Upland Nation

Who couldn't use a few more bucks in his pocket? Saving a dollar here or there could mean another road trip this season, or a longer one, or one farther away. I've compiled all the lessons I've learned into one long list ... something on it might help you buy better beer or more ammo! From planning your trip, to traveling to your destination, savings at your hunting spot, I've got dozens of suggestions.

"Fix It" offers a boot care tip, and listeners tell us their definition of a "steady" bird dog, and why.

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

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.

From the floor of the 2026 Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic, Clyde Vetter joins me for a wide-ranging talk on the value of joining those groups, and all things bird dogs. 

Clyde has titled more NAVHDA Utility dogs than any other trainer, and he's glad to share some of the methods he uses. We go from why composure is so important in a dog and how to create it, to helping your dog excel in test situations, why "soft" dogs aren't all bad, a new way to teach retrieving, and raising the bar with young dogs. We also learn why a desperate dog might be a creative, "birdy" dog-in-the-making.

Thanks to Pyke Gear for hosting all the podcast interviews!

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

Time to make plans for the upcoming season. How do you look at a road trip? A necessary evil? Means to an end? How about if there was joy and wonder in the journey as well as the destination?

That's what we'll ponder on this insider edition of the podcast. Philosophy, hints, hacks, tips and tactics to make the drive more enriching, more productive and more fun.

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.

This guy's insights are valuable to anyone, whether they own a retriever, flusher or pointing breed. Here's your reminder ... or inspiration if you're listening for the first time.

If you have a young dog or are getting one, listen carefully!

Jim Van Engen's Right Start Kennel has cranked out almost 200 field trial champions thanks to his unique specialty: the first two years of a dog's life. He'll outline his overall philosophy, as well as practical tips on everything from managing a dog's range to introducing gunfire. We'll cover retrieving and steadiness, verbal commands and e-collar use, too.

Jim's specialty is Labradors, but he's owned shorthairs for decades, hunting them primarily for fun but also competing in NSTRA trials, so there's something for everyone in this episode.

We'll review listeners' dog breed preferences from the Upland Nation Index survey, and "Fix It" offers a shooting tactic that might add a bird to your bag once in a while.

You get a chance to enter to win the Sage & Braker shotgun cleaning mat in our furfeathersfriends.com sweepstakes, too, but only if you listen and know the Word of the Week.

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

Let's start planning your next road trip. In the first part of this series, we'll explore (literally and figuratively) the nuts-and-bolts of finding and making the most of public access hunting grounds. From narrowing your search, to obtaining local intelligence, some practical tips on what to do in advance and once you've arrived, and how to get the most out of a general area and specific spot, I'll share my experience in hopes you don't have to learn like I did - the hard way.

"Fix It" offers a puppy night-time potty tip, and listeners share their memories on great starts to a season and end of a hunt day.

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

Friday Fave: your guide to pheasant central is Casey.

Everything you wanted to know about hunting pheasants in South Dakota, explained by a local expert. Casey Weismantel is executive director of the Aberdeen, SD Convention & Visitors Bureau, ugly dog owner and avid pheasant hunter.He's got answers to our questions about best times to go, maximizing the public-access options, planning your hunt and he'll even help us with some non-resident license hacks. 

We talk best habitat, how to manage a block-and-drive hunt, why spaniels are best (sometimes), and how pheasants behave in their natural environment and why we can't find them sometimes. (Or most times.)

"Fix It" has another place for you to look for "mean seeds" on your dog, and listeners offer their reasons for using hand signals in the field.

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

From the Pyke Gear booth at Pheasant Fest, I interview Karl Malcom and Gabe Stone of the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society. We cover a variety of topics from the organizations' focus, to how they cooperate with other conservation groups, to how fire, timber extraction and other "disturbances" are good, sometimes. 

But hunting strategy and tactics are also on the agenda, from habitat to definition of "edge" to the importance of moisture and diversity. We get tips on shooting around trees and working with dogs in the woods, stuff to take on your hunt, and even get a few cooking tips. 

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

Friday Faves: This guy will re-shape your thinking, period

Talmage Smedly joins me for an in-depth conversation on why dogs do what they do and how we can guide them. He calls on his horse training experience as well as a different perspective on how e-collars and commands in general can be used. If you're looking for a new way of working with your dog, he's got it.

We'll cover his views on how to use an e-collar, what instincts shape a young dog, using a leash and checkcord, and the advantages of "positive punishment," among other things. He'll help us fix some of our steadiness and retrieving problems too.

Listener Keith Friel offers another reason to run two dogs together in the field, and "Handle It" is a plea for more leashes, tie-out stakes and crates.

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

From the floor of Pheasant Fest, field trialer Jordan Horak shares his thoughts on puppy development as a breeder of champion flushing dogs. Jordan won the AKC sanctioned Cocker Spaniel Field Trial Nationals in 2018 and has the experience and insights to help us, from finding the right pup for you, to developing the very young dog, he's got some very specific methods.

We'll talk retrieving, teaching "gun range,"recall, the importance of paying a dog for their "work," and what a young dog considers a good payday. 

Jordan is also the developer of the Cato Board - an improved version of "place boards," so we'll get insights into how he uses them and we can too.

Special thanks to Pyke Gear for hosting the podcast at Pheasant Fest!

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