Upland Nation

Exclusive! We venture inside the Beltway to analyze the Sen. Lee land-sale debacle, look back on the victories, defeats and delays in law-making and public policy with our friends Jeff Crane (Pres./CEO) and Taylor Schmitz (Sr. VP - policy) of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. That organization roams the halls of congress and all the alphabet agencies that restrict, protect and frustrate us...

I bring three of my friends onboard to talk about birds, public access hunting, habitat, hunting success and dogs. From all around the country, these guys have put in the miles and burned the gunpowder this year, and have insights to share. Eric Thompson from Montana, Jim Millensifer from Kansas, and David Kuritzky from New York offer their take on the 2025 bird season from prairie chickens to ruf...

Tim Linehan of Linehan Outfitting is an Orvis-endorsed guide hunting the Rockies for ruffed, sooty and blue grouse. It's challenging country, different habitat, offering a new set of rules he's here to explain. Whether you're a dyed-in-the-wool ruffed grouse hunter or new to the game, from the east, midwest or west, there's something in his approach of value to you and your dog. We cover what is g...

Exclusive: This roundtable "insider" edition includes the entire chain from design and manufacturing to end-user. Joining me are Tim Frampton, Browning shotgun category manager, Ben Sovince, sales manager, and dealer/instructor/hunter Dave Fiedler of Mid-Valley Clays & Shooting School. We cover Browning's new product development process, how customer feedback impacts their decision-making, how...

Pro trainer, champion field trialer and hunter Todd Agnew of Craney Hills Kennel joins me to talk spaniels, but we get into a lot of topics relevant to any hunting dog owner. We get his take on midwestern hunting, he offers tips for traveling with a lot of dogs, and how important it is to establish a level of trust with your dog. This conversation is rich with practical advice and personal anecdot...

George DeCosta entertains and educates us with training tips and techniques and the importance of forging a bond with your dog as the key to unlocking greatness in you both. We'll trade hunting stories, talk about the magic of Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, delve deep into what motivates your dog, how to "read" your dog to know when he's confused or disobedient, and why timing is everything when gi...

Exclusive industry insider edition: Not just a major retailer in the bird dog world, Steve Snell is an avid bird hunter. In our extensive interview, we go from the company's history through the transition to online retailing, then hit on some of the most-asked questions Steve gets from customers about gear and how to use it. He talks about trends in product development, why a riveted collar ID tag...

Start the year right - get your training act together! Legendary trainer, champion trialer and bird hunter George Hickox shares his wisdom on all things bird dogs. He'll re-define what motivates your hunting dog and how to take him to the next level. He'll change your thinking on a number of topics, and walk us through a better way to get a dog to be steady on pointed birds. We'll cover the benefi...

Planning next season already? Got a few weeks left for this one? Here's the lowdown on hunting in the world's pheasant capital, from fellow hunter and director of the Aberdeen Convention & Visitor's Bureau, Casey Weismantel. He's an ugly dog owner and avid ringneck hunter, and nobody has more fingers on the pulse of hunting our favorite bird.  We cover the season's highs and lows, some weather...

Finally, someone to help us use tie-out stakes and "chain gangs" the right way. Industry insider and avid bird hunter Brennan Landry of CableGangz Supply makes the best gear in the category (and including roading gear, training table rigs and more) and he's here to walk us through using it right. From materials and engineering to manufacturing and the right way to hammer stakes into and out of the...

Exclusive! We get the lowdown on new Purina dog foods the day they hit the shelves. Dr. RuthAnn Lobos (@petvetruthann), senior veterinarian at Purina will outline the rationale behind their new "Advantedge Plus" senior and digestive formulations, and why many of us should consider one or the other. We'll parse ingredients, specs, and the new product development process from a researcher's notion t...

Why isn't he retrieving well? This time in the season, it seems like everyone is wondering what happened to their dog. From not bringing birds all the way back, dropping birds or just going hunting again, many upland dogs are just not delivering, literally, these days. Retriever Hall of Fame inductee, pro trainer, and now successfully transitioned into pointing breeds, Jim Van Engen of Right Start...

Most of us, most of the time, could use some help when it comes to the business end of our shotgun. Recently, a guide friend said most of his clients have no idea what choke tubes were in their shotgun. Scary! Bottom line? You'll shoot better with the right choke tubes. Scott Trulock of Trulock Chokes joins me to cover it all, from billet to "boom!" We'll get advice on materials and engineering, c...

Make your social posts really pop with better photos. Who better than pro photographer Brian Grossenbacher to help? You've seen his images on the cover of every outdoors magazine, and he's certainly spiffed up some of my articles. He's shot for everyone from YETI to Mossy Oak, Field & Stream to Gun Dog magazines. Whether you're shooting with your phone or a fancy SLR, we'll cover ways to tell...

Don't panic, no e-collar for you, just an argument for you getting deeper into the dog training process before, during and after you get your pup back from a pro trainer. In fact this guy says you may need more training than your four-footed partner. Talmage Smedley has suggestions on how to look - differently - at how your dog learns, then adjust your training approach accordingly. A look inward...

Why we go ... what we're grateful for, and why. Listeners share their own thoughts, new and classic, and I'll help with a few reasons of my own. If you're looking for more reasons to go hunting, here they are. Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge, where you'll get special freebies and gifts for every booking (learn more here ). [Take 10% off your ne...

Got a good hunting dog? Prove it by passing the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association's new Gun Dog Test. This is a practical exam in all things a journeyman hunting dog needs to master the field and water. NAVHDA Director of Testing Dan Wittman outlines the origins of this test, replacing the Utility Preparatory Test, explaining the components and why it's become so popular in its firs...

From his experience as a military K9 handler, training and showing dogs of all stripes, to authoring multiple books on the topics, Dr. Cartrell Cooper knows a lot more about how a dog thinks than we'll ever know. I caught him between seminars at Pheasant Fest to explore his unique methods and thought process on everything from motivating your dog, to how and why he reacts to everyday behaviors we...

On a recent visit to Heartland Lodge in Illinois, I cornered the new-ish owner Tim Duoos, and communications manager Zach Jumps and peppered them with questions about the facility. From how they earned an Orvis endorsement, to maintaining great habitat, we'll get the lowdown from an insider's perspective. We also dig into how we should shop for, and what our expectations should be from, a hunting...

Four of my friends call in with on-the-ground reports from the upper Midwest, Arizona, Utah and Oregon. What they've learned could help you as the season progresses - from habitat to hatch reports, strategies to tactics for quail, chukars, Huns, pheasants, ruffies, blues, and woodcock. "Fix It" helps your shooting ... and listeners share their "big trip" memories and photos. And it's all brought t...

A wealth of information ... that's the only way to describe Al Gadoury, Montana pro guide and owner of 6X Outfitters in Lewistown. I've learned from Al in the field, and you'll learn from him right here. We'll cover everything you need to know about hunting late-season pheasants. From habitat changes to food sources, strategies from blockers to unloading the truck, Al has wisdom built on a foundat...

Not that kind of high! Instead, how altering your altitude might help you take more accurate shots. This time of the season, all your faults and flaws are piling up, including keeping track of your dog and missing birds on the wing. I know a thing or two about both and will share some of the lessons I've learned that might help you get better shots and find your dog in the distance or underbrush ....

Bob McMichael is a YouTuber , author of a new book, blogger and fanatic hunter. The "thinking man's chukar hunter," Bob brings a unique perspective to the hunt that has as much to do with the why's of hunting as the how-to. We'll jump headfirst into the rabbit holes of habitat and conservation, go beyond tailgate photos to deeper stuff, and learn where blue grouse and chukar intersect,  Bob will o...

Author ( Building a Grouse Do g), trainer, breeder, grouse guide and avid hunter, Craig Doherty is uniquely qualified to help us navigate the woods. We'll cover what we can do to help young dogs on early hunts, the right mental approach to dog behaviors, and where grouse and woodcock live during hunting season in the northeast. We'll cover food sources, cover types and what makes up a good covert....

Bear with me. Maybe you'll learn something. Or stop doing something. Or start doing something else. Bottom line is, to get along in flyover country where most of us hunt, there are some unwritten rules, protocols, and common-sense stuff we should be aware of. Get along "out there," and good things happen.  Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge (learn...