projectupland.com On The Go

The two little hounds are whining loudly and scratching at the metal kennel doors. We had just pulled off the road down an overgrown two-track on a mostly forgotten plot of public land. It’s early December and most of the deer hunters have ended their season, so this little piece of paradise is all ours. Struggling to strap the  GPS collars  on the squirming beagles, I grab my single shot .410.  I...

The long-awaited   Pointing Dogs Volume Two : The English and Irish Breeds  by  Craig Koshyk  has finally hit shelves. Inside, readers can explore in-depth information about Pointers, setters, and the overall development of bird dogs across the pond. Koshyk features an entire chapter about Irish Red Setters alone; let’s take a peek inside. It’s believed that Irish Setters are perhaps the oldest br...

“Why on earth would anyone want to hunt crows?” I often get asked that question when people learn that I am an avid crow hunter during the whitetail off-season. Many hunters wonder whether or not  American crow  hunting is worth their time and if there is any benefit to it. My short answer to that is “Yes, absolutely!” But why? How is crow hunting beneficial and why should hunters spend their time...

Sprinkled here and there throughout the sporting literature of the 19th century are references to Russian Setters. Despite the references and the fact that there were a number of dogs listed as Russian Setters entered into studbooks in England and the U.S., such a breed never actually existed. Be that as it may, for a while, sportsmen did breed and hunt over dogs that they called Russian Setters....

As dog owners, we have all heard of bloat, twisted stomach, or, as your veterinarian would say, GDV. GDV stands for gastric dilatation-volvulus. This urgent medical condition occurs when a dog’s stomach fills with gas, food, or fluid and twists. This condition develops with almost no warning, can progress rapidly, and is always an emergency. Remember that “bloat” doesn’t always indicate a twisted...

The Florida Everglades represents a unique ecosystem not presently found anywhere else in the world. The subtropical wetland is the largest ecosystem in North America, a natural habitat for a diversity of species you won’t see anywhere else: countless aquatic birds; numerous endangered species such as the manatee, Florida panther, and American crocodile; and a slew of mammals that have been untouc...

The process of fitting a gun to a person and its underlying principles have, at times, been made to seem mysterious and even alchemic. As a custom stock maker and gunsmith, gunfitting is rather simple. Gunfitting is a necessary and integral part of making a custom stock for a client. It also provides the required stock dimensions for altering a client’s existing guns to fit better.   Gunfitting th...

Kids and dogs. It’s a timeless combination. Humans have had an inexplicable connection to “man’s best friend”  dating back as far as 20,000 years, according to scientific evidence revealing when domestication of wild canids began . Social media, online games, cell phones, and whatever comes next will not break that bond, though it may lie dormant at times. Let’s narrow it down to kids and sporting...

This gun has versatility and reliability for the price. That above all is why I would recommend it to any new hunter out there. This is not a specialty shotgun, but when used correctly it can be good at anything to which it is applied. If it were a  gun dog , it would certainly fall into the  versatile breed  category. The  interchangeable chokes , standard since 1986, will allow you to explore va...

Each hunting season, I can be found trudging across  public land  in  Missouri  and  Kansas  in pursuit of my favorite game bird:  bobwhite quail . Anyone who has ever had a covey rise from beneath their feet can attest to the distinct sound made by the explosion of these small brown and white birds. It’s a sound I’ve heard hundreds, maybe thousands of times, but it never gets old. For some hunter...

The Farm Bill includes the most significant investment in conservation we make as a nation. Whether we hunt on private or public land, bird hunters recognize that management on private farms, ranches, and forests directly impacts bird habitat and hunting opportunities more broadly. Because of that, groups like the  Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP)  and our partners put great effo...

Chances are, if you’re reading this during the holiday gift-buying season, someone special has a  sous vide  on his or her wish list. Let me answer the question that you’re asking yourself: Is a sous vide worth the investment? A sous vide is a must-own kitchen appliance for any hunter who brings home a bird or three, or even big game.  Let’s explore why you should add this culinary device to your...

When hunting solo on a large expanse of CRP, time-tested logic will tell you to “hunt the edge.” Pheasants are birds of edge habitat . Roosters are likely to be hiding right where tall grass adjoins a picked corn field. So when faced with a daunting quarter-section of native grass one should skirt the edge, right? Not this day, my friend! Read more at projectupland.com .

Duck blinds are both simple and complicated. They represent a combination of utility and magic, providing function in the field while also facilitating tradition among duck hunters. At its core, a  duck blind  is a tool made to hide the duck hunter, the duck dog, and the tools of waterfowlers during the hunt. First and foremost, concealment from the wary eyes of passing ducks is absolutely critica...

There are several locations where hunters can experience a multi-species outing in one day. Sometimes, hunters encounter multiple species in a single field.  Pheasants  and  bobwhite quail  are frequently placed in the same game bag during a single walk.  Woodcock  and  ruffed grouse  are probably the most common combination. But there is one combination that I have always found intriguing:  great...

I’m not sure if it was the trendiness of  chukar hunting  on social media or the fact that 2020 had everyone stuck at home and thinking of new things to try, but it sure seemed like chukar hunter numbers were at an all-time high this season in my neck of the woods. That even includes me, since this was my first season of seriously targeting  chukar  instead of just going a few times as a change of...

When winter sets in, the mornings become considerably colder, and the air feels like a whip against any uncovered skin. No one understands this better than the waterfowl hunter. The season starts where summer and fall meet. As December arrives and winter becomes official, the crowds diminish with the arrival of the ice. The waterfowl hunters who persist and venture into this season often find some...

The gentle “Chi-ca-go-go” in the distance caught my attention as I made my way down the rocky wash. A quick glance upward had me convinced that the birds were on the hillside, more vertical than not; a grade covered summit-to-base in loose rocks and cholla. These dang  Gambel’s quail  were doing their best chukar impressions here in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. I crept up the wash with a watch...

Hunters throughout the uplands walk many miles each season in pursuit of various quail species.  From the  bobwhites  in the Southeast,  Gambel’s  and  scaled quail  in the desert Southwest,  Mearns  and  mountain quail  in the hills, and  California quail  throughout the west, several million birds are shot on the wing, loaded in game bags, and eventually cleaned and consumed. Sure, most hunters...

There are six  quail species  that comprise the quail slam in the United States. They belong to the  Odontophoridae family  and are sometimes referred to as New World quail. The six huntable species are the bobwhite, mountain, California (valley), scaled (blue), Mearns (Montezuma), and Gambel’s quail. They represent a broad swath of the United States; however, except for the bobwhite quail, they a...

Inside a multi-million dollar mansion, I took a seat around a large wooden table in such pristine condition that I was afraid to touch it. A glass of water sat in front of each occupied seat, giving the space the air of a boardroom. The year was 2017, and my unfamiliar surroundings gave me the sense that I was struggling to translate my idea of what Project Upland Magazine should be. “We have to c...

Truth be told, there is no foolproof method for ensuring that you never serve shot in the birds that you cook. However, there are several techniques to help reduce the chances of doing so, as well as some things to keep in mind if you’re worried about dishing out a smattering of shot with your upland meals. Read more at projectupland.com .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the federal agency responsible for managing the National Wildlife Refuge System. To manage the hundreds of refuges that expand across the United States, the USFWS establishes regulations and implements federal laws. For those unfamiliar with federal regulations or the regulatory process in general, it would help to understand the basics of what federal...

Each fall, pheasants draw attention from hunters across the country. Their parrot-like colors strike awe in any bird hunter. Thousands of these beautiful birds are harvested during the first few days of the season. Most birds packed out during opening weekend are young birds born months before the orange army started marching.  There are two reasons young birds represent the bulk of the early harv...

I stood stock still, staring at the wall of ammunition behind the counter. Glancing over the multi-colored labels of flying pheasants, committed ducks, and scampering rabbits, my eyes glazed over. What did all of those numbers on the front of the boxes mean? I knew my  shotgun  was a 12-gauge, but beyond that I had no idea what I was doing. I was kicking myself for not asking more about the shells...