Upland Nation

Pro bird dog trainer on new book, steadiness, how dogs think, puppy development ... and chukar hunting tips

Pro trainer, chukar hunter, and author ... George DeCosta Jr. is also a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon fanatic. We'll talk puppy development, go to school on steadying a dog (hint: long before he encounters birds), and get a few chukar hunting tips too. George suggests some essential training gear and what he carries in his hunting vest that we should too.
George's new book Tips and Tales covers just about everything you need to train a versatile dog, some hunting stories and a ton of wisdom. We'll go page by page through some of the stuff you are probably working on right now.
Listeners tell us where their dog sleeps on a hunting trip, and the Handle It segment offers a DIY project that will steady your dog when a checkcord is impractical.
And it's all brought to you by:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunting’s newest target game ... an epic hunt: one state, 7 species ... find grouse here - or there

We're getting ready for Opening Day with a big, steaming pile of useful information. First, listeners' advice on reinforcing the "whoa" command, then we shoot a new target game that simulates wild birds and is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Dave Fiedler and Dan Pesznecker are at Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, where we talk about Helice (that's a Helice target in the photo).
Kevin McGlaughlin takes us on his recent epic hunt to Montana, where he shot seven species of upland birds ... who knew there were chukars in Montana? In our "Road Trip" segment I'll share some starting points for first-time grouse hunters in the Northeast, then it's up to you.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Labor of love: training bird dogs for their forever homes, industry insights from HIVIZ on shooting and tech

Problem dogs and better shooting ... can you relate? This week we go back inside the industry, actually two industries: Renee Hernandez and Trevor Young of HIVIZ Sights talk about the company's founding (to help shotgunners), its recent move to Wyoming, and what's new in technology. We get some shooting help and a hint of new products coming down the pike.
Then Mike Mapes shares his vision for a place where gun dogs can go to prepare for their forever home. Second Chance Bird Dogs trains them for hunting homes and new owners, a labor of love for Mike and now a thriving operation. Learn from him how to cope with sticking points in your own dog's behavior, from heeling to steadiness, and more generally what traits we can seize on to become better trainers and dog owners.
And listeners contribute their beliefs - and more than a few laughs - at the "right" way to shoot ... pull-through, instinctive, sustained lead or poke and hope.
And it's all brought to you by:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunter/shooting instructor takes us to school on ruffed grouse, better shooting, his new book

Buying a used gun, shooting grouse, gun fit, and why we're always missing ... instructor/clinician/fitter and fine gun dealer Bryan Bilinski can now add author to his resume'. The proprietor of FieldSport Ltd. has 35 years of experience messing with guns, dogs, and birds, and teaches hundreds of hunters to shoot better every year in his wingshooting workshops.
We'll get an early peek at his new book: Wingshooting The Art & Science. Then we'll work step-by-step through a few tough grouse shots, hunting strategies and tactics, learn how to practice shooting the right way, and find out what the biggest warning signs are when buying a used shotgun.
"Road Trip" this week goes to Wyoming for Huns and chukars, and listeners chime in with the pro's and cons of paper maps in the digital age.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Chukar and quail hunting, product design, industry insights ... and how you feel about trash!

Bird hunting industry insider, product designer and passionate hunter Matt Davis offers tips on chukar and Mearn's quail hunting from habitat to strategy, tactics to hints. He then outlines the thought behind his flagship product, the Final Rise strap vest, innovations and features. We learn about new products from the company as well.
"Handle It" covers less-common forms of praise you might want to use in the field, and boy, do listeners have something to say about finding empty hulls in the field!
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.
 

Pro trainer: why a pen is your best training tool, and use a femur bone to teach retrieving

Pro spaniel trainer Todd Agnew of Craney Hill Kennels answers questions about cockers and Springers, Labs, and puppy training. We do a deep dive into how dogs think and why we ought to think about that, a foundation for retrieving training, and how to break commands into manageable pieces and why. In addition to a few hunting tips, he'll outline the most important aspects of a habitat for finding birds. Todd outlines how to build a relationship with your dog - and why it is the critical first factor in training, and how a cow's femur bone is critical to retrieving training.
"Road Trip" helps get your s*#t together in the truck, and listeners chime in on their favorite post-hunt libations.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Chukars, pups, steadiness and retrieving - pro shares insider tips

Jeff Funke of Three Devils Kennel is my friend, breeder of my last three wires, avid chukar hunter, trainer and hunt test judge. His wisdom runs broad and deep, and we'll cover as much as we can in an hour. We'll talk training retrieves and steadiness, how genetics should guide a puppy purchase or breeding program, best conditioning activities for a bird dog, and of course, chukar hunting strategies and tactics. We'll even get a blow-by-blow of Jeff's recent Arizona Mearn's quail hunt.
"Road Trip" focuses on keeping your dog well-fed on long hunts with a few tricks to get him to eat, and listeners share the photos that define "why they hunt."
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunter & shotgun coach’s tutorials on crossers, low flyers and sight picture, what you wear and the paws that refreshes

If you don't bag more birds this season as a result of his teaching, you might wanna take up golf. Don Currie is a bird hunter, head instructor for the National Sporting Clays Association, author, DVD producer, gun fitter and shooting coach. His insights into everything from shooting stance, to mount, to sight picture are gold. We focus on the bird-hunting side of shotgunning, and get taken to school on the right way to focus on the target and why (nope, not why you think), determining cross-dominance, plus tutorials on crossing and low-flying birds. And why the heck are we talking about Maglites and mobile phones?
"Handle It" focuses on your dog's paw care, and listeners suggest must-have hunting clothing, too.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport dog food, HiViz Sights, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.