projectupland.com On The Go

In this article, Mike Adams discusses several species of huntable rails and snipes found in North America, including sora, Wilson's snipe, Virginia rail and king rail.

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

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In this article, upland bird biologist Kyle Hedges breaks down some of the most common mistakes that folks make while pheasant hunting (himself included). 

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

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In this article, Zach Cason writes about dusky grouse behavior, habitat, and hunting strategies to optimize your chances for a successful dusky hunt.

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

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In this article, Project Upland's Director of Operations and hunting dog owner Jennifer Wapenski estimates the cost of owning a hunting dog based on average prices for food, supplies, veterinary care, and more. 

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

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In this article, A.J. DeRosa delves into the history, advancement, and enduring appeal of the .410 shotgun. 

Shop Alclair hearing protection.

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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.

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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...

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...

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 "Op...

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 di...

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...

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. Thirt...

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...

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 pla...

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, an...

While people will always disagree about which breed is the “handsomest and perhaps the most generous,” everyone agrees that trying to follow all the twists and turns of the setter’s creation story is more or less impossible. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn something more about them by taking a look at some of the more interesting, and even surprising, stops along the way. 

 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...

When I started hunting waterfowl, diver ducks seemed like the most expensive birds to target. YouTube videos worsened this impression. Everyone seemed to be hunting from extravagant blinds while utilizing an infinite number of bluebill and redhead decoys. It was baffling! How was a hunter on a limited budget supposed to compete with that? 

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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On a sunny day on the fall of 1990, I was aboard a train traveling through the beautiful countryside of northern Italy. As I watched the rich, green valley of the Po River pass by my window, I was reminded of an area where I hunt ruffed grouse near my home in Manitoba. I couldn’t help wondering what kind of game could be hiding in the root crops and corn.

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...

In the southeast, by mid-December, most hunters turn their attention away from whitetail deer and solely focus on waterfowl hunting. Wood ducks and Canadian geese can be found anywhere there’s water. Many folks decoy puddle ducks and divers on the coastal plains, and lakes offer great opportunities for mallards and teal. But there is one migratory bird that most waterfowlers rarely glimpse: the American woodcock. 

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 you...

Until the mid-1800s, no one set out to create a rough-haired breed from scratch by systematically crossing dogs with different coat types. But the idea of deliberate crosses had been around since at least 1825 when Freiherr (Baron) v. d. Borch wrote in Yearbook for Forest Men, Hunters and Friends of Hunting, “It is noteworthy that crossing the pudel and the pointing dog would unite and maintain the excellent drive by the virtues of both types.”

In 1881, German hunters began systematically cross-breeding Pudels and Pointers. The Pudels used in the original crosses differed from the Poodles we have tod...

Nothing gets my blood flowing more than hunting upland birds in November and accidentally flushing a snowshoe hare. Each fall, early season snowshoe hare hunting catches me off guard. Seldom am I ready for those first wild flushes that mark the beginning of hare season.

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 groun...

Project Upland’s annual North American Upland Bird Hunting Survey ended earlier this year. What better way to share our data than by starting a brawl over the most popular bird dog breeds? 

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...

Late-season ringneck hunting isn’t as glorious as opening weekend. Gone are the early season’s young, short-tailed roosters that make up most hunters’ game bags. Long marches across tall grasses or freshly cut crop fields no longer result in dozens of flushes and easy shots for walkers and blockers alike. Rarely do birds hold for solid points, allowing that classic upland experience to unfold for solo hunters. 

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...

The Irish Setter, like many dog breeds, has a history filled with complex twists and turns that have shaped the dog we love today.

Irish Setters descend from the same rootstock that gave rise to all the setter breeds, but there is good reason to believe they may be the oldest of them all. The spaniels that became setting dogs were in Ireland since at least the 16th century. During this time, the landscape of the island was quite different from what it is today.

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When hunting in black duck country, a thermos full of coffee is mandatory—not for the caffeine or warmth but to keep your spirits up. On the marshes where black ducks live, they make up the bulk of every bird you see. The problem is, they want nothing to do with you.

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 n...

Our modern hunting dog breeds have been around for roughly 150 years and, in that time, people have created countless divisions based on politics, preferences, and differing opinions on the best way to create the perfect hunting dog. These divisions yielded a broad spectrum of options when it comes to choosing a hunting dog that works best for you. In some cases, the differences were based on style choices such as color or coat length. In others, such as the division between the Deutsch Drahthaar and the German Wirehaired Pointer, the split came from different philosophies on how to manage...

Despite being exotic to North America, the ring-necked pheasant has supplanted our native gamebirds as the most popular species to hunt among the upland hunting populace. Pheasants are abundant, meaty, found over a large range, and just so darn charismatic. Even the most ardent quail or grouse lover must admit few birds can match the beauty and sheer excitement at the flush of a wild rooster. Add in their incredible craftiness and ability to outwit the most seasoned bird hunter time and again, and it’s no wonder why pheasants have captured the imagination of bird hunters in a way no othe...

Depending on how you choose to look at it, my very first day in the Maine grouse woods with Lincoln was either an embarrassment of riches, or just an embarrassment. I had only bagged one ruffed grouse before that trip, the precious end result of miles and miles of hiking in the rough West Virginia mountains a few hours from our home. While I took great pride in the challenge, I decided that we needed to get ourselves to a place where the grouse contact was just a little less other-worldly and a lot less rare.

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Most people associate American woodcock with the Northwoods. However, they are common throughout the entire eastern half of the United States over the course of their fall and spring migrations. 

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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Brittanies are the fulfillment of a French dream to build a better bird dog. I am sure that if those old braconniers from La Bretagne could see the breed today, they would be thrilled to know that Brittanies have conquered the world.

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...

Field goldens typify these traits and more. For instance, field goldens have all the affection of a show golden, but with the sky-watching, duck-loving, cold-water-plunging nature of a lab. Field goldens don’t lumber. They glide like a German Shorthair. Their thick necks and brawny shoulders taper down into sleek frames like that of a cheetah. Unlike a show golden’s flat white coat, field goldens have much shorter, insulated, honey-colored fur, ideal for camouflage in winter sedge. Underneath all that hide and muscle lies the high drive and birdy instinct required to brave freezing temperatures. Top it off with...

Have you ever returned to a quail hunting spot later in the season and failed to find the birds that provided such a great hunt just weeks before? Whether it’s a public wildlife area, a Walk-In Hunting Area (WIHA) in Kansas, or any other type of publicly accessible property in whatever state, there are definitely strategies that hunters should consider, especially when pursuing bobwhite quail. 

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...

Perhaps no upland game bird embodies the ruggedness of western hunting better than the chukar. They inhabit the wild, mountainous terrain that defines the vast wilderness of the Great Basin, the high desert, and the inland northwest—places where water is scarce and survival depends on adaptation to the harsh environment. Because of the physical challenges associated with reaching chukar habitat, a certain element of machismo and bro-culture has come to define the subculture of chukar hunting. It’s basically the CrossFit of the upland world.

Chukar hunting isn’t an easy stroll through a cut wheat field...

Thousands of hunters venture afield across the Midwest on the opening weekend of pheasant season. Opening weekend is a tradition, and regardless of the state agency’s pheasant population reports, hunters head out in pursuit of wily roosters. Although, in the case of opening weekend, plenty of roosters have yet to reach the status of “wily.” 

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. Duration: 00:10:04

We sat on the tailgate of my pickup overlooking a cover we had just hunted on a late October day as the sunset. The whistling sound of woodcock wings began while the sky still held mute signs of the sun hidden behind the mountains. We counted the birds with excitement. One after another, a tangle of “there is another” and “here comes two” was complemented by big smiles. It did not take long to debate whether they were moving to eat or to migrate. I relish this end-of-hunt tailgate tradition each autumn when the woodcock migration begins.

I love w...

One of the most important things I have found while navigating the wilderness with a toddler in tow is involving them in the activity. No, this doesn’t mean having your toddler go and retrieve birds for you. Instead, it means something as simple as listening to different songbirds while hunting and asking, “Did you hear that?” or identifying different trees, mushrooms, or animals. 

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 pr...

What makes an ideal grouse gun, or what Gene Hill would call “a gun of specialist function?” Does action type matter? What about gauge? How does the environment play into it? How has the modernization of gun-making changed grouse guns? How different is a grouse gun from a clays gun? How different is a gun built for ruffed grouse hunting versus shotguns used for other wild game? While I don’t have all the answers, I do have theories. Like any evolving tradition, they’re built on the backs of those who came before me.

Read more at project...

Birds primarily rely on sight and sound to evade predators. We know that ruffed grouse are far more jumpy in high winds because their hearing is impaired. Living in dense cover has heightened their dependence on sound. In my opinion, their sense of hearing is often greater than sight. When we factor in transgenerational stress inheritance, we gain insight into sound’s profound impact on ruffed grouse hunting. 

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...

If I could smell a bird, walk effortlessly through thick brush, and cover ten times as much ground as the average human, Woodcock hunting would be a breeze. If I had a dog which could do all these things, Woodcock hunting would be even more of a breeze.

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...

One of the most constantly changing topics in the field of veterinary medicine is flea and tick prevention for dogs. Hunting dogs are some of the most exposed and susceptible victims to ectoparasites such as ticks, fleas, mites and other insects. Every year, it is important to purchase preventative products for your dog and to ask your veterinarian what new products are available. 

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 h...

Generally speaking, grassland grouse are not the most adaptable critters. Both prairie chicken species need large expanses of grassland, while sage grouse must have large expanses of sagebrush to thrive. The one exception to this rule is the sharp-tailed grouse. 

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, so...

During my childhood in southern New Hampshire, kids competed to shoot a limit of “pa’tridge,” my brother and myself included. I admit, I lost just about every time to my older brother. However, we thought shooting the limit was a good idea. After all, it was the 80s.

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.

Sage-grouse need large, connected, and mostly treeless swaths of sagebrush to survive. Without this, sage-grouse cease to exist. It’s that simple. Sage-grouse are what scientists and biologists call a sagebrush obligate species. You can’t have sage-grouse without sage.

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 mo...

Each September, an inexplicable reverence stirs within me as I patiently await the chance to roam Wyoming’s boundless public lands in pursuit of the bird that holds my heart—the iconic sage grouse. There’s something almost spiritual about stepping into the vast sea of sagebrush and feeling the landscape’s timeless pull. 

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, Col...

Recently, the states of Nebraska and South Dakota have been getting most of the attention from hunters seeking to pursue greater prairie-chickens. This makes a lot of sense, given the good population of birds in these states and the abundance of publicly accessible land available to hunt. However, Kansas has long been a leader in greater prairie-chicken harvest and continues to provide excellent hunting. With a long season and the ability to harvest other species while chasing chickens, you should consider Kansas for your next prairie-chicken hunt.

Read more at projectupland.com.

It was late September, the Minnesotan air was cool, and Ruffed Grouse were on my mind. We had just thrown our hunting gear in the back of the pickup, ready to head out for a day of chasing dogs through grouse cover, when my cell phone began to vibrate. Normally, I would let it go to voicemail. However, having only just walked out of the camp, my fiancée calling would have meaning.

“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 not often–if ever–regarded as the King of the Uplands. They suffer a perception forced upon them by those of us accustomed to pursuing ruffed grouse, ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, chukar, or any of the various quail species that inhabit our countrysides. They are renowned for their dim-wittedness, weak flush, and poor culinary experience. They’ve even earned the nickname “Fool Hen,” a moniker that is both well-earned and undeserved.

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...

Clapper rails don’t sing. They cackle. It’s a guttural call emanating from somewhere deep within each tiny bird that reverberates with enough force to trigger a cascade. Once one rail calls, every rail within earshot erupts into its own chorus. The cacophony sends a ripple through the salt marsh and shatters its peaceful silence like glass. 

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...

To bird dog aficionados, names like Elhew Snakefoot, Count Noble, Shadowoaks Bo, and Manitoba Rap are well known. But to the average person, the names of dogs in our hall of fame mean absolutely nothing at all.

But there are a few dogs from hunting breeds that have achieved fame beyond the bird dog world. Let’s have a look at some of the most celebrated among them. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

September 1 is one of the most popular hunting dates in the United States. In many states, it’s the opening day of dove season, which is the start of upland hunting for many wing shooting enthusiasts. 

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 l...

Is it a fuzzy face infatuation that pulls at your heartstrings? Or is it that your dog is a bird-finding machine? For most, it’s probably a combination of the two. When deciding to breed or not to breed, be honest with your motivations. That adorable face comes with heavy liabilities and responsibilities. Unfortunately, the fact that you’re in love with your dog doesn’t necessarily mean it has the genetic traits to better its breed and produce a good hunting dog. 

There are temperamental, health, and emotional risks when it comes to breeding your dog. Potential...

A dog conditioned for big runs in the open prairie with relatively flat terrain may not fare as well in the mountains chasing chukar or the thick brambles of the north country chasing ruffed grouse and woodcock. When the training grounds don’t match the hunting conditions, it’s like training for a marathon but running a Tough Mudder instead. The body will eventually adjust, but not before shortened or lost days in the field due to fatigue or injury. 

Read more at projectupland.com.

Getting a willful, prey-driven hunting dog to heel can be difficult at first. It is one of the most common reasons a handler loses their prize one in the NAVHDA testing system. It’s also one of the reasons owners avoid stimulating environments while walking their dog.

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...

Doves are the highest-harvested game bird in the United States, with over 10 million bagged annually. 

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 d...

When acting selfishly while playing youth sports, the common phrase “there’s no I in team” was repeatedly thrown around. My coaches insisted I trust others with the ball to develop good teamwork. But giving up the ball didn’t come naturally. I often got “the eye” from my coaches, revealing their disappointment in my lack of team play. They’d use various positive and punitive techniques to get their points across, though eventually, “the eye” was all it took for me to know what needed to be done. 

Young pups naturally follow a similar journey to learn to obtain ite...

The recall is an extremely important ritual we have with our dogs. When called, the dog quickly and directly finds its position either in front or to our side. It happily and thoughtlessly finds its position, returning as excitedly as it went out and finishing with robotic consistency; something that has been groomed into it since the day it came home. 

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 las...

Like most parents, I hope my children will share my interests so we can enjoy them together. As a passionate upland hunter, I dream of days spent in the field nurturing their curiosity, instilling a desire for conservation, and fostering a profound respect and appreciation for the game birds we pursue. There’s a special kind of magic and responsibility involved with welcoming young children into the world of upland hunting. 

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...

Vintage shotguns can be particular with the kinds of shotgun shells you put through them. In a world filled with high-velocity, heavy payload shells, the difficulty of finding lighter loads can take away some of the allure of owning a classic. But it shouldn’t stop you. There’s something warm and cozy about hunting with a 50-, 75-, or even 100-year-old shotgun. 

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 conside...

“Suddenly into the middle of the coterie of breeders a bombshell was flung, so startling as to cause a violent upheaval of all the old theories, and a complete revolution in setter breeding, the effects of which have lasted to the present day.”  —Walter Baxendale

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 May of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced new rules governing dog imports into the United States. The rules are aimed at standardizing the process between countries and preventing the introduction of canine rabies into the U.S., but the broad-sweeping changes will have lasting impacts on breed clubs that depend on imported puppies for genetic diversity as well as dog owners who regularly cross international borders—including Canada.

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 requi...