Upland Nation

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.
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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."
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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.
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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.

The definitive bird dog ”tailgate exam” ... your gnarliest cover ... what’s in your truck?

Train now for the drill that could add days or weeks to your hunting season ... by keeping your dog healthy and in one piece! We'll go from tail tip to toes to top line with techniques that will find and fix most anything that happened to your dog in the field. Poke into ears and eyes, and get the bad stuff out.
Then, you reminisce on the nightmarish covers you've lived to tell about. From cedar swamps to clear cuts, everyone else should be grateful. And "Road Trip" is about the critical stuff you may not have yet in your hunting rig.
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Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, Joy Dog Food and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunter, mentor, chukar fanatic talks new hunter recruitment, chukar strategy & tactics

Chukar hunter, mentor, and my good friend Eric Thompson joins us from the floor of Pheasant Fest to talk about his effort to recruit and motivate new hunters, Hardwired Outdoors . Then, it's all about chukar hunting: habitat, bird behavior, strategy and tactics, and how to find - and shoot at - the "devil bird."
We'll look at how many of you have used a pro trainer in the past ... and in the Handle It segment, I broach a somewhat-touchy subject: silence or talk when a dog slams a point?
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, Joy Dog Food, TrulockChokes, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird dogs and hounds - common ground for training and care ... and is there room for non-toxic shot in your vest?

Slat mills, epsom salts and other stuff we should know about, courtesy of bird hunter, competitive houndsman and dog food rep Josh Michaelis. You'll be surprised at how many training tips, nutrition, first aid and dog care knowledge is relevant and transferable from coonhounds to the bird dog world.
Hannah Leonard is with Sporting Lead Free, an organization educating us to the long-term hazards of lead ammo to the habitat and our sport. She'll bring up some stuff I didn't know and may convince you to consider non-toxic shot.
"Handle It" offers a reason to have your pointing dog sit one out in lieu of a flusher, human or otherwise ... sometimes. And you share your "old dog" photos and share some heartfelt stories about those wizened dogs.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, FurFeathersFriends Joy Dog Food and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunting tips from listeners - wisdom, humor, practicality and philosophy, 10 words at a time

You are the stars of this episode as I share the dozens of bird hunting tips you provided on social media when I asked for your hard-earned advice. From developing puppies to shutting the heck up, and everything in between, there are hundreds of years' experience in these hacks and helps. You'll learn, laugh and love some of the stories and suggestions.
"Road Trip" explores a little-known slice of South Dakota, and we find out where everyone is going on their big trips this season from the newsletter poll.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, Joy Dog Food and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bird hunting gear gurus share the good stuff and what’s in the pipeline, how to wear a strap vest and new technologies

Gear geeks unite! We go deep into the machinations of a legacy company and an upstart for insights into vests, apparel, and more. Russ Jones of Browning Apparel will showcase some of their newest gear, take us to school on everything from what "denier" means to the engineering behind their strap vest, plus talk about some of the newest technology in fabrics and design. Then Heath Seiner of Hunt Redi talks about why the world needs a new strap vest and how his company's innovations set them apart, and we get a tutorial on how to wear and utilize every aspect of the new technical gear.
"Handle It" helps your dog succeed in the training yard by you being more of a Boy Scout, and listeners tell us where their dog rides on the way home from a hunt and why.
Please visit our sponsors:
Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, Joy Dog Food, TrulockChokes, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.