Upchukar Podcast

Episode 94: Paul Robb After a chance meeting at 10,000 feet while hunting Himalayan Snowcock, the story of Paul Robb and his high-altitude bird hunting has intrigued me. As a self-professed "Goat Hunter" Paul found himself hunting Snowcock as a perfect marrying of his passion for both big mountains and finding Mountain Goats in their habitat. Since then, Paul has become the foremost source of info...

Episode 93: Derrick Volp Join me today on this two-part episode where we record before and after our Mountain Quail hunt where Derrick's new pup, Gadsden, experiences wild birds for the first time.  Derrick is relatively new to Chukar hunting, having started three years ago. He put in many a mile to build his knowledge, all of which were solo and dogless. Needless to say, I understand his pain, ha...

Episode 92: Brant Didden.  Whether its climbing the highest peaks in the world (Mt. Everest and K2), guiding climbers up the face of El Cap, diving for lobsters or rallying the "Country Clubmobile" in Mexico, Brant Didden lives by the mantra- "Do Cool Stuff". Brant grew up hunting quail in Northern Mexico with his Dad aka Dr. Muerto. After a successful career guiding mountain expeditions and rock...

Episode 91: Joe Carson, the New Zealand Chukar Hunter. I'm back! After two months off, its great to be back in the podcast booth (aka the guestroom closet). I wanted to bring a great episode to you, and this one hits the mark. Joe Carson lives and hunts Chukar on the South Island of New Zealand. Like many places, Chukar were introduced there way back in the 1920s. Now, only a small group (25-30) N...

Episode 90: Nate Akey You want some solid advice from someone who made the transition from hunting those midwest birds, then moved to the big West and tried their hand at Chukar hunting?- Get you ass on a stair climber! Nate Akey relocated to Oregon and has since become immersed in the world of Chukar hunting and hunting in the west. Many of you may familiar with Nate's photography work, which cap...

Episode 89: Eric Thompson- Hardwired Outdoors I return to Oregon this week to sit down with Eric Thompson, co-creator of Hardwired Outdoors. Through Hardwired Outdoors, Eric and his friends hope to introduce the outdoors and wild places to new hunters in a positive way. Learn more about HarwiredOutdoors.com here Eric is also a chukar-crazed individual, just like the rest of us. So, join us this we...

Episode 88: Dominic Bachman- Biologist and owner of Bachman Bay Kennels. Chukar live in a few states in the West. Have you ever wondered what makes each state unique, or the slight variants in habitat? Biologist and avid Chukar hunter Dominic Bachman helps shed some light and hopefully makes planning that next out-of-state trip easier. The Upchukar Podcast is brought to you by: OnX Hunt App, Eukan...

Episode 87: Aaron Linfante- Battle Born Bird Dogs Aaron Linfante is the owner of Battle Born Bird Dogs located in Reno, Nevada. As a long time Chukar hunter and connoisseur of various breeds of Chukar dogs, Aaron was the perfect person to help guide us all in our understanding of the intricacies of finding a good bird dog. Join us this week as we discuss Chukar hunting tips and tactics, graduating...

Episode 86: Jason Hayes Passed down by his father, Chukar hunting has always been a part of life for Jason Hayes. But as we grow and come into our own, how we approach it and its significance within our lives is shaped by the road we've travelled. After serving in the Marines and time spent overseas, Jason now focuses his free time on raising and training bird dogs, hunting chukar and keeping trai...

Episode 85: Reels and Ridges If you remember back to December, Jordan and Reed Tolotti joined the show. One of the unexpected things I learned was their brotherly competition each Chukar season, resulting in the winner being awarded the "Chukar Trophy". If you grew up with siblings, or have a competitive streak you can surely relate. In this episode we dive deeper into their YouTube channel- Reels...

Episode 84: Levi Day Have you ever experienced a year that seemed hell-bent on derailing your plans?.....well yes I suppose we all made it through 2020. Levi Day most certainly experienced a hunting season rife with challenges. Join us this week as we discuss what made the 2020  season one to remember, but maybe certain aspects, to never repeat.  Topics discussed: Battling a Badger, Dogs vs traps,...

Episode 82: Ben Warner Living in Bend Oregon, "Big Ben" embodies the true nature of a Chukar Hunter- tireless optimism and steadfast determination. His good-natured personality and willingness to share his strategies on finding new Chukar spots makes for one great episode. Join us this week as we learn more strategies on finding new Chukar spots, Iraqi Chukar, battle- tested Chukar gear for a 6'4"...

Episode 81: Mike Rago- @UplandPursuit Do you suffer from a Chukar Hunting addiction?...you are not alone. You have come to the right place, however, there is no treatment plan...only more of that drug you seek- Chukar Hunting! My guest this week is Mike Rago, from Huntington Beach, Ca. Not many Chukar there, but he became afflicted with the disease and now travels deep into the arid, desolate land...

Episode 80: Robert Gillingham- Karmik Outdoors Exclusive Upchukar Podcast Listener Discount Code: Karm20- 20% off purchase This week Robert Gillingham, co-founder of Karmik Outdoors, joins the show to share the vision and goal of his company- To reunite sportsman with their lost gear. Karmik Outdoors was designed around the idea that if there was a way to locate the owner of a lost piece of gear ,...

Episode 79: Reed and Jordon Tolotti - brothers and creators of the YouTube channel "Reels and Ridges" If you have siblings, inevitably there is going to be competition. That competition likely changes and evolves as you get older......or does it? From their teenage years, now stretching into adulthood, the coveted "Chukar Trophy" has exchanged hands, albeit reluctantly, between Jordon and Reed. Bu...

Episode 78: Garhart Stephenson and Jay Beyer Join me this week from Himalayan Snowcock Camp in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada. Much of this birds existence and daily routine is shrouded in mystery. Having pursued these birds over the last three years, I found myself peeling back the layers every time. I was fortunate to spend time with some of the most upbeat and hard-charging guys around- Garhart S...

Episode 77: Barratt Gorshe Even though only a youthful 21 years old, he demonstrates a maturity that clearly places him in high regard by many of his peers in the bird dog world and the Chukar hills. Barratt lives in Utah and is already an active judge in his local NSTRA- National Shoot to Retrieve Association- chapter, avid chukar hunter and inspiration for the next generation of bird doggers. Th...

Episode 76: Im joined by Matt Hardinge this week. We discuss our opening weekend of Nevada Chukar hunting and do a "First Look" at the new Garmin Alpha 200i handheld.  The Upchukar Podcast is Presented by: OnX hunt, Eukanuba Sporting Dog, Franchi USA, First Lite and Chukar Chasers

Episode 75: Join me with this week as I sit down with Nevada Department of Wildlife Chief Upland Game Bird Biologist, Shawn Espinosa, as we break down the recently released 2020/21 Chukar Forecast. Get the insight into bird numbers, distribution and ranges you may want to consider venturing to this coming season. If nothing more, it appears the Chukar season will prove to be the silver-lining to 2...

Episode 74: John "Sully" Sullivan With Chukar hunting season on the horizon I thought of no better motivator for all of us than to highlight a 76 year-old diehard chukar hunter. If you love chasing chukar, or have it on your "to do" list, this is should provide plenty of motivation. Topics Discussed: The challenges of re-learning 4th grade math, what motivates him, bird dogs, transitioning dogs fr...

Episode 73: Chukar Chasers This week I sit down with the guys from Chukar Chasers. Coming off an exciting 2019/20 Chukar season, Project Upland film release and the success of their recently formed non-profit- Chukar Chasers Foundation, we discuss the details that made for such a successful year. We also spend a vast amount of time doing what Chukar Hunters do best- Telling Chukar Stories!! The Up...

Episode 72: Weston Hatten From the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, to the eastern side of Washington state, Weston Hatten aka "Chukar One" is an upland hunting machine. Join us this week as we dive into Mountain Quail tactics, "shock gobbling" for Chukar, scouting for chukar, gear, advice and much much more. The Upchukar Podcast proudly partners with: Chukar Chasers , Lathrop and So...

Episode 71: Matt Hardinge Catching up with Matt H post baby and new puppy! Busy man, was still able to get out on an archery antelope trip...which I tagged along and ended up dropping some pins on new Chukar and Hungarian Partridge spots! We break down some new gear, the ideal chukar rig and how helping a buddy can lead to great bird spots! The Upchukar Podcast proudly partners with: Chukar Chaser...

Episode 70: John Lyman Chukar hunting and Yoga?? Who would have thought that those two worlds would bridge..well that is where John Lyman comes in. Having over 25 years of Chukar hunting experience, he has uncovered the gem that is Southern California Chukar hunting. After suffering a serve injury (badly breaking his ankle) while out training his bird dog, John found Yoga. At first a reluctant ske...

Episode 69: Talmage Smedley Talmage Smedly is the owner of T's Dog House which emphasizes teaching dog owners to lead kindly through communication, leadership and relationship. Talmage is a veritable dog-whisperer and, likely a person-whisperer as well! His method and approach to dog training transforms dogs and our relationships with them. Talmage has also published many Chukar hunting videos dem...