Feather in the Cap

A new film by onX Hunt and RC Cone’s Tributaries Digital Cinema.

Matt Seidel and Wade Shoemaker may be from opposite ends of the universe, but they have one thing in common—neither has hunted the waterfowler’s Shangri-La that is California’s Pacific Flyway. Watch as they discover why the wildlife refuges like those that support the flyway are the feather in our nation’s conservation cap.

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For many, the pursuit of ducks becomes an all-consuming obsession. On any given morning during Louisiana’s waterfowl season, you’re likely to hear the roar of mud motors as countless duck boats rocket through the swamps to stake a claim on a prime piece of real estate. Standing out even among the obsessed is onX Pro Staffer Wade Shoemaker, one of the most passionate and capable waterfowl hunters we know.

Watch Feather in the Cap, our new short film that explores waterfowl, wildlife refuges and the fashion trend that nearly ruined it all.

While Wade has made a name for himself in the South’s flooded timber, he has long dreamed of plying his trade on the wildlife refuges of the Pacific Flyway, an avian migration route that extends from Alaska to Patagonia. After a few phone calls to onX Hunt Product Owner Matt Seidel and Tributaries’ RC Cone, a plan came together. The result is Feather in the Cap, a short film that chronicles the trip using America’s millinery trade as a backdrop for the conservation story of our wildlife refuge system.

Christian Fichtel

Raised in North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains, Christian Fichtel now resides in rural Montana. He is a father, writer, hunter, and fly fisherman.