Garrett Derr Photography

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Garrett Derr Photography Waterfowl & Outdoor Photographer
Hunting • Wildlife • Outdoor Stories
📍 Missouri | Photography for brands, publications, and hunters.

Prints + Portfolio ⬇️
www.garrettderrphotography.com Wildlife and Landscape photographer. I enjoy traveling all over the country and world in search of the next breathtaking moment to capture God's creation.

Just a crisp, cold, foggy fall morning with the King of the Meadow!Wish I could have gotten closer, but if life gives yo...
10/07/2026

Just a crisp, cold, foggy fall morning with the King of the Meadow!

Wish I could have gotten closer, but if life gives you lemons, you gotta make lemonade!

Enjoy!

bullelk

Flying high. Dropping low. 😂💩I’ve always wanted to get a Gadwall on the cover of a magazine. I’m just not sure that any ...
09/30/2026

Flying high. Dropping low. 😂💩

I’ve always wanted to get a Gadwall on the cover of a magazine. I’m just not sure that any editors will agree with this being that shot.

Fun fact: birds don’t have a bladder, so when nature calls, bombs away!!!

If we want more ducks, we need more places for ducks to raise them.It really is that simple.Duck populations depend on s...
09/29/2026

If we want more ducks, we need more places for ducks to raise them.

It really is that simple.

Duck populations depend on successful reproduction year after year. And successful reproduction starts with good nesting habitat.

Wetlands provide the places ducks need to nest, raise broods, and give ducklings a chance to survive. Grasslands near the wetlands are just as important.

When we lose that habitat, we lose the places ducks need to produce the next generation. Conservation isn’t just about protecting the ducks we have today. It’s about making sure there are enough healthy places for ducks to thrive tomorrow.

More habitat. More production. More ducks.

That’s conservation.

Final approach.There’s just something about a greenhead feet down and coming in hot. Moments like this just never get ol...
09/24/2026

Final approach.

There’s just something about a greenhead feet down and coming in hot. Moments like this just never get old! I’ve seen it a million times and it still makes me giddy!

Its one of those moments you can photograph a hundred times and still get excited when everything comes together.

Sometimes perseverance pays off.Last spring I spent the entire day photographing the spring migration in what I would co...
09/21/2026

Sometimes perseverance pays off.

Last spring I spent the entire day photographing the spring migration in what I would consider horrible photography conditions. Harsh light, darkening overcast skies, changing winds, and a whole lot of moving around trying to find the right spot. Honestly, it had been a bit of a struggle.

That evening, I made one last-ditch effort before losing the good evening light. There wasn’t much cover, so I built a makeshift hide out of some cut weeds and marsh grass, threw on my ghillie suit and gave it a go.

It wasn’t long before I started having some success. Several birds read the script and I was starting to salvage the day with several good series in a row. Little did I know the day was about to become spectacular.

A single Pintail Drake started to set up. He dropped right into the decoys so I dumped the shutter, and as fast as he arrived, he vanished into the sunset behind me.

I knew I had captured a great series of images, but little did I know there was a band on his leg. It wasn’t until I started reviewing the images on my camera that I saw the band.

I was so excited that I packed up and headed home eager to see these images on the computer. Of course, you never really know what you have until you get them on the big screen.

I don’t see many bands on wild birds around home. Most of the time they’re birds that have traveled a long distance from wherever they were originally banded. Finding one here has always felt a little like finding a needle in a haystack.

This one appeared to be an older, mature bird with a pretty worn-looking band. Unfortunately, it was worn so much I couldn’t read the numbers. I would have loved to know this bird’s history!

This is the first truly excellent image I’ve ever captured of a banded duck, and I couldn’t be happier that it was a Pintail Drake.

Moral of the story is sometimes the days that fight you the hardest end up giving you the greatest reward.

What’s your favorite band memory while out in the marsh? Let me know down below in the comments!

Are we doing enough for the ducks?I’ve been thinking about this a lot since the 2026 breeding population numbers came ou...
09/17/2026

Are we doing enough for the ducks?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since the 2026 breeding population numbers came out. Mallards are down 11% from last year and 26% below the long-term average. Northern pintails are down 11% from last year and sitting 48% below their long-term average. And yet we’re talking about hunting seasons, bag limits and how many birds we’re going to be able to put in the truck this fall.

I’m not against hunting. Hell, I’m a waterfowl hunter and I love everything about it. But I think we’re sometimes too focused on the back end of the equation: How many ducks can we harvest?

Maybe we need to spend more time asking: How many ducks can we produce?

The Prairie Pothole Region is the engine room for an incredible amount of our continent’s waterfowl production. If we’re losing breeding habitat, losing wetlands, or simply not creating enough quality habitat to consistently produce ducks, eventually there’s only so much regulation can do.

And I don’t think this is as simple as “farmers vs. ducks,” either. Farmers need to make a living and hunters want healthy duck populations with quality seasons. Conservation organizations need the resources to put habitat on the ground and the agencies need good science to manage the resource. There has to be a way to make all of those things work together.

Maybe the question we should be asking isn’t: How many ducks can we shoot?

Maybe it’s: What do we need to do to make sure there are more ducks to hunt 20, 30 and 50 years from now?

I’d genuinely like to hear what you think. Are we doing enough for waterfowl habitat right now—or do we need to be doing considerably more?

I did my part to better waterfowl habitat! Have you?I’ve always purchased an extra but this year thanks to the guys at T...
09/16/2026

I did my part to better waterfowl habitat! Have you?

I’ve always purchased an extra but this year thanks to the guys at The Standard Sportsman Podcast and their movement I got to thinking. I really should probably be doing more. So, on top of my digital stamp I picked up 3 extra.

98¢ of every $1 goes to waterfowl habitat. As hunters, waterfowl photographers, and lovers of ducks in general we should do everything we can to help them along.

I did and I challenge you to do the same!

For more information on this movement check out www.buytwoduckstamps.com

One of my favorite Canvasback drake shots I’ve ever taken.There’s just something about a mature Canvasback in good light...
09/16/2026

One of my favorite Canvasback drake shots I’ve ever taken.

There’s just something about a mature Canvasback in good light. That red eye, the black chest, white belly, warm chestnut head—and then catching him coming straight at the camera with the wings and feet down.

This is one I’ll never get tired of looking at.

Canvasbacks have to be one of the best-looking divers out there.

What’s your favorite diving duck?

Not every duck has to be flashy to be beautiful.Gadwalls are easy to overlook.They don’t have the colors of a Wood Duck ...
09/14/2026

Not every duck has to be flashy to be beautiful.

Gadwalls are easy to overlook.

They don’t have the colors of a Wood Duck or the unmistakable profile of a Pintail. But get one in the right light — especially with a little winter weather thrown in — and those subtle details start to show.

The intricate barring, the contrast in the plumage, and that dark rear end on the drake make Gadwalls one of those birds that gets better the longer you look at them.

This pair was sitting on the water while the snow started coming down, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

What species do you think gets overlooked the most by waterfowl hunters and photographers?

I’m a hunter, outdoorsman, and photographer with a passion for chasing wild places and capturing the moments that most p...
09/07/2026

I’m a hunter, outdoorsman, and photographer with a passion for chasing wild places and capturing the moments that most people never get to see.

For me, it’s not just about the hunt or the photograph. It’s about the early mornings, changing weather, long days in the field, the anticipation before first light, and the stories that come with being outside.

Through my photography and time in the outdoors, I’m focused on documenting wildlife, waterfowl, hunting, and the people who live for it—authentically and without losing sight of what makes these experiences worth chasing in the first place.

I’m here to share what I learn, the places I go, the wildlife I encounter, and the moments worth remembering.

Chase the experience. Capture the moment. Leave it better than you found it.

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Oregon, MO
64473

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+18167522628

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