On The Wing Podcast

Once upon a time, Northwest Ohio’s Wood County produced the highest density of pheasants on record. That was 1940. There is a lot less wildlife habitat and a lot more people in Ohio today. Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Kent Adams, PF & QF’s director of conservation delivery in the Northeastern U.S., Cody Grasser, PF & QF’s state coordinator for Ohio, and James Harris, PF & QF’s regional represe...

At Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, our mission is focused on creating high-quality habitat for upland gamebirds. As you undoubtedly know by now, that very same upland habitat needed for pheasant and quail chicks – a diverse mix of grasses and forbs - is also critical habitat for pollinators. In this week’s episode, we celebrate Pollinator Week 2022 with PF & QF’s Anna Swerczek and Jake Swaffo...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Ted Koch, the executive director of the North American Grouse Partnership and a former U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service endangered species biologist, along with Ron Leathers, PF & QF’s chief conservation officer, for a discussion about lesser prairie chickens and their likely listing as an endangered species. As a former endangered species biologist, Koch brings a dept...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by PF & QF biologists Al Eiden, Haley Lockard, and Andy Edwards for a conversation focused on the $1.4 billion federal legislation known as Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA). If passed, RAWA would create dedicated state-based funding for wildlife habitat projects across the country targeting more than 12,000 “at risk” species, including bobwhite quail, sage gro...

Fresh off his keynote address to PF & QF’s 208 new employees at the organization’s in-person new employee orientation, Sam Lawry joins Host Bob St. Pierre to talk about his “conservation warrior” message and to recap his 40-year career in wildlife conservation, which included a six year stint as PF & QF’s western regional director. The guys are joined by Sam’s two closest PF & QF friends in Tom Fu...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Mike Neiduski, who reached his dream job at the beginning of 2022 when he was hired to be a PF & QF development officer. Neiduski’s journey to that position started more than a decade ago with his first bird dog and an introduction to conservation through the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA). Episode Highlights: • The guys talk about Neidus...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Jonathon Tremblay from Walton’s Inc. to talk about smoking pheasants, quail, and grouse. Tremblay discusses the advantages of charcoal, wood, and pellet grills, and the benefits of prepping game bird meat with brines, marinades, and flavor injectors. He also answers the question, “skin on or skin off for the smoker?” Episode Highlights: • The guys talk about using...

Host Bob St. Pierre’s two-year-old German shorthaired pointer, Gitche, needs a little finishing work this off-season. Consequently, Bob is dropping her off at Dokken’s Oak Ridge Kennels for “summer camp” with professional dog trainer Mike Wieben. The guys take Gitche out for a couple of runs on birds, then talk through Gitche’s performance and the training plan ahead. Episode Highlights: • Bob tal...

Host Bob St. Pierre chats bird dogs with Kali Parmley, the editor of Gun Dog Magazine and owner of both a Labrador retriever and an English setter. Kali talks about the decision to start with a Lab, then her move to a pointing breed for her second bird dog. Episode Highlights: • Kali and Bob stumble upon the fact they both used llamas last season to get deeper into the backcountry to hunt birds. •...

Host Bob St. Pierre talks with Dr. Susan Felege, an associate professor at the University of North Dakota, the newest member of PF & QF’s National Board of Directors, and a hardcore waterfowl & upland bird hunter. Dr. Felege shares her story growing up as an avid bird hunter in Pennsylvania and knowing at an early age that she was going to grow up to be a wildlife biologist. Episode Highlights: •...

Last summer, Pheasants Forever Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist Emily Spolyar joined Host Bob St. Pierre for a terrific On the Wing podcast conversation with Jennifer Riley about being a new bird hunter in Alaska. That episode served as the catalyst for Emily’s own bird hunting trip to Alaska this past March. In this episode, Emily recaps her experience that included Anchorage couple Jessie...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Dr. Adam Janke, an assistant professor and extension wildlife specialist at Iowa State University, to talk about pheasant and quail research helping determine “where birds live on farms.” PF & QF’s Director of Government Affairs Jim Inglis is also part of the conversation to explain how he uses Adam’s scientific research in Washington, D.C. to create and improve ag...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by MeatEater’s Ryan “Cal” Callaghan for an entertaining conversation that took place during National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2022 in Omaha. Known for his big game adventures on MeatEater, the host of Cal’s Week in Review dives deep into his love for Labrador retrievers, bird hunting, and wild upland places. Episode Highlights: • Throughout the episode, Cal marks...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Christine Peterson, president & board chair for the Outdoor Writer’s Association of America. A professional journalist, Peterson has written and reported for Outdoor Life, National Geographic and Outside magazines. She also served as a speaker on the Public Lands Stage at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2022 in Omaha. Episode Highlights: • Peterson shares he...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by MeatEater’s Doug Duren and PF biologist Matt Morlock for a conversation recorded at Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Omaha. Duren talks about his personal conservation ethic, “It’s not ours, it’s just our turn,” as well as his new endeavor linking private landowners with people willing to work on habitat improvements to gain public access known as “Sharing the Land...

Host Bob St. Pierre and PF & QF’s Hunting Heritage Program Manager Colby Kerber are joined by Dennis and Adam Brune, family members and owners of ALPS OutdoorZ, for a conversation about the organization’s Path to the Uplands stage at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic. The group also talks about ALPS OutdoorZ evolution as an outdoors retailer, conservation supporter, and PF & QF national partn...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Hank Shaw, a chef, food writer, and outdoorsman who runs the wild foods website “Hunter Angler Gardener Cook.” Shaw is also the author of the cookbook, Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail and will be the keynote speaker at the Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic National Banquet on Saturday, March 12th in Omaha, Nebraska. Episode Highlights: • Shaw talks about becoming an adult-...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by PF’s Cristin Weber, a precision agriculture & conservation specialist and farmer from South Dakota and Jeff Lakner, a South Dakota farmer and rancher. The group talks about the current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup going on right now and how CRP benefits a farm’s soil health and profitability, while also delivering wildlife habitat, water quality, and c...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by PF & QF National Board Chair Matt Kucharski and Western Regional Director Al Eiden for a recap of the first day’s hunt in Mearns’ quail country. The hunting party broke into two different groups and found themselves following opposite hunting strategies in search of birds. NOTE: This episode was recorded LIVE from quail camp around a campfire. Episode Highlights: •...

After a 26-hour drive from Minnesota to southern Arizona, Host Bob St. Pierre and PF & QF Chairman of the National Board Matt Kucharski are joined around the campfire by veteran quail hunting buddy Wade Zarlingo for a Mearns’ quail hunt. As a means of getting deeper into the backcountry, Chris Dunn, the owner of Arizona Backcountry Llamas, has brought five llamas to the adventure to haul in campin...

As part of our ongoing Path to the Uplands content series, host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Chad Love, Quail Forever Journal editor; Marissa Jensen, our organization’s Women on the Wing and Path to the Uplands leader; and Andy Edwards, Quail Forever’s Quail Program Manager to discuss and debate late season quail hunting tips. Episode Highlights: • Referencing his new Path to the Uplands article ti...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever biologists Kent Adams, Jim Inglis, Cody Grasser, and Ben Beaman for a conversation focused on the connection between the organization’s wildlife habitat mission and clean water. Episode Highlights: • Adams starts the episode explaining how the organization’s wildlife habitat efforts improve water quality in streams, rivers, lakes...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Quail Forever’s Dr. Jess McGuire and Andy Edwards for a discussion with Dr. James Martin, a hardcore quail hunter, bird dog owner, and associate professor at University of Georgia. During the conversation, Dr. Martin breaks down four bobwhite quail research projects he’s currently working on, while dropping a few quail hunting gems he’s learned from his studies ove...

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Tom “Carp” Carpenter, Pheasants Forever Journal editor, and Marissa Jensen, our organization’s Women on the Wing and Path to the Uplands leader, to offer tips for FINDING and HUNTING late season roosters. Episode Highlights: • The crew’s conversation riffs off Carp’s recent blog, “The Path to Late Season Pheasant Hunting Success” starting with tips first focused on...

While gamebird research isn’t a part of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s mission statement, the organization often collaborates with research scientists from the most acclaimed universities in the country to inform the organization’s habitat creation and restoration efforts. In this episode, Bob St. Pierre is joined by Mississippi State University’s Dr. Mark McConnell as well as Quail Forever...