GHHC Game Hoggs

The Game Hogg Hunt Club was officially established late in the ’06-’07 season with the joining of two die hard groups of waterfowlers from New York and Pennsylvania. Mike Bard (NY) and Dave Rearick (PA) were afforded the opportunity to share a few hunts together through their association with Avery Outdoors® in the fall of 2006 and the friendship they formed brought the larger group together. For years, each group of waterfowlers had been successful as independent groups and individuals, but decided that together they could take their waterfowling to the next level. The club was initially established with five members: Mike Bard (NY), Dave Rearick (PA), Frank Clifton (NY), Erik Nilsson (PA), and Jody Dennison (NY).

Unlike most hunting clubs, there is no club house and leased or club owned managed hunting property. Typically during the waterfowl season, you’ll find the club members hunting together on public waters, their personal property or on farms where they’ve secured permission from the landowner.

The ’07-’08 season was the first full season together for the club and it proved to be very successful. The harvest was excellent, a lot of fun was had, and many members we able to try different hunting techniques. The club also doubled its membership at the conclusion of the season adding six members: Arliss Reed (NY), Dan Bump (PA), Rick Murphy (NY), Matt Loomis (PA), Ron Zega (NY), and Rusty Hallock (MD).

Beyond hunting, the Game Hoggs have taken on a few projects to give a little something back to the great tradition of waterfowling. This website contains several articles, tips, event info, club project information, product reviews and a forum for waterfowlers and turkey hunters.

Mike has been chasing waterfowl since the early 90’s; since 1999, he has committed his hunting efforts exclusively to waterfowl. He travels across the country each season, but spends most of his efforts hunting in the northern part of the Atlantic Flyway. He spends hundreds of hours a season in some kind of blind or boat hunting and even more in his truck scouting. Mike enjoys watching birds "cup up" and slide into the hole he's created for them to land in. Having ducks and geese totally fooled is his favorite part of the hunt, but its the camaraderie of the sport that he loves the most.

Home Town:
    Weedsport, New York
Occupation:
    Budweiser Brewery - Fork Truck Operator
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl plus Retriever Training & Bass Fishing
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Hunting puddle ducks in the marsh from the "Mud Boat"
Credentials/Awards:
    Owner/handler of two QAA retrievers; has won multiple ribbons in retriever competitions
    Winner of multiple Red Man, regional, and local bass fishing tournaments
Nick name:
    Uncle Frank

Frank grew up along the banks of the Seneca River in Central New York hunting and fishing with his brothers. He then moved to Oklahoma and spent his later teenage years into his twenties, where ducks and other game were plentiful. Frank then returned to Central NY, where he now resides with his wife, Arthena, and their daughter Breanne. Frank is a very accomplished bass tournament fisherman and excellent dog trainer. Frank currently trains and competes with his four black labs in AKC field trials as an amateur. Frank has been chasing waterfowl for well over thirty years, making him the most experienced (oldest) of member of the club. Frank is the club’s resident retriever expert and therefore he and his labs are typically responsible for the majority of the waterfowl retrieving that needs to be done.

Home Town:
    Cato, New York
Occupation:
    Budweiser Employee & Farmer
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl and Deer
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Hunting puddle ducks in the marsh from the mud boat he designed and built
Credentials/Awards:
    Has designed and built several boat blinds, a boat, mud motors and other mechanical devices the Game Hoggs use in the field
Nick name:
    Jody or Joe-D

Jody spent his youth on his family’s farm, northwest of Syracuse, hunting deer on their property. Jody met Frank though work, years ago, and Frank converted him into a waterfowler over a decade ago (but he still chases deer during the muzzle loader season). Jody currently resides close to the family farm, where he still helps out when not at his regular job. He and his wife, Heidi, have three children Alex, Amber, and Preston. When he's not too busy being a teenager, Preston, tags along with the Game Hoggs on a few hunts each season.

Through his work on the farm’s machinery, Jody became an excellent mechanic and welder, making him the club’s "MacGyver;” any ideas we come up with or anything we manage to break, Jody builds it or fixes it. To his credit, Jody has built two long tailed mud motors, which we refer to as “Joe Devils”, without using any kit or directions.

Home Town:

Butler,

Pennsylvania
Occupation:
    Engineer for Penn State University
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl and Turkey
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Hunting divers from a layout boat
Credentials/Awards:
    Avery® Pro-Staff and Zink Calls® Pro-Staff
     Freelance Outdoor Writer and Photographer
    PAWHS Founding Member
Nick name:
    Hollywood

David was born and raised in the heart of Western Pa. He was introduced to waterfowl hunting by his father and a group of Waterfowl USA members, his father hunted with. In his early years, he chased mallards and woodies in the local marsh, with an occasional field hunt for honkers. When he turned 16 and got his drivers license, the game was on; No longer did he have to wait for his dad to have a day of from work to head to the marsh. Now everyday after school was spent paddling a canoe and setting a few decoys, just for the last 30 minutes of regulation. Needless to say he was hooked.It took a few years for him to weed out the other outdoor sports, such as archery and hunting big game, but now he solely dedicates his time to chasing waterfowl everywhere, from big water to flooded fields to small creeks and streams. There are occasional relapses, when he chases big game in other states or even countries, but his time afield hunting waterfowl each season quickly makes those times farther and fewer between.

David currently resides in the small town of Butler, PA. He is married to his wonderful wife, Melissa, who has been very passionate about allowing him to spend his time afield chasing birds across the United States. Melissa and David, added their son, Colton, to their family in the spring of 2008. David earned his Bachelor Degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering from the Penn State University. He is also one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Waterfowl Heritage Society and with the help of the other members, annually raises money to fund projects benefitting waterfowl across the state of Pennsylvania.

Home Town:
    Butler, Pennsylvania
Occupation:
    Sherwin Williams Sales Representative
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl and Turkey
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Hunting Canadas in PA cornfields
Credentials/Awards:
   Zink Calls® Pro-Staff
    PAWHS Founding Member
    Established Contest Caller
        Championships:
            2008 Sportsman's Warehouse Pittsburgh, Pa Team "Mixed Bag" Champion
            2008 Sportsman’s Warehouse Pittsburgh, Pa Team Duck
            2008 Cabelas Wheeling WV Open Meat Goose
            2008 Cabelas Wheeling WV Open Meat Duck
            2008 PA Waterfowl Expo Team Goose
            2008 Erie Sports and Travel Expo Open Meat Duck
            2007 Pymatuning Open Meat Duck
            2005 Pymatuning Open Meat Duck
        Runner Ups:
            2008 Sportsman’s Warehouse Pittsburgh, Pa Meat Duck - 3rd Place
            2008 Sportsman’s Warehouse Pittsburgh, Pa Team Goose - 2nd Place
            2008 PA Waterfowl Expo Team Duck - 2nd Place
            2008 PA Waterfowl Expo Team Goose - 2nd Place
            2007 Kings of Crane Creek - 3rd Place
          2007 Sportsman's Warehouse Pittsburgh, PA Open Meat Goose - 4th Place
            2007 Sportsman's Warehouse Pittsburgh, PA Open Meat Duck - 3rd Place
            2005 Pymatuning Open Goose - 3rd Place
Nick name:
    "E" or Easy E.

An avid outdoorsman and sportsman, Erik, was born and raised in the center of Northwestern PA and currently resides in Butler, PA. A devoted husband, Erik and his lovely, very supportive wife, Brenda, have 2 children; a daughter, Alyssa, and a son, Mathew, along with their Yellow Lab “"Gauge".” He began chasing waterfowl in 1985 and ever since it has been the heart of his outdoor passion. Erik enjoys every aspect of waterfowling, but field hunting for Canada Geese is where Erik likes to spend most of his time. If he’s not hunting, he’s scouting, plain and simple. His experience and knowledge of western PA is a key asset to our success there. Erik also strives to have great landowner relationships and many times treat them more like family than friends. Erik graduated from Clarion University in PA in 1990 with a B.S. degree in Business Management. He is an accomplished sporting clays shooter and spends a lot of his off season busting clays.

Home Town:
    Pennellville, New York
Occupation:
    Wildlife Services
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl & Turkey
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Mallards in the back waters
Credentials/Awards:
    Lynch Mob Calls^TMPro-Staff
Nick name:
    Murph

Rick grew up in the Southern Finger Lakes Region of NY, in the small town of Odessa. He cut his teeth gunning blacks, mallards and wood ducks in a lake inlet with his dear old dad. Rick’s first experience with decoying ducks was at age twelve, on the south end of Seneca Lake, where he shot a box of 20-gauge shells to kill his first drake mallard. From that point on, Rick was not only hooked on hunting, he was hooked on quack. Rick hunted ducks through his high school days, before and after school. When he went to college he gained a wealth of knowledge about waterfowl from his professor, Doctor Losito. Knowledge and time in the duck marsh created an addiction that has only increased with time.

Rick formed the Backwater Duck Club, along with Ron Zega, while attending college at SUNY Cobelskill. Since then Rick has been the severe duckaholic of the club. Rick graduated in 2004 from SUNY Cobleskill with a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management. He then went on to North Dakota, where he worked for Delta Waterfowl.

In April 2005, Rick began working for USDA Wildlife Services out of Brewerton, NY. Being the fortunate man that he is, his wife Kim understands during waterfowl widow season, but he can’t seem to get her to pick ducks yet. Rick is also a member of the Lynch Mob® Hangmen Pro-Staff.

Home Town:
    Albany, New York
Occupation:
    Wildlife Services
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Canada Geese anyway he can get them
Credentials/Awards:
    Avery® Pro-Staff & Buck Gardner Calls® Pro-Staff
Nick name:
    Ronny or Zega

Ron is originally from southeastern Pennsylvania, where he spent his juvenile years chasing deer and small game around Bucks County. He wasn’t introduced to waterfowl hunting, until the age of 17, when a friend took him on a goose/duck hunt. That experience in his life changed him forever. While in college at SUNY Cobleskill, he studied wildlife management and met Rick and together they formed the Backwater Duck Club. After college, Ron ventured to the Arctic Circle to work with a colony of Snows, Ross's and White fronted geese.

After college and his internship, Ron has worked in the wildlife field on a variety of projects, including trapping white-tailed deer. He currently works as a wildlife specialist for the USDA. Waterfowl hunting is all he really thinks about. The addiction to waterfowl hunting that drives Ron increases with every hunt. Ron is a member of the Avery Outdoors® and Buck Gardner Game Calls® Pro-Staffs.

Home Town:
    Thresa, New York
Occupation:
    Wildlife Services
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl & Turkey
Favorite Method of Hunting:
   Mallards in the back waters
Credentials/Awards:
   Buck Gardner Calls® Pro-Staff
Nick name:
    Cuz

Arliss was born in western NY and then moved from there to Central NY. When he was 14 he again moved to Northern NY to the small town of Theresa and that is where he calls home. Arliss has been addicted to waterfowl for as long as he can remember, in fact, his first word was "duck" (he swears to this). Arliss started tagging along with his dad and grandfather when he was too young to remember.

Arliss attended college at the SUNY Cobleskill, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management. This is where Arliss crossed paths with Ron Zega and Rick Murphy. They were upper classmen and they took him under their wing. After college, Arliss went to Minnesota for an internship, where he worked for the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources banding over 4700 ducks from July 2006 to Sept. 2006. Arliss has since worked for the New York State Dept of Environmental Conservation where he banded turkeys, USDA, and Ducks Unlimited.

Arliss is the “Scout” of the crew and has an uncanny knack to not only find birds, but get permission to hunt them. He feels to be successful in waterfowl hunting, it doesn't matter how many decoys and expensive calls you have, if you are not where the birds want to be, you aren't going to be successful. Arliss also serves on the Buck Gardner Game Calls® Pro-Staff

- Dan Bump -

Home Town:
    Corry, PA
Occupation:
    Tool & Die Maker with Associated Spring
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Geese and Turkeys
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Hunting Canadas In a field, and Cutting and running for Long Beards
Credentials/Awards:

Turkey

Contest Calling
        Championships:
            2007 Primos.com Cabin Chat Turkey Contest
        Runner Ups:
            2008 Youngsville Cornfest Amature Turkey Calling Contest - 2nd place
            2008 Primos.com Cabin Chat Turkey Contest- 2nd place
            2007 Erie Sports and Travel Expo Sanctioned Turkey - 3rd place
Nick name:
    Bump or Deucebump

Dan was born and raised in Parker, PA, where he grew up living next to state game lands and spent a lot of time in the woods, tagging along with his dad or great uncle, well before he was old enough to hunt. At age 12, Dan started hunting deer with his dad and later turkeys with his school buddies. After high school, Dan went to work full time and with sports no longer occupying most of his free time, his love for the outdoors quickly exploded; becoming an avid archer and turkey hunter.

Dan started his tooling apprenticeship straight out of high school at Penn United Technologies. In 2002 a new job forced him to move to NW PA to the town of Corry. Here he met his lovely wife Amanda and step son Tyler, who is quickly becoming a waterfowl junky as well.

While working part time in a sporting goods store, in 2000, he met Dave Rearick who introduced him to waterfowl hunting. Since Dan has been had the waterfowl bug and has become a very experienced goose hunter in particular. Each fall Dan also takes some time to hunt the high country of the Rocky Mountains and passionately chases turkeys all across the country each spring.

- Matt Loomis –

Home Town:
    Warren, PA
Occupation:
    Construction/Mason
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Canadas & Mallards in a corn field
Credentials/Awards:
    2005 Ohio SYC Shootout Champion (Team Captain)
   2006 Ohio SYC Shootout Champion (Team Captain)
   Lynch Mob Calls^TMPro-Staff
Nick name:
    Dago

Matt grew up and has spent his entire life in Warren, PA. He started his outdoor life by following his dad and his dad’s buddies chasing rabbits and pheasants with beagles. When Matt was 7, he started shooting trap and skeet. To this day he still loves smashing clays and spends a lot of time in the off season doing just that.

Matt started duck hunting in the 1998 season by floating a local creek in a jon boat shooting mallards and wood ducks. Then, he dad his dad, made two dozen plywood goose silos and it has been on ever since. Matt specializes in field goose hunting and has trouble being pulled away from a goose field.

In 2006, Matt met his loving and very understanding wife, Erin and her two daughter's Brooklynn and Alexandria. Along with his son, Hunter and Matt and Erin’s newest addition, their son Connor, he has a pretty busy family life too. Erin still understands Matt’s love for waterfowl and supports his hunting addiction.

Home Town:
    Centreville, Maryland
Occupation:
    Lieutenant in the Anne Arundel County Fire Department
Areas of Hunting Expertise:
    Waterfowl
Favorite Method of Hunting:
    Field Hunting Canada’s and Big Water Diver’s
Credentials/Awards:
    Avery Flyway Manager
    Zink Calls Z-Unit
    Freelance Writer
    Blue Ribbon Decoy Carver
    Established Contest Caller
        Championships:
            2008 New Jersey Open Goose
            2008 Queen Anne’s County Open Meat Duck
            2007 Barnegat Bay Team Duck
            2006 Barnegat Open Meat Duck
            2006 New Jersey Open Goose
            2005 New Jersey Open Goose
        Runner Ups:
            14 top 5 Finishes
Nick name:
    Tiny

Rusty was born in the small town of Shady Side, Maryland. Shady Side is located on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and this offered Rusty the opportunity to be exposed to Waterfowling at a very young age as he followed in his father’s footsteps. Rusty was able to tag along duck hunting duck hunting the shores of the Chesapeake and the fields of the Eastern Shore throughout his childhood.

In 1993, Rusty married his wife, Hope, and moved to the town of Centreville, Maryland in the heart of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Rusty still resides in Centreville with his wife and two daughters; Catherine and Anna. He has hunted waterfowl across the United States and in Canada. Even though Rusty has been fortunate enough to hunt in a lot of different parts of the country, hunting Canada geese in a cut corn field on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is still his passion. Besides finding Rusty in the fields chasing Canada Geese, you can also find him in any number of hunting stores through out Maryland sharing his passion for hunting with both novice and expert waterfowlers through the many seminars and show appearances he does.

A Few of the Crew at the 2008 Banding BBQ..