On The Wing Podcast

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Director of Government Affairs Andrew Schmidt to discuss the current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup and its relevance for bird hunters. There are currently 1.8 million acres available for CRP enrollment this fiscal year with a signup underway right now through June 6th. Schmidt also discusses new proposals aimed at improving CRP and increasing funding for walk-in access programs. Episode Highlights: • Schmidt examines how bird populations have correlated with CRP acreage since the program began in 1985 and emphasizes the role of CRP acres in increasing public access through state walk-in programs. • The discussion covers a range of benefits provided by CRP, including contributions to rural economies via wildlife habitat, enhancement of water resources and soil health, and risk mitigation for farmers and ranchers. • Schmidt outlines the distinctions between general CRP, continuous CRP, CREP, and other signups, and explains how the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) increases public access for bird hunters.

Host Bob St.Pierre moderates a discussion with Quail Forever's Louisiana State Coordinator Jackson Martini, Arkansas State Coordinator Ryan Parker, and landowner Andrew Wiesmann about improving bobwhite quail habitat in the Southeastern United States. The conversation covers how USDA Farm Bill programs can be used to burn or thin trees, decrease the basal area, and open up the forest canopy to promote grasslands beneficial to bobwhites. Episode Highlights: • Martini talks about the Arkansas-Louisiana Conservation Delivery Network and how that coalition is working together to implement the Open Pine Regional Conservation Partnership Program. • Wiesman explains his love of wirehaired pointing griffons and waterfowl hunting with those dogs in Louisiana's bayous. Bob then asks about the threat level for duck hunting with bird dogs where alligators live.

Host Bob St.Pierre talks with PF & QF's Marissa Jensen and Andy Fondrick, along with volunteers Mike Gruenke and Jeff Ennis from Washington's Spokane Inland Empire Chapter of Pheasants Forever. They discuss winning last year's $7,500 Hands-On Habitat grand prize from onX Hunt and how it motivated their chapter to undertake an even larger habitat project in Washington's scablands this spring. Episode Highlights: • Gruenke shares how they attracted more volunteers by focusing on projects in which volunteers could participate in on-the-ground habitat work. • Jensen outlines the month-long Hands-On Habitat efforts and onX Hunt's 2025 incentives for volunteer projects. Learn more about Hands-On Habitat at www.PheasantsForever.org/handsonhabitat

Host Bob St.Pierre visits with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Olivia Lappin and Levi Day to talk about the organization's new “Journey to Conservation Careers” film featuring Lappin. Day kicks off the discussion with an overview of the organization's Journey to Conservation Careers program, while also explaining the inspiration behind the film. From there, Lappin recounts her education, internships, and career path leading up to putting her degree to work for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as the organization's Integrated Habitat Management Rights of Way & Energy Coordinating Wildlife Biologist. Episode Highlights: • Lappin talks about her anti-hunting roots, which grew into an interest about where her food actually comes from and has burgeoned into a love of hunting. • Lappin and Day also talk about the Texas A & M Natural Resources Job Board and how valuable a tool it is for people interested in finding career opportunities in the conservation field. • Check out Lappin's adventures on Instagram at @olappin1 and check out the Journey to Conservation Careers film.

Host Bob St.Pierre sits down with Will Primos and Anthony Matarese Jr. to talk about Straight Shooting for Hunters, a new book about wingshooting they co-authored. Matarese Jr. is the most decorated sporting clays shooter in U.S. history, while Primos was an original innovator in the game-call industry and a world-renowned hunter. Episode Highlights: • Primos kicks off the conversation with an update on the collection of Purdey shotguns he's donated to be auctioned off for conservation efforts. Learn more about the collection and upcoming auction at www.TheTruthAboutConservation.org. • Matarese Jr. talks through the critical importance of mounting your gun properly and moving your feet, hands, and head in sync with a bird as it flushes to match its speed. • Matarese Jr. also explains why hunters need to SLOW DOWN and that the most common mistake hunters make is shooting too quickly, fearing birds are getting out of range. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre talks with professional bird dog trainer Justin King and Purina vet Dr. RuthAnn Lobos about her new pup. Dr. Lobos, an adult-onset bird hunter with a Labrador for the last decade, has added a wirehaired pointing griffon named Journey to her family. Journey has been trained by King at Dokken's Oak Ridge Kennels in recent months. Episode Highlights: • Dr. Lobos talks about the family decision to get a wirehaired pointing griffon, the breed's attributes, and how the entire family has been involved in Journey's training process. • King talks about a variety of tools he uses in the dog training process, including a check chord, e-collar, pigeon launcher . . . and even snow fence. Thanks to SportDOG BRAND for being a supporting partner for this bird dog focused episode of On the Wing podcast.

Host Bob St. Pierre sits down with Dr. Dirac Twidwell, a professor and research scientist from the University of Nebraska, to talk about his hunting roots and life's mission to save America's last remaining grasslands. Dr. Twidwell explains the concept of the “Green Glacier” of woody vegetation taking over the Great Plains, and why prescribed fire is the most important tool for grassland habitat conservation. He also reports that woody encroachment is now equal to land conversion for agricultural production as the top two factors in habitat loss across the country. Episode Highlights: • Dr. Twidwell explains how his bird hunting trips had been moving west to keep ahead of the “Green Glacier” of woody encroachment into grasslands to find better upland gamebird populations before he even knew of the Green Glacier concept's existence. • The guys discuss Dr. Twidwell's bird hunting roots and how his work to save America's grasslands through science is akin to keeping a promise “to his 8-year-old self.” • Dr. Twidwell also reports The Sandhills of Nebraska as the single most intact grassland remaining on the entire planet. • Learn more about Dr. Twidwell's work on the Working Lands for Wildlife website or read his paper at the Society for Conservation Biology. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St. Pierre leads a discussion with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Board members Ashley Langen, Keith Schopp, and Owen Stockdale. The conversation covers their career paths, interest in hunting, commitment to the wildlife habitat mission, and their vision for the organization's future. Episode Highlights: • Langen recalls her father initiating the Montgomery County (IL) Chapter of Pheasants Forever, participating in the National Youth Leadership Council of the organization, and working in precision agriculture in Illinois, Texas, and Hawaii. She also talks about living in Hawaii with three growing seasons and an abundance of pheasants. • Schopp discusses his experience as a newspaper reporter and his 34 years in communications at Purina. He also shares perspective on owning two Labradors and two German shorthaired pointers, including effective hunting strategies with them. • Stockdale talks about his career at McKinsey & Company, joining PF & QF as a strategic planning advisor, and his father's poignant message about not waiting, shared shortly before his passing. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Join host Bob St.Pierre as he visits with CEOs Patrick Berry (Backcountry Hunters & Anglers), Ted Koch (North American Grouse Partnership), and Ed Arnett (The Wildlife Society) for an engaging roundtable discussion. Discover their favorite bird dogs, delve into Aldo Leopold's timeless quotes, and explore the intersection of conservation and personal passions. Episode Highlights: • BHA's Berry explains his affinity for English Springer spaniels and how the breed's personality matches his own. Berry also offers an interesting perspective on social media through the lens of a famous Leopold quote about hunting. • Koch recounts the North American Grouse Partnership's roots in falconry, then he and St.Pierre riff on the “magic” that exists in training a pointing dog and raptor to work together as a hunting team. • Arnett talks about Aldo Leopold's role in The Wildlife Society's creation and how so much of Leopold's writing is still used today by wildlife professors in universities across the country training biologists in non-profits and agencies. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Kent Adams, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Director of Conservation Delivery for the Northeast, John Kinney, PF & QF's Indiana State Coordinator, and Will Hinshaw, PF & QF's Indiana Regional Representative about the organization's growth in the “Hoosier State.” The group talks about the organization's public and private land habitat efforts in the state and public hunting access programs. Episode Highlights: • Adams explains the challenges PF & QF faces in eastern states compared to states West of the Mississippi River. • Kinney talks about PF & QF's Build a Wildlife Area land acquisitions to add permanent public properties in Indiana with a highlight of the organization's addition to the Willow Slough Fish & Wildlife Area. • Hinshaw reports a 30% increase in PF & QF members in Indiana and explains the way chapters work on habitat and access across the state. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre was joined last weekend at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Kansas City by PF & QF's Permanent Habitat Programs Manager John Laux and onX Hunt's Marketing Manager Ben Brettingen for a conversation focused on public access for hunters. And thanks to a significant multi-year financial commitment from onX Hunt, PF & QF has announced the organization's Public Access To Habitat (PATH) program is now expanding to a national scale. Episode Highlights: • Laux recounts the origin story of PATH connected to the Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition and its rapid expansion across South Dakota with now more than 25,000 acres of PATH enrolled in the state over the first two years. • Laux also discusses the program's explosion into Nebraska with 44,000 acres enrolled within a target area of Keith, Deuel, Garden, Arthur, Lincoln and Cheyenne counties in just one year. • Brettingen provides first-hand testimony of hunting PATH acres in South Dakota and Nebraska over the last two seasons, then discusses onX Hunt's commitment to helping create public hunting access through partnerships. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Shannon Hoheisel, Luc Ramthun, and Jake Hanson to preview National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic coming to Kansas City on March 6-9. The group shares stories of favorite moments from past events and provides a rundown of the weekend's attractions and exhibitors. Episode Highlights: • Ramthun provides an overview of the quail-oriented attractions celebrating Quail Forever's 20th anniversary as part of this year's event. • Hoheisel and Ramthun talk about some of the businesses making their debut among the 400 exhibitors on the Kansas City show floor. • Hanson teases an exciting announcement about the organization's Public Access To Habitat (PATH) program taking place at 11am on Saturday, March 8th on the Public Lands Stage of the event. • Hoheisel provides an overview of the organization's efforts to beef up the event's attractions on Sunday. Those highlights include free admission for kids as part of Family Day, a quail dog toy giveaway for the first 500 attendees, a Women on the Wing Brunch, and a MeatEater Meet & Greet in the SCHEELS booth on Sunday morning starting at 9:30am. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever Journal Editor Tom Carpenter and Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks to recap their hunting seasons and preview the upcoming spring issues for each PF & QF publication. During the discussion, the guys share their favorite moments, misses, gear, and more. Episode Highlights: • Carpenter tells the story of bagging a South Dakota rooster with a 27 5/8” tail feather, the longest of his life. • Sparks recaps his first desert quail hunt, which included a running group of 100 scaled quail. • While St.Pierre remains focused on talking about the upland hunting season that was, Carp & Sparks share their excitement for the coming spring turkey season. In fact, Carp closes the episode with some spontaneous shock-gobbling. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by audiologist Dr. Dave Fabry, SoundGear's Wes Christ, and PF & QF's Director of Communications Jared Wiklund for a conversation about the importance of hearing to wingshooting. Wiklund talks about his own hearing loss and how it's impacted his quality of life. SoundGear, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's official hearing protection partner, is offering listeners a $300 discount off Phantoms using the promo code ONTHEWING at www.SoundGear.com. Episode Highlights: • Don't let the topic of hearing protection fool you into thinking this is an infomercial, the conversation covers eargasms, cocaine, chinchillas, and darkness retreats. • Christ also provides an overview of the brand new SoundGear Shield product introduced this week. Shield is now the smallest and lightest dynamic digital hearing protection on the market. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Suzanne Anglewicz, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's first-ever employee hired to focus exclusively on state-level conservation policy. Both native Michiganders, St.Pierre and Anglewicz share some fun banter over being long-suffering Detroit Lions fans while discussing the nuances of playing offense and defense on conservation legislation at state capitols. Episode Highlights: • The conversation kicks off with Anglewicz's rundown of her career that includes a bachelor's degree in political theory and constitutional democracy, a law degree, and more than a decade as the manager of field operations for the grassroots division of the National Rifle Association. • Anglewicz provides an update on Kansas House Bill 2063, introduced by Kansans for Conservation last week. If passed, the legislation would provide dedicated funding for wildlife habitat and natural resources in Kansas. Today, Kansas is one of only 15 states without a dedicated conservation fund. • The discussion also includes fun banter about shooting “cosmic clays,” the need for more hunters to run for elected offices, and antiquated state laws around charitable gambling. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever's North Dakota State Coordinator Emily Spolyar and North Dakota's Department of Game & Fish Private Land Section Leader Kevin Kading for a conversation about the state's Private Land Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS) program. The discussion covers the history and goals of the PLOTS program, as well as some special memories each person wouldn't have experienced without private landowners opening their acres to public land hunters. Episode Highlights: • Kading kicks off the discussion with a look back to PLOTS's creation in 1987, evolution through the years, and program goals for the future. Kading also explains how the state's pheasant populations and access acres have mirrored the state's enrollment in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. • Spolyar and Kading recap the state's first-ever Habitat & Access Summit, which took place in December 2024. They both were extremely pleased to hear the new North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong talk about the importance of hunting and access to the state's values and culture. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre visits with Will Primos near his home in Mississippi following a gathering to shoot Primos' collection of custom-made Purdey shotguns. Primos collection, which includes .410, 28, 20, 16, and 12 gauges, will be auctioned in December 2025 with proceeds shared by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Congressional Sportsman's Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and National Wild Turkey Foundation. Episode Highlights: • Primos talks about how his game call business and his popular television show, “Primos TRUTH About Hunting,” both got started. • Primos also talks about his love of wingshooting, particularly his fondness for Mearns' quail hunting in Arizona. • The donation of Primos' Purdey shotguns is being organized by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and will be auctioned through Rock Island Auction Company in December 2025. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre visits with husband and wife duo Mark & Laura Flom who have created the new Tyro Dog Vests company. The Flom's share the story behind the creation of their new hunting vests to protect their Springer spaniel and golden retriever bird dogs. They also talk about how the tragic death of St.Pierre's own shorthair, “Izzy” in 2013, served as inspiration for their design. Episode Highlights: • This episode serves as the introduction of a new podcast opening song, “Forever,” by Trampled by Turtles off their new album, Always Here / Always Now. Sincere THANK YOU to the band and Dave Simonett for the gracious donation of this awesome tune. • The new Tyro hunting dog vests will be available to check out at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic coming up this March in Kansas City. The Tyro Dog Vests booth will be located at #1118 on our show floor. • The Floms also talk about successfully working with Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist Cody Tromberg on conservation programs for improving the upland habitat on their own property in Wisconsin. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever Journal Editor Tom “Carp” Carpenter and Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks for a back-and-forth conversation about late season bird hunting. Carp breaks down his six tips for late season roosters as they appear in his article “PhD Roosters” from the Winter edition of the PF Journal, while Sparks adds color to his six tips for late season bobwhite quail hunting from his article, “In the Thick of It.” Episode Highlights: • As listeners have come to expect, Carpenter drops classic “Carpisms,” like tootles and hellholes, while providing veteran hacks for finding skittish late season roosters when your hands are cold and the snow is blowing. • As a Nebraska native, Sparks focuses on late season bobwhites in the Great Plains by providing terrific tips for finding late season coveys, while also treating them with respect to survive harsh winter conditions. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Chief Conservation Officer Ron Leathers for a conversation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Sergio Pierluissi and AnnMarie Krmppotich about the Service's announcement last week proposing the monarch butterfly be listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. The group talks about what this proposed listing means, what it doesn't mean, and what role PF & QF can play in creating habitat for monarch butterflies and upland birds. Episode Highlights: • The group discusses public land and private land opportunities to improve grasslands habitat for monarchs, as well as for pheasants, quail, and prairie grouse. • Learn more about the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's announcement about the status of monarch butterflies at www.fws.gov/monarch and submit comments at https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-R3-ES-2024-0137-0001. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

This is the fifth and final episode of Pheasants Forever's 15th annual Rooster Road Trip. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF's Vice President of Marketing Andrew Vavra, PF's North Dakota State Coordinator Emily Spolyar, and PF's Social Media Coordinator Nate Akey to put a bow on this year's adventure across North Dakota. Episode Highlights: • For gear junkies, each member of the crew talks about their favorite piece of gear from this year's hunt. Vavra also talks about features of the new Browning 825 making it a shotgun he's planning to add to his own personal gun safe. • The group also fields crowd-sourced questions from PF & QF's social media channels about Rooster Road Trip, hunting North Dakota public lands, gear questions, and bird hunting strategy. • Find all four companion videos accompanying the trip at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Citori 825 shotgun and join/renew/extend your Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever membership featuring the new Browning Bird & Buck knife. DEADLINE is December 16, 2024. And special thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2024 sponsors • Browning • Orvis • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • YETI • Irish Setter onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre has a new 5-month old German shorthaired pointer puppy named “Winter” that has just completed a two-week training session introducing her to birds and gunfire at Dokken's Oak Ridge Kennels. That training was completed by the kennel's lead pro trainer, Mike Wieben, who talks about the process of first introducing a puppy to birds, which is followed by a slow and methodical introduction to gunfire. Episode Highlights: • Wieben talks about the variety of ways dog owners inadvertently create gunshy puppies through fireworks, banging pots & pans, or showing up at the trap range with a dog in a crate. • Little Winter gets a good report card for passing bird & gun introduction, but Wieben coaches St.Pierre on some homework on retrieving and reversing the “sit” command. • Thanks to SportDOG BRAND and Purina Pro Plan for sponsoring this episode of On the Wing Podcast focused on bird dog training. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

This is the second episode of Pheasants Forever's 15th annual Rooster Road Trip. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined for the conversation by PF's Vice President of Marketing Andrew Vavra, PF's North Dakota State Coordinator Emily Spolyar, and North Dakota Game and Fish Department's Upland Game Supervisor Jesse Kolar. Episode Highlights: • Kolar provides status reports for North Dakota's pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge, sage grouse, and prairie chicken populations, along with an overview of current habitat conditions. • Spolyar and Kolar also provide excellent tips for selecting hunting spots from the road with specific examples of the types of attributes they look for in cover to find upland birds. • Check out the companion video accompanying this podcast episode at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Citori 825 shotgun and join/renew/extend your Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever membership featuring the new Browning Bird & Buck knife. And special thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2024 sponsors • Browning • Orvis • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • YETI • Irish Setter onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

This is the fourth episode of Pheasants Forever's 15th annual Rooster Road Trip. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF's Vice President of Marketing Andrew Vavra and University of North Dakota's Dr. Susan Felege. Dr. Felege is a professor of wildlife biology & management and is also a member of PF & QF's National Board of Directors. Episode Highlights: • Dr. Felege recounts the history of prairie grouse populations across North Dakota and provides a status report for how sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie chickens are currently doing in the state. • Vavra talks about “the pucker factor” of hunting in a region where greater prairie chickens and hen pheasants are illegal to shoot, while sharp-tailed grouse and sharpie/chicken hybrids are both legal. • Dr. Felege also shares her enthusiasm for working with the Grand Forks County Prairie Partners and how the collection of non-profit groups, state and federal agencies, farmers, and volunteers are helping conserve this very special tall grass prairie. • Find the companion video accompanying this podcast episode at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Citori 825 shotgun and join/renew/extend your Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever membership featuring the new Browning Bird & Buck knife. And special thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2024 sponsors • Browning • Orvis • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • YETI • Irish Setter onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

This is the third episode of Pheasants Forever's 15th annual Rooster Road Trip. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF's Vice President of Marketing Andrew Vavra, PF's North Dakota Education and Outreach Coordinator Seth Owens, and PF's Video Production Coordinator Aaron Black-Schmidt to recap the conclusion of the group's hunt in the Bismarck area and the start of the hunt in the greater Grand Forks region. Episode Highlights: • Vavra provides the play-by-play to the group's very “birdy” third day of hunting with North Dakota Game & Fish Department's R3 Coordinator Cayla Bendel. Although there were lots of roosters in the air, Vavra hangs the “missed opportunities” banner over the day following some lackluster group marksmanship. • Owens grabs the R3 baton from Bendel on the fourth day to talk about his effort to pass along the state's hunting heritage through education events and his stunning photography. Check out Owens' photography and videography talents on Instagram at @stuff.seth.sees. • Find the companion video accompanying this podcast episode at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Citori 825 shotgun and join/renew/extend your Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever membership featuring the new Browning Bird & Buck knife. And special thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2024 sponsors • Browning • Orvis • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • YETI • Irish Setter onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

This is the first episode of Pheasants Forever's 15th annual Rooster Road Trip. True to Rooster Road Trip's foundation since its creation in 2010, this year's hunting occurs exclusively on publicly accessible lands. In this first podcast installment, host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF's Vice President of Marketing Andrew Vavra, PF's North Dakota State Coordinator Emily Spolyar, and PF's Social Media Coordinator Nate Akey to set the stage for this year's trip and to recap the crew's first day hunt. Episode Highlights: • Vavra, the only person to ever participate in all fifteen Rooster Road Trip events, explains the genesis behind the idea and talks about formulating this year's plan to hunt across North Dakota. • The crew take turns recapping the play-by-play from the first day's hunt, while also offering thoughts about their favorite moment. • Check out the companion video accompanying this podcast episode at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Citori 825 shotgun and join/renew/extend your Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever membership featuring the new Browning Bird & Buck knife. And special thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2023 sponsors • Browning • Orvis • SoundGear • Ruff Land Kennels • Federal Ammunition • Garmin • YETI • Irish Setter onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Federal Ammunition's Global Shotgun Shell Director Dan Compton and PF & QF's Vice President of Corporate Partnership's Chris Kalis for a conversation about shotshell ballistics, patterning a shotgun, and new ammunition innovations on the horizon. Episode Highlights: • Compton provides step-by-step guidance on how to pattern a shotgun with different distances, chokes, and shotshells. • The guys also discuss Federal Ammunition's creation of Prairie Storm in 2011 and how it almost got named “Ringneck Rocket.” • Additionally, Compton reveals that Federal Ammunition will be releasing a bismuth and steel blend of Prairie Storm featuring the Pheasants Forever logo next year. • Finally, Compton explains how Quail Forever members can help get more QF shotshells on store shelves. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click www.onxmaps.com/hunt/r/p56q9fg to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by “The Captain” Billy Hildebrand and his sons Erik and Chad Hildebrand for a discussion about the ingredients making opening day of a bird hunting season so special. The guys also recap the original PF & QF film, Opening Day, featuring the Hildebrand family's Minnesota pheasant opener traditions. Episode Highlights: • “The Captain” Billy Hildebrand recounts the hilarious story of how he became the host of FAN Outdoors radio on KFAN more than 33 years ago. • The guys share their favorite memories of bird dogs, hits, misses, mixed bags, wild game meals, and practical jokes. They also talk about their own reactions to watching the film for the first time. • Thanks to SoundGear and SportDOG BRAND for sponsoring our first installment of our annual Opening Day film and podcast. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by veterinarians Dr. RuthAnn Lobos and Dr. Seth Bynum for the second podcast installment of our “Ask a Vet” video series being presented by Purina Pro Plan to recap video episodes 7 through 12. Episode Highlights: Ask a Vet Episode 7 – How can I prevent bad breath? tinyurl.com/4uc5mpn4 Ask a Vet Episode 8 – How much should I feed my bird dog? tinyurl.com/56vv9dsf Ask a Vet Episode 9 – How do I keep my bird dog fit year-round? tinyurl.com/yy43chb3 Ask a Vet Episode 10 – How do I keep my bird dog hydrated? tinyurl.com/5h463aut Ask a Vet Episode 11 – How do you deal with heat stress in hunting dogs? tinyurl.com/yc835ce3 Ask a Vet Episode 12 – Should I give my dog the rattlesnake vaccine? tinyurl.com/33ns4c4c onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click www.onxmaps.com/hunt/r/p56q9fg to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks, QF Program Manager Andy Edwards, and Gun Dog Editor and host of Wild Upland on Outdoor Channel Kali Parmley to preview the 2024 quail hunting season. Each participant also offers their top four quail hunting tips for hunting any of America's six species of quail during the inaugural game of Quail Hunting Battleship. Episode Highlights: • Ryan Sparks kicks off the conversation with an overview of Quail Forever's 2024 Quail Hunting Forecast based upon input from 28 different states. Edwards follows up with the anecdotal reports he's heard during conversation with biologists and QF chapter members across the country. • Parmley talks about how she fell head over heels for bird hunting as an adult through the love of her first bird dog. She also discusses starting with a flushing breed and moving to pointers, and what she enjoys about both styles of bird dogs. • The group covers a wide array of quail hunting tips, but Sparks steals the episode with his “smoke a cigarette” suggestion. How do lung darts and quail hunting go together? You're just going to have to listen to this one for it to all make sense. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever Journal Editor Tom Carpenter, PF & QF Director of Communications Jared Wiklund, and Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks to preview the 2024 pheasant hunting season. Each individual also offers their top four pheasant hunting tips during the inaugural game of Pheasant Hunting Battleship. Episode Highlights: • Tom Carpenter kicks off the conversation with an overview of Pheasants Forever's 2024 Pheasant Hunting Forecast based upon biologist input from 22 different states. Wiklund follows up with the “word on the street” based upon anecdotal reports he's heard in conversations with PF members, landowners, and partners across the country. • The group covers a wide array of pheasant hunting tips from using the wind and being stealthy quiet to the best days of the week and times of the day to chase roosters. • This also marks Purina Pro Plan's inaugural episode as the presenting sponsor of On the Wing podcast. Thanks to Purina Pro Plan's longtime commitment to PF & QF and our wildlife habitat conservation mission. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks for a visit with Danielle Prewett about her brand new book, “MeatEater's Wild + Whole, Seasonal Recipes for the Conscious Cook.” Prewett also discusses her love affair with North Dakota, grasslands, and sharp-tailed grouse. Episode Highlights: • One of Prewett's signature philosophies is that every meal tells a story. She writes about that philosophy in the new Fall 2024 edition of the Quail Forever Journal and explains how a meal is the final chapter to a story connecting people to birds to habitat. This philosophy also mirror's Sparks' vision for the Quail Forever Journal's new recurring feature, “The Hunter's Table.” • Prewett also tells a hilarious story of ice fishing on Devil's Lake during a brutally cold and windy North Dakota winter's day. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre visits with Matt Holland, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's vice president of grant development and a wildlife biologist, about the organization's public land creation efforts in celebration of Build a Wildlife Area Week. The organization first created a public wildlife area in 1986. Since that time, PF & QF has worked on 1,810 different land acquisitions covering 229,846 acres of permanently protected habitat for wildlife. Those acres are now open to public recreation, including hunting. Episode Highlights: • St.Pierre approximates that Holland has played a role in the creation of 100,000 acres of public wildlife areas during his 28-year career with “The Habitat Organization.” In an oddly funny comparison, St.Pierre goes on to equate Holland to being a Swiss Army Knife and how sometimes he must be the blade and other times the toothpick to help facilitate a land acquisition. • Holland shares news of $300,000 in matching contributions to help incentivize donations from listeners interested in becoming “Public Land Creators.” • To learn more about PF & QF's Build a Wildlife Area program and to get your hands on a new limited edition coffee mug, please go to www.PheasantsForever.org/BAWA or www.QuailForever.org/BAWA to learn more. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Quail Forever Editor Ryan Sparks for a discussion with professional upland photographers Brian Grossenbacher and Aaron Black-Schmidt. The conversation starts with Sparks sharing his vision for a photo essay to capture a quail hunt from the very beginning to the final meal. The final result of that concept appears in the current edition of the Quail Forever Journal and features multiple images from Grossenbacher and Black-Schmidt. Episode Highlights: • Grossenbacher kicks things off with the funny story behind the essay's lead photo featuring a pair of legs wearing brush pants sticking out from under a jacked-up truck with a flat tire. • Black-Schmidt, who is also PF & QF's video production coordinator, talks about his philosophical approach to capturing film and still photography, while also offering practical tips for using the camera phone in everyone's pocket. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Jon Steigerwaldt, the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society's forest conservation director for the upper Midwest, to preview the 2024 ruffed grouse hunting season. Jon describes the ideal habitat for ruffed grouse and woodcock, and offers plenty of tips to find more birds this season. The guys also discuss new projects in Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania getting underway because of the recent memorandum of understanding (MOU) between PF & QF and RGS & AWS. Episode Highlights: • Steigerwaldt talks about the science behind ruffed grouse drumming counts and what they indicate about bird survival through the winter, but what drumming counts don't tell biologists about the population heading into autumn hunting seasons. • Steigerwaldt also talks about the 10-year ruffed grouse population cycle and how climate change is influencing swings up and down. • Learn more about the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society and check out their current membership offer at www.RuffedGrouseSociety.org. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever Editor Tom Carpenter and Quail Forever Editor Ryan Sparks for a conversation with professional dog trainer Clyde Vetter, who also happens to be husband to PF & QF President and Chief Executive Officer Marilyn Vetter. Each member of this conversation also considers themselves prairie grouse hunting junkies, so they provide a forecast for the 2024 sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie chicken hunting season and weave their hunting tips into a game of Prairie Grouse Battleship. Episode Highlights: • The group plays four rounds of “Prairie Grouse Battleship” in which each participant provides a fresh hunting tip for sharpies and/or chickens in hopes of scoring points for tips the other competitors don't have on their lists. • This episode marks the introduction of the brand new “Premium Moments in the Field” stories from Grain Belt Premium, “The Pheasant Friendly Beer.” • Check out the state-by-state prairie grouse hunting forecast at www.PheasantsForever.org/Primer presented by Sportsman's Guide. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's newly elected national board chair Jerrod Burke and vice chair Dan Forster. Burke hails from southwest Nebraska where he farms, works on habitat, and bird hunts. Forster is a biologist from Georgia where he chases bobwhite quail, ducks, and alligators. Episode Highlights: • Burke and Forster talk about their professional, conservation, bird dog, and hunting backgrounds, then they explain the board of directors' role in helping guide the organization's vision for delivering its' habitat mission. • Unable to help himself, St.Pierre's fascination with alligator hunting leads him to keep bringing the conversation back to gator hunting in Georgia, which will likely result in this edition of the podcast being referred to as “The Gator Episode.” onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link: https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/r/p56q9fg to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre visits with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Board member Thomas Harris about quail, bird dogs, wildlife art, and his commitment to volunteering. A passionate Alabamian, Harris talks about a very personal connection to his quail hunting property, and how his conservation ethic resulted in being named the Alabama Conservationist of the Year for 2019 as recognized by the Alabama Wildlife Federation. Episode Highlights: • Harris talks about growing up outdoors and how that upbringing was the impetus for the creation of Alabama Blackbelt Adventures in 2009. • Harris also previews the Wetumka Wildlife Arts Festival coming up on October 19th featuring PF & QF President and CEO Marilyn Vetter. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

We've assembled a special upland bird hunter's super show episode with Travis Frank of The Flush and Nick Larson of Birdshot Podcast for a conversation focused on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' new Bird Hunter Diary app and ruffed grouse drumming counts. Joining the conversation from the Minnesota DNR are Assistant Area Wildlife Manager for northeast Minnesota Bailey Petersen and Resident Game Bird Consultant Nate Huck. Episode Highlights: • On the Wing host Bob St.Pierre kicks off the show with a recap of his recent visit to Washington, D.C. to moderate a panel focused on the idea of a North American Grasslands Conservation Act and to talk with elected officials about a new federal farm bill. • The conversation then jumps into Minnesota's eye-popping ruffed grouse drumming counts indicating the highest adult carryover of birds since 1972. Peterson, a wildlife biologist, explains what those counts do AND don't indicate for the upcoming hunting season. • Huck provides an overview of Minnesota's new Bird Hunter Diary, what the state is looking to measure through the app, and how all upland hunters can help provide better data through citizen science. ✓ The Minnesota DNR's Bird Hunter Diary is available at https://tinyurl.com/2nbdyz6p ✓ The Flush podcast is available at www.theflush.tv ✓ The Birdshot Podcast is available at www.birdshotpodcast.com onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. To get a free month of onX Hunt, go to https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/r/p56q9fg and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Vice President of Government Affairs Ariel Wiegard for a conversation in Washington, D.C. with U.S. Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow focused on farm bill legislation. A democrat from Michigan, Chairwoman Stabenow talks about the bi-partisan nature of the farm bill's conservation title II and the legislation's intersection between farming, ranching, hunting, and fishing. Episode Highlights: • St.Pierre plays a fun game of “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” based upon a famous baseball player from Senator Stabenow's hometown of Clare, Michigan. • Chairwoman Stabenow explains how her proposed farm bill legislation would increase funding and acres for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). • Chairwoman Stabenow talks about the importance of seizing the opportunity to integrate Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding into the farm bill's conservation baseline before the end of the year or else that opportunity disappears forever. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Vice President of Government Affairs Ariel Wiegard for a conversation in Washington, D.C. with U.S. House Agriculture Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson focused on farm bill legislation. A republican from rural Pennsylvania, Chairman Thompson talks about the bi-partisan nature of the farm bill's conservation title II and the legislation's intersection between farming, ranching, hunting, and fishing. Episode Highlights: • Chairman Thompson kicks off the conversation with a story of how his shotgun ended up in Jamaica on his way to a duck hunt in Arkansas that nearly resulted in him bringing home a new Labrador retriever puppy from a Ducks Unlimited banquet. • Chairman Thompson talks about his work on the House's farm bill language that includes improved soil rental rates for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and a tripling in funding for Voluntary Public Access – Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP). • Chairman Thompson also “handicaps the race” to get a new farm bill across the finish line before the current bill expires. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever President & Chief Executive Officer Marilyn Vetter for a conversation in which she reflects on her first year in the organization's top leadership role. The pair also detail the vision, mission, values, and four strategic priorities comprising the organization's new strategic plan themed “Building Forever.” Episode Highlights: • St.Pierre asks Vetter to share stories from her first year as “The Habitat Organization's” leader; including the significant moments, times of frustration, best advice received, and favorite hunt. • Despite the organization already having a strategic plan in place, Vetter explains her philosophy behind initiating a revitalized strategic plan with a larger collection of PF & QF employee executives focused on the following quote from business leader and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek, “If a movement is to have an impact, it must belong to those who join it not just those who lead it.” • Vetter goes on to explain why the organization's wildlife habitat mission isn't changing, but how increasing a reliance on science-based decision-making and improving accountability sharpened the organization's focus on four strategic priorities, which include: a. Increase & improve wildlife HABITAT on public and private lands b. Advance conservation POLICIES and program funding c. Expand public ACCESS to upland wildlife habitat d. Expand, educate and engage the upland conservation COMMUNITY Learn more about PF & QF's new strategic plan by reading “Aiming High,” an excerpt from the Pheasants Forever Journal. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever Journal Editor Tom Carpenter and Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks for the first-ever meeting of the Upland Bird Hunters' Book Club. The conversation starts with a discussion about Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through It and how that book, and subsequent movie, changed the general public's perception of fly fishing. St.Pierre poses the question, “has the upland bird hunting version of that classic narrative been written yet?” Episode Highlights: • The “national treasure” Tom Carpenter dives deep into his bookcase of classics with personal tales, including a story of his cherished friendship with renowned bird hunting writer Ben O. Williams. • Sparks covers a wide array of genres with his selections as his top five picks include a cookbook, a collection of essays, a couple of classics, and even a wacky fiction where a wealthy English hunter is reincarnated as a pheasant on his own hunting estate. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Yia Vang, a Hmong American chef, restaurant owner, and host of Outdoor Channel's television show “Feral.” Vang talks about growing up as a small game hunter, going on his first pheasant hunt in Wisconsin, and his perspective on the Hmong “balanced” approach to food. Episode Highlights: • Vang talks about his journey from college to chef and food truck operator to the owner of a new restaurant, Vinai, in Minneapolis. • Vang also explains how Andrew Zimmern's producers “discovered” him, which led to “Feral.” • WATCH Vang make pheasant fried rice, which is featured in the new PF & QF Upland Bird Hunting Super issue. onX Hunt is a proud supporter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and they want to thank everyone who gives back to the birds we all love to hunt and the places they call home. Click this link to get a free month of onX Hunt and then use code PFQF to get 20% off, and a portion will go back to supporting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat mission.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by the husband-and-wife dog training duo Susanna and Ronnie Smith. Ronnie comes from a long line of famous bird dog trainers that includes his father, Ronnie Sr., his uncle Delmar, and his cousin Rick. The couple talk about falling in love when Susanna brought her young German shorthaired pointer pup to Ronnie for training. This is their touching love story filled with bird dog conversation and priceless bird dog training tips. Episode Highlights: • Susanna shares her story of growing up as a ranching kid in Texas, moving to Washington, D.C. to work for the House Committee on Agriculture, then coming back home to her roots to work livestock, horses, and dogs. • Ronnie shares a few fun stories about guiding President George H. Bush, President George W. Bush, NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann, and astronaut Eugene Cernan on Texas quail hunts. • The couple also share how the COVID pandemic changed the way they approached training a bird dog. • The Smiths are members of the Purina Pro Plan Pro Staff, check out this video about their story and learn more about the Smiths at their website.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Travis Frank, host of The Flush, to preview the television show's new 2024 season on Outdoor Channel. The guys kick off the conversation with a fun debate about which characters they most resemble from 1990's sitcoms, then talk about their philosophical differences in approaching podcast preparations. The highlight of the episode comes with Travis discussing his personal trepidation about filming his son's first pheasant hunt and the joy he experiences raising two daughters and two sons as hunters and anglers. Travis also shares the horrific experience of getting a fishhook in his eye and his miraculous recovery. The Flush 2024 Season Lineup Week 1 July 1 Alberta Huns & Fowl Week 2 July 8 Superior Trail Ruffed Grouse Week 3 July 15 North Dakota Sharpies & Huns Week 4 July 22 Minnesota's First CRP Farmer Week 5 July 29 Kansas Quail Week 6 August 5 Marilyn Vetter as PF & QF's New President & CEO Week 7 August 12 Traveling Grouse Guide Week 8 August 19 A Boy's First Pheasant Week 9 August 26 Iowa Pheasant Roadtrip Week 10 September 2 Idaho Quail Nightmare Week 11 September 9 Christmas Grouse Camp Week 12 September 16 Hank Hunt #3 at Prairie Wildlife Lodge Week 13 September 23 A Young Chukar Hunting Phenom The Flush airs on Outdoor Channel at the following times (Eastern): • Mondays at 9:30am • Wednesdays at 12:30pm • Fridays at 11:30am • Saturdays at 8:30am • Sundays at 6:30am

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Quail Forever's Dr. Jessica McGuire, University of Georgia's Dr. James Martin, and Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks for a conversation about the new “Bobscapes” mobile app. The group chats about citizen science, artificial intelligence, and using Bobscapes data to better understand bobwhite quail populations. Episode Highlights: • Dr. Martin discusses the evolution of citizen science in wildlife research and also theorizes ways artificial intelligence may be used to help biologists in the future. • Jokingly referred to as a Bobscapes app “super user,” Sparks explains how easy the app is to use and how he enjoys putting it to work on his family's Nebraska farm. • Learn more about Bobscapes and download the free app at www.Bobscapes.org. This episode of On the Wing podcast was made possible by a grant from the #Farming4Habitat campaign. Learn how private landowners are investing in the conservation of America's fish and wildlife resources by visiting www.Farming4Habitat.org.

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever biologists Ciera Garner and Heather Francis to talk about the intersection between pollinator habitat for pollinating insects and brood habitat for upland birds. Garner is the organization's pollinator coordinator in Tennessee and Francis is a farm bill biologist III and on-boarding coordinator in Nebraska. In fact, pollinators are so important to them both that Garner's wedding earlier this spring included a variety of native wildflower components as did Francis' youngest son's wedding that happened on the very same day as Garner's nuptials. Episode Highlights: • The group focuses their conversation on a Top 10 list of wildflowers as voted on by a sampling of PF & QF's team of biologists. • The criteria for the Top 10 list of wildflowers included each plant's a) value in creating habitat structure; b) value as a food resource – both in seed produced as food, as well as the plant's ability to attract soft-bodied insects as chick food; and c) as the wildcard value of the flower's blooming beauty. • Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are currently offering a special Pollinator Week package including a PF or QF membership, six wildflower plants, a “Habitat Creator” sticker, and a “Pollinator Habitat” sign. Check out the offer at: www.PheasantsForever.org/PollinatorWeek www.QuailForever.org/PollinatorWeek Thanks to our Pollinator Week partners: • Corteva Agriscience • Bayer U.S. Crop Science • Syngenta US • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service • Monarch Joint Venture • Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks for a conversation with Jesse Griffiths, a restauranteur, chef, cooking instructor, MeatEater contributor, and James Beard award-winning food writer. Griffiths wrote an article in the new summer edition of the Quail Forever Journal titled, “The Three Quail I've Known,” about wild, stocked, and farm-raised quail. Episode Highlights: • The conversation starts with a focus on quail hunting opportunities in Texas and how a love for eating quail can lead to a passion for quail habitat conservation. • Sparks equates being a capable wild game cook at home to being able to read quality habitat for bird hunting. Both are equally important, but not always viewed as equals. • Griffiths closes the conversation with a lightning round of his favorite way to prepare quail, favorite quail side dishes, and favorite quail libations. Learn more about Jesse Griffiths by visiting the following sites: - His restaurant Dai Due at https://www.daidue.com/home - His books at https://www.thewildbooks.com/ - Follow Jesse on Instagram @sac.a.lait

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Mike Amman and Ashly Steinke, both volunteers with the Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, for a conversation about prairie grouse, barrens habitat, and dog training. When most folks think about sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie chickens, they automatically think about the large expanses of prairie grasslands across the Dakotas or Montana or Nebraska. There is, however, a somewhat “secret” population of sharp-tailed grouse in Wisconsin's brushland habitat. Episode Highlights: • Steinke, an ecologist with Audubon Society, shares his personal passion and professional knowledge focused on growing Wisconsin's sharp-tailed grouse population through habitat management and brushland connectivity. • Amman, a forester for Wisconsin's Bayfield County, discusses his perspective on the importance of the state's brushland habitat and the wildlife dependent upon this unique form of grasslands habitat, even though he's also passionate about the state's Northwoods forests. • The guys also discuss the value Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society find in having a booth to recruit new members from all over the country at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic. Learn more about sharp-tailed grouse in Wisconsin by visiting www.WiSharptails.org

Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Irene Liu, Wenfei Tong, and Tom Swartwout, along with web developer and software engineer Ben Cooley for a “behind the scenes” conversation about the creation of the Map for Grasslands. The map is the output of a partnership spanning two years between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and more than two dozen conservation organizations working toward the creation of the North American Grasslands Conservation Act. Episode Highlights: • As a producer, editor, and director with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Center for Conservation Media, Swartwout explains his organization's interest in grasslands conservation and his team's role in turning data into a visual tool for the public. • Liu and Tong discuss the data sources behind the map's focus on bobwhite quail, pheasants, monarch butterflies, elk, and northern pintails as five of the fifteen different wildlife species highlighted within the www.MapForGrasslands.org. • Cooley then explains how he turned the tremendous volume of data sources into a heart-breaking AND compelling story of the need for grasslands habitat conservation by utilizing the “martini glass” principle.