EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, September 19, 2019
5-7 PM
BBQ FUNDRAISER FOR THE MUSEUM OF THE ARKANSAS GRAND PRAIRIE
April 11, 2019
3:15 - 4:30
Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie
921 East 4th Street
Stuttgart, Arkansas 72160
Please call (870)673-7001 for more information.
Dr. Wayne Capooth
Dr. Wayne Capooth is the author of the Golden Age of Hunting, Waterfowling America Volumes I - III, and most recently, Arkansas Duck Hunting. He is a highly respected chronicler of the conservation and management of wildlife and habitat. He is a giant among outdoor journalists. His work is a primary source for hunters, conservationists and historians the world over.
Arkansas Duck Hunting tells of everything from the geological impact that shapes the landscape to market hunters to Arkansas's first game warden. It explains the history of the World Champion Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart and the economic effect on the region. The story of duck clubs is examined from the grandeur of Wingmead to the most humble, more rustic accommodations. He documents the fundamental influence that the Grand Prairie and Stuttgart specifically have as the center of the waterfowl industry.
Mike Lewis
Mike Lewis is a premier authority on the art of duck call making. He is the author of "Calling the Wild, the History of Arkansas Duck Calls: A legacy of craftsmanship and rich hunting tradition", a 396 page, 4-1/2 pound book with hundreds of photographs by Lisa Buser, published by Susan Schadt Press, 2017.
He has been a duck hunter since his childhood. He started collecting duck calls in the mid 1990s, focusing on Arkansas made calls. He has around 2,000 Arkansas made calls including examples from the 1890s.
He shares fascinating stories about duck call making and the Arkansas artists who have mastered and elevated the craft. He speaks to the impact these craftsmen have had on the Grand Prairie and specifically to the intrinsic connection to Stuttgart. There are layers of appeal that are universal as he explores the struggles and triumphs of these talented individuals and the virtuosity of their woodworking skills. His razor sharp research renders the telling of these tales with accuracy and insight.
Lewis is an Arkansas native. He is attorney from White Hall. He is the Vice President of Callmakers and Collectors Association of America. He helps the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie maintain and curate their Duck Call Collection.
Brent Birch
Brent Birch is the author of The Grand Prairie, A History of Duck Hunting's Hallowed Ground, a 348 page, full color volume with contributions from four highly respected outdoor journalists and conservationists, released October, 2018. Brent Birch is the editor of Greenhead, the Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine. Greenhead published the ninth annual issue in 2018. He serves on the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Board and is co-founder of the Arkansas Waterfowler Hall of Fame.
Birch explores stories of duck hunts, duck hunters and all things related. His focus on the Grand Prairie and the influence of the area on the direction of the industry is right on target. His knowledge of the subject is boundless as is evidenced in his body of work. A life of experiencing duck season in Crockett's Bluff and the White River Bottoms have shaped and fostered his appreciation of the natural world.
Brent Birch is the Director of the Little Rock Technology Park. In 1989 through 1993, he was a four year letterman on the nationally recognized Razorback baseball team, ending his career in the top ten wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and games started. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.
All Together
Dr. Wayne Capooth, Brent Birch and Mike Lewis are the foremost authorities on duck hunting and the Grand Prairie. All three are equally knowledgeable and all three focus on a different but equally vital part of that story that cannot be separated from the history of the Grand Prairie. Each celebrates the subject with infectious curiosity and enthusiasm. This is a real moment in the sun not to be duplicated.