Ducks Unlimited’s “The Golden Mile” explores a unique relationship between two friends who hunt the wetlands and uplands of Nebraska and share a passion for conservation.

Ryan Brentzel and Jordan Leasure met in high school and bonded through their shared love of hunting and fishing. After school, they both joined the Marines, went their separate ways and have now reunited back home in Nebraska. Their rekindled friendship is strengthened by shared experiences and passions.

“In the Marines, you’re surrounded by these people you can depend on through any situation,” said Brentzel. “And you get out, and that’s one of the biggest things that you miss—that brotherhood. I know with Jordan, anything I could ask, he’s going to be there, and vice versa. And getting to share that experience in the field, that brings that sense of brotherhood back.”

“When you’re in [the Marines] … you grow to not just be friends, not just be acquaintances, but you really are brothers,” said Leasure. “You learn that you can count on those guys for absolutely anything. The friendship I have with Ryan is exactly that.”

Both friends are also committed to giving back to the resource through Ducks Unlimited.

“Ducks Unlimited means a lot to me,” said Brentzel. “I value the conservation aspect. It’s not just the ducks that are benefitting. The upland birds are benefitting, the mule deer, the whitetail deer, just the whole ecosystem is what benefits.”