Same place, same opening weekend and we didn't even hunt together. It still may have been the best opener ever, in large part for reasons other than bird numbers. My friend Tom Jenkins joins me to debrief our separate-but-equally cool chukar openers where camaraderie, family, friends, and brutal heat all contributed to a unique hunting experience.

Learn what we learned about coping with summer-like conditions - dog care, bird behavior and personal um, hydration. How serendipity is often what makes a hunting trip memorable, some of our tactics and strategies for wild birds, including valley quail.

The Road Trip hits some starting points for public access ruffed grouse in the Northeast, and we look at your photos of opening weekend - outstanding!

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Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, RuffLand performance Kennels, KAMO's Burt County Bird Bounty, the Ringneck Nation of Huron, SD, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, your online shotgun shopping resource, FurFeathersFriends and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.