The Flush Podcast - Stories from the field

Mike Neiduski the new owner of Ugly Dog Hunting joins the show to talk about his journey through the upland world and why he decided to buy an online retail store that provides gear for bird dogs and bird hunters.  Mike talks about his time working for the Ruffed Grouse Society, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever, what he’s learned about the upland world, and what he’s working on to help us bir...

Travis Frank joins Ryan Newmarker and his hunting buddies at their remote bird hunting camp in Nevada. The crew recaps our first hunt of the new year flushing big-time numbers of chukar and hungarian partridge before sharing wild stories from a lifetime of chasing birds in the mountains. Find out what happens when they come face to face with mountain lions, how Ryan rescued his dog on a cliff afte...

Come for the grouse hunting lessons, and stay for the rattlesnake bite. Ben Brettingen from OnX Hunt joins Travis Frank in Minnesota’s Northwoods for a late-season Christmas Grouse Camp.  Ben & Travis talk about finding incredible ruffed grouse numbers, birds that won’t hold for points, running grouse, and finding ways to outsmart them. Plus, cameraman, Lance Tangen joins the conversation to s...

Rich Wong joins the show to recap a successful hunting season and talk about late-season lessons learned with a young bird dog, how to read your dog in the field, being present in the moment, helping others break into an outdoor career, and special dogs that forever change your lives.  We also throw out Christmas gift ideas for bird hunters, talk bird-dog first aid, and give thanks for time spent...

Trevor & Karissa Geiger are passionate upland bird hunters and DIY bird dog trainers who just celebrated their honeymoon with an upland bird hunt in Idaho. Trevor shares their journey into the bird-hunting world and how they’ve grown together as a married couple, dog trainers, and hunters. Travis also opens the show with a scary eye-opening accident. Presented by Minnesota Deer Hunters Associa...

Miles Nelson from NutriSource Pet Foods joins the show to discuss bird dog nutrition and a healthy diet to help our bird dogs thrive during rigorous hunting seasons.  Miles & Travis also talk about toppers to help during hunts, staying hydrated, when to change foods, feeding puppies & older dogs, and how to help our hunting athletes recover quickly. Presented by Minnesota Deer Hunters Asso...

Jake Lindemann, owner of Chief Upland, announces his acquisition of Q5 Outdoor Products, makers of upland hunting vests, clay shooting belts & accessories. Travis & Jake walk through each hunting vest option and his upcoming improvements to the vest then Jake announces NEW Chief Upland products that he’s going to release in the coming months, and they both give reasons to be thankful durin...

After a week camping on the prairie in North Dakota Travis Frank sits down with his son Weston to discuss their first pheasant hunt and Weston’s first pheasant. They talk about Weston’s hunting journey as a 9-year-old bird hunter, life lessons learned together, joys & struggles of hunting with kids, overcoming challenges together, camping on the prairie, and a few tricks to outsmart pheasants....

Matt Hardinge is a western bird hunter who pushes his mind, body, and bird dogs to find upland birds in some of America’s most rugged places. We talk about what it takes to harvest chukar, quail, and pheasants in the mountains, his new venture called “Cheatgrass Cowboys”, the best mountain hunting gear, new DECKED storage systems, habitat vs water, wild adventures, snake bites, and so much more. P...

Mike Yashko is on a 5-state bird hunting road trip with his Picardy Spaniels.  Mike and Travis discuss the Picardy Spaniel breed, temperament, hunting style, their introduction in the US along with bird reports from Minnesota to Montana, the effects of social media on hunting, and lessons learned traveling across bird country. @birddogoftheday Presented by Grain Belt ( https://www.grainbelt.com/ )...

Travis Frank, Scott Fransen & Bill Sherck recap a crazy month of October hunting upland birds from Minnesota to Montana and places in between.  Are bird numbers up?  Yes! The Flush team shares success stories, first time hits, lessons learned, reasons to get excited, and what’s on tap for the rest of our season. Presented by Grain Belt ( https://www.grainbelt.com/ ) Federal Premium Ammunition...

Andy Edwards from Quail Forever joins us to go in-depth on America’s 2023 quail hunting forecast.  We talk bird numbers for all quail species, areas to target for DIY bird hunters that like to travel, areas where birds are down, Quail Forever success stories, and so much more. Presented by Grain Belt ( https://www.grainbelt.com/ ) Federal Premium Ammunition ( https://www.federalpremium.com/ ,) Nor...

Ben Brettingen & Jake Hanson join us for a LIVE show to kick start South Dakota’s pheasant hunting season and the launch of the PATH program opening up more acres of pheasant hunting habitat for public access in the state of South Dakota.  The show also includes pheasant trivia, giveaways, questions from the audience, a pheasant outlook, and so much more! Presented by Grain Belt ( https://www....

Tom Carpenter & Jared Wiklund join the show to give an in-depth breakdown of America’s 2023 pheasant hunting forecast.  We dissect bird numbers across pheasant country, explain why pheasant counts are up and down in regions, and give you advice to help you bag more birds this year. Presented by Grain Belt ( https://www.grainbelt.com/ ) Federal Premium Ammunition ( https://www.federalpremium.co...

Brian Kelvington from Federal Ammunition joins us for a live show at Bear Cave Brewing in Hopkins, MN. We discuss the state of ammunition in America, bismuth upland loads, prairie storm, custom loads, where to find your ammo, Pittman Robertson excise tax, hunting ethics, hunters advocating for hunters, audience questions, and so much more. Presented by Grain Belt ( https://www.grainbelt.com/ ) Fed...

Travis Frank joins Tyler Webster from the Birds Booze & Buds podcast in North Dakota to recap their early season sharptail & partridge hunt.  Tyler & Travis talk about a boost in NoDak bird numbers, where huns & sharptails move throughout the day and tactics to help you put more in your game bag, a perfect hunt with “Legends of the Fall,” and plenty or reasons hunters should be pum...

Our first bird hunt of the season takes us to Alberta Canada with Perry McCormick, Ben Brettingen, & George Lyall. We break down our long journey to ‘hunt for huns,’ explain why Hungarian Partridge populations exploded in Alberta and where they stand today, appreciation for the covey rise, cutting a dog out of a snare trap, being prepared in the field, Pheasants Forever Canada, and so much mor...

Dr. Clair Maples is a veterinarian and owner of Paradigm Sporting Dog.  Clair is a passionate upland bird hunter who created her own first aid field kit to help bird hunters head into the field prepared for emergencies and everyday hunting scenarios.  We break down all the items in her first aid kit and explain when, where, why, and how to use each of them. Presented by Grain Belt ( https://www.gr...

Jay Brekke, DVM, joins the show to discuss new ways to help old (geriatric) bird dogs thrive in the field.  Jay explains medical advancements that help old dogs hunt again, joint injections, supplements, glucosamine, weight management, good & bad nutrition, physical therapy, and prevention advice for young dogs.  If you have an older bird dog, this podcast is for you.  If you have a young bird...

Mike Lemke is a podcast listener who wrote us a story about his 3-week solo bird-hunting adventure in Montana that he titled “Upland Eldorado.”  Mike explains in detail the motivation for his bird hunting trip, his gear – from hunting rig to camping supplies, first aid to patterning his shotgun, why two pairs of boots last more than twice as long, hunting ethics, camping solo, lessons learned, hun...

Meghan Krohn & Jim Dario from Sportsman’s Guide join the show to talk hunting gear from ammo to boots, dog kennels to GPS collars, and their roles to help you find the best deals on all of them.  They also explain their conservation “round up” model and we share stories from favorite moments in the field. Presented by Grainbelt ( https://www.grainbelt.com/ ) Federal Premium Ammunition ( https:...

Kenton Bryant is a country music singer & songwriter with a passion for big-running bird dogs and the open prairie.  Kenton gives us a bird report from western North Dakota and we talk about finding the Lebron James of bird dogs - dogs that separate from the pack.  Kenton explains life in the field trial world, training grand champions, field trial dogs vs hunting dogs, training for broke, and...

Tim Brown from northwest Iowa gives us a glimpse into his current roadside pheasant counts.  We discuss how accurate roadside counts really are, big broods, factors that affect his data, where bird numbers are highest, reasons to get pumped for this hunting season, losing bird dogs, inviting new hunters into the field, and so much more. Presented by  Federal Premium Ammunition ( https://www.federa...

Jonathon Tremblay from Walton’s joins Travis Frank while on a road trip through Canada to share stories, catch up on life in the meat processing world, and discuss more ways for hunters to prepare their wild game. Presented by  Federal Premium Ammunition ( https://www.federalpremium.com/ ,) North Dakota Tourism ( https://HelloND.com ,) Aluma ( https://www.alumaklm.com ,) Walton’s ( https://www.wal...

Bob St. Pierre & Eran Sandquist from Pheasants Forever join the show for a deep dive into the life and biology of wild pheasants.  From mating to nesting, chick broods to adult birds, and factors that help them survive.  We also discuss an optimistic outlook for this hunting season, ways to protect birds on the landscape, ways to outsmart them on the hunt, the case for and against extending hu...