About US

About Blackwater Outfitters

Blackwater Oufitters is a premier waterfowl hunting outfitter in Southeast Missouri & Northeast Arkansas. We offer affordable guided hunt packages, lodging for the self-guided hunters, storage rentals for ATVs & hunting gear, as well as 12 camper hook ups.

Our mission is to offer our clients a first class hunting experience at an affordable price.

Meet The Team

Dowling Armstrong

OWNER
Dowling started his duck hunting career chasing woodies in South Georgia when he was in middle school. He fell in love with duck hunting at an early age. Dowling says he remembers his first wood duck hunt when he was 13 and he didn’t even know he needed waders! Dowling says, “We got to the swamp and I walked out in bibs and Georgia boots in 36 degree weather with water up to my chest. I might have froze but I fell in love that morning shooting wood ducks in the timber.” He then moved to Nashville and started running a club in west Tennessee then it soon moved to Arkansas and then down to Mississippi before finally settling in the bootheel which is now where he calls home. Dowling has an impressive guiding career and has been guiding for close to 6 years now. He has hunted and guided from Alaska down to Canada in Saskatchewan and all the way back to the wintering grounds in the Mississippi flyway delta. He has a strong passion for all aspects of waterfowl hunting. From the off season prep, the grind of scouting and finding feeds, all the way to the second you get to see all your hard work and planning pay off. Dowling especially enjoys working his dogs and watching them do what they love. He even trained our top dog, Gunner. He says his favorite time of year is when duck season starts and then he suffers a massive depression when the snow geese finally leave. Dowling says, “I love the sport and hope to offer an affordable opportunity to hunt with down to earth guides on some exceptional ground.” When Dowling & Olivia met they spent most of their time hunting for whatever season was in or taking others hunting. They both love seeing others succeed in the outdoors which is why they started Blackwater Outfitter.

Olivia Armstrong

OWNER | LODGE OPERATIONS
Olivia is 25 years old & originally from southeast Michigan. She started whitetail & turkey hunting when she was 15 years old. After college she moved to middle TN where her extended family lives & met Dowling while turkey hunting with mutual friends. Whitetail hunting is Olivia's passion & she only experienced waterfowl hunting a handful of times in MI. She was exposed to the flyway from Dowling & trips she took with her friends. When Olivia isn't hunting or managing the lodge operations she spends her time giving lessons, barrel racing, roping & mounted shooting on her horses. Dowling and Olivia have so much passion for teaching others about what they love. Opening Blackwater Outfitter was a no brainer.

Jake Newby

HEAD GUIDE
Jake was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and currently lives there in the off season. He has been hunting his entire life. Jake went on his first duck hunt when he was 6 in the rice fields of Arkansas and he hasn’t missed a duck season since. Previously, Jake guided in West TN, Kansas, and Arkansas and is going on his 4th season as a guide. Jake will be heading to Alberta this fall and back down to Missouri with us. He says, “my favorite birds to chase are dry field mallards but killin em in the trees ain’t bad either!” Him and his dog Cedar are a great duo and Jake makes a mean breakfast in the pit. We are grateful to have him on our team and can’t wait to see him kill it this season!

Matthew Kelley

GUIDE
Matthew was born and raised in Searcy, Arkansas and he lives there during the off season. He has hunted his entire life for as long as he can remember. Matthew grew up hunting in the flooded timber but he still loves to field hunt to see a different side of things. He is a package deal with his dog River who is 2 years old and who he trained himself. River is his right hand no matter if they are hunting duck, dove, goose, or driving to New Mexico to kill quail! We are so excited to have Matthew as part of our team. Come meet him along with the rest of our crew at the Delta Waterfowl Expo this weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas!

Chad Austin

GUIDE
Chad is 29 years old and he works full time as an Advanced emergency medical technician in Williamson county, Tennessee. He is originally from Florida but he moved to middle TN at the age of 13. Chad has grown up in the outdoors from fishing every weekend in the Everglades to now guiding for us! In his early 20s he started duck hunting everywhere from louisana, Mississippi, Arkansas, SEMO, west TN all the way up to North Dakota where he found his love and dedication for chasing waterfowl. Chad has done it avidly for the last 7 years. He can honestly say that he feels like the 4am cold and wet mornings will never get old to him. He also has a 6 month old British lab named Sage who will be ready to go by the start of this duck season! We are so happy to have Chad join our team this year.

Justin Walker

GUIDE
Justin was born in Mississippi and grew up in South Georgia where he lives in the off season. He has hunted his whole life and started waterfowl hunting at the age of 12. Justin chased diver ducks all around the southern states while in college and even a few years after college as well. He has been hunting in Missouri for 4 years and this will be his 2nd year guiding in Missouri. Justin kept our lodge running last season! He says, “Ducks are fun to shoot, but when the specks start crawling to the dekes, it’s a sight to see.” We love having Justin on our team. He’s always coming up with great ideas for Blackwater and a huge asset to our team! Contact us to book a hunt with Justin.

Noah Vaugn

GUIDE
My name is Noah Vaughn. I am 23 years old. I work full time as a telecommunications lineman in milledgeville ga. I was born and raised in middle Georgia. I am a first generation hunter. I know what I know now from trial and error and being in the field on any day I can and in any weather conditions. I found waterfowl hunting when I was able to drive at the age of 16 and it has been a drug to me ever since. I’ve chased woodies and honkers in Georgia, sea ducks in the panhandle of Florida, green heads in the fields of Missouri. My personality and enthusiasm will make any good day of hunting a great one. I can’t wait to share my passion for waterfowl with others all across the country.

Hunter Vogel

GUIDE
Hunter says he came out of the womb hunting and fishing. He loves chasing deer, turkeys, or anything that walks. But his real love is killing ducks in the woods and catching crappie! He eats, sleeps, and breathes duck hunting. Hunter hopes to help out our clients get on as many birds as he can. Hunter is originally from Collierville, Tennessee and now he resides in Manila, Arkansas. He’s chased ducks from Arkansas all the way to the Florida panhandle with his yella dog and best friend, Beaux. We’re so excited to have this addition to the team!

Maddie Kovach

BOOKING | MARKETING | BRAND SPONSORSHIPS
Maddie is originally from Ohio and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a self taught hunter and developed the passion for hunting completely herself when she was 22 years old. Through learning how to prepare and cook wild game and posting recipes on social media she got her first job in the kitchen at an outfitter. She has written and published two wild game cookbooks. Through cooking at outfitters, she learned the guiding side of the business and has been guiding all over for about 6 years. She has guided and worked many different jobs at outfitters in Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas, West Virginia, and now Missouri. Her passion for running a clean, safe, and honest operation led Maddie to found Blackwater Outiftters with Dowling and Olivia. Maddie handles all the marketing and social media for Blackwater as well as all the booking and brand sponsorships for the guide service. In her free time she enjoys working out, cooking, trying new restaurants and riding horses. She enjoys goose hunting and would probably pick that over duck hunting any day!