Jessica White is founder of Wander Woman Kansas, she has a mission to get women out of the house and into the great outdoors. Whether you’re a novice or have expert experience, Jessica provides events, activities, and gatherings that will teach you new techniques and practices in outdoor skills. Find out what motivated Jessica on this mission in 2018 and hear about all of the different, amazing things you can get involved with!

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

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Boss Shotshells

5:26 Meet Jessica White

9:00 Foraging

11:00 Creating meal videos

13:00 Wander Woman

18:05 Events

33:15 Why are women’s events so popular

39:30 Most popular Wander Woman events

40:25 Jessica’s favorite event

43:30 Event costs

45:00 Recent changes

46:45 Virtual events

48:00 Future of Wander Woman

52:50 Bird Dogs

55:00 Upland Hunting

1:01:00 Favorite wild game recipe

Jessica’s Pheasant Burger Recipe

1:02:20 Try a Wander Woman Event

Connect with Jessica:

www.wanderwomanks.com

Facebook: @kansaswanderwoman

Instagram: @wanderwoman.ks

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Aleah Marcoe of Backwater Hunting Dogs in Southeast Nebraska trains and personally hunts and guides with pointing breeds, flushing breeds, and even a Chiweenie. She believes each dog is different and trains as such. Aleah focuses on bonding with each individual dog to get the best out of them. She shares some hunt test strategy, tips for avoiding trainer burnout, and why she prefers to complete Master Hunter titles on dogs before 2 years old. Oh, And she loves GWP’s, Cockers and Bracco’s, so you know she’s just gotta be a pretty cool gal!

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

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Boss Shotshell

5:35 Getting started in bird dogs

6:10 Getting started in bird hunting

8:30 First bird dog

12:25 Pointing dogs in retriever clubs

17:00 Trying all the venues

14:10 Horses

18:45 Aleah’s string

23:30 Pointers and Flushers

28:00 Hunt test manners vs hunting

29:00 Hunt test strategy

30:20 Training techniques

32:30 Teaching dogs patience

34:10 Avoiding trainer burnout

37:10 Training different breeds

42:10 Preferred breeds

43:00 Wirehairs are hardcore

46:00 Spousal approval

46:40 Dog breeding

47:45 Training regimen

51:50 Upland Guiding

53:45 Focusing on each dog individually

56:30 Importance of bonding with your dog

1:00:00 Importance of crate/kennel training

1:02:30 Recall and Patience

1:04:05 Place training

1:05:45 Bucket list hunt

1:06:25 Fajita wild game cooking

1:07:15 Waterfowl recipe tip

Connect with Backwater Hunting Dogs

Instagram

Email

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Angie Coenen is back and she’s joined with Tracy Harmeyer to walk us through all the aspects of the Invitational. The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting and improving the versatile hunting dog. The Invitational is NAVHDA’s premier hunt test, held annually in September. In addition to a full overview of the test, Angie and Tracy share some excellent training advice and tips throughout that you won’t want to miss.

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

Purina Pro Plan

Boss Shotshells

6:53 Tracy Harmeyer

9:03 Angie Coenen

10:44 Invitational Update

15:39 Eligibility

19:30 Number of qualifying dogs that run in Invitational

19:56 What does the Invitational prove

23:00 Bitches in season

25:20 Training on test grounds

27:45 Photographers

28:40 What to bring to the test

33:06 Typical day of the Invitational

37:15 Field Portion

1:09:00 Double Mark

1:27:00 Blind Retrieve

1:49:30 Honor By Blind

1:58:00 Too much training

2:03:15 Which portion do most dogs fail

2:03:40 Which areas do dogs need maximum score

2:05:00 Why is the Invitational a Pass/Fail

2:07:40 Invitational Handlers Clinic

2:13:30 Thank You NAVHDA Sponsors

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Ken Plourde is an Upland Game Bird Habitat Specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.  Ken shares his story of getting started in upland hunting, his favorite upland bird species and the bird dogs he pursues them with. Ken dives deep into leks, how understanding them will help hunters, their biggest threats and lek viewing etiquette.

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

Purina Pro Plan

Boss Shotshells

7:00 Combining work and play

12:20 Favorite upland bird

14:15 First bird dog

15:40 German Wirehaired Pointers

17:20 Welcoming a new Irish Setter Puppy

19:30 What’s a Lek

21:00 Which species Lek

22:15 Lek regions

23:55 Variations of a Lek

29:25 Venturing and nesting behavior

30:50 Distance between leks

32:30 Features of habitat

34:30 Behavior and mannerisms within

35:40 Mating and communal area

36:35 Most popular lek activity

39:40 Hen laying behavior

42:10 Weather affecting nesting

44:05 Gestation & Incubation

46:45 Threats to leks

49:30 Sage Grouse concerns

52:30 Lek disturbance

53:20 Lek viewing etiquette

1:00:45 Photography recommendations

1:02:00 What can we do to help

1:04:00 Spring dog training considerations

1:06:45 Favorite sharptail recipes

Connect with Ken

Audubon's Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography

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Tierney and her British Lab Maggie recently won the 2021 North American Shed Hunting Dog Association World Championship. Tierney shares some training tips, and characteristics that ideal shed dogs possess. And it’s that time of year, shed hunters are out in abundance right now. This is a fun way to keep your bird dogs and yourself active and in pursuit in the offseason.

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

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Boss Shotshells

6:45 NASHDA World Championship

13:20 Handling through competition

16:30 How Tierney got started

20:15 Breed of choice – British Labs

21:30 Shed training and conditioning

25:30 Retriever vs Non-Retriever Breeds

26:10 UKC and NASHDA Dififerences

31:00 Hobby vs Competition

32:15 Breeding dogs for shed hunting

35:00 Ideal characteristics for a shed dog

37:30 Puppy shed training

40:40 Parts of an antler

42:00 Reasons to shed hunt

43:25 Antler quality

46:40 Bird Dogs that shed hunt

47:50 Shed competition popularity

50:00 Time of year for competition

51:50 Goals

55:00 Future plans

UKC Elite Shed Dogs

NASHDA

Connect with Tierney

Iowa Shed Dogs

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Kelli Aitken of Quantonas Irish Setters is the youngest, and one of the few women who is actively breeding and competing in AKC and American Field horseback field trials with field style Irish Setters. Kelli shares her story of how she got started in Irish Setters and where she is now. She also breaks down the breed characteristics and what you should know before adding an Irish Setter to your family.

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

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Boss Shotshell

5:44 Meet Kelli Aitken

9:35 First Irish Setter at 16 yrs old

12:00 Getting started in field trials

18:00 Irish Setter Trend

18:55 Maintaining show champion and field champion lines

20:10 Dual Champion Irish Setters

23:00 Dabbling in other venues

24:00 Irish Setters in NAVHDA

27:00 Difference between Irish Red&White, Red Setters, and Irish Setters

34:36 Size, male vs female, show vs field

37:10 Demand for Irish Setter puppies

39:30 Breed characteristics:

39:40 Fast or slow maturing?

41:35 Natural Ability, innate pointing

44:45 Competing in all breed field trials

45:50 Temperament

49:45 Kennel dogs or house dogs

51:10 Advice when looking for an Irish Setter

52:00 Health concerns with the Irish Setter

55:25 Ideal Irish Setter owner

1:00:10 Type of person not ideal owner for an Irish Setter

1:01:40 Average cost for a puppy

1:04:00 Coat maintenance

1:06:35 Heat tolerance

1:08:02 Conditioning

1:12:10 Give field trials a try

1:16:10 Kelli’s run of success

Connect with Kelli

Instagram

Facebook

Quantonas Irish Setters

Learn more about Irish Setters

Irish Setter Club of America

National Red Setter Field Trial Club

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Today we are talking all things NAVHDA Utility and Utility Prep Testing withAngie Coenen and Dan Wittman. The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting and improving the versatile hunting dog. The  UT and UPT tests are divided into three segments: field, water, and physical attributes and hunting assessments. In this episode we dive into all parts of the tests, give some training and handling tips, as well as a breakdown of what you'll need to be prepared on test day.

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

Purina Pro Plan

Boss Shotshell

5:50 Angie Coenen Intro

6:40 Dan Wittman Intro

8:15 2022 New Mexico Invitational grounds

10:50 2021 Invitational Update

12:40 What does the Utility Test and Utility Prep Test prove

23:30 What to expect in a typical UT test day

26:30 Field Search

36:00 Talking to dog during the test

44:30 Drag

1:01:00 Duck Search

1:28:15 Heeling Stakes

1:38:00 Steady by Blind

1:41:40 Whining in the blind

1:46:50 Physical attributes

1:47:50 Temperament Eval

1:55:20 When to consider retesting

1:58:25 What should handlers bring to the test

2:01:05 Handler’s shotgun

2:05:00 NAVHDA Apprentice Program

Connect with NAVHDA on Instagram and Facebook

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Dakota283 Kennels (promo code birddogbabe for 10% discount)

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Melinda Benbow, the owner and operator of Urban Uplander Pet Care in Indianapolis, joins us to discuss training bird dogs in the city, and how the force free training approach has worked for her. Melinda also shares her experience as a novice running her English Setter, Suge, in her first AKC Hunt Test. This story is a must listen whether you’re a novice or experienced trainer or handler. I also strongly urge judges, and potential judges of dog events to have a listen to this one, because as the stewards of the sporting events, it’s important to understand how the feedback you give, especially to a novice, can affect them. For many of us, it’s these testing venues that are a bridge to turning us into hunters. So let’s all do what we can to make these training and testing events a welcoming, positive experience.

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

Purina Pro Plan

Boss Shotshel

6:30 Urban Uplander

7:55 Upland training in Indianapolis

10:15 How Melinda Got Started

13:00 Why an English Setter

14:30 Training bird dogs in the city

23:40 Training for steadiness

25:00 Water work

28:55 Force free training

52:40 First AKC Hunt Test

55:00 Testing events turning handlers into hunters

58:10 Preparing for your first hunt test

1:18:00 Best advice for some testing for the first time

Connect with Melinda

Website: https://urbanuplanderllc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban.uplander/

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Thank you to our Partners:

Dakota283 Kennels (promo code birddogbabe for 10% discount)

Syren: Shotguns for Women

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Follow Bird Dog Babe:

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Kate Ahnstrom is providing a way forward for men, women and youth that have an interest in shooting sports and bird hunting, as a shooting instructor and owner of Virginia Shooting Sports. Kate shares her story about getting into shooting sports and hunting along with advice on finding the ideal shotgun, suggestions for practice in the off season, and what most of us are doing wrong.

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

Purina Pro Plan

Boss Shotshell

8:00 Making a job of doing what you love

14:40 Expectations of dogs guiding novice in the field

18:00 Kate’s story

19:40 Adding a bird dog to the game

22:50 Bird dog training

20:35 Growing up shooting

32:55 Starting VA Shooting Sports

34:30 Instructing anyone anywhere

39:50 Shotguns & Saddles

42:55 Being a female shooting instructor

51:20 Kate’s gun suggestions for women

56:00 Shoot, Practice, Repeat before you purchase a gun

58:00 Importance of, and determining proper gun fit

1:01:40 Best approach for a novice to start shooting/hunting

1:04:45 How have Syren women’s shotguns helped

1:10:10 Suggestions for shooting in the off season

1:15:50 What the average shooter is doing wrong

1:17:55 How to break bad shooting habits

1:20:05 Speed, Angle, Distance.. what’s most important

1:21:55 Pheasant Salad Sliders

Connect with Kate

Kate @VaShootingSports.com

VaShootingSports.com

Facebook.com/VaShootingSports

Instagram  @VaShootingSports

804.512.2771

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Dakota283 Kennels (promo code birddogbabe for 10% discount)

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In this episode we are talking all things NAVHDA Natural Ability Test with Angie Coenen and Lisa Pehur. The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting and improving the versatile hunting dog. The natural ability test is for dogs up to 16 months old. No game is shot and no retrieves are required. There are 4 phases of the NAVHDA Natural Ability test which include field, tracking, water, and evaluation of physical attributes.

This episode is jam-packed with what a novice and experienced handler should know about all 4 phases of the test.We also touch on how to prepare for the day and some advice on how to get the most out of training days.

The Bird Dog Babe Podcast is Presented By:

Purina Pro Plan

Boss Shotshell

7:28 Angie Coenen intro

8:20 Lisa Pehur intro

10:05 2021 Invitational Update

17:50 What does the NAVHDA NA test prove

23:30 What does a typical day of NA look like

26:30 Order of the day

30:05 Field Phase

39:20 A convincing point

45:00 Gunshyness test

47:17 Gunshy vs Gun Sensitive

50:45 Tracking Phase

58:40 Find a NAVHDA Handler’s Clinic

1:00:00 Tracking cover

1:03:15 Variables that occur in tracking

1:09:25 Water Phase

1:17:35 Importance of training on different bodies of water

1:20:00 NAVHDA NA Video

1:23:30 Evaluation Physical Attributes

1:31:30 What should you bring to the day of the NA test

1:35:20 How much are you allowed to talk to your dog

1:37:35 When should you test and enter a test

1:45:25 Dogs that test in NA that are already broke

1:46:00 How to get the most out of a NAVHDA training day

1:50:00 Making connections within the NAVHDA family

1:51:50 Pitch in

1:53:30 When should someone consider retesting their dog in NA

1:56:00 NAVHDA website

Connect with NAVHDA on Instagram and Facebook

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Thank you to our Partners:

Dakota283 Kennels (promo code birddogbabe for 10% discount)

Syren: Shotguns for Women

BigFrig: Coolers, Tumblers and Dry Boxes for Your Way of Life

Support this podcast on Patreon

Connect with Courtney

Follow Bird Dog Babe:

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

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