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Brad doesn’t usually run duck hunts. His focus is elsewhere. But because I’ve worked extensively alongside him, helping bring the excitement and joy of offshore fishing to life through his charter, Moana Sportfishing, he made the call to make this a special occasion—to put me in the woods and get me my first official duck.

There’s wild-game cooking… and then there’s the kind of meal that disappears so fast your buddies start guarding the skillet like a fresh kill. That’s exactly what happened when I made this cast-iron venison shepherd’s pie. I brought it over to a friend’s house, and they straight-up claimed the pan and the leftovers. It’s hearty, no-nonsense, and built for cold-weather evenings after long hours in the woods. This one hits like real comfort food — rich venison, a deep red-wine

I’ve spent plenty of time offshore chasing marlin, tuna, and mahi with Brad Ward of Moana Sportfishing, but this trip was a different kind of wild. Instead of rolling seas and screaming reels, we were deep in Bertie County, North Carolina, surrounded by quiet woods and the faint sound of wind cutting through the pines. Same guy beside me, same drive to do things right—just a new arena.