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During my childhood in southern  New Hampshire , kids competed to shoot a limit of “pa’tridge,” my brother and myself included. I admit, I lost just about every time to my older brother. However, we thought shooting the limit was a good idea. After all, it was the 80s. These birds gave an air of boundless existence. Hunting the droves of  ruffed grouse  in the Berkshires of  Massachusetts  when ou...

Sage-grouse need large, connected, and  mostly treeless  swaths of sagebrush to survive. Without this, sage-grouse cease to exist. It’s that simple. Sage-grouse are what scientists and biologists call a sagebrush obligate species. You can’t have sage-grouse without sage. Sage-grouse occupy western sagebrush ( Artemisia  sp.) prairies of  California ,  Nevada ,  Oregon ,  Washington ,  Idaho ,  Uta...

Each September, an inexplicable reverence stirs within me as I patiently await the chance to roam Wyoming’s boundless public lands in pursuit of the bird that holds my heart—the iconic  sage grouse . There’s something almost spiritual about stepping into the vast sea of sagebrush and feeling the landscape’s timeless pull.  For many hunters, pursuing these majestic birds is a rare, once-in-a-lifeti...

Recently, the states of  Nebraska  and  South Dakota  have been getting most of the attention from hunters seeking to pursue  greater prairie-chickens . This makes a lot of sense, given the good population of birds in these states and the abundance of publicly accessible land available to hunt. However,  Kansas  has long been a leader in greater prairie-chicken harvest and continues to provide exc...

It was late September, the  Minnesotan  air was cool, and  Ruffed Grouse  were on my mind. We had just thrown our hunting gear in the back of the pickup, ready to head out for a day of chasing dogs through grouse cover, when my cell phone began to vibrate. Normally, I would let it go to voicemail. However, having only just walked out of the camp, my fiancée calling would have meaning. “A grouse ju...

Spruce grouse are not often–if ever–regarded as the  King of the Uplands . They suffer a perception forced upon them by those of us accustomed to pursuing  ruffed grouse ,  ring-necked pheasants ,  sharp-tailed grouse ,  chukar , or any of the various  quail species  that inhabit our countrysides. They are renowned for their dim-wittedness, weak flush, and poor culinary experience. They’ve even ea...

Clapper rails don’t sing. They cackle. It’s a guttural call emanating from somewhere deep within each tiny bird that reverberates with enough force to trigger a cascade. Once one rail calls, every rail within earshot erupts into its own chorus. The cacophony sends a ripple through the salt marsh and shatters its peaceful silence like glass.  Today, however, there is no peace, and there is no silen...

To bird dog aficionados, names like Elhew Snakefoot, Count Noble, Shadowoaks Bo, and Manitoba Rap are well known. But to the average person, the names of dogs in our hall of fame mean absolutely nothing at all. But there are a few dogs from  hunting breeds  that have achieved fame beyond the bird dog world. Let’s have a look at some of the most celebrated among them.  Read more at projectupland.co...

September 1 is one of the most popular hunting dates in the United States. In many states, it’s the opening day of dove season, which is the start of upland hunting for many wing shooting enthusiasts.  The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) sets a range of dates, season lengths, and bag limits that states can choose from to harvest doves. Depending on each state’s latitude, there are...

Is it a fuzzy face infatuation that pulls at your heartstrings? Or is it that your dog is a bird-finding machine? For most, it’s probably a combination of the two. When deciding to breed or not to breed, be honest with your motivations. That adorable face comes with heavy liabilities and responsibilities. Unfortunately, the fact that you’re in love with your dog doesn’t necessarily mean it has the...

A dog conditioned for big runs in the open prairie with relatively flat terrain may not fare as well in the mountains  chasing chukar  or the thick brambles of the north country  chasing ruffed grouse  and  woodcock . When the training grounds don’t match the hunting conditions, it’s like training for a marathon but running a Tough Mudder instead. The body will eventually adjust, but not before sh...

Getting a willful, prey-driven hunting dog to heel can be difficult at first. It is one of the most common reasons a handler loses their prize one in the  NAVHDA  testing system. It’s also one of the reasons owners avoid stimulating environments while walking their dog. The drive within our hunting dogs is the putty from which we play. Because heeling is a drive-based activity, drive can be a bene...

Doves are the highest-harvested game bird in the United States, with over 10 million bagged annually.  The high harvest rate isn’t surprising, considering dove hunting  season is the first hunting season to open for most wing shooters. However, the dove’s  widespread range  no doubt contributes to the large harvest. They can be found in nearly every state and much of Canada. They breed from the we...

When acting selfishly while playing youth sports, the common phrase “there’s no I in team” was repeatedly thrown around. My coaches insisted I trust others with the ball to develop good teamwork. But giving up the ball didn’t come naturally. I often got “the eye” from my coaches, revealing their disappointment in my lack of team play. They’d use various positive and punitive techniques to get thei...

The recall is an extremely important ritual we have with our dogs. When called, the dog quickly and directly finds its position either in front or to our side. It happily and thoughtlessly finds its position, returning as excitedly as it went out and finishing with robotic consistency; something that has been groomed into it since the day it came home.  READ:  Understanding Timing in Dog Training...

Like most parents, I hope my children will share my interests so we can enjoy them together. As a passionate upland hunter, I dream of days spent in the field nurturing their curiosity, instilling a desire for  conservation , and fostering a profound respect and appreciation for the game birds we pursue. There’s a special kind of magic and responsibility involved with welcoming young children into...

Vintage shotguns  can be particular with the kinds of  shotgun shells  you put through them. In a world filled with high-velocity, heavy payload shells, the difficulty of finding lighter loads can take away some of the allure of owning a classic. But it shouldn’t stop you. There’s something warm and cozy about hunting with a 50-, 75-, or even 100-year-old shotgun.  Only a handful of ammunition man...

“Suddenly into the middle of the coterie of breeders a bombshell was flung, so startling as to cause a violent upheaval of all the old theories, and a complete revolution in setter breeding, the effects of which have lasted to the present day.”    —Walter Baxendale Walter Baxendale’s “bombshell” was a man named Edward Laverack, now universally regarded as the father of the modern  English Setter ....

In May of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced new rules governing dog imports into the United States. The rules are aimed at standardizing the process between countries and preventing the introduction of canine rabies into the U.S., but the broad-sweeping changes will have lasting impacts on breed clubs that depend on imported puppies for  genetic diversity  a...

I can’t help but stare through the conference room’s glass curtain wall, in awe of some of the world’s most productive wetlands on Earth. This morning, the frozen wetlands are blanketed in snow after this winter’s biggest storms pounded the area, which is great for recharging those wetlands later in the year. During spring, summer, and fall, these Great Salt Lake wetlands are so valuable, that the...

My first-ever interaction with an English Springer Spaniel was when my wife, Emily, brought one home. When considering which  dog breed  our first hunting dog should be, we ultimately landed on the one with which Emily was most familiar. She grew up with Springers, and consequently, that is where we landed. At that time, we weren’t aware of the differences between bench and field bred dogs. Perhap...

“Where were you last night?” These words strike fear in nearly all adolescent children. Is the parent simply curious? Was it an ambivalent conversation starter or a knowing and accusatory set up? The answer always lies within the subtle tones, expression, and body language of the parent. The same is true when thinking about the delivery of a  command in dog training . It is very important to be co...

It’s not quite U.S. domestic politics or  dog food , but raise the topic of “force fetch” or its euphemism, “trained retrieve,” and you’ll quickly discover that pointing dog folks have lots of feelings about it. You’ll generally find four camps: a camp of those who say they don’t need it because they don’t need their dog to retrieve but only help them find a downed bird; a “natural retrieve” camp...

Having dealt with so-called “fine” firearms for decades, the question “What exactly is a ‘best gun?’” comes up a lot. Explaining what a best gun is can be challenging because it’s more of a concept or ethos to building a gun, not something that follows a set of rules or criteria. As such, the term is used quite liberally, especially when it comes to shotguns. Moreover, best quality  shotguns  made...

As each year passes, some of us find enough time to raise and finish our dream upland dog. It is an amazing opportunity to have your dog at the ready, all day long, just begging to be educated. Extra time, whether due to retirement or working from home, has inspired many of us to get out there every day and mold our pup into the finest hunting machine. Of course, spending lots of time with a dog c...