Stephen Biello grew up in the heart of South Philadelphia, just steps from the historic Italian Market, where his love for animals—and eventually hunting—first took root. Despite not coming from a hunting family, he carved his own path into the uplands through sheer grit, mentorship from neighborhood hunters, and a deep passion for bird dogs. From chasing the last of Pennsylvania’s wild pheasants to developing standout dogs like his Drahthaar Angel and Irish Setter Sage, Stephen’s journey is built on experience, loss, and loyalty. Today, he’s a sporting clays instructor, a dedicated dog man, and working his way back to the field after a life-altering illness—all with a young Wirehaired Vizsla leading the next chapter.

https://claysnwings.com/

From the hardwoods and creek bottoms of Northeast Ohio to the prairies and big woods of Minnesota, Colleen Foehrenbacher found her way into hunting in a way that’s becoming more and more important to the future of our community—she came to it as an adult.

Raised in a family that valued nature, wildlife, and especially birds, she spent her early years exploring outside but never pulled a trigger or knew hunters growing up. That changed during her time in outdoor education, when a hunter safety course cracked the door—and one pheasant hunt blew it wide open.

Now over a decade into her hunting journey, Colleen is all in—chasing everything from grouse and pheasants to elk and waterfowl, all alongside her three bird dogs. But what really sets her apart is her commitment to bringing others along. As a Minnesota DNR firearm safety instructor, a mentor for new hunters, and a leader in programs like Becoming an Outdoors Woman and Pheasants Forever’s Women on the Wing, she’s helping shape the next generation of hunters—especially women—one first hunt at a time.

Not everyone who becomes a bird hunter grows up in a hunting family. For Joe Palmer, it started with a Scoutmaster who took the time to introduce a 13-year-old kid to Hunter’s Ed and his very first bird hunt behind dogs. That experience stuck. Even though he didn’t hunt much again until he turned 18 and bought his first shotgun, the spark was there for Joe. 

Today he’s the co-owner of Bird Hunter Supply, a business that’s been around for over a decade. After ten years of simply selling products, he and his wife realized something was missing: purpose. That realization led to a major shift in the company’s mission. Now a portion of every purchase is donated to a conservation organization chosen by the customer—at no additional cost—helping ensure the future of bird hunting and wild places.

He and his wife are raising four kids in Idaho, where upland hunting opportunities are abundant. Three of their kids already love chasing birds alongside their parents, and the family has made a tradition of it. In fact, the first bird each of his kids—and even his wife—ever harvested was a sage grouse. Between sage grouse, sharptails, ruffed and dusky grouse, Huns, pheasants, and plenty of ducks and geese, bird hunting has become more than a pastime—it’s a family way of life.

Topics Covered:

• ​Joe's introduction to the uplands
• ​Reimagining his business to conserve upland habitat
• ​The joys of hunting with his family
• ​Introducing hunting to kids in a thoughtful way
• ​Why sage grouse are special to Joe

Check out Bird Hunter Supply

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Ballad of the Bird Dog

Reid Bryant is a writer, editor, and storyteller who believes deeply in the lasting power of the written word. Living along the Mettawee River in Dorset, Vermont, Reid has built a life around the outdoors, bird dogs, and the traditions of upland hunting.

A former farmer and teacher, Reid now works with Orvis on their hunting and shooting programs and serves as Editor at Large for Shooting Sportsman. His work has appeared in publications like Gray’s Sporting Journal, Covey Rise, Gundog, and The Fly Fish Journal. He’s also the author of several books including The Orvis Guide to Upland Hunting. His website, reidbryant.com is where you can connect with Reid and his reputable work. Reid also hosts the Orvis Hunting and Shooting Podcast, where he spends his time exploring stories, skills, and the people who make the sporting life so rich.

Topics Covered:

• ​Reid's enchantment with bird hunting
• ​Becoming and outdoor storyteller
• ​His career at Orvis
• ​Handling bird dogs with legendary figures
• ​The legacy Reid hopes to leave

Connect with Reid:

Reid's Website

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Ballad of the Bird Dog

John Wallace has spent nearly two decades building a life around conservation, wild game, and family. Married for almost 20 years and a proud dad to three kids — two teenage boys and a 12-year-old daughter — John balances time in the field with time in the stands at ball games. With a degree in Fish and Wildlife, he built a 17-year conservation career working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Pheasants Forever, and Delta Waterfowl, dedicating his professional life to habitat, wildlife, and the future of hunting.

In 2023, John took a leap and turned his passion into his full-time focus, launching Wild Game Cook, where he hosts private cooking and wild game processing events and creates digital content for brand partners. In 2025, he expanded his impact even further by starting Kestrel Prescribed Fire Solutions, bringing his conservation background full circle through hands-on land stewardship. When he’s not cooking, hunting, or fishing, you’ll likely find him restoring cast iron, digging through garage sales for vintage cooking tools, or working his chocolate Lab, Ronda, in the field.

Topics Covered:

• ​John's employment time with Pheasants Forever
• ​Quail hunting in Missouri and Ohio
• ​How upland hunting lends itself to a conservation mindset
• ​Launching Wild Game Cook
• ​His prescribed fire business

Connect with John:

Wild Game Cook

Kestrel Prescribed Fire Solutions

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Ballad of the Bird Dog

Keith Crowley is an award-winning outdoor journalist and photographer with more than four decades in the field, and a bird hunter since he first followed his father through the grouse woods of Minnesota in pursuit of “King Ruff.” While ruffed grouse remain close to his heart, Keith has become a passionate generalist, with a deep affinity for the birds of America’s grasslands and prairies.

His work has appeared in Shooting Sportsman, Covey Rise, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Journals, Gun Dog, Covers, Sports Afield, and Field & Stream, as well as mainstream outlets like The Times of London and The Wall Street Journal. He is the award-winning author of a biography on Wisconsin writer Gordon MacQuarrie and the book Pheasant Dogs, both recognized with national honors. A life member of the Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, Keith has spent more than 30 years assisting with sharptail lek surveys. He splits his time between northern Wisconsin and the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona, following his English setters, Ruby and Pepper, in pursuit of grouse, woodcock, and desert quail — always with a camera or notebook close at hand.

Topics Covered:

• ​Keith's first bird as a kid, a sharp-tailed grouse
• ​Broadening his horizons beyond ruffed grouse
• ​Keeping outdoor writing "real"
• ​His help with sharp-tailed grouse in Wisconsin
• ​His love for his English Setters

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Ballad of the Bird Dog

Blayten Winters grew up in northwest Iowa, where trapping with his dad and chasing pheasants sparked a lifelong passion for the outdoors. From running beaver sets for the county to hunting over farm-raised retrievers, bird hunting always had a strong pull. After a few years away from the field due to heavy work travel, he found his way back to pheasants, coyote calling, and fishing around the Des Moines area — and began sharing the journey through a YouTube channel originally created to keep his dad in the loop.

Today, Blayten runs a two-year-old Pudelpointer named Piper from Paladin Gun Dogs. With a NAVHDA Natural Ability test and a Started HRC title already under her belt, they’re continuing to train, test, and travel in pursuit of birds — embracing both the process and the adventure along the way.

Topics Covered:

• ​Dogs that hunt for themselves
• ​CRP and it's affect on landscapes in Iowa
• ​Hunting with his Pudelpointer, Piper
• ​Blayten's Youtube Channel
• ​Immersing in a place you travel to for a hunting trip

Connect with Blayten:

The Outdoor Calling Youtube Channel

The Outdoor Calling Instagram Page

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Ballad of the Bird Dog

Today’s guest is Jared Anderson, the founder of Ballad of the Bird Dog in Brenham, Texas. Jared’s journey started with a bird dog named Skeet—not just a hunting partner, but a best friend who walked beside him through college, traveled the world with him, and ultimately taught him lessons of loyalty, patience, and simplicity. Skeet showed Jared what bird dogs have shown their masters for generations: that instinct, hard work, and devotion can create moments that last forever.

Those lessons became the heartbeat of Ballad of the Bird Dog, a brand built on tradition and heritage, yet designed with a modern, thoughtful approach. From well-made, dependable goods to a community you can trust, Jared and his team are carrying forward a story of loyalty, simplicity, and connection—values that resonate far beyond the fields and into everyday life.

• Jared's first bird dog Skeet
• Hunting desert quail with Skeet
• Jared's inspiration for his company through his relationship with his companion
• Enjoying the simplicity of life with a bird dog
• Not comparing yourself to other dog handlers

Connect with Ballad of the Bird Dog :

Ballad of the Bird Dog

Instagram

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Ballad of the Bird Dog

The North American Grouse Partnership is on a mission to ensure a future where all 12 grouse species not only survive—but thrive—across the continent. Through science-driven conservation, smart policy, and strong partnerships, they’re working to protect and restore the habitats these birds depend on. With a special focus on prairie grouse, they’re tackling one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world: our grasslands. Backed by a powerhouse team of scientists and conservation leaders, their work is grounded in real data and real results—turning strategy into meaningful impact on the ground.

Today, we visit with Ted Koch, Executive Director and Taylor Linder, The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Landowner Alliance Coordinator to discuss the organization, grasslands, and the critical status of the Lesser Prairie Chicken.

Topics Covered:

• ​The critical status of grasslands in America
• ​Why grasslands are vital for wildlife and humans
• ​The need for ranching to be more economically viable
• ​The delisting of Lesser Prairie Chickens from the ESA
• ​What you can do to help save ranching and therefore, Lesser Prairie Chickens

Join The North American Grouse Partnership:

https://www.grousepartners.org/

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Hunt Redi

CJ Moore is a Georgia outdoorsman whose hunting roots run deep in family tradition and a lifelong love for working dogs. A lifelong resident of west-central Georgia, CJ is married to his high school sweetheart, Kasey, and together they’re raising two boys, Lukas and Layne. These days, much of his time outdoors is shaped by fatherhood, sharing the same woods and fields with his sons that first shaped him as a young hunter.

CJ was introduced to hunting at an early age by his dad, who loved chasing deer and running rabbit dogs. His first experiences behind hounds came listening to beagles work a track, and that sound never left him. As a teenager, CJ’s focus shifted to turkey and deer hunting, but he always kept rabbit dogs until life changed with the birth of his oldest son. A few years ago, he discovered woodcock hunting — and it lit a fire that hasn’t gone out since. Today, CJ brings a deep appreciation for tradition, dogs, and passing the hunting heritage down to the next generation.

• ​Woodcock hunting in the south
• ​Raising children in the uplands
• ​Watching a bird dog "flip the switch"
• ​His son's first woodcock harvest
• ​Advice for prospective bird dog owners

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Hunt Redi