterans and some of whom signed up again this year.
In this, the ninth (Brent tells me) annual issue, Hebda nails a pair of profiles on conservationist Jody Pagan and the LaCotts family, which has produced a long line of duck guides and duck club managers. Speaking of duck clubs, Gordon talked to the experts for his tale of the ins and outs of building and managing a club.
Brent pulled together a loving tribute, in the words of those who would know, to the wisdom of fathers who have passed on hunting knowledge to their kids. Brent also breaks down the latest old-is-new-again trends in hunting apparel, and don’t miss his tale about one special gun that just may have mystical properties.
Not so ordinary duck dogs appear in our pages, along with entrepreneurs both traditional and cutting edge, executives sharing tips and stories, a wildly successful shooting program teaching gun safety to young hunters and all the nifty new gear your credit card can handle.
Art director Dean Wheeler is responsible for the eye-pleasing nature of our effort, which includes on the cover an original painting “Gunning the Bottoms” by acclaimed wildlife artist Brett James Smith. Check out his work for sale at BrettSmith.com.
We thank our advertisers, without whom we wouldn’t have a magazine, and we thank all of you hunters and loyal readers, without whom we wouldn’t have an audience.
Good luck and safe and happy hunting this season,
Todd Traub
Managing Editor
