The Ugly Dog Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Rhys Haugen is the founder of High Plains Gear, a upland hunting vest company committed to American made materials and manufacturing for all their products.

Rhys shares his motivation and journey in starting an upland hunting vest company, how he got started in bird dogs, and his experiences hunting and finding a dog while stationed overseas. Additionally, they discuss how Rhys coupled his experiences bird hunting, philosophies about gear from the Marine Corps, and a relentless pursuit for better to make his products.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Amanda Ponti dove head first into bird dogs and now there is no looking back. She currently works for Sporting Lead Free and serves on the board of HerUpland.

Amanda and Mike discuss her entry into bird dogs, why she chooses to give back so much, why you should consider switching ammo to lead-free options, and how bird hunting inspired a transformational physical fitness journey.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Nick Larson is the host of the longstanding Birdshot Podcast and also works with Upland Gun Company. In this episode we cover an incredible range of topics including his advice for hosting a podcast, learning the differences between his two setters, the importance of mentorship in dog training and hunting, and much much more.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Emy Marier is an outdoorswoman who brings her both her nature for analytics and her sense of adventure to everything she does. We discussed her experience in NAHRA, including finding her tribe, the importance of treating a dog fairly in training, and the experience of adding a second dog with a lot more drive. We also discuss her love of 'Prairie Romping' as she calls it, and the tradition of ruffed grouse hunting the opener with her friends who all affectionately call it Grousemas.

Lastly, we dive into how she reactivated her dad into bird hunting, including inspiring him to get another dog after a 20+ year hiatus, exposing him to joys of public land hunting, and how she's handling the awareness that all that time afield together won't last forever. 

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Angie Coenen runs Hurricane Kennel with her husband, Paul in Southwestern Wisconsin. We discuss how she got her start following her dad through the pheasant fields of Iowa, how she fell into NAVHDA (now serving in a multitude of roles), her journey breeding top notch German Shorthairs, including the hardship that comes with breeding over a decade, and more.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Travis Frank is the host of The Flush TV Show and Podcast. We discuss his journey bringing home a fire breathing bird dog, Daisy, and learning to work together. He also shares the experience of having Daisy stolen out of his front yard, how he tells stories through television, and the importance of having a mentor in dog training.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

We sit down with Nina Hoekstra to discuss her transition from the deer stand to the uplands, strengthening her faith in the outdoors, the power of solo hunting trips (and some pointers along the way), and how she took the leap from her nursing career to build a business in outdoor media.

You can follow along her journey on her IG handle - @in.ninas.nature and check out her business ventures at InNinasNature.com.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Christy Langton operates Spring River Kennel from her farm in Southwestern Missouri.

Expect to learn the importance of mentorship in training and breeding bird dogs, being comfortable and authentic with your goals, owning a dog's strengths and weaknesses, and how to level up the photos of your dog afield.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Mike sits down with Jake Hanson, the Development Director for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever to discuss conservation, philanthropy, long distance bird hunting road trips and the highs and lows along the way. They also discuss Jake's origin story into bird dogs and bird hunting, making the decision to use a professional trainer, and how adding a second dog doesn't always mean it'll be the exact same as the first one. If you're not a member, you should absolutely consider joining Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever before this episode is over.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.