Mallard Bay

Brenden Gallagher for SPLIT REED

When you think of a guided hunt, what comes to mind? Private land, huge flocks of birds, luxurious lodges? Maybe so, however, I’m guessing that you didn’t think of the tedious calendars, open booking slots, cancellations, or lodge upkeep that most outfitters deal with year-round. To that same accord, you likely didn’t have any visions of unanswered phone calls, unresponsive emails, or unappealing accommodations that can often plague hunters searching for their next guided trip.

As many of you are well aware, there are countless fishing and hunting opportunities across the U.S, Canada, and Mexico for a whole host of different species in a wide variety of locations. What may be less apparent though, is the immense headache that comes from both the outfitter and outdoor person’s perspective, when trying to list, research, book or accommodate guided hunting and fishing trips. At Split Reed, our team has alleviated some of this headache by only offering hand-selected and trusted waterfowl outfitters and by offering detailed breakdowns of each outfitter and experience. But what about everything else? What if you’re looking for your next guided fishing trip? Or your next guided deer hunt? What if you want to hunt/fish in a different state? What if you’re an outfitter or charter looking to fill last-minute cancellation dates? Enter Mallard Bay.

Mallard Bay has quickly become one of the easiest and most streamlined systems for outfitters and outdoors people alike, looking to book hunting and fishing trips across the country. They’re known as the “Air BnB” of guided outdoor trips and since their journey began, they’ve connected with outfitters and charters in nearly every state and have even made their way into Canada and abroad. Mallard Bay Founder and President Logan Meaux remember fondly his first guided hunting experience with his father, “I can still remember being pulled out of bed and stuffed into oversized hunting clothes, barely having time to rub the sleep out of my eyes. Once the sun rose and the first volley of shots had rung out, I was hooked”. Logan and his father had made a tradition of enjoying guided hunts together all across the country, after years of enjoying these hunts with his father the time came when Logan had decided to surprise him with a guided hunt, an early birthday present, and something he knew his father would be excited for. However, the picturesque image of father and son bonding over a hunt was quickly met with an antiquated booking process and an experience that left Logan with more frustration than memories. After browsing conflicting reviews across social media, and looking through outdated outfitter websites, Logan eventually found an outfitter to book with. What was supposed to be three days of hunting with a small group, quickly turned into one day with thirteen other hunters. Not a single shot was fired that day. Disappointed with the overall experience and lack of communication regarding the hunt, Logan set out to find a solution to this problem, and over the course of six months, he interviewed over 500 sportsmen and women, ultimately finding that similar issues plagued those looking to book guided outdoor trips. Inconsistent information, the lack of secure payment methods, and the distrust of those that had been let down in similar situations seemed prevalent across the country and throughout the guiding industry. Luckily for Logan, and the idea that would soon become Mallard Bay, he had prior experience in business design and tech, coming fresh off the development process of a successful food delivery service app his father had created. Logan knew from this that there was a way to take his ideas and turn them into a usable platform. On top of this Logan and his father had started a waterfowl outfit of their own. Constantly haggling with people over the phone and by email about dates, prices, and availability, they gained insight into the outfitter’s perspective on just how outdated the entire process of booking really was. The thought to streamline the booking system soon became a plan to build an all-encompassing booking solution to allow sportsmen and women to browse trips by species and state while at the same time providing outfitters and charters the tools to manage everything in one place.

Joel Moreau, now co-founder, like Logan grew up hunting with his father. Although his upbringing in hunting did not include guided hunts, his passion for the outdoors was still unwavering. Joel’s uncle and godfather did, however, own an exotic ranch in Texas, a place he had spent a considerable amount of time helping with operations. Eventually, Joel was invited on his first guided waterfowl hunt in south Louisiana on a small waterway called Mallard Bay, coincidentally the same body of water that Logan’s waterfowl outfit was located on and where the company would later receive its name. However, unlike Logan’s first guided hunt, Joel’s trip was nothing short of incredible and he realized the value and personability that outfitters can bring to the hunting experience. In an almost parallel fashion, similar issues had arisen in Joel’s mind about the outdated booking process and fatigue that comes from the outfitter’s perspective, especially when it comes to booking exotic and big game hunts. Whether it was by chance or not, not only did Joel and Logan waterfowl hunt in similar areas, they went to the same college. After realizing they had similar issues in mind, the two set out to develop their ideas and solutions further. They began fundraising, developing a beta platform, and gaining attention from the local community in Louisiana after pitching at the LSU Venture Challenge. At this time they brought on Co-Founder Wyatt Mallett, a lifelong friend of Logan’s, and another Mallard Bay local hunter. With his experience in sales and business development, Wyatt helped solidify the team and Mallard Bay began to expand and build out its network of outfitters.

The big-ticket item on all your minds I’m sure is, what exactly does Mallard Bay do? “Mallard Bay is a marketplace for sportsmen and women to browse and book guided hunting and fishing trips with verified outfitters across the country. It also provides the backend tools to help outfitters and charters manage their availability, showcase their listings, edit their descriptions, and accept payments all in one place. It’s a place for those who no longer wish to experience the antiquated booking process, having to call, email, haggle about trip details, and send a check in the mail to someone they’ve never met. Our goal is to simplify the booking process so outfitters and sportsmen and women can focus more on the experience and spend more time in the field “ -Co-Founder Joel Moreau. Mallard Bay officially launched in November of 2021 and has listings with over 100 outfitters across the country in 28 states and in five different countries, offering a variety of huntable and fishable species. From flooded timber mallards and monster eastern whitetails to Alaska halibut and tuna off the east coast, they’ve got a species and trip for just about everyone.

For those of you who find yourself leaning towards the waterfowl side of things, as I do, Mallard Bay offers the full gambit of waterfowl hunting experiences. Whether you’re looking for cranes in Texas, flooded timber mallards in Arkansas, sea ducks in Alaska, or chasing the fall and spring snow geese across the entire migration flyway, Mallard Bay offers a variety of locations and outfitters to those looking for their next guided trip. Currently, their service is offered on their website, but word is a mobile app is coming by the end of the year.

For more information on how Mallard Bay can help you find your next guided trip or for more information about their outfitter and charter program head over to their website at MallardBay.com.