On The Wing Podcast

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by three biologists from Oklahoma and Texas to discuss the massive wildfires in the panhandle areas of both states in recent weeks, as well as the impact those wildfires have had on upland birds. Those biologists include Tell Judkins, upland game biologist with Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation; John McLaughlin, upland game program leader with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department; and Thomas Janke, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s state coordinator for Texas.

Episode Highlights:

• Judkins and McLaughlin provide a recap of the massive number of acres burned and provide an update on the impact those wildfires have had on wildlife populations so far.

• Janke explains difference between wildfires and prescribed fires, as well as the critically important role prescribed fire plays in properly managing upland habitat to maximize potential for wildlife.

• Judkins and McLaughlin explain the concept of “fighting fire with fire” and the dual role prescribed fire plays in mitigating the risk and impact of wildfires.

Read The Heart of The Habitat Organization is with the Southern Great Plains by Casey Sill

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by veterinarians Dr. RuthAnn Lobos and Dr. Seth Bynum for a podcast version of our “Ask a Vet” video series being presented by Purina Pro Plan. To kick off the conversation, Dr. Lobos and Dr. Bynum share their hunting and bird dog backgrounds, then Bob asks follow-up questions from the first six episodes of the video series.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoOX_tNUo44MiMiZqXrjqQqCDfw1jbFlI

Episode Highlights:

Ask a Vet Episode 1 – What’s in your bird dog’s first aid kit?

Ask a Vet Episode 2 – How do I safely travel with my bird dog?

Ask a Vet Episode 3 – How do I prevent bird dog injuries?

Ask a Vet Episode 4 – What is the best feeding method for my bird dog?

Ask a Vet Episode 5 – What supplements should I consider for my bird dog?

Ask a Vet Episode 6 – When should I spay or neuter my bird dog?

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever Editor Tom “Carp” Carpenter and PF & QF Director of Communications Jared Wiklund to preview the special section, “Pheasant Habitat Essentials Guide” coming up in the spring edition of the Pheasants Forever Journal. The trio discuss nesting & brood-rearing habitat, winter habitat, food plots, pheasant stocking fallacies, the science of predators, and federal Farm Bill conservation and access programs.

Episode Highlights:

• Carp drops a wide array of “Carp-isms” like “hellholes” and “tootles” during the conversation. He also explains a few scientific terms like the immense “fecundity” of coyote populations and the constant “senescence” of habitat.

• Jared explains the #Farming4Habitat campaign to highlight the robust investments America’s landowners make in support of fish and wildlife resources, particularly through Farm Bill conservation programs. The campaign’s partners include Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Congressional Sportsmen’s Alliance, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Learn more at www.Farming4Habitat.org.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by three Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever co-workers to provide overviews of family-centric attractions that’ll be a part of National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic coming up on March 1-3 in Sioux Falls.

Episode Highlights:

• Kim Cole, PF & QF’s Habitat Education Program Manager, provides an overview of the event’s Youth Village sponsored by Sportsman’s Guide, which features archery, fly tying, and conservation career development.

• Ashley Chance, PF & QF’s Hunting Heritage Program Manager, gives a rundown of the Path to the Uplands Stage sponsored by ALPS OutdoorZ. The lineup includes Ben Brettingen from onX, Dr. Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek from the South Dakota State University, Nick Hoffman of Nick’s Wild Ride on Outdoor Channel, James Beard Food Writer Hank Shaw, and Doug Duren of MeatEater fame.

• Shannon Hoheisel, PF & QF’s Corporate Partnerships Manager, closes out the episode with an overview of “Family Day” sponsored by First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard. Sunday’s Family Day features free admission for attendees 16 years of age and younger, and a complimentary Spunky Pup pheasant dog toy for the first 500 families through the gates.

Learn more about National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic at www.PheasantFest.org

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Buddy Huffaker, the President & CEO of The Aldo Leopold Foundation, and Rich Wissink, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s VP of Conservation Programs for a discussion about Aldo Leopold’s influence on conservation in 2024 and the 75th anniversary celebration of Leopold’s seminal work, A Sand County Almanac. The trio discuss how hunting and bird dogs shaped Leopold’s view of the natural world, his writings, and his Land Ethic.

Episode Highlights:

• Huffaker talks about becoming a hunter to better understand Leopold’s writings and how hunting has influenced his own view of Leopold, conservation, and the outdoors.

• Wissink, a lifelong Wisconsinite and wildlife biologist, explains how his own career in conservation with the Wisconsin DNR and PF & QF has been influenced by Leopold.

• Huffaker also explains how Delia Owen’s #1 New York Times Bestseller book, Where the Crawdads Sing, was influenced by Leopold.

A Sand County Almanac is available through the Aldo Leopold Foundation for an affordable $7.50 each in recognition of the publication’s 75th anniversary and with the goal of helping get the text into more people’s hands to influence the broader public’s “Land Ethic.”

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Jordan Martincich, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s VP of Development, and Ariel Wiegard, PF & QF’s VP of Government Affairs, for a discussion about a new effort to create sustainable conservation funding in Kansas. Jordan, a lifelong Kansas resident, provides the background on the initiative’s origin story, proposed funding structure, and anticipated deliverables. In fact, the Kansans for Conservation coalition includes a wide array of partners covering agriculture, energy, and conservation sectors.

Episode Highlights:

• Wiegard explains 35 of our country’s 50 states already have some form of sustainable funding in place for conservation investments, but Kansas does not. In fact, the absence of a dedicated conservation revenue stream is resulting in Kansas leaving considerable federal dollars on the table that could be coming back to Kansas. Wiegard also describes the mechanics of this proposal and how it would NOT result in the creation of a new tax. The proposal is a re-allocation of existing funding sources toward natural resources.

• Martincich reports Kansas House Bill #2541 was introduced in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee at the request of Representative Doug Blex on January 18th, which is the first step. A hearing was conducted related to HB #2541 on January 22nd. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members who live in Kansas are encouraged to contact their Kansas House Representative and voice their support for House Bill #2541.

Learn more at www.KansansForConservation.org

Host Bob St.Pierre has a “get to know you” chat with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s new Vice President of Government Affairs Ariel Wiegard. Following career stops with TRCP, Syngenta, and American Soybean Association, Wiegard joined PF & QF’s leadership team in late 2023. During the conversation, she talks about her hunting roots, her bird dogs, and how her career path in agriculture and conservation has culminated in her dream job at PF & QF.

Episode Highlights:

• Wiegard shares the terrific story behind her veteran German shorthair’s name, Argos. In Homer’s Odyssey, Argos is the only one who recognizes Odysseus after his ten-year journey.

• Wiegard provides legislative updates on the Farm Bill, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP), and North American Grasslands Conservation Act. She also shares her vision for growth in the organization’s efforts to influence conservation policy at the state level.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Charlotte Roy, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Grouse Project Leader and Bailey Petersen, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Assistant Area Wildlife Manager for northeast Minnesota, for a deep dive into the biology, habitat, and hunting tactics for spruce grouse.

Episode Highlights:

• Roy discusses a recently completed spruce grouse study spanning three years, which provided a tremendous amount of insight into this beautiful and secretive grouse species of the boreal forest.

• Petersen, an avid upland bird hunter who travels across the country with her three English setters and one small Munsterlander, provides a wide array of tips for locating and hunting spruce grouse across Minnesota’s northern range. In fact, Petersen invites traveling bird hunters to contact her at [email protected] to answer questions about hunting these birds in Minnesota, the eastern most state where they are legal upland game.

Learn more about spruce grouse on the Minnesota DNR’s website at https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/sprucegrouse.html

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Dave Simonett, lead singer and songwriter of the band Trampled by Turtles, to preview Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s first-ever Concert for Conservation. In partnership with Pepper Entertainment, the show will open with Chester Floyd and Carl Hansen before Trampled by Turtles takes the stage at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Thursday, February 29th. Check out the available tickets to PF & QF’s first-ever Concert for Conservation at pheasantsforever.org/TrampledbyTurtles

Episode Highlights:

• The guys talk about their shared love of saunas, reading books, watching baseball, and following bird dogs.

• Simonett also talks about how bird hunting, upland habitat, public lands, and bird dogs have changed his lifestyle and influenced his songwriting.

Check out the limited-time PF or QF membership offers featuring the special concert artwork at pheasantsforever.org/Trampled or quailforever.org/Trampled

Special THANK YOU to our Concert for Conservation sponsors Pepper Entertainment, Leinenkugel’s, Purina Pro Plan, and onXHunt.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by lifelong South Dakota pheasant hunter and longtime Pheasants Forever chapter volunteer Darwin Weeldreyer. With two weeks remaining in South Dakota’s pheasant hunting season (as well as Nebraska and Kansas), Weeldreyer offers a few hard-earned tactics for outsmarting late season longtails.

Episode Highlights:

• Weeldreyer talks about originally getting involved with South Dakota’s Wessington Springs Chapter of Pheasants Forever to learn how to improve the habitat on land he inherited from his father, while also getting in good with the guy who would later become his father-in-law.

• Fresh off a January pheasant hunt with eight inches of crusty snow on the ground, Weeldreyer gives a handful of hot tips for hunters chasing roosters the final couple of weeks of this hunting season.

Get involved with PF or QF by becoming a volunteer with your local chapter.