Des Stormont is BACK on the Ugly Dog Podcast! She and Mike look back on their NAVHDA Invitational training season and test date, discuss how training and hunting priorities change over time, and look ahead to what's on the calendar for training, judging, and testing in 2026. 

If you missed Des' first appearance, check it out here: Episode 2

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Andrew Vavra sits down with Mike this week to share how an "I need a job" internship led him to a career in marketing and communications with Pheasants Forever. And, along the way Andrew transitioned from a waterfowler to an upland hunter, raised a lab in the city, then brought home a French Brittany, and now a German Wirehair. Andrew shares candidly about loving the dog you have and appreciating every moment afield, even if it doesn't go according to plan. There is lots to learn in this episode. Enjoy! 

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

As is tradition, every 25 episodes Mike solicits questions from listeners, social media followers, etc. In this episode he sits down to answer questions about transitioning from hunting to training, why he doesn't believe tests and trials should set up specific categories for dog breeds, and a handful of insightful and deep questions from lessons learn along the way. 

Enjoy! 

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

JP Knutson joins the show this week to share his journey into bird dogs and upland hunting, what he learned jumping into guiding early in his bird hunting career, and how he's adapting to shooting after a train accident left one of his arms fused.

JP has had quite the journey and the uplands keep him coming back for more. Enjoy! 

Get in on the new Ugly Dog Hunting Co merch pre-order: Hoodie Pre-Order

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Mitch Skatter joins the show this week to recap his 2025 pheasant season, chat about Pheasant Fest 2026, and take a deep dive on his Garmin dog GPS questions. 

Check out Mitch's YouTube Channel, Upland Path for more of his tips and tricks for bird hunting: https://www.youtube.com/@UplandPath

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

If you're looking to learn more about grouse and woodcock hunting from a bunch of seasoned vets who also relish giving each other a hard time, this episode is for you. Mike sat down with he crew of friends and fellow die-hard ruffed grouse and woodcock hunters to take on listener questions. Questions range from cover type, how they structure feeding schedule, how to be a better shot, and tips for taking your first trips to the northwoods. There is a ton to be learned from this episode. Enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Bode Springer joins the show this week to grill Mike for an upcoming college homework assignment. He is a student at UMD and studying environmental sustainability. Bode recently got his first bird dog, a springer, an apt choice given his last name and shares about his bird hunting journey thus far in addition to his thought-provoking questions.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Nate Akey from onX Hunt joins the show this week to discuss his path into bird hunting and dog training, his NAVHDA Invitational run, hunting season so far, and so much more.

Nate is an avid photographer who has leveraged his skill set with his degree to build a career in the hunting industry. We dive into all sorts of topics and this is the perfect episode to listen to on the long drive to camp!

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Mitch Skatter joins the show this week to share more about his journey starting Upland Path, a new YouTube Channel aimed at sharing helpful tips and tricks for upland bird hunters. He also dives into how he got into bird hunting, what he's learning from his first dog, and why mentorship and giving back is so important to him.

Enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Marc Musselman and Jonny Serrano join the show this week to talk about Alclair Outdoors and the importance of high quality hearing protection. If you do any kind of dog training or bird hunting hearing loss is an under-discussed issue. Medical research is starting to highlight the impact hearing loss has on community and brain health as one ages and it's not looking good. Marc has a goal to make going afield with hearing protection no different than going with a good pair of boots and a trusted shotgun and this episode dives into why Alclair Outdoors is the company to trust with your hearing protection needs. 

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.