Prepare for summer at duckcamp.com.

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Use code PU20 for 20% off onX Hunt.

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Check out Migra's upland loads at migraammunitions.com.

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Load up on shotgun shells at migraammunitions.com.

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Protect your hearing at alclair.com.

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Use code UPLAND15 to get 15% off at yonderbound.co.

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Use code PU20 to get 20% off onX Hunt at onxhunt.com.

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Check out Migra Ammunition's new upland loads at migraammunitions.com.

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Protect your hearing at alclair.com.

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Use code PU20 and get 20% off at onXhunt.com.

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Shop for gear and more at duckcamp.com.

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For high-quality hearing protection, check out alclair.com.

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Protect your hearing at alclair.com.

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Get 15% off at yonderbound.co with code UPLAND15.

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Fuel your dog's next adventure at furvorpet.com.

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Use code PU20 and get 20% off onxhunt.com.

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Check out Duck Camp's gear at duckcamp.com.

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Shop Alclair hearing protection.

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Use code PU20 and get 20% off onxhunt.com.

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Use code UPLAND15 at yonderbound.co for 15% off your purchase.

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This article originally appeared in the spring 2023 issue of Hunting Dog Confidential.

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Here's a link to the article on projectupland.com. The authors provided links to key senators' Instagram accounts, making it easy to drop civil yet informed comments on your senator's official social media.

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Listen to past episodes here: Project Upland Podcast

If you want to support independent journalism, check out the Project Upland Podcast Patreon.

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Due to an editorial error, the second half of Gary's original article was not included in this episode's initial publication. As of 3/24, we have updated this podcast episode to include his article in its entirety. New information includes modern drivers of grouse decline, hunting declining populations, West Nile Virus, and the future of Appalachian ruffed grouse.

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This article originally appeared in the winter 2024 issue of Project Upland Magazine.

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Check out Mike's recipe for pickled quail here!

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This story was originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Project Upland Magazine.

Subscribe to Project Upland Magazine and find more articles like this at projectupland.com.

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Deem and her partner didn’t have the funds to put down a deposit with a reputable GSP breeder. Plus, she figured they’d be able to find a GSP up for adoption. She was right. Within days, she and her then-boyfriend picked up a Shorthair named Boone from a small shelter near Sand Point, Idaho. He had been surrendered after his former owner’s health declined.

That fall, Deem took Boone hunting and watched him point his first rooster pheasant. Deem was hooked and soon developed a deep passion for bird dogs and upland hunting. After adopting several more GSPs and observing how many popped up at shelters in her region, she started Paws to Peak Rescue in 2018. Since then, she’s rehomed over 130 bird dogs in Montana, Idaho, Utah, and beyond.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

“Something happened,” said Dr. Ron Kendall, the founder of Texas Tech's Wildlife Toxicology Lab. “We saw innumerable quail in the summer of 2010. Conditions were perfect. But by that fall, the quail were gone.” That year, biologists, wildlife managers, researchers, and hunters rallied together and launched "Operation Idiopathic Decline."

The operation brought together multiple universities. Scientists explored the potential causes of the quail population crash. “We looked at pesticides, environmental contaminants, viruses, bacteria, and parasites,” said Dr. Kendall. “Lo and behold, we saw these parasitic worms called helminths in the birds.” 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Now entering your home, you will likely be met by familiar eyes: your hunting dog staring back at you for a sign that you are gearing up for a hunt. As your dog realizes that you are settling in for the evening, you can see its disappointment. Soon it slinks to its bed in protest, curling into a ball with a dejected sigh, resigning to the fact that there has been a change in the routine. A feeling of guilt fills your soul as your dog was at its happiest pursuing birds for you, so, of course, you head to the cookie jar to let Ol’ Red know just how sorry you are. Your once chiseled athlete has de-evolved into somewhat of a bratwurst shape.

Ol’ Red—now more affectionately known as “Mr. Weeble Wobble”—needs more than a little attention to get back down to his fighting weight.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

The weeks before the new pup arrives are the best time to gather supplies, puppy-proof your home, make an early puppy training and socialization plan, and—perhaps most importantly—get the whole family on board with the plan. This early preparation work will go a long way toward ensuring a successful transition into your home and building a solid foundation for your new bird dog.

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While the process took about 20 minutes, we were confident that the birds would still be somewhere close. Based on our combined years of bobwhite quail hunting experience, we thought perhaps they’d be in the thick brush surrounding the pond or down the draw below. Thirty minutes later, only one bird in the whole covey flushed. That’s when we realized that these critters were different. 

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The Curly-Coated Retriever owes much of its early popularity to the simple fact that it was the first retriever breed to be developed. While the Wavy-Coat Retriever was being developed around the same time, most canine historians give a slight edge to the Curly’s claim of being the oldest by a few years. In the nineteenth century, guns were increasingly more accurate and accessible and retrievers were the up-and-coming canine specialists. With more accurate guns, hunters could shoot birds from much longer distances. Shooting no longer required a pointing or setting dog to range far afield and hold a bird on point while the hunter hurried to get close enough for an accurate shot.

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A chance to harvest these three species on a single trip, maybe even on a single walk, makes Kansas a special place to hunt in the fall. Here are a few tips to help you plan your attempt at the Kansas Grand Slam.

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Today, Germany is a rich and united republic and the German Shorthaired Pointer sits in triumph as the most successful continental pointing breed in the world.

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The first group came in well in advance, but I was unprepared for how fast they were. I missed, wildly behind. I adjusted my swing on the next group, got lucky, and dropped a bird at the tail end of the group. Was it the bird I was shooting at? Probably not. But in any case, I had my first late season chicken. 

That chicken hunting experience was more like pass-shooting waterfowl than upland bird hunting, but it was utterly unique and incredibly fun. Every upland hunter should try it. These tips will help you connect on a greater prairie-chicken during the late season.

Read more at projectupland.com.

 In 1872, Edward Lavarack, the father of the modern English setter answered the question by writing “… the setter is nothing more than the setting spaniel improved.” Ok, so setters are spaniels that, at some point were “improved” to become setters. But what exactly is a setting spaniel, and what exactly were the “improvements” that turned them into setters? 

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The truth is, small decoy spreads are very effective if you play your cards right and know your diver ducks. Let’s look at how we can decoy diver ducks on a budget.

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During one of the many unscheduled train stops in the middle of nowhere, for unknown reasons, I noticed a man walking in the field about 200 meters from the track. He was carrying what I assumed to be a shotgun and appeared to be following a hedgerow that angled toward us. Un cacciatore, I thought, a hunter!? As I pressed my nose against the window to get a better look, I could see that the hunter was not alone; he had a dog. It was fairly large, had an orange and white coat, and was about 50 meters to the hunter’s left, trotting along the other side of the hedgerow.

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Woodcock arrive in the South each fall under the cover of darkness. By sunrise, they are tucked away in dense cover. However, if you don't mind putting a few miles on your boots beside a good bird dog, hunting American woodcock in the southeast is a great way to get out of the blind and into the woods.

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In 1881, German hunters began systematically cross-breeding Pudels and Pointers. The Pudels used in the original crosses differed from the Poodles we have today. The German Pudel was a hunting breed known for its keen love of water, strong retrieving instinct, and sharpness on predators. The Germans eventually created a superb gun dog breed named the Pudelpointer. 

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Snowshoes are commonly found in the same places as ruffed grouse and spruce grouse. To top it off, they will test your shooting capabilities to their fullest. You think shooting a ruffed grouse busting through the alders is tough? Try hitting a snowshoe hare that’s just as fast but sprints across the ground.

Increase the odds of adding a hare to your game bag before the snow comes with these tips.

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The hunting dog world is full of personal biases, and our survey results reflected our community’s diverse preferences. When asked, “What type of hunting dogs do you own?,” 53.69% of respondents said pointing, 32.84% said versatile, 19.37% said retriever, 11.11% said spaniel, and 1% said hound.

Although pointing dogs have retained the #1 spot seven years in a row, the number of versatile dog owners has increased slightly and the number of spaniel and retriever owners have decreased slightly. We won’t let our dog breed snobbery enter the chat, but personally, we’re always happy to see pointing and versatile dogs in the number one and two spots, respectively.

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Instead, birds have been pressured hard, and many of the naive young-of-the-year birds have been harvested. Birds abandoned short cover and crop fields due to winter weather conditions and holed up in thick grass, cattail sloughs, and woody windbreaks for protection. Additionally, due to heavy hunting pressure, roosters are prone to run from approaching hunters or flush too far away for an ethical shot. 

This all sounds discouraging, right? Even so, my favorite time to hunt pheasants, besides the first two opening weeks, is the late season. While it’s not easy, pheasant hunting late in the year can be wildly successful. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Of the over two dozen duck species that migrate along the Atlantic Flyway, the black duck is the only one rumored to be able to count. Too many decoys, and a black duck won’t commit. Too few decoys, and they’ll keep buzzing. The lucky number? Seven, according to old-timers from Long Island Sound. Even-numbered decoy spreads, they insist, indicate a duck hunter.

Now, I can’t attest to the black duck’s ability to count, but I do know they’re tough suckers to hunt. They’re brutally wary. They shy away from most natural-looking decoy spreads, almost always avoid a duck call, and fly in such small numbers that one shot is usually all you get. To avoid heartbreak and frustration, hunters must ditch the usual duck hunting playbook and adopt strategies honed over generations of being outwitted.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

While there are plenty of opportunities across much of the Midwest to chase ringnecks, there is much to consider before taking off on a hunt. Let’s closely examine some of these considerations that will boost your odds of success this fall and help turn around a potentially disappointing season.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

During the woodcock migration, these plump, bug-eyed brown birds utilize very similar habitat types across each state, albeit habitat that is comprised of very different species of trees and shrubs across their lengthy flight.

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I’ve seen Brittanies in European trials. I’ve shot roosters and ruffed grouse over Sporty, Bandit, and Buster, three tremendous Brittanies owned by a good friend. I’ve spoken at length with Brittany owners and breeders and some of the best trainers in the world. The more I learn about the breed, the more I admire it.

If you really want to understand why hunters fell in love so quickly with the little dogs from Brittany, watch a couple work a cattail slough in North Dakota and pin rooster after rooster for their proud owner. Or attend a spring field trial north of Paris and watch the cream of the Épagneul Breton crop fly across the ground seeking wild partridges. Or ask any Brittany owner how their dogs are around the house and hear nothing but praise for the breed’s loving temperament.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Fellow wildlife biologist Frank Loncarich and I spend many days afield together each year chasing quail, and most of our trips involve some type of public land. Over the course of our lives, we have hunted thousands of hours, conducted years of research, and observed enough birds to create a pattern that guides our hunts. We often get questions regarding hunting strategy from folks that see or hear about good bird numbers, but then spend several days afield that end with empty or light game bags. Or, hunters that saw birds early in the season but struggle as winter takes hold. 

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Chukar hunting isn’t an easy stroll through a cut wheat field, but neither is it some sort of death-defying ascent limited to the youngest and fittest among us. A little bit of off-season hill training, a willingness to sweat a bit to reach the top of the next ridge, and plenty of water-carrying capacity are all you need to pursue these wild birds in their wild habitat. The extra effort required to reach them is rewarded with incredible views and a true sense of accomplishment when you do find them, even without a whack-n-stack tailgate photo.

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The fact that early season roosters have yet to be educated on our hunting techniques doesn’t mean opening weekend guarantees limits of the colorful imported game bird. However, it certainly increases the likelihood of success when compared to the late season.

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I love woodcock. Relying on unfrozen ground to eat, woodcock are a fascinating species that migrates from parts of Canada to the southern United States each fall. They are a low barrier of entry for young pointing dogs and new hunters. They provide the best opportunities to train superior grouse dogs in the off-season. When one speaks of the dark arts of the woodcock migration, it is with great debate as they have alluded, defied, and fascinated both hunters and scientists alike for generations. Alternatively, as George Bird Evans said, “You know where to expect them and almost when, but when they show up is something else.” 

The fall woodcock migration coincides with their hunting season. We try to predict the moment of their arrival, and more often than not, we are surprised by the vanishing and reappearance of these wonderful upland game birds. From early classics like The Book of the American Woodcock by William Sheldon, published in 1967, over 38 studies according to the U.S Fish and Wildlife between 1927 and 1978, and more recently, the ongoing Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative (EWMRC), we have taken leaps and bounds to understand how, why, and when woodcock migrate. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

I often find myself narrating a large majority of a hunt when my daughter is on my back. How much of this she can actually hear is debatable, given that she’s wearing hearing protection. Still, I believe it helps my daughter’s understanding of certain situations, like a dog working scent or training their ears to hear the twittering wings of a woodcock and the thunderous flush of a ruffed grouse. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

No matter how good the dog’s work may be, its bell’s jingle alerts grouse. The birds understand the threat, beginning evasive movements well before a dog has a chance to catch scent. Between scenting conditions, bird locations, and weather, a million variables stack up against us in unknown ways. These odds are daunting enough to dissuade us from adding another variable that would put a dog at an inherent disadvantage. However, the efficiency of killing is far from the pinnacle of the true love of grouse hunting, and interpreting the language of a dog bell is often part of that joy. 

Bells, talking, and walking through cover all impact grouse well before contacts are made. This is no new theory, and while I have experimented in recent years by leaving the dog bell in the truck, one can go back as far as the late 1800s to read from our forefathers on the topic of grouse and sound. 

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Unfortunately I can’t smell birds, I’m a slow walker, and I don’t have a dog.

The problem is that I’ve grown increasingly fond of hunting American woodcock. I am a dog-less hunter with a young family and limited time to hunt, so pounding the ground in search of good woodcock cover just isn’t an option. As a lifelong deer hunter and avid trapper, I do more than 50% of my scouting on a computer. It might seem a a bit unorthodox to adapt this aspect of my deer hunting to woodcock hunting. But so far, it’s paid off.

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In this article, I will discuss the three different types of preventative products and why they are so important to protect your hunting partner. This includes collars, topical treatments, and oral preventatives.

I highly encourage every dog owner to have this discussion with their veterinarian because insect prevention is a transient part of this field. Remember, it is rarely the insect itself that’s the issue. The parasites that insects transmit through their bites are what cause issues in our dogs.

Read more at projectupland.com.

While generally considered a grassland species, sharpies range from the shrub-scrub grasslands in Wisconsin through the vast prairies of the northern U.S. Great Plains and Canada, culminating in the shrublands of Alaska. That’s a huge geographic range, encompassing a wide variety of habitats, meaning there are lots of plants that are important to sharptails. That said, some plants stand out above all others, and they are found and utilized across most of this bird’s vast range. 

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These birds gave an air of boundless existence. Hunting the droves of ruffed grouse in the Berkshires of Massachusetts when our grandfather was setting up a stand seemed almost too easy. We believed the grouse there and in the woods by my father’s house would be there forever.

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Sage-grouse occupy western sagebrush (Artemisia sp.) prairies of California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and into the province of Saskatchewan. Although sage-grouse still live in all these places, their populations have shrunk. The largest core populations still thrive in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. Uncoincidentally, these are the same states with the most intact and healthy sagebrush landscapes.

Read more at projectupland.com.

For many hunters, pursuing these majestic birds is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime adventure, often meticulously planned months or years ahead. Preparation and knowledge are key in order to appreciate and succeed in this journey.

Sage grouse populations stretch across eleven western states—Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Yet only seven states still permit sage grouse hunting, and season lengths and bag limits are carefully controlled.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

“A grouse just flew through the window and landed on the bed,” Sabrina said with a mix of shock and nervous laughter.

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Spruce grouse are so prevalent in Alaska that it can be easy to assume a person can simply go out and shoot one. I know because I’ve set out with that mindset and returned with empty game bags. They may not be the greatest challenge presented to an upland hunter, but if you don’t give them their due diligence, they can easily have you leaving the woods with spent shells and unanswered questions.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Today, however, there is no peace, and there is no silence. It’s already been shattered. A violent collision of arctic air and Gulf Stream winds just smacked the mid-Atlantic shore. Now, the rails and I are caught knee-deep in the chaos.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) sets a range of dates, season lengths, and bag limits that states can choose from to harvest doves. Depending on each state’s latitude, there are advantages to selecting early dates, later dates, or even split dates. September 1 is the earliest the USFWS allows any state to open the season for native doves. The list of native doves includes mourning and white-winged doves, although mourning doves are by far the most commonly harvested dove in the country. 

Nearly every state selects September 1 or the first Saturday in September as its opening day. This begs the question: Why would southern states want to open as early as northern states when mourning doves are migratory?

Read more at projectupland.com.

There are temperamental, health, and emotional risks when it comes to breeding your dog. Potentially, your dog could pass along temperment issues that could put the owners of your dog’s puppies at risk. You could pass along skeletal or muscular issues that would limit the dog’s ability as a hunter or even to live a life without suffering. Never let your feelings interfere with you making the right choice. Your choice to breed has the potential to impact a large group of buyers and their families. The impacts of poor breeding is a heavy weight to bear. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

The drive within our hunting dogs is the putty from which we play. Because heeling is a drive-based activity, drive can be a benefit or a detriment when it comes to heeling. If done properly, the dog is driven to find its position and its focus is entirely on you. When underdeveloped, the dog prioritizes its natural instincts to lead, protect, and search, resulting in an unsafe and uncontrollable heeling experience.

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The high harvest rate isn’t surprising, considering dove hunting season is the first hunting season to open for most wing shooters. However, the dove’s widespread range no doubt contributes to the large harvest. They can be found in nearly every state and much of Canada. They breed from the west coast to the east coast, as far north as southeast Alaska and south into Mexico. Such a massive range and the ability to live in urban and rural landscapes have kept the dove population robust. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Young pups naturally follow a similar journey to learn to obtain items they cherish and identify gestures that lead to things they don’t like. As a good coach, your job is to teach your dog how to be a good teammate through eye contact.

Read more at projectupland.com.

READ: Understanding Timing in Dog Training

When properly developed, a dog can’t wait to get to its owner’s side. Even after capturing its most prized possession, a dog with a good recall is laser-focused on getting back to its spot. It does so out of habit and anticipation of the party that will ensue on its return. The cooperative attitude developed from a good recall is everything for developing a consistent retrieve and having good field manners. A dog that is thinking about coming to you doesn’t crunch birds, parade about, or pass you by; it religiously finishes the same way every time.

Read more at projectupland.com.

I often get asked, “When is the right time?” I believe it depends on many factors, primarily age and maturity, but it’s important to understand there’s no one-size-fits-all introduction to the uplands. 

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Only a handful of ammunition manufacturers really make loads like they used to. With the right load, classic guns can work just as well, if not better, than some modern guns today. Whether you’re considering buying one or you’ve inherited an old shotgun from a family member, it’s important to shoot the right shells through it so it will keep working for the next generation. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Walter Baxendale’s “bombshell” was a man named Edward Laverack, now universally regarded as the father of the modern English Setter. Little is known about his early life, but as a young man, Laverack was apparently a shoemaker’s apprentice, but where he worked and for whom is not clear. According to Robert Armstrong in All Setters, Laverack “spent his youth in Hawick, a town in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, but at the age of 17, not liking it after he had been there some time, he ran away.”

Read more at projectupland.com.

The CDC differentiates between countries considered to be high-risk for rabies and those that are low-risk or rabies-free. Currently, the rules and requirements for importing dogs from high-risk countries are much stricter than they are for dogs coming from low-risk or rabies-free countries. Starting August 1, however, the rules will be broadened to essentially apply the high-risk protocols to every foreign country regardless of their rabies risk status. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

But we aren’t here to talk about wetlands or shorebirds. It’s the sagebrush landscapes beyond the Bear River Delta that this group of researchers, biologists, and ecologists are discussing. As I watch a meadowlark hide under snow-laden cattails, my attention snaps back to the conference room when I hear, “Pinyon jays are where greater sage-grouse were 30 years ago.”

Read more at projectupland.com.

Our first dog, Dixie, was most likely a bench bred dog. Bench bred dogs are those who are bred with the goal of placing in the show ring. I say most likely because she came from an inconspicuous farm litter but was physically more similar to a bench dog (we’ll get into that in a bit). 

As Dixie got older, we got on a list for a field bred Springer Spaniel. These dogs are bred with the rigors of field trials and hunt tests in mind; hence the term field bred. Our first field bred dog, Timber, died from a gastrointestinal fungal infection before her second birthday. At that point, we got Fern. Then, roughly a year later, Wild, who has the same mother as Timber, joined our family. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

These words strike fear in nearly all adolescent children. Is the parent simply curious? Was it an ambivalent conversation starter or a knowing and accusatory set up? The answer always lies within the subtle tones, expression, and body language of the parent.

The same is true when thinking about the delivery of a command in dog training. It is very important to be cognizant of how we present information to our dogs because they, too, are always studying what we are saying. Know that you can’t hide your emotions within a command, no matter how hard you try. Always try to remain clear, calm, consistent, and absolute when commanding.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Of course, spending lots of time with a dog can have some unintended consequences, like leaving the dog at home for work, family, friends, and other activities where the dog is left behind. For those who haven’t properly prepared for this change, don’t be surprised to come home and discover that your rebellious companion has destroyed its crate and chewed through four different pairs of your shoes while you were away. Worse, you may return to a panicked and shaking dog that didn’t know if you would ever return—a true sign of separation anxiety and not a behavioral problem. Was there something you missed or hadn’t prepared for? Absolutely.

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For many modern turkey species, their main predators are owls, coyotes, and cougars. But what if they were golden eagles, sabertooth tigers, or dire wolves? What about sitting on the edge of a clearing and watching giant ground sloths, mammoths, and mastodons frolic in the early morning mist while you wait for a big old tom to come in? 

For the extinct California turkey, life, including the flora and fauna that surrounded them, looked very different from today. 

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In this article I’d like to shed some light on why a solid whoa command is imperative to your training (even your dogs safety) and provide some simple non-traditional drills that you can add to your everyday routine.  

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Wild bird contacts are unequivocally the best experience you can provide any developing hunting dog. These experiences bolster its drive to find game, its understanding of how to find and handle birds, and provide a foundation in steadiness before you start putting on the controls. I encourage every and all opportunities to get your dog on wild birds no matter where you are in your steadiness process. It introduces the dog to game, and the bird will teach the dog manners. This provides dogs with a deeper understanding that birds can’t be caught. This will strengthen your point and avoid the early-season dog imbalances that most hunters experience. 

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You just start, and you start on day one.

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Llewellin Setters have a bit of a complicated history. Richard Purcell-Llewellin, a figure in the iconic book The Setter, is the father of the Llewellin Setter, dating back to their early years in England. Regardless of their past, there is a strong modern appreciation for Llewellin Setters today. Crystal Powell, the secretary for the National Llewellin Gun Dog Club (NLGDC) and co-owner of Sinking Fork Llewellins, and Paint River Setters’ Kyle Warren have offered in-depth insights about this strain of English Setters and generously shared their knowledge of this impressive, eye-catching dog.

Read more at projectupland.com.

If you have ever been waterfowl hunting with a young or developmental gun dog, you know how stressful whining and barking can be. Instead of watching that sunrise with your favorite cup of joe, you find yourself wrestling your hunting dog to keep it quiet and still. It’s in those times we realize that we should have better prepared our dog to control its emotions. Blaine Carter from Merrymeeting Kennels has created a series of at home drills that helps eliminate the issue. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

In my last Project Upland article, we discussed some of the nuances of reading your bird dog’s body language and figuring out what they are trying to tell you. I referenced flagging as a specific undesirable action in a pointing dog. Let’s delve into that a little bit deeper to gain some understanding.

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I have a safe full of old pumps, semi-autos, side-by-sides, and over-unders, and I’ll probably never get rid of them. Sure, I’m a sucker for patina, nice engraving, and all of the little things that make an old gun great. But what I love most about vintage shotguns is learning about where they came from, how they were made, and how they handle in the field. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Pressure comes in various forms. Understanding pressure and how to use it is entirely another article in itself. Basically, pressure can be generated in a variety of ways. Food pressure is when the dog feels internal pressure to perform for treats. The leash and collar is an example of physical pressure. Standing in the proximity of your dog places spatial pressure on them and using corrective tones places verbal pressure on them. Social pressure can even come from the competition of using other dogs.

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The culmination of all of these characteristics creates a legendary hunting dog. However, the dog knows how to search for a cover in a manner that leaves little opportunity for birds to be missed outperforms all other dogs. 

Developing this level of teamwork starts with a dog willing to hunt for and with you. For me, this begins through teaching it to quarter with the long lead starting at a young age.

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One day, the trickster Nanabozho saw this and poured water into aninaatig, diluting the syrup into watered-down sap. He wanted the Ojibwe to work for the blessing of maple syrup and make them truly appreciate it. Today, this is why it takes about 40 gallons of sap and a lot of effort to make a gallon of syrup.  

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When you are reward-based bird dog training using food, toys or praise, you must be prepared to reward or correct the dog the very instant it presents either a desirable or undesirable behavior. This requires you to be very attuned to your animal. Being able to read and recognize when they are in the thought process of making a good or bad decision is key. For example, when we teach the sit command on a recall (the dog returning to you), we shape the sit through tagging then rewarding the dog the moment it begins to sit (doesn’t need to be perfectly aligned) and slowly building accuracy over time. It’s very common for handlers to over-command, and when the dog finally performs the action correctly, they are left scrambling for a treat and the reward is now too delayed to be of value towards learning.

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Chukar are not native to North America. This bird’s home range spans the Middle East and Asia, including Turkey, Jordan, Tehran, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, and Mongolia. In their native range, these birds have a penchant for steep, rocky outcroppings in arid landscapes. Their preference for rugged places translates to their North American range as well.

Since its introduction to the United States decades ago, chukar have become an iconic North American upland game bird, and those who hunt them are lovingly referred to as “not right in the head.” Let’s take a gander at this species’ life history, habitat preferences, and robust hunting culture.

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The sound of my Wirehaired Pointing Griffon’s bell came sharply through the undergrowth, occasionally muted by the splash of water as Grim worked his way back and forth. We had been through this cover multiple times in the past week with no signs of life in the way of game birds. My mind wandered, thinking of how exciting it will be to have American woodcock back on our doorstep after their migration from wintering in the South.

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My husband Ronnie and I live on the northwest coast of Scotland with our ten Hungarian Wirehaired Vizslas. They are a huge part of our lives—they share our house and our sofas and are our family. The breed has a lovely temperament and a boundless willingness to please, making them a joy to live and work with.

Ronnie and I have been married for 32 years and during this time we have had many working dogs including spaniels, Labradors, retrievers, pointers, and an odd assortment of terriers. We finally settled on the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla breed and have not looked back! It all began nine years ago when I decided that I wanted my own dog to train, work, and compete with; now I have four Hungarian Wirehaired Vizslas that I’m proud to call my own.

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If you have spent any time in the dog world you are very familiar with the fact that there are many strong debates about using bait. People on either side of this debate are very passionate about on which side of the fence they find themselves. This debate isn’t so much about using edibles as it is about people wanting to feel good about their training, sometimes ignoring the outcome. Even within our hunting circles, there are some who avoid the use of edibles whatsoever, and those who rely too much on them.

Now in fairness, we all want to feel good about our bird dog training. I’m just as human as anyone else in making my fair share of mistakes. But when we understand the process of learning, whether it’s human learning or canine learning, hopefully we’ll be more attuned to what processes work and why they work.

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This habitat type was also formed by glaciers, although they had the opposite effect. This expanse of poor-quality, sandy soils is exactly where the glaciers scraped across the surface of what is now Wisconsin. Post-ice age, pine barrens covered 2.7 million acres in this region. Sadly, interconnected barrens broken up by young stands of jack pine are difficult to come by these days. In fact, pine and oak barrens are a globally threatened habitat type.

“Red, white, and jack pine as well as oak and some aspen were present in historic pine barrens, but in patches, not large swaths of forests,” said Mike Amman, the Bayfield County forester and the Vice President for the Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society. Amman continued, saying that reforestation created dense stands of red and jack pine, which were and are managed for timber production. However, the tree density and sheer total acreage of these areas came at the expense of the historically open barrens. Barrens-related species’ populations have fallen drastically, including the sharp-tailed grouse.

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These are the moments we call “pressure off.” It’s those times where we need to reset the brain for both the trainer and the dog. (Read The Five Mental States of Bird Dogs in Training) It’s where all of that time pairing, or bonding, with your dog as a pup pays off! Find some success and have a love fest moment with your dog, telling them everything is alright, repairing and preparing the brain for the next lesson.

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I’d argue that the long lead is not only relevant today but is also an essential tool in developing new trainers before they touch an e-collar. It reduces the chances of overcorrecting, promotes a connection with your dog the e-collar can’t provide, and develops the timing and focus every trainer needs to maximize their dog’s learning. 

Though a simple tool, there are a few things to consider when choosing the right long lead for you and your dog.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

The pump-action shotgun is a staple in the world of American wingshooting. The Winchester Model 12 is among the shooting world’s cast of popular models, and it was bested only by the Remington Model 870 in production numbers. Four years earlier, the unique Remington Model 10 was the first-ever bottom ejector introduced to the market, with over 275,000 produced until 1929. 

The Winchester Model 1912, or simply the Model 12, was the American manufacturer’s first hammerless shotgun. Nearly two million of them were produced between 1912 and 1962. It saw action in four wars: World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. 

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The loss of the Labrador duck is not your typical ecological warning about the dangers of over-harvesting, market hunting, or a general lack of conservation, but a reminder of the fragility and interconnectedness of our ecosystems to the flora and fauna that inhabit them. 

One of the many challenges for biologists and historians when researching past hunting, harvesting, and taxidermy records of the Labrador duck is that it’s a species with many names. It’s an eider-type sea duck, also known as a pied duck, which includes the Golden Eye and Surf Scooter, leading to confusion about which historical entries are appropriate for which duck. Colloquially, it was also known as a skunk duck and the sand shoal duck due to its respective skunk-like black and white appearance and proclivity for sifting through sand bars near shallow estuaries.

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Rather ironically, the more time passes, the less English the English Setter has become. “Wildly popular in some regions, more or less unknown in others, they face extinction in their native land,” says Craig Koshyk in his book Pointing Dogs Volume Two: The British and Irish Breeds. Over 15,000 pups are born in Italy each year, and only 250 are born in England. Italy, France, and Norway have taken the English Setter as a breed and ran with it, and their “influence on the development of the breed cannot be overstated,” said Koshyk.

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So for centuries before the invention of the modern shotgun, the main goal of waterfowlers was to get as close as possible to sitting ducks. And even when the first shotguns did appear, they were too heavy and inaccurate to use for wingshooting, so hunters still had to somehow get close to sitting ducks so they could shoot them on the water. They had two choices: crawl, wade or paddle closer to where the ducks were or, somehow, lure the ducks closer to shore. One such luring method was ‘tolling,’ a technique that hunters learned long ago by watching wild foxes draw ducks closer to shore.

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With the development of today’s hunting technology, we now have the luxury of knowing more about our hunting dogs than ever before. We can hunt comfortably, saying very little to our dogs while enjoying all the sights and sounds our covers have to offer. We know where our dogs are, where they’ve been, how fast they are moving, when they are pointing, or when they are not. We are even able to extend our physical influence out for miles. Though electronic collars (e-collars) are amazing, it’s important to recognize that they are your best friend and your worst enemy at the same time.

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Non-competitive hunt tests came about as an attempt to standardize the evaluation of hunting dogs at various levels. The tests aren’t perfect, but they at least provide a consistent measuring stick for assessing the natural and trained skills of a hunting dog. For the versatile pointing breeds, perhaps the most well-known system is the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) testing system.

NAVHDA offers four levels of non-competitive hunt tests: the Natural Ability test, the Utility Preparatory Test, the Utility Test, and the national-level Invitational Test. Each of these tests is designed to mimic real-life hunting scenarios and assess the dog’s ability to focus and complete a given task. While the Natural Ability test is focused on the innate skills of pointing, tracking, and swimming, the higher-level tests introduce more trained subjects such as retrieving and steadiness.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

While habitat quality is still the main driver in game bird populations across the country, weather plays a close second. Most upland game bird species are short-lived, disturbance-dependent animals that rely on high reproductive output to grow populations. Favorable weather conditions and proper timing of these conditions often make or break a successful hatch. However, it’s not that simple. Certain species need favorable conditions at different times of the year than others, and even factors such as too much or too little rain can impact the same species depending on where it’s found in the country. 

Understanding these relationships and watching weather patterns many months in advance can give a hunter a leg up on what to expect for the upcoming season and what species to target from year to year.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

The origin of water spaniels can be traced to Great Britain. Similar dogs were developed on the European continent, such as the Épagneul de Pont-Audemer or the Frisian Water Dog, but their exact relationship to the true water spaniels developed in the British Isles—and later in America—is not exactly clear. 

What is clear is that a close relationship exists between water spaniels and the retriever breeds. Indeed, recent genome-wide analysis has revealed that the Curly-Coated Retriever and the Irish Water Spaniel are more closely related to each other than to any other breed. The Curly-Coated Retriever—the largest and perhaps oldest of the retrievers—is thought to have descended from crosses between the St. John’s Water Dog and English Water Spaniels, but apparently the amount of water spaniel blood in the breed was largely underestimated. Similarly, the Golden Retriever lineage that began with the Marjoribanks family in Scotland included crosses to at least two Tweed Water Spaniels.

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As we walk down the path, the fresh snow shows tangles of tracks and droppings weaving through the multiflora rose of what was once a tilled farm field just a few years back before the state purchased the land. 

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It’s believed that Irish Setters are perhaps the oldest breed of setting dogs. “The spaniels that became setting dogs were in Ireland since at least the 16th century,” said Koshyk. It’s easy to imagine this gorgeous dog breed loping across vibrantly green hillsides in search of game, regardless of whether it’s in the 16th century or the 21st. 

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But why? How is crow hunting beneficial and why should hunters spend their time in the off-season chasing these pesky black birds?

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In terms of appearance, everyone agrees that dogs called Russian Setters had long, rough coats and facial furnishings. Edward Laverack once said that he once saw “a magnificent type of the Russian Setter buried in a coat of a very long floss silky texture; indeed he had by far the greatest profusion of coat of any dog I ever saw.” 

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As a veterinarian and fellow birddogger, I want to stress the importance of discussing and planning for this preventable condition.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

Gunfitting theory is based on a straightforward concept: using the physical architecture of the stock to control the shooter’s point of aim and make the mounting and firing of the gun feel comfortable and natural. Remember that gun fitting adjusts the stock dimensions to the shooter; gun fitters don’t expect the shooter to adjust to the stock dimensions. 

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Read more at projectupland.com.

Wild bobwhite quail can be found from Texas, north to portions of South Dakota, east to Maryland, south to Florida, and within most states that lie inside that box. They live in various habitats across their broad range, making them the most widespread of the six huntable quail species in the United States. These states vary in the amount of public land available to quail hunt, but every state within the bobwhite’s range has some publicly accessible coveys for die-hard uplanders to pursue. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Let’s explore why you should add this culinary device to your repertoire. Not only does it ensure a perfect cook every single time, but sous vides also help kill harmful bacteria and are more forgiving than an oven or grill.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

In recent years, portable, A-frame style blinds have grown quickly in popularity as well as availability. What is an A-frame blind and why is it so popular? Let’s take a look.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

With the influx of upland bird hunters ought to come an influx of discussions about hunter etiquette while in the field. I make no claims of being an expert, neither in bird hunting nor in consistently good etiquette. I am sure that I have unintentionally done things that have annoyed another hunter or affected their day afield. But along with how-to articles and photos of our time in the mountains, I believe it’s our responsibility to share perspectives on good etiquette to help new (and returning) hunters navigate some of these gray areas.

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One of the places I like to hunt in the winter is filled with hot water springs that feed into a lake. When the ice forms, ducks don’t tend to stick around, but they do like to hang out in these open holes. The ice also drives the ducks to streams and canals—really, anywhere there is open, moving water. Most of these places tend to have food available for ducks, which is particularly helpful when heavy snow covers the ground. Access to food is important for ducks to stay warm. Being able to locate these food sources makes jump shooting even more effective.

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I crept up the wash with a watchful eye scanning for movement up ahead. While my eyes did their job, my ears added to the tale. Multiple quail were calling up ahead, with the concave shape of the hillside amplifying their quail calls toward my unwanted attention. The quail weren’t the only ones keeping my ears busy, however. All around there were noise makers such as rabbits sneaking away in the undergrowth and lizards careening through the dry grass, sounding much larger than their three-inch bodies should be able to sound. It was enough to keep my head turning to distinguish friend from foe.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Inside a multi-million dollar mansion, I took a seat around a large wooden table in such pristine condition that I was afraid to touch it. A glass of water sat in front of each occupied seat, giving the space the air of a boardroom. The year was 2017, and my unfamiliar surroundings gave me the sense that I was struggling to translate my idea of what Project Upland Magazine should be.

“We have to change the name. It cannot be called Project Upland.”

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Read more at projectupland.com.

For those unfamiliar with federal regulations or the regulatory process in general, it would help to understand the basics of what federal regulations exactly are. 

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There are two reasons young birds represent the bulk of the early harvest. First, juveniles dominate the overall population. Like most upland game birds, pheasants rely on annual production to sustain the population. It’s not unusual for juveniles to comprise up to 80 percent of the population after a summer of good nesting and brood-rearing success. Second, young pheasants are typically not as wary as their older relatives. However, even though these youngsters have never evaded a hunter following a bird dog, many still have enough instinct to know something isn’t right.

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Humbled, I reached out for guidance. That evening we dissected a shotgun shell from packaging label clear to the wad. Holding the pellets in my hand and seeing the gunpowder made it all click. The next time I was at the gun counter, still a bit awkward, at least I knew which box of shells I wanted.

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I will never forget it; I dropped a drake mallard, belly up, on a slick, wide mudflat right along the river bank. Sparing no time to think, I trudged out there to retrieve it and sunk in pluff mud up to my chest. In no time, I was unable to move, and the tide was coming up quick. My buddy had to toss me the bowline of his boat in a desperate rescue attempt. He revved his engine so hard that the water churned into cloudy chocolate milk. I held on for dear life as my legs and boots popped free. As I slid on my belly across the mud like a salt marsh penguin, I promised I’d never make that mistake again. 

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If modern bird hunters all had the same requirements and preferences for their dogs, we’d have a single bird dog breed. The Common Bird Dog would range at the preferred distance, move at the preferred speed, handle birds by pointing or flushing in the preferred manner, and would, of course, have the preferred coat, color, size, and personality. The sheer number of different bird dog breeds, however, points to the reality of human opinion.

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Great duck hunters approach the hunt like a college football coach approaches a National Championship game; they have a playbook and study it cover to cover. They know how to respond to the weather, have backup plans, and are prepared to handle anything the birds throw at them. Instead of hoping for victory, great duck hunters plan for it. 

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Their survival requires large tracts of unfragmented, treeless landscapes. This is a trait carried into modern times; these birds evolved in what once was millions of acres of ideal grassland habitat that existed before European settlement. Hunting sharp-tails can take hunters to some of the most beautiful landscapes on the continent. Here is a guide to help you get started on a new adventure.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

Hunters spend thousands of hours chasing pheasants across public lands each year. State-owned wildlife areas, federally owned national grasslands and wetlands, and state-leased private lands in walk-in hunting programs provide hunters with an incredible amount of real estate to pursue the Midwest’s most prized game bird. If you plan on hunting public land pheasants this year and want to keep your frustration down to a minimum, try hunting good pheasant cover, using hunter pressure to your advantage, taking notes, and being stealthy.

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My earliest memory of hunting features a cool fall breeze skating across a remote forest lake. The wind swirled in the canopy, and yellow oak leaves drifted in the wind like a thousand deflated balloons. One landed at my feet as I paddled in a beat-up fiberglass canoe with my dad. He let me skip school that morning, and I remember the paddling keeping me awake. The stars glimmered, and the silhouettes of Atlantic white cedars reached up to them like giant black mountains. A great horned owl echoed from some distant perch, and a beaver slapped its tail against the water right off the bow of our canoe. The noise broke the forest’s serenity, sending my body and our boat into a full-blown reactive jolt. 

By sunrise, I figured out what that whole morning was all about. Whistling wings ripped through the trees, and primordial squeals rang across the water. This trip was no predawn nature tour. The birds flew high against the pink morning sky, and a few broke off over our decoys. As I could make out their brilliant shades of green, blue, white, and chestnut, my dad rang off a few shots. 

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My Wirehaired Pointing Griffon worked the cover 50 yards ahead of me, his bell sounding gently in the warm, opening day of the ruffed grouse season in New Hampshire. We had hiked a mile and a half to get to a section of early successional growth that we had mapped out months before this moment of enjoyment squeezed between meetings on a busy Thursday schedule. 

My peaceful wait for the silence of his bell was shattered by the sudden eruption of yelping. I sprinted forward through the thick grouse habitat to get to him, my first thought being that he may be caught in a trap, and he could hurt his leg trying to get free. To my greater frustration, my path was intercepted, face to face, by a porcupine.

I would love to say this was the first encounter with those needle pigs but I should have added my dog's nickname is “porcospino.” It may be a curse of “versatile” gun dogs, but in his defense, he is usually steady on porcupines. Despite how prepared I felt myself to be for pulling those quills one by one from my dog's face and mouth, this day rocked my worldview.  

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Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

While the American woodcock can fly upwards of 30 mph through impossibly thick cover, they are also capable of some of the slowest flights recorded of a bird. Woodcock are an unusual bird to wingshoot; their erratic and unpredictable flight patterns have coined them the nickname mudbats. There will be moments where they seem to float to the canopy with their head turned, those big eyes looking back at you, almost convincing you to reach out and try to catch it with your hands. You may ask yourself, “How could I miss that shot?” 

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Millions of these birds are plated each year, so logic dictates some general culinary info might benefit us orange-clad diehards that chase this bird’s iconic luminous plumage.

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During a disheartened phase in my second hunting season, I wrote a list of the moving parts for upland hunting. It helped clarify what I was doing well while highlighting the specific areas I needed to work on. I could tell myself, “You were able to find birds. Woo! Now, you have to figure out how to shoot at them,” instead of being frustrated that I hadn’t taken a single shot all day. 

Once I identified a problem, I would implement a solution. In time, my list of moving upland hunting parts has become succinct. I reflect upon it after every hunt. It has four parts: finding birds, maneuvering in the field, shooting, and bird recovery. 

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“I don’t know what it is about the French Spaniel,” writes Koshyk, “but every time I try to capture that ‘special some-thing’ about the way they look and the way they move, I feel that I come up short.” It’s easy to see where Craig is coming from. His images depict gleaming, feathery-coated dogs with bright eyes, balanced features, and fluid movements. Although his photos are still, I can only imagine how visually pleasing this hard-working bird dog is when working in the field or bringing a bird to hand.

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I was instantly intrigued and, after breaking it open to be sure it wasn’t loaded, swung it on an imaginary covey rise of bobwhites. I was abruptly awakened from my dream by Paul the veteran gun salesman barking at me, “You’re too late, kid, your buddy Fritz already bought it.”

Fritz was the nickname of my colleague and friend who had, in fact, purchased it two hours prior to my arrival after it had been taken in on trade. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s bird gun. But covet it I did. More of that story later…

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At the time, I had yet to read the classic New England Grouse Shooting, written in my hometown by William Harden Foster. Foster made a clear indication to the increasing evasive nature of ruffed grouse and their responses to human pressures. He even credits this intelligence to the reason ruffed grouse survived the early market hunting days of New England while their cousins the Heath Hen fell victim, unable to adapt.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

Being from the northeast, wind storms can drive birds away from primary feeding areas towards more protected grounds such as conifers. Both woodcock and grouse rely heavily on conifers for their survival. On windy days, woodcock tend to tuck themselves under planted pines or protective thickets. They also are more inclined to run before taking flight, whereas grouse are quick to take flight, retreating to the security of the treetops at the first sign of trouble. Due to the dense covers we hunt, we depend on hearing wing beats to gain directionality on escaping birds. Wind can make this very difficult, particularly in the early season when the leaves are still clinging to their branches. 

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It was the mid-90s and my father had a few options when it came to choosing his first “double”. After many years, he would tell me that the Ruger Red Label stood out against all the others. It was the lustrous metal receiver that had grabbed his attention. Its simple, yet sleek design set the 12-gauge apart from the others in my father’s eyes.

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After 35 years of bird hunting, I have been fortunate enough to harvest nearly 90 percent of the readily huntable gamebird species in the lower 48 (please don’t @ me, Himalayan snowcock hunters). While each species is special, one bird in particular holds a special place in my heart, a bird I hold above all others: the greater prairie chicken. 

A lot of this comes from studying prairie chickens in the Kansas Flint Hills for my Masters degree. I also spent seven years trapping and translocating greater prairie chickens for my job as a wildlife biologist. But there’s more to it than that; the bird itself is something of an enigma. They are actively retreating from their original strongholds of Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa and making a stand in the far western fringe of their once vast range. In these fringes, they eschew trees and humans. It seems like they just want to be left alone.

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Read more at projectupland.com.

Honestly, bacon-wrapped wild game and dove poppers are overrated. Isn’t it high time we popularized tasteful ways of preparing dove?

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At the root of this new regulation is an attempt to manage the different values people have when it comes to wild birds. For some, training dogs on wild birds is a part of their business. For others, well-trained bird dogs mean bag limits and a snap for the ‘gram. For many, it’s about the experience of a place and sharing it with the birds, the dogs, and the people. Every one of these activities has a negative impact or some measurable form of take. But every bird hunter and dog handler is left to decide how to moderate their impact and live within their private code of ethics. As we enter the most glorious time of year, I hope you also dwell on your code of ethics.

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North America’s sea of grass once covered an area from Illinois to Wyoming and Canada to Texas, touching or encompassing around seventeen states. This “Great Plains” grassland ecosystem is most simply divided into three ecotones: tallgrass, mixed grass, and shortgrass. Within these ecotones there are many ecosites, such as the Sandhills of Nebraska or the Flint Hills of Kansas. These ecosites occur on gradients of longitude, precipitation, and soil.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

But that doesn’t mean we’re immune to fashion-like whims.

Like any group, we have things that are in (Gunner Kennels), things that are out (beeper collars), and things that were out but are now kind of in (smoking a pipe—I guess). We have hip gadgets (Garmin fēnix watches), trendy dogs (Wirehaired Pointing Griffons), and fads (34-inch barrels). For several decades now, the over-under has been the double-barrel for us to carry. In fact, O/Us are so popular that until about a decade ago, new, affordable side-by-sides ceased to be sold in the United States. Today, a few are around; but compared to over-unders, the total numbers hardly matter. In the grouse woods, on skeet fields, and across sporting-clay courses, if you’re shooting a double, you’re shooting an O/U. As one gunmaker told me  in 2019, “the side-by-side is dead.”

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Here are three dove hunting hacks that can be utilized in the early season when doves are naïve and easier to shoot, as well as for hunters who venture out in the late season when doves are skittish.

New to dove hunting? Read: A Complete Guide to Dove Hunting

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Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Leaning back on our elbows, the four of us pondered the assignment. It was a cold, gusty November afternoon on the South Dakota prairie, but we had found a perfect resting spot on a leeward slope dotted with junipers. The sun warmed our spirits as we gazed across the expanse and reflected on the day. A lake sparkled under the sunshine in the distance, and thousands of sandhill cranes cackled overhead, punctuating the sky with checkmarks of migrating flocks from one horizon to the other.

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I may say this even stronger as a bird dog owner who has had a few bad experiences which I credit to my lack of communication rather than the error of the mentee. These things exist for two main reasons: first and foremost, for the dog’s safety; and second, so that you the hunter actually get invited back.

Here are eight essential rules to follow unless the owner tells you otherwise.

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For Domenick Muoio and his Standard Poodle, this pressure isn’t overwhelming; on the contrary, he enjoys the chance to show what Poodles can accomplish in the field.

“I don’t think that others really expect the level of performance that she has, so they tend to be pleasantly surprised. I get a lot of really positive comments about her, especially from judges who may have seen one or two Poodles in the past and were a little underwhelmed.”

Read more at projectupland.com.

Looking these items over it brings to mind how we often tailor our gear to the game we intend to pursue. We were thinking of heading out west to chase sharp-tailed grouse but, never having hunted the species before, I wondered if there was a difference in shotgun gauge, shot size, or choke when out in the prairie chasing sharpies versus the ruffed grouse of the aspen forest. A chance encounter provided the opportunity to pick the brain of long-time sharp-tailed grouse hunter: Tyler Webster. The North Dakota native and host of the Birds, Booze, and Buds podcast has been chasing feathers since he was eight years old and has learned a lot during his time in the uplands.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Jokes aside, ruffed grouse stand as one of the most challenging birds to hit on the wing. I credit this more to do with their habitat than anything else. Ruffed grouse reside in dense foliage, shrubs, young trees, and conifers near water in many forms, whether a river, stream, pond, or bog. 

George Bird Evans said in The Upland Shooting Life, “I know of no bird shooting that offers so few hits for shells fired and, other than turkey hunting, so few chances to shoot as does grouse shooting, unless you indulge in idiot shots.” 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

The Administration is being pressured by both sides of the political spectrum regarding whether or not it’ll reframe its interpretation of the amendment. If the Administration doesn’t make any changes, states may push for a legislative correction via Congress.

Now is a good time to contact your state senators and representatives to let them know how you feel, as a citizen of their state and of this country, about the Administration’s interpretation of the BSCA language.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Inland and coastal Texas hunters first shot ducks over oxen during the late 1800s. The practice originated when farmers and ranchers, who saw their livestock walk to within a few feet of resting birds, began to train steers specifically for the hunt. The idea was simple enough; train the animal so hunters could walk alongside it while the owner controlled it with a halter and stick. As the ox approached resting waterfowl, it allowed one or more hunters to rest their large bore fowling pieces across its back to take the shot. A well-trained animal never stopped grazing. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

So many different breeds of dogs are used to achieve success in the field, including Dachshunds, terriers, sighthounds, and bird dogs. After creeping on falconry social media accounts, I took a few trips to the desert to watch falconers fly their birds over Vizslas, setters, terriers, and Brittanys on quail. That was that; I was hooked on falconry. Hunting upland game with a bird of prey over my dog was written in the stars of my future.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Contrary to popular belief, the term “bird hunter” is similar to “big game hunter.” Like someone saying, “I am a deer hunter,” or “I am a bear hunter,” people often identify by the species they hunt. For example, folks will be more specific and state, “I am a grouse hunter” or “I am a chukar hunter.” Each upland bird species has its own complex behavior, habitat, and even hunting methodologies. Be wary of “Upland Hunting 101” articles when searching for information for this exact reason. 

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Here’s my professional opinion regarding when to spay or neuter your dog.

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For the most part, the 16-gauge probably garnered its popularity in the United States by pellet counts. Classic American manufacturers like Parker Bros, A.H. Fox, L.C. Smith, and others helped the gauge gain familiarity and popularity. The gauge peaked in American culture in the 1940s and 1950s when almost a quarter of all shotguns sold were 16-gauges. The 12-gauge accounted for just over 50 percent of shotguns sold at that time, according to author Layne Simpson of Shotguns & Shotgunning.

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When I first read those lines I almost said aloud, “What the heck is a double-nosed Spanish pointer?” I’d heard about Spanish pointers; they were said to be the granddaddy of the modern (English) pointer. But “double-nosed”? What was that? A nose that did double duty, air scenting and tracking? Or did double-nosed describe a physical feature? Searching the literature, I eventually found out. Freeman Lloyd, a noted American journalist, wrote in an issue of the AKC’s Gazette magazine published in the 1930s that some dogs had noses “like the double barrels of a shotgun.”

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Just like a high schooler entering the real world, an accomplished dog in its testing doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be an accomplished dog on wild game. In fact, I can almost guarantee that there will be an adjustment period. Until the dog bridges the gap from training birds to wild ones, they’ll flounder. This begs the question: why do dogs sometimes struggle to make this transition? Also, what is our part as handlers in helping our dog make the transition? Here’s my reasoning behind why many dogs struggle finding and pointing birds during hunting season and some suggestions to help them transition.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

First, I’ve found that I can introduce others to snipe hunting with the lure of a decoy hunt. A shoot from a comfortable blind with only a short walk is infinitely more appealing than a trudge through black gumbo mud with shots at twisting, rising-then-falling birds that often exit tens of yards from reasonable gun range. 

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Today, used Remington Model 10 shotguns can range from roughly $300 dollars to just over $1000 depending on the quality and condition. Below is part of an article entitled Bottom-Ejecting Shotguns, by Willis O. C. Ellis in the Firearms & Ammunitions section of National Sportsman, October 1924. National Sportsman Magazine was a Boston-based publication edited by iconic upland and author William Harnden Foster.

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All retrievers derive from this working fisherman’s dog. Much of the speculation in discussions of retriever origin is really about how this working dog developed, and Labrador Retriever historians have very clearly posited their dog as a derivative of the St. John’s Water Dog. Golden Retrievers and Flat-coated Retrievers, which were similarly derived from the St. John’s breed, are not as well-defined as being from the same stock. But they clearly were, and they were bred by people with the same socioeconomic status as those who created the Labrador.

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Learning what your dog is telling you is part of what makes hunting with a dog so magical. A pointing dog’s body language communicates a ton while standing stock still.  Different breeds and individual dogs will have their own style of communication. It is also dependent on the age of the pup and its training. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

A vast majority of regional bobwhite populations turn over annually. In some cases, annual turnover reaches up to 80 percent of the birds. Bobwhites and, therefore, bobwhite hunters depend on annual reproduction success to maintain and expand populations and hunting opportunities. 

That said, what are the factors that drive bobwhite chick survival, and what can landowners do to give the little guys a boost in life?

Read more at projectupland.com.

Here are some of the basics to ensure these elite athletes have a good hunt and many seasons to come. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

My dog gets extra exercise and high-quality life experiences when she tags along on my outdoor adventures. Bringing Rosie camping with me also adds peace of mind. Her shepherd-like qualities mean she checks in with me regularly, stays close to me on the trail and in the woods, and cues me into noises, smells, and sounds my human senses can’t detect. 

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Dr. Beuchat’s post, “Celebrating the Preservation Breeders!” was a sort of good-news progress report on several breeding projects designed to save vulnerable breeds of dogs. Along with the report, the Institute for Canine Biology offers articles and even online courses to help breeders and breed clubs improve the odds of their breeds’ survival.

Reading those articles got me thinking about all the breeds of hunting dogs that are no longer with us today, and the reasons why they went the way of the Dodo bird.

Read more at projectupland.com.

“Magyar” means Hungarian. There are several theories regarding the origin of the word “Vizsla”. Some authorities claim the word is of Turkish origin meant “to seek”. Others suggest that it was the name of a village on the Danube. Whatever its origin, today Vizsla means “pointing dog” in the same way the word “braque” does in French.

Pronouncing: Mag yar VEEZH-luk (“Zh” and in “vision”)

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I arrived at this important decision with no practical experience, armed only with preconceived notions and some cursory internet research. Common wisdom said that pointing dogs gave plenty of advance warning before the bird appeared, giving the hunter time to compose herself, establish footing, shoulder the gun, and click off the safety. I imagined that hunting behind a buzzing little spaniel was nothing but chaos, with birds launching out of bushes like popcorn, dog hot on their tails, and taking the hunter completely by surprise. Feeling a little overwhelmed about the whole process already, a pointing dog seemed to be the less chaotic way to go.

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H.W. Cooey Machine & Arms was founded in 1903 as Cooey Machine & Gear by inventor Hebert William Cooey. Cooey Firearms may not be known for high-quality finishings, elaborate engravings, or prestige like Purdy, Holland & Holland, or Beretta, but they are simple, reliable, and affordable. This reputation made them a household name in Canada. Cooey produced over 12,000,000 firearms during the 20th century. An advertisement for the Cooey Canuck, which appeared in an early edition of Rod & Gun Canada, perhaps best described a Cooey rifle as “The ideal Christmas present for the red-blooded boy, whether he lives in the city, the town or the country.” If you were a kid growing up in Canada between the 1930s and 1980s, chances are you grew up shooting a Cooey rifle.

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There’s some truth to all that, but just a little. Our dogs’ genes and breeding may reach back a few centuries, and a working and companionate relationship between Canis familiaris and Homo sapiens stretches back many millennia. And while the ways dogs learn and communicate with each other and with us is somewhat constant, our training methods have almost always been in a state of flux—the bends in the river of progress prompted by technological developments, changing cultural attitudes, continually emerging needs, techniques and tools, and careful observation.

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Turkey feathers, just like many upland birds, are quite versatile in the world of fly tying. Plucking a couple of handfuls of select feathers from your bird is enough to tie several seasons’ worth of flies. With a little insight into which feathers to save and use, you can create an array of fly patterns that will be cherished every time you open your fly box. 

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Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) are one of North America’s great conservation successes. This enormous bird species was extirpated from many states within its home range almost a century ago. Today, they can be found across the entire North American continent and into Siberia. Amazingly, in 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated their population to be 945,996 cranes. They’re the most abundant crane species in the world. Between 1966 and 2019, their populations have been increasing about four percent annually, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Additionally, Partners in Flight estimates there are 560,000 breeding birds.

Read more at projectupland.com.

We had bagged a few birds and were almost back to the pickup. With our attention on recounting the morning’s shots, the dogs roamed a little more freely. I was laughing at a joke being told when I caught one of the dogs crossing the property line out of the corner of my eye. I suddenly heard a hair-raising yelp. Everyone ran over to the sound and breathed a sigh of relief. It was Gunner, with his front paw in a foothold trap, as Jack pranced around him confused. What sounded like a sure emergency was just a brief interruption to the hike back. While I released his foot and sent him along unscathed, I thought to myself how this would have been a successful coyote set before we messed it up for the trapper.

Upland hunting and fur-harvesting have always had one major thing in common: habitat. It only makes sense that a trapper in search of these predators would have traps in areas of great bird cover.

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The posters want to get a bird dog pup but they’ve heard they can be a handful; they wonder if they’ll be able to manage the infamous exercise needs of a working dog. Or questions come from new bird dog puppy owners at their wits’ end, frustrated that their dog seems out of control and they’re on the brink of considering rehoming it. Advice rolls in and some of it is good, some bad, and some terrible. I usually try to weigh in, having been in their shoes years ago when we were first researching Brittanys and then later when we were desperately trying to give our bottle-rocket of a bird dog pup enough energy outlets so he wouldn’t find trouble on his own. 

For the welfare of any pup, a prospective bird dog owner needs to know exactly what they are getting into, and understand the decade- or two-long commitment they’ll need to meet the dog’s energy needs. Some pets are an accessory to life and make few demands of their people. Yet, particularly where their energy needs are concerned, bird dogs are not an accessory but rather a lifestyle. 

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Hopefully, if you’re an upland hunter, you already know how to identify a game bird to species. Given that hunting regulations are almost always species-specific, it’s our responsibility to know what’s flushing in front of us before pulling the trigger, especially when multiple species can look incredibly similar. Wilson’s snipe come to mind as an example because they share their favorite habitats with federally protected shorebird species. Luckily, when hunting American woodcock, you probably won’t run into any lookalikes; I can’t imagine anyone’s ever mistaken a ruffed grouse for a woodcock.

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The NAVHDA Natural Ability test requires a young puppy to swim twice to show its affinity for water. It quickly became apparent this would be a challenge for this pair. The water’s edge was thick with black mud and decaying leaves, and it gradually got deeper. 

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This peak date has become so pervasive in the quail world that it is dogma. This date is accepted at face value, dictating timing of summertime habitat management and even state and Federal agency policy. But is this “fact” of quail biology true? And, if not, have quail managers been operating on a paradigm that might have been detrimental to bobwhite management for over three decades? 

Let’s look at where the June 15^th peak originated and what new science is telling us about the bobwhite hatch. The lessons learned should have major implications to how we think about bobwhite breeding ecology and bobwhite management in the future.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

While I still know alleged wild game chefs that do this and proclaim it works based on XYZ, I think they’re spitting on my cupcake and telling me it’s frosting. The truth is that wild turkey meat can taste incredible if you know how to butcher and cook it correctly. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

What had started as another great chukar season for us turned quickly when our favorite spots got blanketed in an unusual amount of snow and, worse, a thick crust of ice. My friend had called to let us know that our plans to get together didn’t seem like such a great idea anymore.

Another friend and veteran bird hunter made similar comments.

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Most of the great bird dog trainers/handlers I knew grew up with a pack of hounds. I’ll name four: Clyde Morton, Paul Walker, Er Shelley, Bob Armstrong. They learned most about scent from running foxhounds. One of these, Er Shelley, even took a pack of hounds to track game when he traveled to Africa.

Imagine that the concentration of scent effluvium is weaker at the outside of the cone (which is in actuality three dimensional like a funnel). Of course, the cone or funnel is extremely unstable, subject to breezes, dust-infusions, temperatures, and barometric pressure. Thus, while essentially narrow where it is laid down, and broadening out, it floats, billows and shrinks and wafts around without any pattern but its very own.

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Negative opinions regarding hunter recruitment are a symptom of a larger issue: state wildlife agencies are underfunded. Nearly everything about how states fund wildlife management is complicated, including how states collect funds. One of these ways is through hunting license sales. This is why states care about increasing the number of licenses sold. In its simplest, most watered-down form, this is why states are investing time, energy, and money into hunter recruitment.

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The influence and early involvement of women in the sport is indisputable. Wives of early professional trainers made the long, arduous journey to the Canadian prairies to spend their summers in makeshift training camps, feeding and caring for their husbands, families, and the help that accompanied them north. Wives and daughters of wealthy patrons and field trial club directors became enthusiastically involved as owners of dogs as well as in the administration and running of field trials.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

What we were ignorant of then was the possibility and danger of internal fungal infections.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

I covered how to pluck your birds in an earlier piece. This article will help you avoid and fix mistakes when plucking and cleaning. Mistakes or mishaps simply happen, but how can we correct them and salvage as much skin as possible?

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“Whoa” is a critical command nearly every pointing dog and sled dog owner uses. In both worlds, it simply means “halt.” This term encourages or demands steadiness on birds in the upland scene. However, regarding sled dogs, this command is paired with heavy pressure on the foot brake while setting the snow hook.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Some may be offended when they hear the various names for the unusual species that is the American Woodcock. Author George Bird Evans was quick to condemn the act in a way that has been referenced many times since its mention in The Upland Shooting Life. But the very evolution of this bird, unlike any of its counterparts, lends itself to this creative naming. 

The nicknaming of woodcock is far older than modern wingshooting. The biological history of the American woodcock is believed to date back as far as 1,000,000 years, surviving at least two ice ages. The oldest fossil record was found in Marian County, Florida, and carbon dated to the Pleistocene period (William G. Sheldon, 1971). We know they served as a food source for Indigenous people, were trapped and hunted by colonists in the 1600s onward, and, eventually, became a wingshooters’ favorite bird by the end of the 19^th century. Along that road, people gave many names to what we now call the America Woodcock or Scolopax minor. The Latin name was changed from Philohela minor in the latest version of the American Ornithologists' Union 5th Edition in 1957. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

The sincere words of appreciation caught me by surprise for two reasons. First, I was recognized as a visitor—I’m not used to small towns and just how much outsiders stand out—and second, my presence was genuinely welcomed. 

We were at a craft beer festival in small-town Montana during the upland bird season. Having already completed our hunt for the day, we decided to check out the local brewery scene and support the event. As I looked around, I realized that the four of us stood out like sore thumbs with our out-of-state license plates and by not knowing any of the other attendees. But rather than a “you’re not from here, are ya?” glance, we were warmly welcomed at the event. Several people struck up a conversation with us and expressed their appreciation and surprise that we’d taken the time to stop by the festival and support the town.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Appreciating the complexity of hunting and identifying your own strengths and weaknesses are the foundation for setting goals that are attainable. It took me a full season to weigh my expectations against my experience to realize that with every hunt I was, in fact, getting better; even when the scoreboard remained at zero.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Hopefully, strategic conservation support from the federal government along with private landowner partnerships will ensure the restoration of this iconic grassland species.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Read more at projectupland.com.

Parvo is widespread throughout the world and most dogs will be exposed to it at some point (if not several times) in their life. I’m not joking when I say that some dogs will see this virus daily, especially if you’re a frequent dog park visitor. Different variants exist, but the most common variant circulating in North America remains canine parvovirus-2c (CPV-2c).  

Read more at projectupland.com.

I can recall my first experience observing American Woodcocks. I was an undergrad studying wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison enrolled in a field ornithology course. My class took a morning birding trip out to the local arboretum and it just so happened to coincide with the woodcock’s breeding season.

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William Harnden Foster, the father of modern ruffed grouse hunting, wrote:

“There are champions eager to rise and contest this claim in behalf of Bob White, princely little bird of the rag-weed and sedge. None will discount the thrill of the covey rise, his speed of wing, nor yet his charm for the bird dog. There are those who say that the sweetest chords of music are but hollow sounds compared to the magical whistle of the woodcock, that round, long-billed, squat-bodied bird of mystery and the dark soil under the alders. Then, too, a newer generation of upland gunners has adopted with enthusiasm the Ring-necked Pheasant, the gaudy immigrant, leggy, raucous, a handy bird for field trials and excellent either roasted or fried. But after all has been said and done, when it comes to native wariness, individual daring and resourcefulness, power, cunning and all those things that place one creature above another, physically and mentally, then we must turn to our native pa’tridge, I should say our native grouse, is known to those who have seen him at his best. He is the king of American game birds and so those who have hunted them all will attest.”

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Normally, I have a whole slew of locations and species to choose from. It was a new experience for me to not know where to go. It felt like starting back at the beginning. Having a season with so many cards stacked against me, I strategized new ways of finding birds.

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When I picked up my first Deutsch Kurzhaar (DK) pup, I was greeted with a long list of required breed tests. I found myself swimming in alphabet soup in short order. I remember being told I had to run my DK in a young dog test called the Derby. When I asked how the testing system worked, the answer was a series of acronyms that ended up sounding like the teacher in Peanuts: “Wha, wha, whawa, wha.” With an overwhelming blank stare and a grin, I knew I had work to do. 

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But lead ammunition is still legal to use for upland bird hunting, including some spots in Wisconsin. As a result, lead continues to accumulate in places where upland hunters pursue birds. The American woodcock has flown under the radar in this regard. However, one team of researchers in Wisconsin noticed that woodcock accumulate high levels of lead in their bodies.

Read more at projectupland.com.