We crowdsourced bird dog training questions from the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter channels for this special “Ask the Experts” episode featuring professional dog trainers Tom Dokken and Josh Miller. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Director of Marketing Andrew Vavra joins host Bob St.Pierre for this entertaining conversation covering flushers, pointers, and retrievers. Episode Highlights: • Josh and Tom discuss whether playing around with a “wing on a st...
Apr 13, 2021•1 hr 30 min
Biologist Monty Gregg closes out our western quail species series with a deep dive into California valley quail. A passionate bird hunter, Gregg talks about habitat, hunting, and the life cycle of valley quail. He also explains how the U.S. Forest Service is connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and America’s National Grasslands. Episode Highlights: • Gregg talks about growing up as a big game hunter then falling in love with bird hunting through friendships, bird dogs, and his passion...
Mar 31, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Grasslands are inherently dynamic in space and time, evolving with frequent disturbance from fire and herbivores (bison, cattle, etc.). As a consequence of human actions, many remaining grasslands have become homogenous, which has led to biodiversity loss and decreased ecological services. Enter the concept of grassland heterogeneity. Host Bob St.Pierre is in over his head for a fun master’s level conversation about grassland diversity and the concept of “heterogeneity” with Luke Zilverberg, a P...
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 2 min
We continue our series of western quail species with this episode’s focus on the mountain quail. Mikal Cline, an upland biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, joins host Bob St.Pierre and PF & QF’s Western Regional Director Al Eiden for a conversation about mountain quail biology, habitat, and hunting tactics. Episode Highlights: • The group discuss the mountain quail’s geographic range from northern Washington to southern California and some of the bird’s interesting attr...
Mar 17, 2021•50 min
Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Western Regional Director Al Eiden for a conversation about scaled quail with John Sherman, a wildlife biologist with the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico. A lifelong New Mexican, Sherman talks about his passion for scaled quail and the thrill of hunting them. Episode Highlights: • The trio talk about scaled quail being notorious “track stars” and the only bird you need tennis shoes to hunt. • Sherman details the geogra...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Western Regional Director Al Eiden for a conversation with Arizona Game & Fish Department’s Biologist Wade Zarlingo focused on Gambel’s quail. Zarlingo, a lifelong Arizonan, talks about how to hunt these fabulous desert birds and their habitat needs. Episode Highlights: • Zarlingo talks about the upswing in Arizona’s Gambel’s quail numbers and the optimism he holds for a boom next hunting season if weather conditions align...
Mar 03, 2021•1 hr 8 min
On February 25th, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announced the Call of the Uplands comprehensive campaign to raise $500 million to improve 9 million acres of upland habitat, introduce 1.5 million new people to the uplands, and permanently protect 75,000 acres of land FOREVER. It’s the boldest, most important initiative in the organization’s history. Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by volunteer Steve Shafer, Government Affairs Representative Bethany Erb, and Chief Development Officer David Bue ...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 31 min
Upland hunting is an experience like no other. For those who may be new to the uplands but seek the serenity of the prairies, the rugged desert uplands of Southwest, or the fall colors of the Northwoods, we bring you our new content series, “Path to the Uplands” to help you embark on a lifetime of new adventures. The Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever crew of Marissa Jensen, Colby Kerber, Tom “Carp” Carpenter, and Bob St.Pierre discuss this brand new content series to engage anyone interested i...
Feb 22, 2021•1 hr 9 min
SPECIAL MIXED BAG MASHUP EPISODE: In the second installment of this series, host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Ron Boehme of The Hunting Dog Podcast, Travis Frank of The Flush, and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s very own Marissa Jensen for an entertaining conversation recapping their 2020 bird hunting seasons. Episode Highlights: • Travis Frank talks about how his new bird dog created joy and chaos during this season’s filming of Outdoor Channel’s The Flush. He’s also holding out hope for on...
Feb 17, 2021•1 hr 30 min
SPECIAL MIXED BAG MASHUP EPISODE: In the first of two special episodes, host Bob St.Pierre is joined by fellow podcasting hosts Nick Larson of Project Upland Podcast, Durrell Smith of The Gun Dog Notebook, and Tyler Webster of Birds, Booze, and Buds Podcast for an entertaining conversation recapping their 2020 bird hunting seasons. Episode Highlights: • Tyler Webster, henceforth to be known as “Mr. Mixed Bag,” kicks the conversation into gear with the story of his September grouse slam in Montan...
Feb 09, 2021•1 hr 8 min
BONUS EPISODE: It’s our 9th inning, two-minute warning, buzzer beater episode to close out the pheasant hunting season. Host Bob St.Pierre connects with Pheasants Forever’s Public Relations Manager Jared Wiklund who is fresh off a late season pheasant hunting trip where he found public land rooster success. Episode Highlights: • Listen for a few great tips to find roosters during the last weekend of the pheasant hunting season in South Dakota, Kansas, and Nebraska. • In this quick-hitting episod...
Jan 28, 2021•19 min
With seemingly every bird hunting Instagrammer chasing Mearns’ quail to start 2021, host Bob St.Pierre dives deep into this fascinating bird with Arizona Game & Fish’s Quail Biologist Kirby Bristow. The guys talk about the biology, life cycle, and habitat needs of Mearns’ quail with hunting tips and tactics interwoven throughout the discussion. Episode Highlights: • The guys talk about how unique the landscape is where Mearns’ quail live in Arizona, New Mexico, a small portion of west Texas,...
Jan 26, 2021•1 hr 31 min
Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Aaron Kuehl, a long-time biologist with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever who runs the organization’s national seed program. It may be the heart of winter, but right now is the perfect time to start planning your spring habitat projects with a focus on understanding the organization’s various seed mixes to produce more birds, bucks, and pollinators. Episode Highlights: • Kuehl explains his background in biological science and how his work studying pheasants, qu...
Jan 21, 2021•58 min
Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Ron Leathers who was recently named Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s first-ever Chief Conservation Officer. In the new role, the organization’s conservation delivery functions will align under Leather’s vision. Those conservation delivery functions include habitat delivery, legislative advocacy, and education & outreach. Get to know Ron through this fun conversation. Episode Highlights: • Ron talks about growing up in Wyoming and his career steps with th...
Jan 12, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Editor Tom Carpenter to bring “Carp’s” story “It Ain’t Over Yet” from the Winter edition of the Pheasants Forever Journal to life. The duo explores misconceptions about late season pheasant hunting and tactics for finding success when the temperatures plummet and the snow piles up. Episode Highlights: • The guys talk about all the hunting pressure on public lands during a worldwide pandemic, while breaking down a few tips for finding roosters that other hunters m...
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by frequent podcast contributor Marissa Jensen for a conversation with Emily Spolyar. While Emily is a precision agriculture & conservation specialist with Pheasants Forever, the focus of this episode is on her social media pledge to introduce ten people to hunting during 2020. Episode Highlights: • The conversation gets started with Emily’s story of how a substitute teacher introduced her to bird hunting through the gift of an English setter puppy. • Emily talk...
Dec 14, 2020•1 hr 24 min
Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Kira Everhart-Valentin, the sustainability director for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, for a conversation with Eric Johannsen and Garrett Love, two farmers and ranchers who also own upland bird hunting operations. The group discuss sorghum’s role at the center of a Venn diagram where wild pheasant and quail populations intersect with farm profitability and environmental sustainability. Episode Highlights: • Johannsen, a 5th generation South Dakota farmer wh...
Dec 07, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Host Bob St. Pierre and Quail Forever Journal Editor Chad Love are joined by the organization’s Education & Outreach Program Manager Marissa Jensen for a conversation focused on the trio’s love of quail, upland hunting, covey rises, and the places quail live. Episode Highlights: • Marissa and Chad share their early season hunting adventures with young bird dogs in pursuit of prairie grouse in Nebraska’s Sandhills and sage grouse in Wyoming. • Chad talks about bird hunting only with women so ...
Nov 16, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Host Bob St. Pierre and Pheasants Forever Journal Editor Tom (Carp) Carpenter explore common mistakes pheasant hunters make and the remedies that will put more “roostery sags in your gamebag with long tailfeathers streaming out the side” this season. Episode Highlights: • Drawing on Carp’s feature in the Fall Issue, Bob St. Pierre and the author explore 11 mistakes, missteps, and misconceptions that can leave a pheasant hunter’s gamebag empty. • The duo breaks down early season, mid-season, and ...
Oct 19, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Host Bob St. Pierre and Rooster Road Trip co-host Andrew Vavra are joined by Pheasants Forever Graphic Design Manager Logan Hinners and Video Production Specialist Aaron Black-Schmidt to break down the final day of the 2020 event. The crew also deliver their own highlights and lowlights of the adventure while providing a behind-the-scenes view of the process leading to the creation of the daily written, video, photo, and audio content. Episode Highlights: • Black-Schmidt talks about how his film...
Oct 17, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Host Bob St. Pierre and Rooster Road Trip co-host Andrew Vavra are joined by Pheasants Forever Habitat Restoration Specialist Becca Kludt and lead singer of Trampled by Turtles, Dave Simonett, to recap a beautiful day in west central Minnesota. The wide-ranging conversation covers everything from the impact of changing climate on upland birds to exploring birdy cover before a concert. Episode Highlights: • In addition to bagging the day’s first rooster, Kludt is a wealth of knowledge on public l...
Oct 16, 2020•1 hr 20 min
Host Bob St. Pierre and Rooster Road Trip co-host Andrew Vavra are joined by Pheasants Forever biologist Tanner Bruse and PF chapter volunteer Jeff Davis to recap a very windy day afield. The crew spent the day primarily on federal Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) in southwest Minnesota’s “Buffalo Ridge” region where the wind on an average day is 17mph. Today’s sustained winds easily doubled that speed making for fast-flying and hard-to-hit roosters. Episode Highlights: • Davis, who works in th...
Oct 15, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever’s Director of Marketing Andrew Vavra and Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Megan Howell to recap Day 2 of the Rooster Road Trip featuring a golden hour filled with hits, misses, and . . . Bob’s water retrieve. Throughout the episode, Howell explains how her love of bird hunting lead her to become a biologist. Episode Highlights: • Howell talks about her bird dog, “Biscuit,” who is a Braque du Bourbonnais, and Andrew chimes in with his previously unsp...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever’s Director of Marketing Andrew Vavra and conservation legend Joe Duggan to recap the first day of this year’s Rooster Road Trip spent hunting the Minnesota public wildlife area named in honor of Duggan. Episode Highlights: • A Sunday night thunderstorm added much-needed moisture to Monday morning’s landscape, which helped the team’s dogs get this year’s Rooster Road Trip off to a birdy start. • Duggan reminisces about his career in conservation ...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Host Bob St. Pierre is joined by fellow Pheasants Forever co-workers, Andrew Vavra and Logan Hinners, as the trio previews this year’s Rooster Road Trip. The year 2020 has brought change throughout our entire country, and the Rooster Road Trip is not immune to these adjustments. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the crew discusses staying close to home and focusing on the state where the organization was founded in 1982: Minnesota. Episode Highlights: • The Road Trippers start the conversation with a...
Oct 09, 2020•51 min
Host Bob St. Pierre and Quail Forever Journal Editor Chad Love head west to chat with Ruben Mata, vice president of the Ventura California Chapter of Quail Forever. Mata and his son are featured in the new Project Upland film “This Exists” about valley quail hunting and passing on hunting traditions. Episode Highlights: • Ruben’s connection to Quail Forever began with a completely random 5a.m. meeting with QF chapter volunteers and an impromptu valley quail hunt together. After that serendipitou...
Oct 06, 2020•47 min
In this episode, host Bob St. Pierre is joined by Logan Hinners, PF & QF’s graphic design manager, and professional photographer Erik Petersen. The trio begin the discussion focused on taking better bird hunting photos. The conversation transitions to Erik’s very personal journey of raising two boys – one biological son and one adopted son from Ethiopia – as bird hunters in Montana. Episode Highlights: • Erik shares tips on how to improve bird hunter’s Instagram feeds and maybe even take a p...
Oct 01, 2020•1 hr 10 min
Host Bob St.Pierre takes the co-pilot seat as the organization’s Education & Outreach Program Manager Marissa Jensen takes the lead on a conversation with Carla Gibson and Jenny O’Brien on fly fishing, bird dogs, and chukar hunting in the West. Episode Highlights: • Jenny and Carla share their personal stories about how fly fishing and bird hunting strengthened their friendship. • Marissa and Carla discuss their experiences as volunteers with The Mayfly Project, whose mission is to connect w...
Sep 29, 2020•57 min
In conjunction with Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s celebration of National Hunting & Fishing week, host Bob St. Pierre and the organization’s Hunting Heritage Program Manger Colby Kerber take a deep dive into the hunting community’s R3 initiative with Matt Dunfee. Dunfee is the Wildlife Management Institute’s Director of Special Programs and one of the principle architects behind the R3 movement to address America’s precipitous decline in hunters. Colby also announces the organizati...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr 26 min
Host Bob St. Pierre heads across the airways to Iowa to hear all about the first ever drive-thru banquet hosted by the DubuqueLand chapter of Pheasants Forever. He’s joined by Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever Field Services Director Tom Fuller and DubuqueLand chapter President Tim Fiedler. Listen and learn about the innovative solution these chapter volunteers put together to make sure they continued to deliver the organization’s habitat mission in their local area during a worldwide pandem...
Sep 15, 2020•52 min
