Explore every episode of the podcast projectupland.com On The Go

In this article, Buffalo Creek Outfitters owner and avid sage grouse hunter Danielle Schoenwolf dives into the skills, strategy, and ethics required for hunting sage grouse solo.

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

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In this article, gamebird biologists and private land management consultants Kyle Hedges and Frank Loncarich discuss best practices for supporting upland bird habitat in the heart of row crop country. 

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

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In this article, Project Upland's Director of Operations Jennifer Wapenski writes about her experience tracking a wounded deer with her versatile hunting dog, Piper. She also writes about some best practices for training tracking dogs and the importance of ethically locating wounded big game animals with dogs (where legal). 

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

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In this article, biologists Kyle Hedges and Frank Loncarich discuss land management techniques that support upland bird production in croplands and pastures.

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In this article, biologists Kyle Hedges and Frank Loncarich discuss grassland management techniques that landowners and managers can utilize to help bolster upland bird populations on their properties.

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In this article, dog historian Craig Koshyk explains how dog shows reward beauty  and fail to objectively evaluate the functional abilities of gundogs using modern instruments and scientific methods.

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In this article, upland bird biologists Frank Loncarich and Kyle Hedges discuss nesting, brood-rearing, and escape cover habitat needs upland birds have. They also talk about land management practices landowners and managers can use to support these habitat needs.

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In this article, PhD student and bird researcher Logan Clark explains how the proposed budget cuts to the U.S. Geological Survey, including a 90 percent cut to its Ecosystems Mission Area, would irreparably harm our ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data about North American birds.

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In this article, biologists Kyle Hedges and Frank Loncarich discuss grassland management techniques landowners and managers can use to help bolster upland game bird populations on their properties.

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In this article, dog historian Craig Koshyk explains the cultural differences that have arisen over time between European and American pointing dog tail preferences. Spoiler alert: whether a pointing dog’s tail is held level or at 12 o’clock is not particularly important—except for when it is.

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In this article, professional trainer Jason Carter writes about techniques and strategies for shifting excitable, anxious, and emotionally dysregulated dogs into “neutral.”

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In this article, Dr. Jay Brekke, DVM offers some kindhearted advice on knowing when to let your hunting dogs cross the Rainbow Bridge and how you can honor their legacies.

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In this article, Craig Mitchell writes about how through habitat recovery, science-based strategy, and community dedication, Pennsylvania successfully restored its wild turkeys.

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In this article, Gabby Zaldumbide writes about Fin, Washington’s mussel detection dog. Fin is trained to help stop the spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels in the Columbia River Basin.

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In this article, Mandy Carlstrom and AJ DeRosa discuss some key strategies for using social media to advocate more effectively for public lands, science, and conservation through First Amendment rights on official accounts.

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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In this article, Dr. Jay Brekke, DVM, explains some of the best ways to care for and hunt with a senior hunting dog.

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In this article, R. K. Sawyer writes about how sporting clays took root in America—from early 20th-century target games to the first U.S. National Sporting Clays Championship in 1985.

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In this letter from the Summer 2025 issue of Project Upland Magazine, co-owners Jennifer Wapenski and AJ DeRosa call for nuance in an era of outrage-driven media.

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In this article, Jason Carter of Merrymeeting Kennels discusses the importance of leadership in dog training. Confident, consistent leadership improves your dog's obedience and builds a stronger bond with your dog.

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In this article, R.K. Sawyer talks with Jay Herbert, the man who brought sporting clays from England to America and promoted English-style shooting for over 50 years.

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In this article, dog historian Craig Koshyk explores the history of dog shows and competitions. Although informal dog competitions have likely been around for thousands of years, written records of the first dog shows describe finding dogs of the “highest perfection.”

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In this episode, Gabby Zaldumbide writes about Bill Quinlan's experiences banding woodcock in northern lower Michigan and describes how banding woodcock helps scientists and wildlife managers better understand these birds.

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In this article, AJ DeRosa writes about the rescission of the Bureau of Land Management's Public Lands Rule this past April and its implications for prioritizing conservation on BLM lands.

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In this article, Mike Fitzgerald writes about how, depending on your living situation and homesteading goals, chickens or quail may work better for you.

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In this article, Project Upland Director of Operations (and Deustch Langhaar owner) Jennifer Wapenski writes about the history, characteristics, and abilities of the ever-versatile German Longhaired Pointers and Deustch Langhaars.

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In this article, Sage Marshall discusses the leading theories surrounding woodcock evolution in North America.

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In this article, biologist Frank Loncarich recommends that, during the off season, bird hunters become students of the birds through learning basic biology, meteorology, and networking with wildlife professionals.

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In this article, Mark Parman writes about the names, histories, and habitat information for naturally-occurring edible alliums.

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In this episode, Gabby and AJ talk to Mark Avery, author of A Message from Martha. As a biologist and conservationist, Mark takes us back in time to reconstruct the biology, habitat, and final era of the Passenger Pigeon. The Passenger Pigeon’s extinction is one of the most dramatic extinction stories of the 20th century, resulting in the loss of the most numerous bird on Earth. This episode explores everything from nesting biology and historical accounts to habitat destruction and the last Passenger Pigeon to die in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo—Martha.

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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In this article, Craig Mitchell writes about one metalworker who, 100 years ago, enabled post-Great Depression hunters to reload efficiently without purchasing a pump-action shotgun.

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In this article, A.J. DeRosa discusses the origin and history of the Antiquities Act as well as the powers U.S. presidents have when it comes to designating (or removing) national monuments.

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In this article, Mike Fitzgerald shares about how he financially benefits from raising coturnix quail.

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In this article, Gary Norman offers insights from his career as a ruffed grouse biologist on the factors impacting eastern ruffed grouse survival.

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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In this article, Ryan Dawson writes about ruffed grouse populations and habitat in Virginia and how fire may just be what southeastern forests need to recover Appalachian ruffed grouse.

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

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In this article, Mike Fitzgerald explains useful practices for raising domestic quail during all four seasons.

Check out Mike's recipe for pickled quail here!

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In this episode of Project Upland On The Go, two quail biologists encourage private landowners to take advantage of state and federal habitat management assistance.

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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When I say stand hunting, I’m not referring to sitting in a deer stand and waiting for rabbits to show up. (Unless you always see rabbits from your deer stand, in which case, do that!) Instead, I’m talking about setting up within gun range of excellent rabbit cover that is impossible to flush rabbits from and waiting for them to emerge. Ambush hunting is another way to put it. Dilapidated farmhouses, piles of irreparable farm equipment, unwalkable brushy cover, and the like are perfect places for ambush hunting rabbits. The key element here is that, once you’re set up, hold very, very still.

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Late season snowshoe hare hunting is a bit different than early season snowshoe hunting. Here are a few pointers for adding a hare or two to your game bag during the tail end of winter.

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The official history of the Weimaraner begins on June 22, 1897 when a club for the “pure breeding of the silver-grey Weimaraner pointing dog” was formed in Erfurt, Germany. The breed’s development since that time is relatively well documented. The historical record from before that time is much less clear. And since the further back it goes, the fuzzier it gets, all we have are theories based almost entirely on speculation.

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Gina Deem was a nursing student in Bozeman, Montana when she adopted her first hunting dog in 2014. At the time, she wasn’t a hunter, but her then-boyfriend was. “He said, ‘If we’re going to get a dog, we’re going to get a bird dog. And that bird dog’s going to be a German Shorthair,’” she recalls. Aware of how many dogs were in shelters, Deem wanted to adopt a bird dog.

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.

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So how English is the English setter? In some ways, the answer is ‘not very much.’ In terms of numbers, looks and working style the breed is now more American, more Italian, more international than it is English. However, the English setter is, and always will be, quintessentially English. Refined over time by brilliant, industrious people, the English setter, like the English language, is a practical, elegant, and highly adaptable product of a small island nation that conquered the world.

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For bird enthusiasts, hearing about the negative impacts of habitat loss on bobwhite quail isn’t anything new. In fact, this issue have been largely blamed for North America’s shrinking bobwhite population. However, parasites may have a larger effect on wild quail than previously thought, especially in Texas and Oklahoma.

“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.” 

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For many of us in the northern snow-covered hills of the United States, hunting season is shortly coming to an end—if not already. Green rolling pastures have now been replaced by a tundra; the woodcock have all traveled down to warmer, worm-filled bayous; and the grouse are retreating to the treetops.

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.

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I heard the jokes about water swatting American coots long before I became a licensed hunter. But when I finally took up waterfowl hunting, I discovered that the humor surrounding coots was actually a well-placed sentry guarding a well-kept secret: American coot is delicious. 

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You’ve done your research, picked the ideal dog breed, selected a reputable breeder, and now have a much-anticipated date circled on your calendar. Your new puppy will soon arrive in your home, full of unbridled potential and the uncanny ability to create chaos wherever it goes.

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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My first experience with Arizona quail occurred as a covey of about 30 Gambel’s quail raced across the public two-track road before us, sprinting to a pond to get water. Not believing our luck, I pulled the truck over. My father, James, and buddy, Kyle Hedges, helped me boot up three dogs. 

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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If you were to ask a bird or rabbit hunter in nineteenth century England which dog he would prefer to accompany him, the answer was often a Curly-Coated Retriever. That may surprise you, given the rarity of the Curly today. Hunters in the 1800s knew the Curly-Coat as a persevering, talented, hardy hunting dog who could handle both fur and feather in upland and waterfowl work. The Curly was also useful in a secondary role as a guard dog.

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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Kansas’ reputation as a classic upland hunting state has long been known. Bobwhite quail hunting here is legendary during boom years and remains solid during average years. While pheasant hunting in Kansas has decreased over the last few years due to habitat loss, the state is still consistently among the top three to four states for roosters. Additionally, Kansas is the country's top greater prairie chicken state, providing great opportunities to harvest the charismatic grassland dweller. 

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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One hundred and fifty years ago, the people of Germany struggled to create a united nation out of a patchwork of tiny kingdoms, city-states, and fiefdoms. Around the same time, german hunters also struggled to create a national breed of short-haired pointing dog. Eventually, both goals were realized. 

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 Kansas Flint Hills prairie rose 100 feet above the low-lying soybean field I was hunting. Each day, two groups of greater prairie-chickens screamed down from the grasslands and into the field to feed at unbelievable speeds. I had these birds dialed in; I knew exactly which electric pole they flew past every morning. I was set up well before dawn, ready to pass-shoot them.  

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.

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