Hey, some of the answers might be right ... and helpful! Listeners ask a lot of questions, and I'm tackling them all on this episode. From pad care to finding new spots to hunt, feeding your dog to finding a shooting instructor, I've dug deep to provide useful starting points - and points to ponder - for a couple dozen questions. (Have your own? Send them here for the next edition: [email protected].)

"Fix It" offers another place to bed down on a road trip, and listeners tell us why they do - or don't - use an e-collar or GPS collar.

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.

It's the time of year when you're assembling this and searching for that, getting your gear together with an eye toward opening day and adventures to come. Here's one piece of gear that you truly shouldn't leave home without - a survival kit. It doesn't need to be big or heavy - this one weighs just over a pound - but its contents could save your life or minimize the inconveniences that come your way.

From staying warm and dry to finding your way back to camp, I've got suggestions on what to bring and why. Some is high tech and others old-school, but all are critical if you want to "live to tell about it."

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and Heartland Lodge, where I'll be doing a residency this fall (learn more here).

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

Pro cocker spaniel trainer Gene Barnhardt joins me to cover all things flushing ... and more! You've seen Gene handling dogs on Wingshooting USA TV, and now we'll hear his insights into spaniels from retrieving to range, quartering to water work. Gene is also a breeder so expect insights on how to find the best pup, too. We'll talk teaching steadiness, how to hunt with flushers, mistakes we make when training a flushing dog, and how a "place board" is the ultimate retrieving tool. 

Gene also offers a couple unique observations on what to do - and not do - when your dog brings a bird back to you ... "Fix It" covers a few useful data sources for planning your road trips, and listeners tell us if they're swapping shotguns this season and why.

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.

It's easy, and ultimately helps preserve the habitat and our legacy. But it's up to all of us to find and recruit the next generation of bird hunters. We'll learn how with two of the best in the business: Ashley Chance is Hunting Heritage Programs Manager for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever; Justin Morrisey oversees the National Shooting Sports Foundation's +One program. 

We'll cover the existential need for funding via hunters' and shooters' spending, then talk theory and practice from identifying potential recruits to resources available to us and them for getting involved in our sport. 

"Fix It" is about not thinking when shooting - it's too late! And listeners sound off on their command words and why they use them - especially some of the more common ones.

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.

Here it is ... the ultimate shopping list for new puppy owners. Not just the standard stuff, but those other things you will find helpful. In addition to the things, I'll offer some uses you may not have thought about. Plus, some homemade and re-purposed stuff, freebies and cheap versions, bird substitutes from the toybox and pantry.

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems. [Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.)

BE A BETTER SHOOTER with these insights from NSCA Level 3 instructor and bird hunter Dave Fiedler. My friend Dave has a different take on becoming a better shooter ... simplify, shed a bad habit (or maybe two), and soon you'll be yelling "Fetch!" Dave will take us through a lesson just as he teaches at Mid Valley Clays & Shooting School with an emphasis on hunting, not target shooting. You can take his tips into the garage and the range, then the field, from practice to practical.

In the second half, we cover gun fit for us regular folk who aren't buying a bespoke English shotgun ... simple things we can do to ensure our eye, cheek and shoulder are working together. Then we fix some of the common in-field goofs we make with our feet-eyes-hands-shoulder-gun.

"Fix It" squares away your mobile mapping app; and listeners share their horror stories when I requested their worst Friday the 13th bad luck.

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. 

In this deep-dive bonus edition, I'll take you to one of my favorite hunting spots. It was the day of the annular eclipse, where the moon completely obscures the sun, leaving a ring of fire around a black orb. Did that celestial event impact our hunt? You decide.

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems (10% off use promo code CG10) and Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School.

Let's all go back to e-collar school with Pete Fisher. A consultant to Dogtra, the collar company, he's also an award-winning pro trainer and avid hunter. He gives a tutorial on all the critical uses from steadiness to retrieving, covers introducing a collar to young dogs, and reminds us that timing really is everything. 

We'll learn when and when not to use a remote training collar, other uses and capabilities he's built a career on, and transitioning from yard to field. 

"Fix It" offers a more realistic way to practice your field shooting at the range, and everyone has a chance to sound off on pet peeves, in our social-media segment.

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.

We climb the hills and get dirty in this interview with YouTube personality Eric Forrester. Trainer, breeder, avid bird hunter, road warrior, we'll get advice on all of that, and more. From what motivates him, to his training philosophy, we've got insights. You'll also learn about his minimalist bird camp, surprises he's found in the field, the joys of hunting a brace of wires, travel tips and more.

"Fix It" suggests a training tool, and we look at why so many of you don't train with a group.

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

It's not the Dakotas ... but if you're desperate and have a few hours or days, there may be a ringneck in your future in some of these western U.S. public-access locales. At the 30,000 foot level, I'll give you starting points in all the western states that harbor ringnecks. Whether you find any is up to you and your dog!

Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems and the gun room at Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School.

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