Author (Building a Grouse Dog), trainer, breeder, grouse guide and avid hunter, Craig Doherty is uniquely qualified to help us navigate the woods. We'll cover what we can do to help young dogs on early hunts, the right mental approach to dog behaviors, and where grouse and woodcock live during hunting season in the northeast.

We'll cover food sources, cover types and what makes up a good covert. Craig will share training and shooting advice, dog handling tips and how to introduce young dogs to the woods.

"Fix It" has another item for your hunting season to-do list; listeners sound off on management of their states' walk-in programs - you might find a new destination for later this season!

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bear with me. Maybe you'll learn something. Or stop doing something. Or start doing something else. Bottom line is, to get along in flyover country where most of us hunt, there are some unwritten rules, protocols, and common-sense stuff we should be aware of.

Get along "out there," and good things happen. 

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge (learn more here).

[Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.]

From his media content on "Fresh Tracks" and "On Your Own Adventures," Randy Newman is well-known as a influential and motivational big-game hunter. But he's also an avid bird hunter and the intersection of the two passions is where we start our conversation. There's plenty of common ground, and he'll share some of the lessons that apply to the uplands as well as the deep woods. 

We cover new uses for your online mapping app, ways to find new public hunting ground, some tips for avoiding crowded land, and some of his must-carry gear. He also offers on-the-ground population guesstimates for sharptail season.

"Fix It" argues for more open chokes and offers a range-finding tip ... listeners debate whether or not collar bells scare birds.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Trevor Walz of Western Prairie Outfitters joins me for a deep dive into prairie bird habitat and hunting strategies. From the importance of shade, to scouting new ground, this guy has some useful insights. We dabble in Mearn's quail as well, as his outfit also guides Arizona in winter. 

We'll cover some of the early steps you can take to help your dog's steadiness, starting with creating a more "composed" dog, and touch on some essential gear. Trevor helps us be better clients and finally, reveals the answer to the most-asked question I get: how much do you tip a pro guide?

"Fix It" suggests a couple more federal alphabet-agencies that manage public ground on our behalf that most hunters neglect, and listeners sound off on why, when and how they use non-toxic shot - you may be surprised at their answers.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Sure, you know the "usual suspects" when it comes to publicly-accessible ground ... walk-in, forest service, BLM. But there are dozens of other patches of real estate managed by nameless, faceless agencies on our behalf, and many are open to hunting.

I'll tell a few hunting stories that took place on some of these lesser-known parcels, and provide you with a shopping list of others you might explore. There's also a step-by-step approach to finding more. I'll also suggest some information sources you may not have thought about that may be the key to incredible public-land hunting.

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge, where you'll get special freebies and gifts for every booking (learn more here).

[Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.]

What's a rooster do all day? If you know, you'll be a better hunter. So I asked Pheasants Forever's resident guru Sabin Adams to take us to school on the subject and boy did I learn a lot. From feeding to roosting to loafing, he clocks the bird's movements so you can be in the right place at the right times. 

Sabin talks food sources, the importance of physical relationships between food, cover, and water (!). What to do in snowy conditions, rain, what birds eat and where are all part of our wide-ranging discussion. 

"Fix It" covers strategic feeding of .... us. And listeners share the adrenaline rush - and more, of a pheasant flush.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

He sounds like your favorite coach, teacher or Scoutmaster ... understanding where you (or your dog) are, and where you want them to be. Charlie Jurney is a multi-champion dog trainer, hunter, and author. You've seen his byline in many dog magazines, and on his book Finished Dog.

We'll roam the field and water, uplands and marshes while we talk about his connections to legends Richard Wolters and Delmar Smith, then explore his own unique "dog theory." We explore ways you can - and should- train during early-season hunts, get down-and-dirty with Charlie's ways of teaching the retrieve, steadiness, and range for flushing dogs. Charlie explains the clues dogs give us when they're "getting it," and makes clear that we're put on this earth to help dogs do well - it's just a matter of how we do it.

"Fix It" has reminders on critical items for your hunting vest, and listeners chip in with their views on the hardest birds to hunt.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

In light of the incredible reaction to Sen. Lee's recent proposal to sell public lands, I'm adding fuel to the fire with information and motivation to keep you poised for the next battle. "Knowledge is power" and knowing from where the money comes and where it goes, arms us better than a 10-gauge street sweeper with a 50-round drum magazine. 

Until re-election time and the need for campaign contributions, those in power often forget who really holds the purse strings. So here's your opportunity to learn how - and why - hunters and shooters are the driving economic force in wildlife management and conservation. I'll outline the ways we pay more than any other group to take care of the land and the animals dwelling on it. I'll also point out the discrepancy between the loudest voices in the debate (who pay little) and our own brethren (who should be louder and prouder). 

All of this with one goal: giving you the ammunition to get involved - at any level - in the things that matter. Hunters and shooters have paid the price of admission; we've earned our place at the negotiating table. It's time to go out and use that power for good.

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge.

[Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.)

Early bird specials and goodies with your stay at Heartland Lodge. Go here.

Summer camp! Nope, not braiding lanyards and making s'mores. Out on the prairie, it's all about dogs and wild birds and Mel Leuck joins me from her camp to give us the lowdown on what really happens there. What's a day look like? Why drive so far? She'll have the answers. We also cover important training topics including steadiness on birds, keeping your dog out in front of you, and how to keep dogs cool early in the season.

A vet tech too, Mel will help us pull porcupine quills the right way, and shares some emergency gear she carries in the field.

[Note: Mel mentions using dry ice as a cooling agent in her trailer's dog room. Dry ice can increase harmful carbon monoxide in a closed space. She ventilates the room well, but you might consider an alternate cooling method. Thanks observant listener!]

"Fix It" offers a way to get pup to come a-runnin', and from our social media we perpetuate the debate on 16 gauge shotguns ... the perfect solution to any problem?

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

The smoke has cleared and yes, we won on that proposal of Sen. Mike Lee's to sell off public lands. My guests from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership are Michael O'Casey and Tristan Henry, and we'll look back on what happened and how, and more importantly what bird hunters can do NOW to prevent another land grab. From "all politics are local" to adopting your very own cause, we'll go deep into the weeds on policy and how critical it is that we grass roots stay engaged.

We'll also get some advice on finding public access ground, and share dog notes - both guys are avid chukar hunters and versatile dog owners. "Fix It" has three points of view on caring for your dog's pads.

And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.