On The Wing Podcast

Host Bob St.Pierre chats bird dogs with Kali Parmley, the editor of Gun Dog Magazine and owner of both a Labrador retriever and an English setter. Kali talks about the decision to start with a Lab, then her move to a pointing breed for her second bird dog. Episode Highlights: • Kali and Bob stumble upon the fact they both used llamas last season to get deeper into the backcountry to hunt birds. • Kali also shares a terrific story of her young setter’s unexpectedly magnificent chukar retrieve down the side of a mountain last season. This bird dog-oriented episode helps us kick off PF & QF’s annual Bird Dogs for Habitat campaign. Do you have a favorite breed of bird dog and love high quality habitat? Join us by becoming a member or making a donation at www.BirdDogsforHabitat.org – THANKS!

Host Bob St.Pierre talks with Dr. Susan Felege, an associate professor at the University of North Dakota, the newest member of PF & QF’s National Board of Directors, and a hardcore waterfowl & upland bird hunter. Dr. Felege shares her story growing up as an avid bird hunter in Pennsylvania and knowing at an early age that she was going to grow up to be a wildlife biologist. Episode Highlights: • Dr. Felege also talks about her PhD research while at the University of Georgia in which she spent five years studying bobwhite quail, predator, and habitat relationships at Tall Timbers Research Station. • The conversation then moves to North Dakota where Dr. Felege and her students are working in partnership with North Dakota Game and Fish Department to study the state’s greater prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse. It seems each prairie grouse species is responding differently to changing grassland habitat in the eastern portion of the state and the two species are even crossbreeding to create odd sharpie/chicken hybrids. • Bob also asks Dr. Felege for insight into the emerging concerns around avian influenza. • The conversation wraps with Dr. Felege’s perspective of her new role on PF & QF’s National Board and the unique talents she brings to the group.

Last summer, Pheasants Forever Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist Emily Spolyar joined Host Bob St.Pierre for a terrific On the Wing podcast conversation with Jennifer Riley about being a new bird hunter in Alaska. That episode served as the catalyst for Emily’s own bird hunting trip to Alaska this past March. In this episode, Emily recaps her experience that included Anchorage couple Jessie Janowski and Peter Wadsworth. Throughout the conversation, Jessie and Peter offer tips to the traveling bird hunter looking to create their own Alaskan adventure during a bird hunting season that starts in August and doesn’t end until March. Episode Highlights: • The conversation begins with Emily’s impressions of hunting for ptarmigan and grouse off skis and snowshoes for the first time. • Natives of Vermont and New York, Jessie and Peter talk about their decision to move to Alaska and how they became adult on-set hunters to procure their own meat rather than buying chickens shipped 2,000 miles to The Last Frontier. • Peter explains the couple’s backcountry skiing gear and how they prepare for bird hunts in rugged and dangerous terrain that includes avalanches, wolves, and grizzly bears. • The couple also extoll the virtues of being involved with the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association and how NAVHDA has helped accelerate their dog training and bird hunting learning curve. Photo by Peter Wadsworth on Instagram @phwadsworth

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Dr. Adam Janke, an assistant professor and extension wildlife specialist at Iowa State University, to talk about pheasant and quail research helping determine “where birds live on farms.” PF & QF’s Director of Government Affairs Jim Inglis is also part of the conversation to explain how he uses Adam’s scientific research in Washington, D.C. to create and improve agricultural policy for wildlife and natural resources. Episode Highlights: • The guys start the conversation with Dr. Janke drawing an analogy from the “Moneyball” concept used in baseball to habitat quality and wildlife population health evaluation. • Dr. Janke recounts his undergraduate project while studying at Ohio State University in which he lived with bobwhite quail over the course of two winters to learn about the bird’s response to winter weather and habitat. • The group also talk about cover crops, using drones to capture & radio collar birds, and roadside surveying upland birds.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by MeatEater’s Ryan “Cal” Callaghan for an entertaining conversation that took place during National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2022 in Omaha. Known for his big game adventures on MeatEater, the host of Cal’s Week in Review dives deep into his love for Labrador retrievers, bird hunting, and wild upland places. Episode Highlights: • Throughout the episode, Cal marks his journey in the outdoors through the lives of four female yellow Labrador retrievers. • Cal also talks about the harrowing experience to save his new pup, Snort’s, life after a rattlesnake bite in the deep Idaho wilderness last September. Every bird dog owner who hunts “Snake Country” should listen and learn from this one. • The guys close the episode with thoughts on the Grasslands Act and the panel Cal moderated during Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic devoted to the legislative #ActForGrasslands concept. This is the final installment of three episodes recorded live from the show floor at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Omaha. Be sure to check out our previous two episodes with Doug Duren and Christine Peterson.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Christine Peterson, president & board chair for the Outdoor Writer’s Association of America. A professional journalist, Peterson has written and reported for Outdoor Life, National Geographic and Outside magazines. She also served as a speaker on the Public Lands Stage at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2022 in Omaha. Episode Highlights: • Peterson shares her journey of becoming a hunter as an adult and the funny story of bagging her first rooster pheasant. • St.Pierre talks about his appreciation for Peterson’s Instagram account @she.will.roam, and Peterson explains her goal of portraying an outdoor lifestyle as the parent of a young child through the social media channel. Peterson also talks about her family’s excitement around the arrival of a new puppy to follow immediately after returning from Omaha. • Peterson was born and raised in Wyoming and talks about the state’s under-rated stature as a bird hunting destination along with the state’s controversial “Corner Crossing” public lands court case. This is the second installment of three episodes recorded live from the show floor at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Omaha. Look for next week’s episode with MeatEater’s Ryan “Cal” Callaghan.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by MeatEater’s Doug Duren and PF biologist Matt Morlock for a conversation recorded at Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Omaha. Duren talks about his personal conservation ethic, “It’s not ours, it’s just our turn,” as well as his new endeavor linking private landowners with people willing to work on habitat improvements to gain public access known as “Sharing the Land.” Episode Highlights: • Known for hosting whitetail, turkey, and rabbit hunts on Meateater episodes, Duren explains his passion for “The Habitat Organization” and why he’s been a speaker on the Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic’s Habitat Stage the last five consecutive events. • Having appeared on plenty of podcasts with Steven Rinella and Joe Rogan, St.Pierre asks Duren what question those famous interviewers should have ask but didn’t. That leads to a conversation ranging from the Grateful Dead to Duren’s family connection to the character Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn from the famous baseball movie, Major League. • Morlock, PF’s state coordinator for both North Dakota and South Dakota, provides a late winter review of how each state’s pheasant populations are surviving dramatically different winter weather conditions. This is the first installment of three episodes recorded live from the show floor at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Omaha. Look for episodes with public lands advocate and journalist Christine Peterson and Meateater’s Ryan “Cal” Callaghan in the coming weeks.

Host Bob St.Pierre and PF & QF’s Hunting Heritage Program Manager Colby Kerber are joined by Dennis and Adam Brune, family members and owners of ALPS OutdoorZ, for a conversation about the organization’s Path to the Uplands stage at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic. The group also talks about ALPS OutdoorZ evolution as an outdoors retailer, conservation supporter, and PF & QF national partner. Episode Highlights: • The father & son duo of Dennis and Adam Brune discuss ALPS OutdoorZ’s philanthropic commitment to wildlife habitat conservation, as well as their passion for sharing the hunting lifestyle through their corporate philosophies. • Kerber previews the lineup of speakers on the Path to the Uplands stage covering the topics of hunting heritage, shooting sports, R3, and the organization’s Women on the Wing initiative. See the full Path to the Uplands stage lineup at https://bit.ly/35dauYG. National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic will take place in Omaha, Nebraska on March 11-13. Tickets are on sale at www.PheasantFest.org.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Hank Shaw, a chef, food writer, and outdoorsman who runs the wild foods website “Hunter Angler Gardener Cook.” Shaw is also the author of the cookbook, Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail and will be the keynote speaker at the Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic National Banquet on Saturday, March 12th in Omaha, Nebraska. Episode Highlights: • Shaw talks about becoming an adult-onset hunter and how his views on hunting, habitat, and wild foods have changed over time. It’s this journey through the stages of being a hunter that will serve as the foundation for his keynote address, which he has titled “Drumstick Diplomacy.” • Shaw also discloses work on his next book focused on the cuisine of Northern Mexico, which will include some quail hunting, fishing, and foraging. National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic tickets are on sale at www.PheasantFest.org

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF’s Cristin Weber, a precision agriculture & conservation specialist and farmer from South Dakota and Jeff Lakner, a South Dakota farmer and rancher. The group talks about the current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup going on right now and how CRP benefits a farm’s soil health and profitability, while also delivering wildlife habitat, water quality, and carbon benefits. Episode Highlights: • Cristin Weber explains how she puts CRP and other USDA conservation programs to work on her farm, while also assisting other South Dakota producers examine their operation’s input & yield data while exploring conservation options to make their farms more profitable. • Jeff Lackner discusses how CRP is a piece of his farm’s larger puzzle and how important leaving a farming, ranching, and conservation legacy is to him as his son and daughter-in-law join the operation. • Weber also talks about how quickly wildlife populations can respond to new CRP acres by retelling of an epic South Dakota pheasant flush on her property. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever biologists are available to talk over conservation options with landowners. Find a biologist close to you by visiting www.PheasantsForever.org/CRP

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF & QF National Board Chair Matt Kucharski and Western Regional Director Al Eiden for a recap of the first day’s hunt in Mearns’ quail country. The hunting party broke into two different groups and found themselves following opposite hunting strategies in search of birds. NOTE: This episode was recorded LIVE from quail camp around a campfire. Episode Highlights: • Eiden talks about the economic and cultural importance of quail hunting to the communities of Sonoita, Patagonia, and Nogales, Arizona. • Kucharski leads the conversation of the day’s quail hunt and recaps his pup’s enthusiasm for hunting an unfamiliar landscape in search of a new species of upland bird. Special thanks to Arizona Backcountry Llamas for making this hunt possible. And thanks to ALPS OutdoorZ and Thorogood Boots for sponsoring this content. Be sure to listen to episode 1 of this two-part backcountry quail hunting and camping trip

After a 26-hour drive from Minnesota to southern Arizona, Host Bob St.Pierre and PF & QF Chairman of the National Board Matt Kucharski are joined around the campfire by veteran quail hunting buddy Wade Zarlingo for a Mearns’ quail hunt. As a means of getting deeper into the backcountry, Chris Dunn, the owner of Arizona Backcountry Llamas, has brought five llamas to the adventure to haul in camping gear, food, and water for the crew’s three-day hunt. NOTE: This episode was recorded LIVE from quail camp around a campfire. Episode Highlights: • St.Pierre and Kucharski start the conversation talking about their previous Mearns’ hunt in Arizona, and why they felt compelled to drive (rather than fly) all the way from Minnesota. HINT: They wanted to hunt over their own bird dogs! • Zarlingo and Dunn explain how they both got started raising llamas and explain the advantages of using llamas on hunting and camping trips. Special thanks to Arizona Backcountry Llamas for making this hunt possible. Thanks to ALPS OutdoorZ and Thorogood Boots for sponsoring this content.

As part of our ongoing Path to the Uplands content series, host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Chad Love, Quail Forever Journal editor; Marissa Jensen, our organization’s Women on the Wing and Path to the Uplands leader; and Andy Edwards, Quail Forever’s Quail Program Manager to discuss and debate late season quail hunting tips. Episode Highlights: • Referencing his new Path to the Uplands article titled “The Path to Late Season Quail Hunting Success,” Chad Love leads the conversation by outlining the food and cover attributes he’s looking for when chasing a variety of late-season quail species. • The group also banters about tactics for locating birds that have been pressured all season and the challenges in picking out a single bird on the covey rise. Thanks to our Path to the Uplands sponsors SoundGear, Federal Ammunition, SportDOG BRAND, and ALPS OutdoorZ.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever biologists Kent Adams, Jim Inglis, Cody Grasser, and Ben Beaman for a conversation focused on the connection between the organization’s wildlife habitat mission and clean water. Episode Highlights: • Adams starts the episode explaining how the organization’s wildlife habitat efforts improve water quality in streams, rivers, lakes, and even oceans. Ultimately, Adams explains, it’s the organization’s ability to deliver water quality benefits that has made our wildlife habitat efforts relevant across the eastern United States. • Inglis, a PF employee for more than two decades, explains how Pheasants Forever chapters in Ohio linked the organization’s wildlife habitat efforts to improved water quality in Lake Erie benefiting the walleye fishery during the late 1990s. • Grasser talks about the brand new 415-acre Mallett project in Ohio that will now be providing critical habitat for wildlife, water quality benefits to the public, and access to hunters. • St.Pierre and Beaman have fun reigniting their Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula jabs as fellow Michiganders.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Quail Forever’s Dr. Jess McGuire and Andy Edwards for a discussion with Dr. James Martin, a hardcore quail hunter, bird dog owner, and associate professor at University of Georgia. During the conversation, Dr. Martin breaks down four bobwhite quail research projects he’s currently working on, while dropping a few quail hunting gems he’s learned from his studies over the years. Episode Highlights: • Dr. Martin and his students are studying how many bobwhites can be shot in one area and still maintain a sustainable wild population. The group also chat about whether or not season length and bag limits influence the long-term health of a wild population. • The group takes on the ultimate quail “moneyball” question: Is there a magic acre number or a key percentage of habitat for a wild, sustainable population of bobwhite quail? • Dr. Martin also talks about studying the behavior of bobwhites in response to hunting. As part of this project, researchers are investigating what non-productive points mean relative to a bird’s location. Some fun bird dog breed jabs ensue among the crew.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Tom “Carp” Carpenter, Pheasants Forever Journal editor, and Marissa Jensen, our organization’s Women on the Wing and Path to the Uplands leader, to offer tips for FINDING and HUNTING late season roosters. Episode Highlights: • The crew’s conversation riffs off Carp’s recent blog, “The Path to Late Season Pheasant Hunting Success” starting with tips first focused on where to FIND late season birds that have survived the hunting pressure over the last few months. • The discussion then transitions to both the mindset and mechanics for HUNTING late season roosters, including Carp and Marissa sharing stories about working cover and finding tight-holding birds on the second pass. Thanks to our Path to the Uplands sponsors SoundGear, Federal Ammunition, SportDOG BRAND, and ALPS OutdoorZ.

While gamebird research isn’t a part of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s mission statement, the organization often collaborates with research scientists from the most acclaimed universities in the country to inform the organization’s habitat creation and restoration efforts. In this episode, Bob St.Pierre is joined by Mississippi State University’s Dr. Mark McConnell as well as Quail Forever’s Dr. Jess McGuire and Andy Edwards, for a discussion focused on five different research projects Dr. McConnell and his students are currently working on related to bobwhite quail, habitat management, and precision agriculture. Episode Highlights: • Dr. McConnell talks about his love of quail hunting and how that passion for hunting influences his research science. He also talks about hunting with his standard poodle and coins the phrase “it’s cool to like quail again.” • Through Dr. McConnell’s “Scale of Effect” project, he explains that the research is attempting to understand how habitat management on public WMAs in Mississippi influences bobwhite populations on those public lands. As importantly, he’s also trying to gauge how that management influences bobwhite populations beyond the boundaries into the surrounding private property. • Singing from the same scripture as every other quail biologist we’ve ever had on our podcast, Dr. McConnell speaks passionately about the critical importance of prescribed fire to bobwhite quail habitat management for population health and growth. • The crew also talk about the theory that vocal bobwhites are the ones that get eaten by predators first in a population. Do silent bobwhites live longer or is that mythology?

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever’s Michigan State Coordinator Ben Beaman for a conversation about hunting pheasants, ruffed grouse, and woodcock in the duo’s home state. The guys also discuss Michigan’s Adopt-a-Game-Area Program and the importance of intensive habitat management in preventing grasslands from becoming woodlands void of pheasants, especially in states east of the Mississippi River. Episode Highlights: • Beaman starts the conversation talking about his college years in Wyoming which leads to an interesting tangential discussion asserting that Wyoming may be one of the most underappreciated destinations for upland and waterfowl hunters. • St.Pierre also explains why he is a “Yooper” and Beaman is a “troll” in Michigan parlance. • The discussion also covers the “Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative” and how it produced the Adopt-a-Game-Area program. Likewise, Beaman explains the different types of habitat work occurring on these public areas, their importance for the state’s wild pheasant populations, and how people can help.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Jonathon Tremblay from Walton’s Inc. to talk about caring for game bird meat from the moment it leaves your bird dog’s mouth to the time it hits your plate as a delicious meal. Tremblay also discusses Walton’s deep connections to hunting and conservation as a company, and how the pandemic changed the way Americans approach meat. Episode Highlights: • Jonathon talks about the two seasonings Walton’s developed specifically for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever: Roasted Ringneck Rub and Bold Barbecue Quail. • Bob reminisces about the comical old days of freezing birds in a block of ice, which resulted in a full freezer early into the hunting season. Check out Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s “A Bird in the Bag” video series with Walton’s Inc. • Crispy Half-Roasted Pheasant • Quail Meatballs

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF’s Andrew Vavra, Logan Hinners, and Aaron Black-Schmidt for a lively discussion answering questions submitted by the organization’s social media followers about this year’s Rooster Road Trip. And for the first time in our podcast’s history, watch the conversation on our YouTube channel. (LINK) Episode Highlights: • The crew tackle questions about bird dogs, public lands etiquette, hunting forecasts, upland gear, and road tripping soundtracks. • Watch, listen, and read all about this year’s Rooster Road Trip through North Dakota and South Dakota at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Maxus II shotgun and join/renew your Pheasants Forever membership featuring an attractive new field knife made by Browning. Thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2021 sponsors: • Browning • Thorogood • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • South Dakota Tourism • Apple Auto

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF’s Andrew Vavra, Ben Lardy, and Hunter Buth for the final leg of the 2021 Rooster Road Trip in South Dakota’s Glacial Lakes Region. The crew talks about finding birds around cattail edges in this beautiful landscape filled with lakes, hills, and public land habitat. Episode Highlights: • Buth, the newest and youngest member of the Pheasants Forever employee team, provides some interesting thoughts on viewing the uplands through the eyes of a hardcore waterfowler. • Lardy, the organization’s soil health & habitat specialist and one of the funniest employees on the Pheasants Forever team, talks about his love for the region and some fun local trivia involving vinegar and polka. • Check out the companion video that accompanies this podcast episode at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Maxus II shotgun and join/renew your Pheasants Forever membership featuring an attractive new field knife made by Browning. Thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2021 sponsors: • Browning • Thorogood • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • South Dakota Tourism • Apple Auto

The Rooster Road Trip crew moves to South Dakota where they ride a major weather swing from cold and rainy to beautiful and sunny as they hunt Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition walk-in lands and state-owned Game Production Areas. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF Director of Marketing Andrew Vavra and the organization’s new South Dakota Regional Representative Jake Hanson. Episode Highlights: • The crew talk about the innovative community-based conservation collaboration that started with the Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition and has now grown to Mitchell and Chamberlain. • Hanson talks about his personal journey as an adult-onset pheasant hunter to On the Wing Podcast listener to PF chapter volunteer to becoming a new PF employee. • Andrew provides the birdy play-by-play for all the hits, misses, and retrieves with a tailgate pheasant dinner to close out the episode. • Check out the companion video that accompanies this podcast episode at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Maxus II shotgun and join/renew your Pheasants Forever membership featuring an attractive new field knife made by Browning. Thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2021 sponsors: • Browning • Thorogood • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • South Dakota Tourism • Apple Auto

In this installment to the organization’s popular Rooster Road Trip adventure, Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever’s Andrew Vavra, Renee Tomala, and Emily Spolyar to recap the crew’s second pheasant-filled day in North Dakota. The team starts the day on a fresh PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) parcel with NDSU biologist and PF Chapter President Ben Geaumont leading the hunt. Episode Highlights: • Vavra provides the play-by-play of the crew’s hunt through another birdy PLOTS tract filled with kochia and wild flushing roosters all leading to a field edge monster flush. • Check out the companion video that accompanies this podcast episode at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Maxus II shotgun and join/renew your Pheasants Forever membership featuring an attractive new field knife made by Browning. Thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2021 sponsors: • Browning • Thorogood • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • South Dakota Tourism • Apple Auto

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever’s Andrew Vavra, Renee Tomala, and Emily Spolyar to recap the first day of the organization’s annual Rooster Road Trip. Recorded live from Emily Spolyar’s home on the prairie, which was once a North Dakota pheasant hunting lodge. The crew details a very birdy start to the 2021 Rooster Road Trip on the state’s publicly accessible lands. Episode Highlights: • Emily and Renee talk about relocating to North Dakota for their roles with Pheasants Forever, resulting in a deep appreciation for the state’s hunting, fishing, and outdoors opportunities. They also talk specifically about the state’s PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) program and how Emily identified the parcel filled with birds for the crew’s golden hour hunt. • Check out the companion video that accompanies this podcast episode at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Maxus II shotgun and join/renew your Pheasants Forever membership featuring an attractive new field knife made by Browning. Thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2021 sponsors: • Browning • Thorogood • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • South Dakota Tourism • Apple Auto

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever’s Andrew Vavra, Marissa Jensen, and Renee Tomala from the field. In fact, this episode was literally recorded live on a gravel road next to a North Dakota PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) parcel as the crew prepared to kick off the twelfth annual installment of the organization’s popular Rooster Road Trip. Episode Highlights: • As with all previous Rooster Road Trip events, the Pheasants Forever team of employees, biologists, and chapter leaders will only hunt public lands during the six-day trip through North Dakota and South Dakota. Along the way, the crew will highlight the organization’s efforts to improve habitat and public access. • Andrew Vavra, the organization’s director of marketing and Rooster Road Trip quarterback, talks about this year’s shift to an episode-oriented format. Watch this year’s preview video at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. • Check out the terrific Rooster Road Trip membership offer featuring a Browning field knife and enter to win a Browning Maxus II shotgun at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org Thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2021 sponsors: • Browning • Thorogood • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • South Dakota Tourism • Apple Auto

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Douglas Spale, a hardcore bird hunter and newest member of the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Board of Directors. The guys talk about Douglas’ Nebraska roots, his “Bird Dog in the City” blog series, and how our podcast episode with Erik Petersen changed his life’s trajectory. Episode Highlights: • The guys kick off the conversation with Spale’s impressions upon returning from his first ruffed grouse and woodcock hunt in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, a stark contrast to the Great Plains where Spale is accustomed to bird hunting. • Spale shares the poignant stories of his adoption, the important role hunting plays in his connection to family, and the tremendous bond formed with his first young Lab pup upon returning to the city following his father’s recovery from cancer. • Douglas also talks about the absence of Black role models in bird hunting throughout his childhood and how he’s hoping to help fill that niche with Erik Petersen’s son, Kasa.

Tom “Carp” Carpenter, editor of the Pheasants Forever Journal, joins host Bob St.Pierre to add color to his recent PF Journal story “Hunting With the Wind.” In the podcast, as in the printed story, Carp offers eleven tips for handling wind during a bird hunt. Episode Highlights: • Bob admits to historically not paying very close attention to wind conditions in favor of assessing habitat and following the dog, while Carp breaks down the error of Bob’s old ways. • Carp talks about his journaling habits and how that informs his hunting strategy during different times of the year and under different conditions. Thanks to SportDOG BRAND, a national sponsor of PF & QF’s habitat efforts, for sponsoring this episode of On the Wing podcast.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Reid Bryant, host of the Orvis Hunting and Shooting Podcast, and Chad Love, Quail Forever Journal’s editor, for a free-flowing conversation covering strong opinions about bird hunting influencers on Instagram and great bird hunting literature. Episode Highlights: • There is clear chemistry between Bryant and Love who share a mutual passion for literature featuring bird hunting themes and settings from icons the likes of Jim Fergus, Annie Proulx, Harry Middleton, Guy de la Valdene, Steve Bodio, Norman Maclean, David Guterson, and Rick Bass to name a few. • The guys also talk about the new collaboration between Orvis and Quail Forever centered around some fresh artwork from Jay Dowd (AKA @upland_lowlife on Instagram). You can purchase the limited-edition Orvis and Quail Forever collaborative Covey Call Tee featuring artwork from Jay Dowd here: https://www.orvis.com/orvis-and-quail-forever-covey-call-tee/3EAF.html

Tom Carpenter, editor of the Pheasants Forever Journal, joins host Bob St.Pierre to break down his recent article about identifying quality pheasant habitat by focusing on grass, grain, and winter cover. Episode Highlights: • Bob and Tom talk about the importance of grass and forb identification as part of a hunter’s ability to locate birds. They also spend some time discussing how grass density plays into recognizing a good place to bird hunt. • The guys also chat about finding pheasants, quail, and sharp-tailed grouse around different agricultural crops like corn, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, and sunflowers. Thanks to SportDOG BRAND and ALPS OutdoorZ for being partners in our Path to the Uplands content series. #PathToTheUplands

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Director of Government Affairs Jim Inglis for a conversation with Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s Chris Horton and Kent Keene. Chris and Kent explain how CSF works on three different government levels (federal, state, and gubernatorial) to advance habitat, hunting, and angling legislation across the country. Episode Highlights: The crew goes around the horn on a variety of legislative issues, including: o Right to hunt & fish amendments at the state level o Dedicated funding for natural resources at the state level o Funding for conservation through sports betting and lottery funds o The history and facts around the 30X30 concept AND why hunters & anglers should embrace this initiative o Plans for the 2023 federal Farm Bill o The guys even have some fun banter focused on an Oklahoma proposal to create a bigfoot hunting season.

Host Bob St.Pierre visits with David Nolt and filmmaker Erik Petersen about the production Long Way Home released by Pheasants Forever earlier this month. Long Way Home is a film about loss, second chances, identity, bird dogs and the power of hunting to connect people to places all through the eyes of Nolt and captured through Petersen’s camera. Episode Highlights: • Bob compares Long Way Home to Field of Dreams and shares his perspective on the parallels between “having a catch” and “going bird hunting” with one’s father. • Nolt puts into words how bird hunting opened up his ability to write the film, which ultimately served as a cathartic release during the grieving process following his father’s death. • Nolt also updates listeners on the furry star of the film, his veteran Lab, Leroy, and English Setter, Lucy. • But perhaps the most fascinating component of the discussion is Erik Petersen’s insight into the artistic process going into creating the film. From scripting to shot selection to editing, it’s a real treat to listen to the podcast right after watching the film and then hearing Erik’s artistic decision-making process. Thanks to Purina Pro Plan, Orvis, and South Dakota Tourism for bringing Long Way Home to our members and supporters. If you haven’t yet watched it, check it out at www.PheasantsForever.org/LongWayHome

This week, ten organizations have joined forces to unveil a vision for new grasslands conservation legislation modeled upon the successful North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Host Bob St.Pierre leads a discussion with the presidents & chief executive officers of three of those partner groups. Through this important conversation, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Howard Vincent, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ Land Tawney, and National Wildlife Federation’s Collin O’Mara demonstrate an obvious chemistry that has created a bond of friendship resulting in a powerful collaborative vision for grasslands conservation. Episode Highlights: • NWF’s O’Mara details the history behind the concept and provides an “inside the beltway” sneak peek for how the idea will move into actual legislation. • PF & QF’s Vincent explains how this voluntary private lands grasslands and sagebrush tool would complement the Farm Bill, CRP, and the conservation efforts of USDA by living at the Department of the Interior under the NAWCA model. • BHA’s Tawney extolls the virtues of polite persistence in his call upon hunters and anglers to take action in support of this important grasslands conservation concept. Learn more about the North American Grasslands Conservation Act at www.ActForGrasslands.org Partners include:  Pheasants Forever  Quail Forever  National Wildlife Federation  Backcountry Hunters & Anglers  The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership  North American Grouse Partnership  World Wildlife Fund  National Deer Association  Izaak Walton League of America  Land Trust Alliance  Wildlife Mississippi

Oklahoma State Professor Dwayne Elmore returns to the podcast with his better half Leslie Elmore, Quail Forever’s coordinating biologist for Oklahoma. Whistle along as the couple share their love for quail, habitat, cooking, and of course bird dogs with host Bob St. Pierre. Episode Highlights: • The pair share their path to the uplands and how they became Oklahoma’s leaders for quail research and habitat restoration. • Leslie shares her expertise on the connection between bats and quality quail habitat. • Dwayne and Leslie give Bob tips on the hot spots for the 2021 quail season based on habitat and monsoon seasons this year across the southwest.

Larisa Harding, Arizona Game & Fish Department’s small game program manager, and Jim Heffelfinger, Arizona Game & Fish Department’s wildlife science coordinator, join host Bob St.Pierre for a conversation about Arizona’s Gambel’s, scaled, and Mearns’ quail. Larisa and Jim tag-team a fascinating discussion about how each of these three quail species reproduce at different times and gravitate to different habitats, making this year’s wild weather conditions a boon for some and a bust for others. Episode Highlights: • Arizona has endured an extreme drought for more than a year, so the conversation starts with an overview of how drought in a desert impacts habitat and subsequently each quail species. • The late summer has brought a much-needed reprieve to the dry conditions. Larissa and Jim break down how that rain is going to help the three different species of Arizona quail, especially Mearns’. They also provide an early forecast for the quail hunting season ahead. • The group closes out the episode with an overview of habitat projects Quail Forever chapters are working on in Arizona to help improve conditions for each of the quail species.

Host Bob St.Pierre and Precision Agriculture & Conservation Specialist, Emily Spolyar, talk with new upland bird hunter Jennifer Reilly about chasing challenging species right out of the gates. Reilly started her upland journey in pursuit of chukar, progressed to mountain quail, and now lives in Alaska where she is figuring out ptarmigan. Episode Highlights: • The episode kicks off with Spolyar (@ecspolyar), who is based in North Dakota, providing an August pheasant report as the drought persists across the Dakotas. • Reilly (@nuclear.flower) explains becoming addicted to chukar hunting with her English setter, as well as why she’s drawn to the rugged mountain terrain over more wide-open fields of grass. • After a move from California to Alaska, Reilly tackles another new upland bird in the ptarmigan. Only this time she attempts wingshooting from snowshoes and cross-country skis.

August marks the annual roadside surveying of pheasants and quail by state natural resource agencies. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Iowa DNR’s Todd Bogenschutz, the state’s upland wildlife research biologist, and PF & QF’s Jared Wiklund, the organization’s public relations manager, for a conversation about the logistics and science of counting game birds along roadsides in late summer. Episode Highlights: • Bogenschutz talks about his New York roots and the South Dakota schooling that resulted in his role as Iowa’s upland bird biologist the last 27 years. He also discusses being a Pheasants Forever chapter volunteer in Boone County, Iowa. • Iowa’s statewide survey is conducted by Iowa DNR staff who drive 218, 30-mile routes on gravel roads at dawn on mornings with heavy dew. Pheasants and quail typically move their broods to the gravel roads to dry off during these dewy mornings, which makes them easier to count. Bogenschutz explains how he uses the data from these counts to steer the state’s habitat and management decisions for upland game birds. • The guys close out the conversation with a “state-of-the-state” for pheasants and quail in Iowa with Bogenschutz providing an overview of current habitat conditions, bird numbers, and public hunting access. It’s about time to start planning an upland adventure in the Hawkeye state!

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Mike Retterer, the organization’s National Rights of Way & Energy Coordinator, for a thought-provoking conversation about the organization’s efforts to create wildlife habitat along roads, railroads, solar fields, pipelines, and powerlines. While obviously not the pinnacle of opportunities to create habitat for upland game birds or hunters, these marginal acres serve multiple purposes in creating connectivity between habitat “hubs,” while also introducing the organization’s habitat tools to new audiences and in generating new partnerships for the organization to develop larger habitat opportunities. Episode Highlights: • Retterer starts with a fascinating story of his career journey from an aspiring Navy diver to a Texas hunting guide to a biologist for the Ohio DNR to his multiple roles with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. • In the purest business sense, Retterer is in a “new business development” role with the non-profit conservation organization. Not only is that position a surprise for some folks, but his success stories about where habitat is being created will certainly turn heads.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by television personality Travis Frank for a conversation previewing the new season of The Flush, airing on Outdoor Channel during the months of July through December. The conversation starts with a few entertaining stories of Travis’ new bird dog pup Daisy before diving into what to expect from the new season. Episode Highlights: • The guys talk about the increase in episodes this season that include a camping element to the hunt during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how that created a more enjoyable experience in many ways. • Bob and Travis also chat about Wyoming as an under-appreciated destination for the traveling bird hunter. Along those lines, Travis gives some insightful advice about hunting a brand-new state for upland birds. • Finally, the duo compare patterning fish as an angler with patterning wildlife as a hunter. The Flush 2021 AIR TIMES on Outdoor Channel Mondays @ 10:30am Wednesdays @ 6:30am Fridays @ 5:30pm Saturdays @ 8:30am (all times eastern)

David Gutierrez, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s new regional representative for the southwestern United States, spent 2005 through 2015 as a Green Beret in South America and Afghanistan. After returning to the United States from war, David struggled to find peace until he got a bird dog and started upland hunting. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Marissa Jensen, our Path to the Uplands content leader, for a thought-provoking conversation with David on finding solace in the outdoors. Episode Highlights: • David explains how he struggled after returning from his final Afghanistan deployment, and how he found peace in an Iowa deer stand while bow hunting. He also talks about his transition from deer stands to the uplands through the addition of his first bird dog, a Vizsla named Murphy. • This hard-charging veteran also explains why the mid-hunt break is his favorite component of any hunt. • Marissa leads a lightning round of questions for David about his favorite birds, hunts, and destinations. Read David’s blog, “Finding Solace in the Outdoors,” as part of this month’s Path to the Uplands content series presented by ALPS OutdoorZ

Hundreds of thousands of bird hunters travel to South Dakota and North Dakota each autumn to hunt roosters. With bird populations on the rise the last few years, coupled with a very mild winter in 2020, anticipation for the season ahead was skyrocketing . . . until a dry spring turned into a summer drought. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Rachel Bush, Pheasants Forever’s state coordinator for North Dakota, and Matt Morlock, PF’s state coordinator for South Dakota, to get an on-the-ground assessment of the drought hitting both states and its impact on pheasant nesting season. SPOILER ALERT: They are both optimistic for the hunting season to come! Episode Highlights: • Rachel and Matt, both biologists, provide some scientific perspective on a hen pheasant’s nesting and reproduction “strategies,” and how rain over the 4th of July holiday weekend came just in the nick of time. • The group also discuss the likelihood of CRP acres being opened for emergency haying and grazing, and how that is important for farmers, ranchers, habitat managers, and hunters. They also provide some advice for preventing any unwelcomed surprises when hunters pull up to their favorite walk-in property on opening morning this season. • Finally, Rachel and Matt discuss the current CRP general signup that is set to close on July 23rd.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Dr. Scott Taylor, a biologist and the National Wild Pheasant Conservation Plan Coordinator. The conversation includes how the National Wild Pheasant Conservation Plan was created to provide a blueprint for restoring and maintaining pheasant populations across the country. Written by biologists from 24 state wildlife agencies, the plan details the habitat needed to support a national pheasant harvest goal of at least 5.9 million roosters based on a multi-state habitat model. PLUS, Dr. Taylor gives his take on what this year’s drought might mean for pheasant reproduction. Episode Highlights: • Dr. Taylor explains the National Pheasant Plan’s origin story and how bobwhite quail factored into the development of a landscape-level approach to pheasants. • The guys also discuss how the recent decline in hunter numbers has become an unforeseen variable in determining the best number of habitat acres and targeted pheasant harvest within the national plan. • A biologist by training, Dr. Taylor compares the biological approach to reproduction between quail and pheasants, then explains why bobwhites have an advantage. • And the guys close out this episode with a conversation on every bird hunter’s mind right now: “How is a drought going to influence pheasant numbers this season?” Check out Dr. Taylor’s Pheasants Forever blog series at “National Wild Pheasant Conservation Plan Being Revised for the Times” https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/National-Wild-Pheasant-Conservation-Plan-Being-Revised-for-the-Times.aspx

Did you know healthy pollinator habitat is great upland gamebird habitat? The plants that bees and butterflies rely on are the exact same insect-producing flowers that help pheasant and quail broods thrive. Pollinators also impact 75% of the global food supply, which is scary because our pollinator populations are in a steep decline. Enter bird hunting conservationists to the rescue! Host Bob St. Pierre and Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Anna Swerczek and Drew Larsen discuss the organization’s innovative habitat initiatives connecting pheasants and quail to pollinators. Episode Highlights: • DYK that not only is South Dakota the country’s top pheasant state, but it’s also one of the very top pollinator states? The crew discuss the connection between the state’s high ranking in both categories. Here’s a hint . . . it’s upland HABITAT! • Anna details why she selected each plant comprising the special pollinator habitat kit featuring yarrow, butterfly milkweed, and New England aster. Check out all our Pollinator Week content with special thanks to our event partners at Corteva, Bayer, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund. https://pheasantsforever.org/Special-Events/Pollinator-Week.aspx

Working Lands for Wildlife is the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s premier approach for conserving America’s working lands to benefit people, wildlife, and rural communities. This innovative approach is expanding into America’s Great Plains to restore and protect the critical grasslands there. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Tim Griffiths, NRCS’s Western Regional Coordinator; Dean Krehbiel, NRCS’s State Resources Conservationist for Kansas; and Chris McLeland, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Midwest Director of Conservation Delivery for this conversation about landscape-level grasslands conservation. Episode Highlights: • Griffiths is as enthusiastic and knowledgeable conservationist as there is out there in the United States. He’s leading this innovative approach to restoring grasslands in collaboration with America’s farmers and ranchers across the Great Plains. • McLeland offers a unique perspective throughout the conversation as a biologist for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever who also ranches cattle for beef. • Kansas is the first state to kick off the Great Plains Grasslands Initiative and Krehbiel offers insight into the state’s thought process and progress. Learn more about the Great Plains Grasslands Initiative at wlfw.rangelands.app

Thanks to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s social media audience, we crowdsourced questions on bird dog health and nutrition for this special “Ask the Experts” episode featuring veterinarian Dr. Seth Bynum and Purina’s Karl Gunzer. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Director of Marketing Andrew Vavra joins host Bob St.Pierre for this entertaining and extremely informative conversation. Episode Highlights: • We received a lot of questions about bloat, twisted stomach, and stomach torsion (all known medically as gastric dilatation volvulus). Dr. Bynum talked about the bird dog breeds most susceptible to this potentially deadly issue and how to avoid it occurring in your bird dog. • Gunzer answered a wide array of questions about dog food; including when to switch a puppy to adult dog food, as well as answering the best time to feed a bird dog – before, during, or after a hunt – for peak performance and health. • Vavra throws our experts a curveball with a question about CBD for bird dogs that Dr. Bynum was ready for with some very insightful thoughts. We’re thrilled to welcome South Dakota Tourism as an official partner of On the Wing Podcast. Plan your next South Dakota pheasant hunt at HuntTheGreatestSD.com

Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Public Relations Manager and habitat junkie Jared Wiklund for a conversation with Jim Wooley, the first biologist Pheasants Forever ever hired. Wooley talks about leaving a great job as the Iowa DNR’s upland bird biologist to join the fledgling habitat non-profit in 1985. Wooley is also credited as one of the biologists who helped create Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Signature Series seed program and is an expert on habitat management, including the establishment of food plots for pheasants, quail, and other wildlife. Episode Highlights: • Wooley reminisces about his 31 years with “The Habitat Organization” through stories of chapters, volunteers, habitat projects, and notable land acquisitions. • Jim talks about his passion for the organization’s unique model and how that approach has always been the organization’s magical component fueling volunteers. • With spring turning into summer, Wooley also offers some planting expertise for the landowner focused on establishing a food plot on their own property. Thanks to Polaris, the “Official ORV” of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, for being the presenting partner of this episode of On the Wing podcast. http://bit.ly/OfficialORV

Our story starts on a school bus in Tennessee with two childhood friends and ends with a vision for healthy quail habitat spanning from southern Pennsylvania all the way to central Texas. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined for this episode by Dr. Dwayne Estes, known as the “Prairie Preacher,” Quail Forever biologist Brittney Viers, and new QF Program Manager Andy Edwards for a conversation about Quail Forever’s partnership with the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative and how the groups are working together to create better habitat for bobwhite quail. Episode Highlights: • Dr. Estes talks about the hundreds of different types of southern grasslands– savannas, woodlands, bogs, prairies, glades, etc. –and explains their uniqueness in plant and wildlife species diversity. • The group also discuss how important these grasslands are to uncovering elements of American history in the South. • Dr. Estes also talks about the 17 National Grasslands covering nearly 4 million acres across the Great Plains and western U.S., then daydreams about the perfect location for the southeast’s first National Grassland.

Brothers Sam & Josh Soholt, owners of Public Land Tees, take a break from turkey camp to join host Bob St.Pierre for a chat about their love of hunting and their commitment to conservation. Highlighted during the discussion is the brother’s “Conservation Crossing” effort, which is helping Pheasants Forever, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Mule Deer Foundation, Delta Waterfowl, and National Wild Turkey Federation generate members through a creative t-shirt promotion. Episode Highlights: • The brothers talk about their motivations for donating $5 from every Public Land Tees product they sell toward conservation efforts. They also tell the story of developing the “Stamp it Forward” promotion that has helped generate thousands of Duck Stamp sales, and in turn, funding for upland and wetland habitat. • The Soholt’s also participated in the Public Lands Pavilion at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2020 in Minneapolis that helped create the new Cupido Wildlife Management Area which will be formally dedicated on August 6th in western Minnesota as a new public property open to all. • The guys have a funny discussion about the Conservation Crossing t-shirt design and how it riffs off the Beatle’s Abbey Road album cover design. Learn more about the Conservation Crossing effort at https://publiclandtees.com/conservationcrossing

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Brad Bortner, a bird biologist and the recently retired chief of migratory bird management at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, for a conversation about the federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) for migratory birds. All bird hunters are asked about HIP certification when they purchase a small game license, and this is a discussion to explore what those questions mean and how the data is used. Episode Highlights: • Bortner talks about how his career brought him to every state in the U.S. and most other continents to evaluate wildlife, habitat, hunting regulations, and different country’s approaches to conservation. • Bortner explains the genesis of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s HIP program that all bird hunters answer questions about each year when they buy a license and how the US. Fish & Wildlife Service uses that data to monitor the harvest of migratory birds like ducks and geese, but also doves, woodcock, rails, and snipe. • The guys also talk about how that migratory harvest data influences the Department of Interior’s purchase of Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) so beneficial to upland game birds like pheasants, quail, and prairie grouse in addition to migratory species. Check out all the data available through the National Migratory Bird Harvest Survey: https://bit.ly/2QGVLxM

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Chad Harvey, the organization’s regional representative for Montana, the Pacific Norwest, Canada, and Alaska, for a conversation with brothers Tyler and Brad Heine. The Heine brothers are Pheasants Forever volunteers in Montana with jobs that are slow in the winter which has allowed them to hunt wild bobwhite, Mearns, Gambel’s, scaled, valley, and mountain quail across the West. Episode Highlights: • The brothers share tips for finding and hunting the “Quail Slam” with their German wirehaired pointers from Oregon to Arizona to Nebraska. They also talk about playing phone call roulette to gain access to private lands for quail hunting. • Tyler explains how he became President of Pheasants Forever’s Flathead Valley Chapter in Montana and the gratification he feels about being a volunteer with “The Habitat Organization.” • Brad, a professional hunting and fishing guide, shares some hilarious stories about guiding hunters and anglers in Montana, including a thrilling story of his first guided big horn sheep hunt and searching for Coues deer in Arizona. Check out Brad’s terrific hunting photos on Instagram at his handle @heinemaster.

Our Women on the Wing Program Manager Marissa Jensen leads this episode’s fun conversation with MeatEater’s Danielle Prewett for a conversation about the organization’s upcoming virtual event on May 6th. Episode Highlights: • Danielle talks about her Deutsch-Drahthaar named “Zissou” as a nod to both the movie “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and the oceanographer. There are some good laughs about “Z” stealing the show during last year’s virtual event. • Danielle discusses her plans for preparing the virtual event’s quail appetizer and provides some advice on wine pairings for the evening’s festivities. For more details and to register for the Women on the Wing event coming up on May 6th, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3neMB7q