Upland Nation

Friday Fave: your guide to pheasant central is Casey. Everything you wanted to know about hunting pheasants in South Dakota, explained by a local expert. Casey Weismantel is executive director of the Aberdeen, SD Convention & Visitors Bureau, ugly dog owner and avid pheasant hunter.He's got answers to our questions about best times to go, maximizing the public-access options, planning your hunt and he'll even help us with some non-resident license hacks. We talk best habitat, how to manage a block-and-drive hunt, why spaniels are best (sometimes), and how pheasants behave in their natural environment and why we can't find them sometimes. (Or most times.) "Fix It" has another place for you to look for "mean seeds" on your dog, and listeners offer their reasons for using hand signals in the field. And it's all brought to you by: Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

From the Pyke Gear booth at Pheasant Fest, I interview Karl Malcom and Gabe Stone of the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society. We cover a variety of topics from the organizations' focus, to how they cooperate with other conservation groups, to how fire, timber extraction and other "disturbances" are good, sometimes. But hunting strategy and tactics are also on the agenda, from habitat to definition of "edge" to the importance of moisture and diversity. We get tips on shooting around trees and working with dogs in the woods, stuff to take on your hunt, and even get a few cooking tips. And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, Pointer shotguns, USA Clay Target League, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Friday Faves: This guy will re-shape your thinking, period Talmage Smedly joins me for an in-depth conversation on why dogs do what they do and how we can guide them. He calls on his horse training experience as well as a different perspective on how e-collars and commands in general can be used. If you're looking for a new way of working with your dog, he's got it. We'll cover his views on how to use an e-collar, what instincts shape a young dog, using a leash and checkcord, and the advantages of "positive punishment," among other things. He'll help us fix some of our steadiness and retrieving problems too. Listener Keith Friel offers another reason to run two dogs together in the field, and "Handle It" is a plea for more leashes, tie-out stakes and crates. And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

From the floor of Pheasant Fest, field trialer Jordan Horak shares his thoughts on puppy development as a breeder of champion flushing dogs. Jordan won the AKC sanctioned Cocker Spaniel Field Trial Nationals in 2018 and has the experience and insights to help us, from finding the right pup for you, to developing the very young dog, he's got some very specific methods. We'll talk retrieving, teaching "gun range,"recall, the importance of paying a dog for their "work," and what a young dog considers a good payday. Jordan is also the developer of the Cato Board - an improved version of "place boards," so we'll get insights into how he uses them and we can too. Special thanks to Pyke Gear for hosting the podcast at Pheasant Fest! And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

From the floor of the 2026 Pheasant Fest, I turn the tables on Orvis' Hunting and Shooting podcast host Reid Bryant, and we talk about a wide range of topics: his past hunting season, flushing breeds in the grouse woods, book and magazine writing (his books are here), and his role vetting lodges, outfitters and guides for the Orvis Adventure program. There are tips on shopping for a destination (he personally visits virtually all of them in the Orvis program), how to get the most out of a lodge or guide experience, shooting grouse in the deep woods, hunting advice, dog training observations and more. Special thanks to Pyke Gear for hosting the podcast in their booth at Pheasant Fest. And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, CableGangz, TrulockChokes, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

I cornered Dr. RuthAnn Lobos of Purina (@petvetruthann) on the floor of the recent Pheasant Fest and asked her how we avoid late-night, long-distance, and simply annoying reasons we need to rush our dog to the veterinarian. She rattled off a long list of first-aid and dire medical situations, and how to handle them until we can get to a vet. Then, she shared ways we can avoid most of those trips (and expenses) with preventive care. From torn nails to diet, eye injuries to barbed-wire cuts, she covers it all. Thanks to Pyke Gear for hosting the podcast at Pheasant Fest! Insider editions are brought to you by CableGangz tie-out systems. [Take 10% off your next order at CableGangz.com with the promo code CG10.] with additional support from Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.