The unsung hero of upland hunting is the Sunflower State: Their season starts later but it's warmer. You can shoot more birds, licens costs are friendly, and their walk-in hunting program is well-managed. As an alternative to the Dakotas, it offers a number of advantages, and I'll outline them via my own experiences hunting for fun and making TV shows.

We'll talk about alternate uses for your e-collar in the "Handle It" segment, and you might be surprised at what your fellow hunters were shooting at last month.

And it's all brought to you by:

Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, LandTrust.com, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Your questions get my answers - most learned the hard way, so you don't have to! From nutrition to first-aid, dog boots to San Francisco hunting destinations, we cover it all. Then, I ask you what you listen to on your drive to a hunt and the answers might just make up your new play list.

And it's all brought to you by:

Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, LandTrust.com, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Somewhere in Montana, I hunted with Nic De Castro (founder) and Trevor Walz (partnership manager) of LandTrust.com ... a new company with an entrepreneurial approach to accessing high quality private hunting land ... sort of an "AirBnB" for folks like us. They make a match between willing landowners and hunters.

Following a fascinating hunt, we sat down to talk about their business model, then had a wide-ranging discussion on our day afield, bird dog training and care, prairie bird tactics and strategies, how habitat "givens" are off the table this season, lessons we've learned working with dogs, and more.

Enjoy this bonus episode brought to you by:

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I've fielded so many questions over the years, I decided it was time to offer up a primer on hunting these fascinating, mystifying game birds. I've asked the dumb questions to smart hunters, learned a few things the hard way, and spent more than a few nights puzzling over their habits and habitat. If you've ever wondered where to find them, how to prepare, get your dog trained up, successful strategies and tactics from shot size to e-collar tricks, here's your starting point.

Then, start walking. Uphill.

Listeners tell us where they're going on opening day, and "Road Trip" offers some alternative information sources to get you on public-access land.

And it's all brought to you by:

Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, LandTrust.com, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

You show me yours, I'll show you mine! Our annual peek into hard-core hunting vests: configuration, contents, and advice from you and my three decades learning the hard way. If you don't have it, you'll want it.

"Handle It" covers a better way to deliver hand signals, you tell us how many wild birds you shot last season, and there's a shot at $60K toward a new truck if you hunt Huron, SD.

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My friend Al Gadoury opens his book on all things ringneck ... plus a few observations on sharptails and Huns, too. You may have seen him on a few episodes of Wingshooting USA TV, Al is a pro guide in Montana who knows of what he speaks. He'll clue us in to why sharptails won't be where they usually are and why, plus some tips on developing a young dog on the prairies.

Al will take us to school on hunting pheasants, starting with habitat, to stealth, to strategy and tactics for hard-hunted public birds. We'll learn why blocking isn't just for South Dakota mob-scene hunts, and gain insight into the fascinating world of spaniel trial gunning - not for the faint of heart!

"Road Trip" offers some starting points for sharptailed grouse, and we look at what birds you hunt most.

And it's all brought to you by:

Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, LandTrust.com, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Three decades of public-land hunting distilled down to one podcast ... yeah, I learned the hard way so you don't have to. I'll cover everything from finding it, planning and research, to hunting walk-in and public property for Phasianus colchicus, the ringnecked pheasant. From travel tips to tactics for overcrowded parking areas, habitat hints and coping with bad weather, I've dug deep into my notes and compiled a few dozen suggestions you might want to consider if you're traveling this season. You'll get some states, regions and towns to start in ... then, it's up to you.

"Handle It" extols the virtues of food treats - not just for pups ... and we look at last season's scorecard: how many wild birds did YOU shoot?

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One of my favorite states, and on most hunters' bucket list if not this season's destination ... South Dakota is the focus this week, as I recount some stories, give you some starting points, go species-by-species through the state. I'll also outline habitat types, strategies for each bird, and some helpful tips and tactics.

There's also one of my coolest hunts in Nebraska, and listeners share their pre-season shopping list. Maybe there's something on it you should get, too.

And it's all brought to you by:

Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Pro trainer, chukar hunter, and author ... George DeCosta Jr. is also a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon fanatic. We'll talk puppy development, go to school on steadying a dog (hint: long before he encounters birds), and get a few chukar hunting tips too. George suggests some essential training gear and what he carries in his hunting vest that we should too.

George's new book Tips and Tales covers just about everything you need to train a versatile dog, some hunting stories and a ton of wisdom. We'll go page by page through some of the stuff you are probably working on right now.

Listeners tell us where their dog sleeps on a hunting trip, and the Handle It segment offers a DIY project that will steady your dog when a checkcord is impractical.

And it's all brought to you by:

Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

We're getting ready for Opening Day with a big, steaming pile of useful information. First, listeners' advice on reinforcing the "whoa" command, then we shoot a new target game that simulates wild birds and is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Dave Fiedler and Dan Pesznecker are at Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, where we talk about Helice (that's a Helice target in the photo).

Kevin McGlaughlin takes us on his recent epic hunt to Montana, where he shot seven species of upland birds ... who knew there were chukars in Montana? In our "Road Trip" segment I'll share some starting points for first-time grouse hunters in the Northeast, then it's up to you.

Please visit our sponsors:

Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns,, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.