Upland Nation

We continue our journey through pheasant country (with a few detours along the way), as I debrief North Dakota's wild bird experts from their Dept. of Game & Fish. Joining me are Jesse Kolar, upland game bird supervisor, and his right hand, RJ Gross. Their perspective as biologists, coupled with their extensive hunting experience, will be of service no matter where you hunt.

We talk good starting points for ringnecks, Huns and sharptails, plus habitat quirks and go-to spots. They'll offer insights into the birds' habits, population dynamics, and biology, offer hunting and scouting tips, and bring us up to speed on their walk-in program. RJ points out some lesser-known public access ground, and Jesse tells us how they conduct their bird counts. 

"Fix It" has another use for your checkcord, and our social segment is loaded (pun intended) with shooting tips from viewers and listeners.

And it's all brought to you by: Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, ClayCopter, USA Clay Target League, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

There are many organizations working on hunters' behalf behind the scenes, and one of them is led by Chuck Sykes. He's executive director of the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports, facilitating hunter recruitment, retention and re-activation across the country. The group serves as a brokerage, a clearing-house, of data, research, information and initiatives to support state wildlife agencies, non-profits and conservation groups. 

We'll talk about why more hunters are critical to conservation, how it's funded, and who are the most likely successful new hunters (hint: not kids, according to the research). Chuck will share what they're after when starting to hunt, as well as simple steps we can follow to be their mentor.

"Fix It" has one more information source in your search for more hunting ground, and listeners and viewers offer up their promises for the upcoming season - to themselves, their buddies and their dogs.

And it's all brought to you by: Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, ClayCopter, USA Clay Target League, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Audio exclusive: Nicks, cuts, scratches, snakebite and worse ... what do you do? How do you recognize medical problems in the field? How do you decide when to conduct a field repair and when to race for the nearest veterinarian?

I'll recall my own experiences and how to handle many of them. No, not veterinary advice, but at least a heads-up for you. There's some tools and gear, some clues to what might be wrong, and a list of those situations where time is of the essence.

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.] with additional support from USA Clay Target League, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, ClayCopter, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

There's little doubt your hunting season will be affected by the hundreds of wildfires that have devastated vast swaths of bird country. So how do we make the most of it, balancing ethics, conservation, and our own passion?

Mikal Cline is the Upland Game Bird Coordinator at Oregon's Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; Justin Small is Upland Game Staff Specialist at Nevada's Dept. of Wildlife. Two biologists who hunt, they've got a unique perspective on how fire impacts birds and their habitat.

We'll learn how birds react to fire, which ones will likely survive and which won't, what they do and where they go. We'll explore the short- and long-term aftermaths, and understand why a conservative approach to each hunter's bag is critical. There are nuggets on best post-fire habitat, alternate species to hunt, and a few eye-opening observations.

"Fix it" has advice on another way to find ground that hasn't been hammered by other hunters. The social segment covers things we've switched from - and to - for this season.

And it's all brought to you by: Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, USA Clay Target League, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Bathroom stops, flat tires, curiosity ... I've stumbled onto postage-stamp sized parcels and massive tracts of public and publicly-accessible land open to hunters. Many of them are managed by obscure agencies we never think of when it comes to planning our hunting trips. Others are below-the-radar properties we drive past without even considering their bird hunting potential.

Somewhere in this list is a place you might want to try this season.

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.] with additional support from USA Clay Target League, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, ClayCopter, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Enjoy this very popular (read: helpful) show even if you heard it a few years ago ...

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:

Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Avid hunter, world traveler and former chief instructor for the National Sporting Clays Association, Don Currie shares his decades of experience helping people like us to shoot better. We'll focus on transferring on range skills to the field, quick gun fitting fixes, what to look at when mounting your shotgun, and the critical parts of a good gun mount.

We'll cover ways to ensure you're in the right place at the right time on flushing birds, how foot position helps, our most common shooting errors and more. We'll get Don's take on adjusting choke tube constrictions to shotgun gauge, and he'll share a recent Argentina hunt where he shot four different bird species. 

"Fix It" suggests an under-utilized information resource for finding new hunting spots; and in our social segment, listeners and viewers share their advice on training steadiness in a pointing dog. 

And it's all brought to you by: Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, Pointer shotguns, ClayCopter, USA Clay Target League, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Audio exclusive! Here's the list of things I carry - and where - to ensure a safe and productive hunting trip. We go from front bumper to roof rack and touch on the gear that you too might want to carry. From safety and rescue stuff to dog-care, I'll share my inventory in hopes there's something there you might want to pack.

I'll also mention a few things in my hunting vest you may not have considered that could save your dog's life.

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.] with additional support from USA Clay Target League, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, ClayCopter, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Kicking off our series on bird-rich states and their resident experts, Alex Solem joins me from South Dakota. Senior upland biologist for the state's game, fish and parks department, this avid bird hunter has the 4-1-1 on America's most popular game bird.

Our wide-ranging discussion covers bird habits and habitat, a day in the life of a rooster, a list of best starting points on the map, hunting strategies for the day after the opener, and how to find public access ground. He clues us in to how successful hunters differ from the rest of us, and the myriad ways to hunt cattail patches. 

"Fix It" steadies your pointing dog with one move, and listeners and viewers share photos of their favorite bird cover (and not surprisingly, their dogs in that cover). 

And it's all brought to you by: Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, USA Clay Target League, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

A short essay on how opening day is more than 24 hours long. Starting the last day of the season, we assemble dreams, practical stuff, memories and hopes to construct a first day of the season. 

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.] with additional support from USA Clay Target League, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, ClayCopter, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.