Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by The Nature Conservancy’s Kelsey Molloy, Wyoming Migration Initiative’s Andrew Jakes, Pheasants Forever’s Casey Sill and PF’s Montana State Coordinator Hunter VanDonsel for a discussion regarding the Montana Grassland Initiative. The dialogue spans the objectives for the initiative, emphasizing its advantages for Montana’s diverse wildlife species as well as the farming and ranching community.

Episode Highlights:

• VanDonsel kicks off the conversation with a poignant narrative about walking across a Montana grassland while carrying his newborn daughter against his chest. This experience inspired VanDonsel to conceive the Montana Grassland Initiative and solidify his career aspirations.

• Molloy and Jakes explain the significance of Montana’s sagebrush habitat for sage grouse and pronghorn, particularly during their migration periods.

• Jakes further discusses the distinct nature of pronghorns in North America, noting that their closest relative is Africa’s giraffe.

“On the Wing Podcast” is proudly fueled by Purina Pro Plan.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks for a conversation about bird dogs with musician, hunter, and Pheasants Forever member Reese Glover. After the unexpected death of St.Pierre’s German shorthaired pointer, “Esky,” he wrote the blog, “The Story of a Bird Dog Going Out on Top.” Upon reading that blog, Glover sent St.Pierre his song, “Ballad of the Bird Dog,” which tells the story of a bird dog’s final hunt at eleven years old. This episode brings laughter, tears, and a lifetime of memories.

Episode Highlights:

• Glover discusses his songwriting process and how it involves daily walks behind his own German shorthaired pointer, Bridger.

• Sparks recounts the story of Tippet, his English pointer who also died suddenly of a heart attack earlier this year. Within that conversation, Sparks explains the beautiful reasoning behind Tippet’s name and how the pup connected him to birds and Quail Forever.

• For more information about Reese Glover’s music and live performance opportunities, follow him on Instagram @reesealexanderglover

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Director of Government Affairs Andrew Schmidt to discuss the current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup and its relevance for bird hunters. There are currently 1.8 million acres available for CRP enrollment this fiscal year with a signup underway right now through June 6th. Schmidt also discusses new proposals aimed at improving CRP and increasing funding for walk-in access programs.

Episode Highlights:

• Schmidt examines how bird populations have correlated with CRP acreage since the program began in 1985 and emphasizes the role of CRP acres in increasing public access through state walk-in programs.

• The discussion covers a range of benefits provided by CRP, including contributions to rural economies via wildlife habitat, enhancement of water resources and soil health, and risk mitigation for farmers and ranchers.

• Schmidt outlines the distinctions between general CRP, continuous CRP, CREP, and other signups, and explains how the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) increases public access for bird hunters.

Host Bob St.Pierre moderates a discussion with Quail Forever’s Louisiana State Coordinator Jackson Martini, Arkansas State Coordinator Ryan Parker, and landowner Andrew Wiesmann about improving bobwhite quail habitat in the Southeastern United States. The conversation covers how USDA Farm Bill programs can be used to burn or thin trees, decrease the basal area, and open up the forest canopy to promote grasslands beneficial to bobwhites.

Episode Highlights:

• Martini talks about the Arkansas-Louisiana Conservation Delivery Network and how that coalition is working together to implement the Open Pine Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

• Wiesman explains his love of wirehaired pointing griffons and waterfowl hunting with those dogs in Louisiana’s bayous. Bob then asks about the threat level for duck hunting with bird dogs where alligators live.

Host Bob St.Pierre talks with PF & QF’s Marissa Jensen and Andy Fondrick, along with volunteers Mike Gruenke and Jeff Ennis from Washington's Spokane Inland Empire Chapter of Pheasants Forever. They discuss winning last year's $7,500 Hands-On Habitat grand prize from onX Hunt and how it motivated their chapter to undertake an even larger habitat project in Washington’s scablands this spring.

Episode Highlights:

• Gruenke shares how they attracted more volunteers by focusing on projects in which volunteers could participate in on-the-ground habitat work.

• Jensen outlines the month-long Hands-On Habitat efforts and onX Hunt’s 2025 incentives for volunteer projects.

Learn more about Hands-On Habitat at www.PheasantsForever.org/handsonhabitat

Host Bob St.Pierre visits with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Olivia Lappin and Levi Day to talk about the organization’s new “Journey to Conservation Careers” film featuring Lappin. Day kicks off the discussion with an overview of the organization’s Journey to Conservation Careers program, while also explaining the inspiration behind the film. From there, Lappin recounts her education, internships, and career path leading up to putting her degree to work for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as the organization’s Integrated Habitat Management Rights of Way & Energy Coordinating Wildlife Biologist.

Episode Highlights:

• Lappin talks about her anti-hunting roots, which grew into an interest about where her food actually comes from and has burgeoned into a love of hunting.

• Lappin and Day also talk about the Texas A & M Natural Resources Job Board and how valuable a tool it is for people interested in finding career opportunities in the conservation field.

• Check out Lappin’s adventures on Instagram at @olappin1 and check out the Journey to Conservation Careers film.

Host Bob St.Pierre sits down with Will Primos and Anthony Matarese Jr. to talk about Straight Shooting for Hunters, a new book about wingshooting they co-authored. Matarese Jr. is the most decorated sporting clays shooter in U.S. history, while Primos was an original innovator in the game-call industry and a world-renowned hunter.

Episode Highlights:

• Primos kicks off the conversation with an update on the collection of Purdey shotguns he’s donated to be auctioned off for conservation efforts. Learn more about the collection and upcoming auction at www.TheTruthAboutConservation.org.

• Matarese Jr. talks through the critical importance of mounting your gun properly and moving your feet, hands, and head in sync with a bird as it flushes to match its speed.

• Matarese Jr. also explains why hunters need to SLOW DOWN and that the most common mistake hunters make is shooting too quickly, fearing birds are getting out of range.

onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre talks with professional bird dog trainer Justin King and Purina vet Dr. RuthAnn Lobos about her new pup. Dr. Lobos, an adult-onset bird hunter with a Labrador for the last decade, has added a wirehaired pointing griffon named Journey to her family. Journey has been trained by King at Dokken’s Oak Ridge Kennels in recent months.

Episode Highlights:

• Dr. Lobos talks about the family decision to get a wirehaired pointing griffon, the breed’s attributes, and how the entire family has been involved in Journey’s training process.

• King talks about a variety of tools he uses in the dog training process, including a check chord, e-collar, pigeon launcher . . . and even snow fence.

Thanks to SportDOG BRAND for being a supporting partner for this bird dog focused episode of On the Wing podcast.

Host Bob St. Pierre sits down with Dr. Dirac Twidwell, a professor and research scientist from the University of Nebraska, to talk about his hunting roots and life’s mission to save America’s last remaining grasslands. Dr. Twidwell explains the concept of the “Green Glacier” of woody vegetation taking over the Great Plains, and why prescribed fire is the most important tool for grassland habitat conservation. He also reports that woody encroachment is now equal to land conversion for agricultural production as the top two factors in habitat loss across the country.

Episode Highlights:

• Dr. Twidwell explains how his bird hunting trips had been moving west to keep ahead of the “Green Glacier” of woody encroachment into grasslands to find better upland gamebird populations before he even knew of the Green Glacier concept’s existence.

• The guys discuss Dr. Twidwell’s bird hunting roots and how his work to save America’s grasslands through science is akin to keeping a promise “to his 8-year-old self.”

• Dr. Twidwell also reports The Sandhills of Nebraska as the single most intact grassland remaining on the entire planet.

• Learn more about Dr. Twidwell’s work on the Working Lands for Wildlife website or read his paper at the Society for Conservation Biology.

onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St. Pierre leads a discussion with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Board members Ashley Langen, Keith Schopp, and Owen Stockdale. The conversation covers their career paths, interest in hunting, commitment to the wildlife habitat mission, and their vision for the organization's future.

Episode Highlights:

• Langen recalls her father initiating the Montgomery County (IL) Chapter of Pheasants Forever, participating in the National Youth Leadership Council of the organization, and working in precision agriculture in Illinois, Texas, and Hawaii. She also talks about living in Hawaii with three growing seasons and an abundance of pheasants.

• Schopp discusses his experience as a newspaper reporter and his 34 years in communications at Purina. He also shares perspective on owning two Labradors and two German shorthaired pointers, including effective hunting strategies with them.

• Stockdale talks about his career at McKinsey & Company, joining PF & QF as a strategic planning advisor, and his father's poignant message about not waiting, shared shortly before his passing.

onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s wildlife habitat mission.