Hunting Culture

A ruffed grouse walking through snow leaving tracks
Understanding Tracks and Other Game Bird Signs

Identifying clues left in the deserts, mountains, uplands and woods when bird hunting “I’ve got…

A bird hunter holds up a pheasant.
The Good Reasons We Do Not Have Bird Dogs

You don’t need a bird dog to be part of the uplands; it’s just a…

An African-American upland hunter in a field with his bird dog.
On Being an African-American Upland Hunter from the South

A candid and honest look at African-American upland culture. Where do upland hunting traditions go…

Training a bird dog for its first hunting test.
My Bird Dog Pup Goes to the Big Leagues

Or, that time I drove 900 miles for a dog test I popped an antacid…

The author hunts the mountains with her bird dog.
Our First Bird: Lessons in Humility

It should have been a memory to last a lifetime: a new hunter, a new…

A dog and handler look at each other while training.
Building Trust and Partnership with Your Dog

The development of a strong bound between a dog and handler is a cornerstone to…

Two bird hunters get ready at a truck to go hunt quail in California.
Hunter Recruitment: How Bird Hunting is Helping in the R3 Fight

Bird hunting is at the forefront of hunter recruitment in the United States. Doom and…

pen-raised quail for bird dog training in a quail pen.
Living with Pen-Raised Quail for Dog Training

Here is a collection of stories, mistakes, and trials of living with pen-raised quail to…

A bird hunter and bird dog during it's first hunting season.
Setting Expectations for Your Dogs First Hunting Season

Taking the lessons from a first bird hunting season with a bird dog The young…

A woman bird hunting out west with an Arrietta shotgun.
Gun not for Sale – An Arrieta Shotgun Legacy Story

Why I would never sell my Arrieta side-by-side shotgun. I cannot recollect where I was…

A bird dog trainer holding a training pigeon.
Things They Don’t Tell You About Bird Dog Training

Pigeons are disgusting and other surprises not disclosed when you get your first gun dog…

A bird dog on point in thick cover
Hard Lesson Learned on Wind Direction and Hunting Dogs

A hard lesson learned about wind direction for a first time hunting dog handler In…

A hunter holds up a chukar from a preserve hunt
Adapted Upland Traditions – Upland Preserves

The importance of Upland Preserves in our hunting community. With an avid outdoorsman for a…

A bird dog puppy laying in the grass.
What Just Happened to My Life: Bringing Home Our First Gun Dog

A first hand perspective of adding the first gun dog to the family It was…

A hunter holds up a Sage Grouse
Sage Grouse Wisdom- Hunting and the Realization of their Critical Future

A story of Sage Grouse hunting and a realization of the critical nature of their…

Lee Lee Milner training a bird dog.
May Every Woman Have a Hunting Dog

Being outside with a dog gets us out of our heads, forcing us to focus…

A partridge hunter holds up a ruffed grouse.
Bird Hunting Without a Dog – Breaking the Stigma

Bird hunting without a dog is a controversial subject in the upland community, but nevertheless…

A hunter recovers a woodcock without a bird dog.
How to Recover More Birds Without a Dog

Do you use these strategies to recover more birds without a dog? If you’ve been…

A boy with his hunting dog.
The Other Reasons We Buy Hunting Dogs

There are many reasons, unrelated to wingshooting, that we buy hunting dogs. The decision to…

A ruffed grouse hunter holds a bird.
Grouse Hunting Should be on Everyone’s Bucket List

Hunting the “King of the Birds” is more than just another bird in the bag—it’s…

A group of bird hunters follow a dog through thick cover
The Difference Between Upland Purists and Opportunist

At the end of the day, Upland Purists and Opportunists have the same goal. The…