Upland Nation

Wild chukar & quail hunter shares secrets, a new SXS, and bird-dog psychology

Wild valley quail and chukar hunting strategy and tactics are the main topics this week, as I talk with Andy McCormick, executive vice president at Legacy Sports, importer of Pointer Shotguns. Andy walks his talk, spending much of his free time in the field chasing these two iconic western game birds, he's learned a lot and is willing to share.
We'll trade stories about finding birds, calling techniques, and taking care of your bird dog on arduous hunts in desert country. Andy will open his hunting vest and tell us what he carries, he'll rave about his chosen breed, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, and we'll even learn how hawks can be our best friend in the field.
The "Handle It" segment suggests a way to ensure your dog will execute your command flawlessly by eliminating one simple problem, and listeners will share the highlight of their season ... so far.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Tom Huggler on Ukraine bird hunts, the hunting partner from hell, dog training tips galore

Before the artillery and airstrikes, the shots were all at Eurasian woodcock, and Tom Huggler was there. He'll relate that story, and so many others about hunts around the country and abroad, plus why every hunter should slow down, some wacky hunts and hunting partners, and what to do when your dog vanishes from an airliner like a sock in the dryer.
This prolific book author, magazine writer and video producer also has a few useful things to say about why woodcock migration is so cool, how to shoot better, what a dog on the chain gang learns, what shots size/gun/chokes are best for ruffies, and why hunting, for him, is full of (good) drama.
We bring back the "Handle It" dog training tip, and look at what everyone's doing out there.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, Trulock Chokes, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, your online shotgun shopping resource, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Your bird hunting questions and my answers - you decide if they’re any good.

From steadiness to the difference between "fetch" and "dead bird," we'll cover a host of topics you've asked about. I'll cobble together some answers that might be helpful! Dog boots, how to gather information, finding a lost bird dog and why chukars are always uphill from us, we'll explore the wide world of birds, dogs, and shooting too.
The Road Trip goes to nowhere ... but offers a suggestion on getting your dog back if he's lost on a hunting trip. And we take a look at your favorite bird - and others' as well - as defined by our Upland Nation Index survey.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunting: where science and sport meet, how capitalism might help endangered species

Why an entrepreneurial approach to habitat conservation might be the best way to save game birds, among other species ... that's one topic in our conversation with Ted Koch, executive director of the North American Grouse Partnership. We also talk ruffed grouse hunts along the Snake River, missed mallards, and how to catch a big brown trout.
The NAGP is deep into promoting an initiative that will do for upland birds and prairie habitat what has already been done for wetlands, resulting in significant upswings in duck and goose numbers. We'll learn more about it, and get down to the nitty gritty on why wind energy is so bad for prairie birds, where cheatgrass and fire fit (or don't) in the conservation model. Sharptailed grouse hunting tips are also on the agenda.
The public-access Road Trip covers my four favorite states and why; and we find out what your priorities are when it comes to being better hunters.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunter, conservation leader talks timber cuts, grouse and woodcock hunting

Ben Jones, CEO and president of the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society, updates us on a tumultuous couple of years. When we last talked at the start of the pandemic, the organization was undergoing significant challenges from a locked-down fundraising/banquet season to a quantum shift in its business model. We'll find out how things are going today and how the groups' efforts are paying off in the bank and on the ground.
We also talk ideal habitat, grouse dogs and hunting strategies and tactics.
Our Road Trip looks at a Kansas public-access bobwhite haven; and we cover early numbers on the annual Upland Nation Survey and what bird hunters say are the sport's highest priorities.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, Trulock Chokes, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, your online shotgun shopping resource, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunting podcast: trial champ, hunter & trainer trade notes, share their secrets

How do you become one of just five women to win a national amateur field trial championship? That's the question I asked of Camie Barrow, and Jim Keller, the pro trainer who helped her bring her Springer Bailey to the rarified air of a national championship. Their answers are helpful whether you aspire to competitive dog games, or simply to train a better hunting dog.
From "dog psychology" to the handler's mental preparation, the tools they use, what a trial encompasses and how it all translates to bird hunting, we'll cover it with Camie and Jim.
Our Road Trip public access segment covers some New Mexico quail ground, and listeners answer the question about their use of mobile mapping apps.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, your online shotgun shopping resource, Trulock Chokes, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunter, author Tom McIntyre’s last interview

I consider him the best hunting writer we had ... until we lost him two days after this interview. Tom McIntyre was a friend, author, magazine writer, and in ways a mentor - he helped me get my first book deal, among other things. While Tom's passion was Africa and exotic game species, he was also a dog owner and bird hunter and we'll talk about all of that.
You'll find him insightful, observant, and more than a bit of a philosopher. It'll be good for your soul to listen, trust me. Tom's new book comes out in early spring, so watch for Thunder Without Rain from Skyhorse Books.
We'll also cover some late season hunting opportunities, and find out who won on your opening day.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, RuffLand performance Kennels, KAMO's Burt County Bird Bounty, the Ringneck Nation of Huron, SD, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, your online shotgun shopping resource, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunting podcast: where do bobs go when we burn them out? Plus: ”AirBnB” of wingshooting founder

The joy of a new puppy ... and where to find bobwhites are just two of the topics as John Morgan, director of the National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative joins us. Then, our industry insider series continues with Shawn Mahaffey, CEO and founder of what could be described as the AirBnB of wingshooting, WingIt.
(Hey, get in on a sweet deal and big savings before everyone else, by signing up for the WingIt mailing list now.)
Morgan touches on old and young dogs, offers scientific insights on quail hunting from ideal habitat to the real reasons rain is good - and bad - for their population. He outlines a new, public-private strategy for the organization (formerly National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative), the reason for the name change, then jumps back to quail hunting strategy and tactics based on science. He then takes us into the ruffed grouse woods for a new perspective on hunting the King of Gamebirds.
And soon, there's an app for it. That's what Shawn Mahaffey says about a way to book a day of hunting on private land via your mobile phone. We get an exclusive preview of the tech and the reasons it may be the next big thing for bird hunters.
Our public access feature touches on the borders of a chukar state, and you chime in with the name of your most recent hunting buddy and a report on your opening day shooting skill, such as it was :).
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, RuffLand performance Kennels, KAMO's Burt County Bird Bounty, the Ringneck Nation of Huron, SD, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, your online shotgun shopping resource, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.