Willie Robertson ’s been knee-deep in filming "Duck Dynasty: The Revival" S2 -- and this time, he’s rolling without his late dad ... which he tells TMZ actually feels fitting, knowing the man himself.

We bumped into Willie Monday in NYC, and he told us straight up -- Phil probably wouldn’t have enjoyed being part of the show anyway ... the dude was never really into the cameras. Alamy

Catch the full clip ... Willie admits it was tough not having Phil there, but says the family takes comfort knowing he’s moved on to his "forever home." Getty

He also gave us an update on Phil’s brother, Si Robertson -- and from the looks of it, the clan’s holding strong after Phil’s passing at 79 back in May ... just months after the family revealed his Alzheimer’s disease battle .

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