Upland Nation

A shooting tip from TV's worst shotgunner!

Bottle & Mic ... first in a series of road trip debriefs, reflections on a trip I'm on with observations, suggestions, and ruminations fueled by a wee dram or two.

This bonus episode comes from Lincoln, Montana enroute home from a sharptailed grouse hunt that included weather challenges, practical hunting magic, dog stories, and a lot of appreciation for rural America and the people we meet along the way.

Now, pour another one and pass that bottle please.

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss Wingshooting USA TV airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.

I hope it never happens to you - that eerie silence when you hoped to hear collar tags jingling, knowing your dog is well and truly lost. Or, he limps back, bleeding. As the season gets into full swing, what better than to prepare for each of these situations?

I'll offer a four-step strategy for finding your dog, from preparation to gear, to starting your search. There may be something there that will help you, based on my own experiences over the years.

Then, what's in my dog-care kit? I'll cover the stuff I carry in my vest that will help him continue to hunt, or stabilize him for a trip to the veterinarian. It's a simple, basic set of tools that'll take care of most in-field emergencies, from cactus spines to bee stings and barbed-wire cuts.

"Handle It" is all about fueling your four-footed hunting buddy - what works for me and why (I think!). Maybe there's something in it for you and your dog.

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss the Wingshooting USA TV now airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.

Champion target shooter and avid bird hunter Dave Fiedler of Mid-Valley Clays and Shooting School joins me for a wide-ranging and fun conversation about all things shotguns and wingshooting. From ballistics to buying a new shotgun, what we could do better in the field to the funnest target game, we've got the um, "field" covered.

We also talk about the right gauge for the right bird at the right time of year, and the most important thing to do to your shotgun at the end of a hunt. In our "Handle It" segment I answer Eric Thompson's question about bringing on the next generation of hunters. You might be surprised at the 800-lb. gorilla in the room that I poke with a stick.

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss Wingshooting USA TV airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.

I’m television’s worst shotgunner. It’s almost a badge of honor. The most frequent compliment I hear is “You shoot worse than I do!” I gladly own it.

That’s where these tips come in. They started as a sort of log – a journal – of things I’ve learned while hunting, at the range, and even dry-firing at home. Often, they were last-ditch efforts when everything else failed. Or, epiphanies from out of nowhere that saved the day. They’re no substitute for a good course of study, a shooting lesson, or careful practice. But when nothing else works or you’re ready to try a different way of looking at things, use one (or more) of these.

"Handle It" this week answers Jim Smith's question on the vocabulary of a training collar's "other" functions, and listeners offer up less-common things they carry in their vest.

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss Wingshooting USA TV now airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.

Down to brass tacks we go with writer, editor, publisher Jim Matthews. He's been helping desert hunters find publicly-accessible game birds since the nineties, and he'll dial us in to finding some of the spots, strategies and tactics we need for valley and Gambel's quail, chukars, and the occasional mountain quail. Jim will take us from habits to habitat, what to look for when scouting (we could all do more of this, he says), and where to look when a place is "shot out."

Jim also keys us to his four-step bird-finding formula, how rain, snow, wind, cold and heat affect bird hunting, and suggests a couple pieces of gear most of us don't carry but should.

"Handle It" helps Jon Schwedler slow down his setter and use her nose better; and listeners share the length of their hunting trips - see where you stand!

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss the Wingshooting USA TV now airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.

Are you ready yet? Listen carefully to what I'm carrying this season in my hunting vest and you may change your answer.

I've re-configured and loaded new gear into the ultimate western hunter's strap vest ... anything that might help keep you safe, your dog productive, and help you shoot better. Oh, and bail out your hunting buddy, too. From getting found, to caring for Fido, to route finding and first aid, here's the stuff you, I and our friends have decided is worth the weight. There's a right way and a wrong way to wear it, too, so I'll touch on that as well.

Listeners tell us where they're going on the opener ... "old favorite" or new spot. And "Handle It" is about your pre-hunt ritual.

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss Wingshooting USA TV now airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.

I've pulled together all my notes on places I've hunted and fantastic advice from pro guides and experienced DIY hunters. If you're enroute to sharpie country, there might be something in this that'll help.

All sharptails, all the time on this bonus episode ... it's the start of the season for "America's bird," so enjoy the stories, strategies and hunting advice.

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss Wingshooting USA TV airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.

In our continuing "Industry Insider" series, I talk with Larry Potterfield, who founded Midway USA on a wing and a prayer, selling shooting supplies to enthusiasts. He's grown the company into an international power player in most outdoors categories, and is overseeing a growth spurt that includes a new state of the art distribution center and headquarters building.

We talk company history and philosophy, then go far afield to talk bespoke shotguns, quail hunting, youth shooting, conservation, shooting driven birds, safaris around the world, building a lake for kids' fishing, and how to buy a used shotgun.

"Handle It" answers a listener question about who gets the retrieve: the shooter or the dog handler?

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss Wingshooting USA TV starting now airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.

He's probably trained or handled more NAVHDA Prize 1 Utility dogs than anyone at his Sharp Shooter's Kennel; Clyde Vetter is a dog trainer with a different way of thinking about his passion: creating elite hunting dogs. He's created a training philosophy used by many of his fans and followers that sometimes flies in the face of conventional wisdom. But as his email signature says, "Let Success Make The Noise," not self-promotion. His test records are his success. The noise comes from his legion of dedicated friends and customers.

In a wide-ranging discussion, we cover the lure of prairie grouse, how to recruit more conservationists, how he uses training birds, and his unique way of training steadiness ... without "whoa." We cover retrieving as well, including why for some pups tug-of-war is a good thing. There's hunting advice, some unique items he carries in his vest (and why), and when you're done I guarantee you'll see dog training differently.

Listeners share advice on introducing a new dog to your pack, and "Handle It" is a primer on hunting dog pad care from my personal experience.

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss the Wingshooting USA TV starting now airing 1 on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.