projectupland.com On The Go

In this article, biologist Frank Loncarich recommends that, during the off season, bird hunters become students of the birds through learning basic biology, meteorology, and networking with wildlife professionals. Read more at projectupland.com .

In this article, Mark Parman writes about the names, histories, and habitat information for naturally-occurring edible alliums. Read more at projectupland.com .

In this episode, Gabby and AJ talk to Mark Avery , author of A Message from Martha . As a biologist and conservationist, Mark takes us back in time to reconstruct the biology, habitat, and final era of the Passenger Pigeon . The Passenger Pigeon’s extinction is one of the most dramatic extinction stories of the 20th century, resulting in the loss of the most numerous bird on Earth. This episode ex...

In this article, Craig Mitchell writes about one metalworker who, 100 years ago, enabled post-Great Depression hunters to reload efficiently without purchasing a pump-action shotgun. Read more at projectupland.com .

In this article, A.J. DeRosa discusses the origin and history of the Antiquities Act as well as the powers U.S. presidents have when it comes to designating (or removing) national monuments. Read more at projectupland.com .

In this article, Mike Fitzgerald shares about how he financially benefits from raising coturnix quail. Read more at projectupland.com .

In this article, Gary Norman offers insights from his career as a ruffed grouse biologist on the factors impacting eastern ruffed grouse survival. Due to an editorial error, the second half of Gary's original article was not included in this episode's initial publication. As of 3/24, we have updated this podcast episode to include his article in its entirety. New information includes mod...

In this article, Ryan Dawson writes about ruffed grouse populations and habitat in Virginia and how fire may just be what southeastern forests need to recover Appalachian ruffed grouse. This article originally appeared in the winter 2024 issue of Project Upland Magazine . Read more at projectupland.com .

In this article, Mike Fitzgerald explains useful practices for raising domestic quail during all four seasons. Check out Mike's recipe for pickled quail  here ! Read more at projectupland.com . Read more at projectupland.com .

In this episode of Project Upland On The Go, two quail biologists encourage private landowners to take advantage of state and federal habitat management assistance. This story was originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Project Upland Magazine. Subscribe to Project Upland Magazine and find more articles like this at projectupland.com . Read more at projectupland.com .

When I say stand hunting, I’m not referring to sitting in a deer stand and waiting for rabbits to show up. (Unless you always see rabbits from your deer stand, in which case, do that!) Instead, I’m talking about setting up within gun range of excellent rabbit cover that is impossible to flush rabbits from and waiting for them to emerge. Ambush hunting is another way to put it. Dilapidated farmhous...

Late season snowshoe hare hunting is a bit different than early season snowshoe hunting . Here are a few pointers for adding a hare or two to your game bag during the tail end of winter.   Read more at projectupland.com .

The official history of the Weimaraner begins on June 22, 1897 when a club for the “ pure breeding of the silver-grey Weimaraner pointing dog ” was formed in Erfurt, Germany. The breed’s development since that time is relatively well documented. The historical record from before that time is much less clear. And since the further back it goes, the fuzzier it gets, all we have are theories based al...

Gina Deem was a nursing student in Bozeman, Montana when she adopted her first hunting dog in 2014. At the time, she wasn’t a hunter, but her then-boyfriend was. “He said, ‘If we’re going to get a dog, we’re going to get a bird dog. And that bird dog’s going to be a German Shorthair ,’” she recalls. Aware of how many dogs were in shelters, Deem wanted to adopt a bird dog. Deem and her partner didn...

So how English is the English setter? In some ways, the answer is ‘not very much.’ In terms of numbers, looks and working style the breed is now more American, more Italian, more international than it is English. However, the English setter is, and always will be, quintessentially English. Refined over time by brilliant, industrious people, the English setter, like the English language, is a pract...

For bird enthusiasts, hearing about the negative impacts of habitat loss on bobwhite quail isn’t anything new. In fact, this issue have been largely blamed for North America’s shrinking bobwhite population. However, parasites may have a larger effect on wild quail than previously thought, especially in Texas and Oklahoma. “Something happened,” said Dr. Ron Kendall, the founder of Texas Tech's...

For many of us in the northern snow-covered hills of the United States, hunting season is shortly coming to an end—if not already. Green rolling pastures have now been replaced by a tundra; the  woodcock  have all traveled down to warmer, worm-filled bayous; and the  grouse  are retreating to the treetops. Now entering your home, you will likely be met by familiar eyes: your hunting dog staring ba...

I heard the jokes about water swatting American coots long before I became a licensed hunter. But when I finally took up waterfowl hunting , I discovered that the humor surrounding coots was actually a well-placed sentry guarding a well-kept secret: American coot is delicious.  Read more at projectupland.com .

You’ve done your research,  picked the ideal dog breed ,  selected a reputable breeder , and now have a much-anticipated date circled on your calendar. Your new puppy will soon arrive in your home, full of unbridled potential and the uncanny ability to create chaos wherever it goes. The weeks before the new pup arrives are the best time to gather supplies, puppy-proof your home, make an  early pup...

My first experience with Arizona quail occurred as a covey of about 30 Gambel’s quail raced across the public two-track road before us, sprinting to a pond to get water. Not believing our luck, I pulled the truck over. My father, James, and buddy, Kyle Hedges , helped me boot up three dogs.  While the process took about 20 minutes, we were confident that the birds would still be somewhere close. B...

If you were to ask a bird or rabbit hunter in nineteenth century England which dog he would prefer to accompany him, the answer was often a Curly-Coated Retriever. That may surprise you, given the rarity of the Curly today. Hunters in the 1800s knew the Curly-Coat as a persevering, talented, hardy hunting dog who could handle both fur and feather in upland and waterfowl work. The Curly was also us...

Kansas’ reputation as a classic upland hunting state has long been known. Bobwhite quail hunting here is legendary during boom years and remains solid during average years. While pheasant hunting in Kansas has decreased over the last few years due to habitat loss, the state is still consistently among the top three to four states for roosters. Additionally, Kansas is the country's top greater...

One hundred and fifty years ago, the people of Germany struggled to create a united nation out of a patchwork of tiny kingdoms, city-states, and fiefdoms. Around the same time, german hunters also struggled to create a national breed of short-haired  pointing dog . Eventually, both goals were realized.  Today, Germany is a rich and united republic and the German Shorthaired Pointer sits in triumph...

The Kansas Flint Hills prairie rose 100 feet above the low-lying soybean field I was hunting. Each day, two groups of greater prairie-chickens screamed down from the grasslands and into the field to feed at unbelievable speeds. I had these birds dialed in; I knew exactly which electric pole they flew past every morning. I was set up well before dawn, ready to pass-shoot them.   The first group cam...

While people will always disagree about which breed is the “handsomest   and perhaps the most generous,”   everyone agrees that trying to follow all the twists and turns of the setter’s creation story is more or less impossible. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn something more about them by taking a look at some of the more interesting, and even surprising, stops along the way.   In 1872, Edwar...