Today we're joined by a team that's been restoring native prairies for nearly 40 years. Based in the heart of Iowa, Nicolas Lirio and Kent Boucher of Hoksey Native Seeds continue to carry on the legacy left by the company's founder, Carroll Hoksbergen. Their mission is to produce high quality native grasses and wildflower seeds that help farmers and landowners across the Midwest from Illinois to South Dakota bring the prairie back to life.

Topics Covered:

• The origin story of Hoksey Native Seeds.
• Pheasant hunting the Hoksey property
• Why Nicolas values "messy" prairies
• Kent's journey to becoming a Hoksey employee
• The Prairie Farm Podcast
• How Hoksey is restoring landscapes across the Midwest

Connect with Hoksey Native Seeds:

https://hokseynativeseeds.com/

Connect with The Prairie Farm Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0BcIjPg6wE0A8JU3lAmwsC?si=6c6d6eccd7b74c58

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Hunt Redi

Cameron Berrien is a 24-year-old outdoorsman from Goshen, Ohio, where he shares life with his wife, Hannah, and their three dogs—a corgi, a chocolate lab, and a rare Burgos Pointer . With a camera in one hand and a shotgun in the other, Cameron spends most of his days chasing birds, training dogs, and capturing the moments that make it all worthwhile.

Passionate about bird hunting, canine photography, and the development of true working dogs, Cameron has developed a deep love for the nearly unknown Burgos Pointer—a storied European pointing breed. He and Hannah hope to one day help preserve and promote the breed through responsible breeding and education.

This year marks Cameron’s first full season pursuing wild upland birds, with trips to Washington, Idaho lined up, and Michigan in the works—making long-awaited dreams a reality.

Topics Covered:

• How a lab and a goose got Cameron hooked on the uplands

• Cameron’s love for photographing bird dogs

• His unique bird dog breed, the Burgos Pointer

• How Cameron aims to preserve and protect the Burgos in America

• Cameron’s exciting upland plans for the fall/winter

Connect with Cameron:

https://www.instagram.com/cameron.berrien/?hl=en

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Hunt Redi

Garrett Black is an avid upland hunter with a deep passion for pursuing bobwhite quail across the storied landscapes of Florida and Georgia. These fields and pine savannas are some of the most historic and legendary grounds in America for quail hunting, and Garrett has made them his home turf. With a sharp eye for tradition and a love for the dogs, habitat, and heritage that make this pursuit so unique, Garrett brings firsthand experience and perspective from one of the country’s most iconic upland regions.

Topics Covered:

• Quail hunting in the Deep South

• Garrett’s Youtube Channel, “Countin’ Coveys”

• The absolute critical need for fire on the southern landscape in order for quail to thrive

• Garrett’s bird hunting adventures across the country

• Camping tips for those adventures

Connect with Garrett:

Garrett's Instagram

Counting Coveys Instagram

Counting Coveys Youtube Page

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Hunt Redi

Today’s guests are two of the driving forces behind the growing upland conservation movement in Canada — Mark Symes and Andrew Lowles, both active leaders with RGS Canada.

Mark comes from a diverse entrepreneurial and forestry background and runs his Pudelpointer, Gus in the grouse woods. Andrew is a biologist with experience across forestry, wildlife, and fisheries management, currently overseeing freshwater fisheries resources for his province. When he’s not at his day job, he’s training an English Setter pup and two labs who have earned their keep as unconventional — but deadly — grouse and woodcock dogs.

Both are licensed guides, avid anglers, passionate waterfowlers, and private land stewards managing their own woodlots for wildlife while still working full-time careers. Andrew also serves as Eastern Canada Director and Treasurer for the Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada.

Today, we’re diving into the vision and Strategic Aspirations of RGS Canada — from launching new chapters across the country to tackling uniquely Canadian challenges in access, habitat, and forest management.

Topics Covered:

• Mark and Andrew’s guide services they offer
• The abundant upland opportunity that exists in Atlantic Canada
• Challenges RGS Canada is facing
• A unique approach to RGS membership
• Why conservation matters, no matter where you are in the world

Connect with RGS Canada:

https://www.rgs.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/rgs.canada/

Connect with Mark and Andrew:

https://www.instagram.com/markmsymes/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/lowles.andrew/?hl=en

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Hunt Redi

Today’s guest is Garrett Baker, a lifelong outdoorsman and passionate upland hunter. Garrett grew up in Northcentral Pennsylvania and picked up a shotgun at just 12 years old—heading now into his 26th hunting season. He hunts over American Brittanys, with his two current companions, Lexi and Gracie, carrying on the legacy of his first bird dog, Lou, who shared the field with him for 12 memorable years.

Outside of the uplands, Garrett works as a Maintenance Supervisor at American Refining Group, but his true passion is introducing others to the upland hunting lifestyle. Nearly a decade ago, he and his father opened The Bird Dog Inn in Erwin, South Dakota, where they welcome DIY hunters from across the country and are building new opportunities for first-time hunters and women in the field. Garrett also serves on his local Ruffed Grouse Society chapter in St. Marys, PA, and is actively training his youngest Brittany through NAVHDA and VHDF.

Topics Covered:

• Garrett's entry into the uplands through a bird dog named Lou
• Pennsylvania's ruffed grouse status
• The genesis story of The Bird Dog Inn
• Garrett's plans to host a women's hunt
• Local RGS Chapter involvement near his home

Book The Bird Dog Inn

http://birddoginn.com/

Connect with Garrett

https://www.instagram.com/g_baker_64/?hl=en

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Hunt Redi

Today’s guest is Nick Martin, the creator of The Iowa Bird Chaser YouTube channel. Nick set out on a unique mission—to harvest a pheasant in all 99 counties across Iowa. Along the way, he’s sharing the journey, the challenges, and the beauty of upland hunting in the Hawkeye State. Through his channel, Nick is not only chasing birds, but also capturing the stories, landscapes, and community that make Iowa such a special place to hunt.

Topics Covered:

• ​Nick becoming a student of pheasant habitat
• ​The spark behind his endeavor, "The Iowa Bird Chaser"
• ​Changing things up when you can't find pheasants
• ​The 2025 Iowa August Roadside Survey
• ​What's next for Nick after he harvests a pheasant in Iowa's 99 counties

Connect with Nick:

https://www.instagram.com/iowa_birdchaser/?hl=en

Proud Sponsors:

Gundog Central

Hunt Redi

My guests today are Nick Sherrod and Jake Terry, the owners of Gundog Grind Coffee. But their business is more than just another coffee company—it’s a lifestyle rooted in birds, family, friends, and of course, the dogs that make every hunt memorable. Inspired by mornings in the flooded timber and long days on the prairie, they craft gourmet roasts designed to fuel hunters and outdoorsmen with rich flavor and purpose. From light to dark blends, every bag is made with carefully sourced beans and infused with the spirit of time spent in the field. But Gundog Grind’s mission goes deeper than coffee—they’re committed to giving back by supporting conservation organizations that protect the habitats and hunting traditions we all value. At its core, Gundog Grind is about bringing people together, whether around a hunting campfire or a kitchen table, to share stories, celebrate dogs, and enjoy a great cup of coffee.

Topics Covered:

• Nick and Jake's journey into Gundog Grind
• What Gundog is doing for conservation
• The generous support of the upland community
• Nick and Jake's travel plans for their outdoor media company
• How customer service is at the core of Gundog Grind

Connect with Jake

https://www.instagram.com/jaketerry_photo/

Connect with Nick

https://www.instagram.com/nick.sherrod/?hl=en

Connect with Gundog Grind

https://gundoggrind.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gundoggrind/

Proud Sponsors

https://gundogcentral.com/

https://www.huntredi.com/

Courtney Bastian’s journey into upland hunting began in 2008 when her German Wirehaired Pointer, Briar, placed a pheasant in her hands—a moment that shifted her life toward bird dogs, shotguns, and wild places. At the height of the 2020 pandemic, Courtney launched The Bird Dog Babe Podcast, building community during the challenges of the pandemic and beyond. This endeavor was then the grounds for the genesis of HerUpland, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for women and youth through hunting camps, wingshooting clinics, and mentorship. 

Based in Montana with her husband, William, and their children, Burke and Blayre, Courtney balances family life with a kennel of bird dogs and a small menagerie of farm animals. With a background in biology and animal science and an MBA in progress, she blends passion and professionalism to advance conservation, community, and confidence in the uplands.

Topics covered:

• ​Courtney's journey into the uplands
• ​Her love of varied dog breeds
• ​Launching The Bird Dog Babe Podcast that eventually led to the HerUpland movement.
• ​The barriers women and youth face in getting into hunting.
• ​Starting small and building confidence as a hunter

Connect with Courtney:

https://www.instagram.com/birddogbabe/?hl=en

Connect with HerUpland

https://herupland.org/

https://www.instagram.com/herupland/?hl=en

Proud Sponsors:

https://gundogcentral.com/

https://www.huntredi.com/

Brian Krebs grew up in Minnesota, where his passion for the outdoors began with pheasant and deer hunting. After college, his pursuits expanded westward, where he fell in love with exploring new country and took up shed hunting. But his roots still lie in the pheasant fields.

For more than 25 years, Brian has been dedicated to pheasant habitat conservation. Deeply involved with local Pheasants Forever chapters, he has worked to improve habitat and give back to the upland hunting community that shaped him. In addition to his conservation efforts, Brian has a lifelong passion for training dogs—whether developing a bird dog in the field or working with his shed dog, Griz on shed hunts.

Today, Brian’s life reflects the same values he started with: a love for wild places, the thrill of the hunt, and a belief in leaving the land better for future generations.

Topics covered:

• Brian's vivid memories of his first pheasant

• Hunting Western birds vs Midwestern roosters

• How hunting can be type 2 kind of fun

• Brian's ideal pheasant hunt vs. Ryan's

• How to introduce our spouse/significant other to hunting

  
  

  Connect with Brian:

  https://www.instagram.com/getdrawnwest/

  Proud Sponsors:

  https://gundogcentral.com/

  https://www.huntredi.com/

Richard Westley Wong was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is a dual Canadian-American citizen. He is a food photographer based in Minnesota, where he lives with his wife and two sons. In his free time, he enjoys spending time at the family cabin in Northern Wisconsin, fishing, training bird dogs, running hunt tests, and hunting with his three-year-old Vizsla, Trigger.

Topics Covered:

• ​Hunting with Vizslas
• ​Storytelling through photography
• ​How to take better photos in the field
• ​Wild game cooking
• ​Wolf mindfulness in the Northwoods

Connect with Rich:

https://www.instagram.com/wisc_me_nord/

Proud Sponsors:

https://www.huntredi.com/

https://gundogcentral.com/