Upland Nation

Kneel at the foot of bird-dog wisdom. Here's a reprise episode that will turn you into a better dog handler. Hunter, dog trainer, nutritional guru, magazine writer, an Upland National treasure ... Bob West of Purina joins me for a wide-ranging discussion full of reminiscences. Besides talking about his fellow legends, Bob's backstory might just prove he was the first "influencer" in our world ......

Who couldn't use a few more bucks in his pocket? Saving a dollar here or there could mean another road trip this season, or a longer one, or one farther away. I've compiled all the lessons I've learned into one long list ... something on it might help you buy better beer or more ammo! From planning your trip, to traveling to your destination, savings at your hunting spot, I've got dozens of sugges...

I’m television’s worst shotgunner. It’s almost a badge of honor. The most frequent compliment I hear is “You shoot worse than I do!” I gladly own it. That’s where these tips come in. They started as a sort of log – a journal – of things I’ve learned while hunting, at the range, and even dry-firing at home. Often, they were last-ditch efforts when everything else failed. Or, epiphanies from out of...

From the floor of the 2026 Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic, Clyde Vetter joins me for a wide-ranging talk on the value of joining those groups, and all things bird dogs.  Clyde has titled more NAVHDA Utility dogs than any other trainer, and he's glad to share some of the methods he uses. We go from why composure is so important in a dog and how to create it, to helping your dog excel in test situa...

Time to make plans for the upcoming season. How do you look at a road trip? A necessary evil? Means to an end? How about if there was joy and wonder in the journey as well as the destination? That's what we'll ponder on this insider edition of the podcast. Philosophy, hints, hacks, tips and tactics to make the drive more enriching, more productive and more fun. Insider editions are brought to you...

This guy's insights are valuable to anyone, whether they own a retriever, flusher or pointing breed. Here's your reminder ... or inspiration if you're listening for the first time. If you have a young dog or are getting one, listen carefully! Jim Van Engen's R ight Start Kennel has cranked out almost 200 field trial champions thanks to his unique specialty: the first two years of a dog's life. He'...

Let's start planning your next road trip. In the first part of this series, we'll explore (literally and figuratively) the nuts-and-bolts of finding and making the most of public access hunting grounds. From narrowing your search, to obtaining local intelligence, some practical tips on what to do in advance and once you've arrived, and how to get the most out of a general area and specific spot, I...

Friday Fave: your guide to pheasant central is Casey. Everything you wanted to know about hunting pheasants in South Dakota, explained by a local expert. Casey Weismantel is executive director of the Aberdeen, SD Convention & Visitors Bureau, ugly dog owner and avid pheasant hunter. He's got answers to our questions about best times to go, maximizing the public-access options, planning your hu...

From the Pyke Gear booth at Pheasant Fest, I interview Karl Malcom and Gabe Stone of the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society. We cover a variety of topics from the organizations' focus, to how they cooperate with other conservation groups, to how fire, timber extraction and other "disturbances" are good, sometimes.  But hunting strategy and tactics are also on the agenda, from habi...

Friday Faves: This guy will re-shape your thinking, period Talmage Smedly joins me for an in-depth conversation on why dogs do what they do and how we can guide them. He calls on his horse training experience as well as a different perspective on how e-collars and commands in general can be used. If you're looking for a new way of working with your dog, he's got it. We'll cover his views on how to...

From the floor of Pheasant Fest, field trialer Jordan Horak shares his thoughts on puppy development as a breeder of champion flushing dogs. Jordan won the AKC sanctioned Cocker Spaniel Field Trial Nationals in 2018 and has the experience and insights to help us, from finding the right pup for you, to developing the very young dog, he's got some very specific methods. We'll talk retrieving, teachi...

From the floor of the 2026 Pheasant Fest, I turn the tables on Orvis' Hunting and Shooting podcast host Reid Bryant, and we talk about a wide range of topics: his past hunting season, flushing breeds in the grouse woods, book and magazine writing (his books are here ), and his role vetting lodges, outfitters and guides for the Orvis Adventure program.  There are tips on shopping for a destination...

I cornered Dr. RuthAnn Lobos of Purina (@petvetruthann) on the floor of the recent Pheasant Fest and asked her how we avoid late-night, long-distance, and simply annoying reasons we need to rush our dog to the veterinarian. She rattled off a long list of first-aid and dire medical situations, and how to handle them until we can get to a vet. Then, she shared ways we can avoid most of those trips (...

Friday Faves: If you're looking for new ground, stop here for a reprise episode from one of the gurus Down to brass tacks we go with writer, editor, publisher Jim Matthews. He's been helping desert hunters find publicly-accessible game birds since the nineties, and he'll dial us in to finding some of the spots, strategies and tactics we need for valley and Gambel's quail, chukars, and the occasion...

Geometry, physiology, gravity, physics, anatomy ... all have an impact on your dog's performance. And the guy to drive home that point is Jared Deutsch, Director of Conformation for the Versatile Hunting Dog Federation. He'll take us from nose to tail-tip, explain how each bit of your dog's body affects everything from scenting ability to avoiding pad tears.  An avid hunter, Jared applies his know...

Favorites Friday: A different take on quail conservation by a respected authority ... this is worth listening to again, from February, 2023. Dr. Kelly Reyna is Director of the Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research and Principal Investigator of the Quail Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He's a bit of an optimist, and conducting leading-edge research on "untaming"...

Okay, just getting it off my chest, and by saying these out loud maybe I'll work on them myself.  Here are five areas of concentration that you've brought up frequently in the past few weeks. They're so common, I thought I'd write them down (to help me) and share them (to help you?). Focus on them - or any one of them - and you'll probably get better at something next season.  Listeners saw the ph...

You don't have to venture to the People's Republic of California to hunt the elusive valley (aka California) quail. They mutter and flutter throughout the West, and I'll share some thoughts on these wily game birds based on my three decades of chasing the little buggers. I'll outline typical and atypical habitats, bird behavior, hunting tactics and a few western towns that can serve as jumping-off...

Favorites Friday: In this reprise, a guy who's forgotten more than we'll ever know. Here's your chance to learn from him if you missed this interview from July, 2024 ... Wild pheasants in Big Sky country ... with advice from a seasoned guide and friend, Al Gadoury of 6X Outfitters. Al will take us to school on ringnecks, along the way dispelling some myths about habitat and wild bird behavior. He'...

"Grouseman" Steve Grossman is joined by his son Travis as we get a pro-guide two-fer. These guys know ruffies, sharpies, Huns and prairie chickens from decades guiding in both South Dakota and Minnesota. We'll cover habitat and habits, less-common food sources and their importance, and what really matters on a hunt. Both talk dog handling, broaden our definition of "edge cover," discuss pairing co...

Favorites Friday: This reprise of Clyde's interview is worth another listen ... He's probably trained or handled more NAVHDA Prize 1 Utility dogs than anyone at his Sharp Shooter's Kennel ; Clyde Vetter is a dog trainer with a different way of thinking about his passion: creating elite hunting dogs. He's created a training philosophy used by many of his fans and followers that sometimes flies in t...

From the depths of America's deepest canyon, pro guide Grant Ritchie takes us on chukar hunting adventures that often end uphill in ruffed grouse habitat. His outfit floats the Snake River in search of devil birds, putting clients in virtually unhunted territory where every bird is earned in boot leather and sweat. Grant runs Minam Store Outfitters , an Orvis-endorsed guide service in eastern Oreg...

“Experience is the comb Mother Nature gives us … after we’re bald.” But who wants to wait?  Here's a compendium of 29 tips on everything from caring for your dog to shooting better. They're compiled from conversations with pro guides, hunting partners' advice, friends' suggestions, and my own hard-won experience (I'm not bald, though from all the lessons, I should be).  Somewhere in here is someth...

You know him as author of three volumes of the book Endless October , or his blog A Bird Hunter's Thoughts . Randy Schultz spends most of his fall on the hunting road, and has forgotten more about birds, habitat, strategy and dogs than we'll ever know. I'll pick his brain for help on all of the above, plus the value of field trials for hunters, how books are created (and recorded), public access s...

He's trained over 100 field champion retrievers and is a Retriever Hall of Fame inductee ... and now in retirement he's running a wirehair and a pointer. Of course we'll talk about why! But we'll also get Mike Lardy's take on all things retrieving, from how to introduce it to how to refine it.  Mike shares his early exposure to dogs and hunting, highlighting his journey as a professional retriever...