On The Wing Podcast

Latest Episodes:

PODCAST EP. 113: GearJunkie Hunt & Fish Editor Nicole Qualtieri Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Nicole Qualtieri tuned in to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s recent Call of the Uplands campaign video launch at the same time she was studying America’s massive decline in bird numbers resulting from habitat loss. Our campaign’s bold effort to improve 9 million acres of habitat resonated deep within Nicole and she’s emerged as a vocal advocate for wildlife habitat conservation. During this episode, host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Director of Marketing Andrew Vavra for a conversation with Nicole covering her journey as a hunter, her career path that included a stop at MeatEater, and her menagerie of pets. Episode Highlights: • Qualtieri articulates her view of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s habitat mission as “restoring the soul of our landscape.” • Nicole tells the guys about her new Boykin spaniel named “Bob” and some obvious hilarity ensues. • Qualtieri also puts voice to the guy’s favorite story of hers, “An Open Letter of Solidarity to a 9,000-year-old hunter.” - https://gearjunkie.com/outdoor/hunt-fish/9000-year-old-female-hunter

PODCAST EP. 112: Bird Dog Training with Tom Dokken and Josh Miller Apr 13, 2021

Show notes

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 string” is helpful or harmful to a young pointing dog’s development. • The guys discuss how to properly introduce a dog to an e-collar and the steps building toward that introduction. • The group debates the merits of hunting pointers with flushers. • And the conversation ends with a fun discussion about training bird dogs to avoid skunks. Thanks to SportDOG BRAND for sponsoring this episode and for their support of this month’s Bird Dogs for Habitat campaign. SportDOG BRAND is the official tracking and training collar partner of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, as well as a long-time national sponsor of the organization’s wildlife habitat mission.

PODCAST EP. 111: Valley Quail with Biologist Monty Gregg Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

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 for running. • The guys talk about Oregon’s public land bird hunting opportunities and how to find valley quail on the Crooked River National Grassland. Check out the entire western quail podcast series: • Gambel’s quail podcast with Arizona Game & Fish Biologist Wade Zarlingo • Mearns quail podcast with Arizona Game & Fish Biologist Kirby Bristow • Scaled quail podcast with New Mexico Biologist John Sherman • Mountain quail podcast with Oregon Biologist Mikal Cline

PODCAST EP. 110: Grassland Heterogeneity with Biologist Luke Zilverberg Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

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 Pheasants Forever biologist. And it all leads back to better habitat and more birds to chase with a good dog. Episode Highlights: • Zilverberg talks about hunting and fishing during his college years at South Dakota State University, while squeezing in his master’s in biology which focused on this concept of heterogeneity. • The guys talk about the biological importance of grassland diversity for pheasants and quail, then detail how prescribed fire and livestock grazing can be used to maximize the benefits for wildlife, soil, and water quality.

PODCAST EP. 109: Mountain Quail with Oregon Biologist Mikal Cline Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

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 attributes, including being the largest quail species in the United States, it’s elevational migration during the seasons, and it’s showy two feathers making up its head plume. • Cline talks about her fascinating career path which has included stops studying the endangered Atwater’s prairie chickens at the Houston Zoo, tracking bobwhite quail at the Ames Plantation in Tennessee, studying Canada geese in urban Chicago, and working on wild turkey projects for the National Wild Turkey Federation. • Cline also gives some tips on how and where to find mountain quail across Oregon’s vast public land hunting acres. Also check out our Gambel’s quail podcast with Arizona Game & Fish Biologist Wade Zarlingo, our Mearns quail podcast with Arizona Game & Fish Biologist Kirby Bristow, and our scaled quail podcast with New Mexico Biologist John Sherman for more great quail content.

PODCAST EP. 108: Scaled Quail with New Mexico Biologist John Sherman Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

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 geographic range of scaled quail, explains their biology, and discusses the habitat needs for scaled quail, which are also known as blue quail or cottontops. • A recurring theme of the episode is that New Mexico is underappreciated as a bird hunting destination although it is a state where a traveling bird hunter could earn a “Grand Slam of Quail” all in a day’s hunt (bobwhites, Gambel’s, Mearns, and scaled). Also check out our Gambel’s quail podcast with Arizona Game & Fish Biologist Wade Zarlingo or our Mearns quail podcast with Arizona Game & Fish Biologist Kirby Bristow for more great quail content.

PODCAST EP. 107: Gambel’s Quail with Arizona Biologist Wade Zarlingo Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

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 to close out this winter. • A hardcore bird hunter, Zarlingo discusses how to hunt Gambel’s quail, his fondness for Pudelpointers, avoiding snakes, and being ready to chase these wily desert game birds. • The guys close out the episode with a good laugh as Zarlingo explains why a Google search of his last name produces YouTube hunting videos with Wade on top of a llama. Also check out our Mearns quail podcast with Arizona Game & Fish Biologist Kirby Bristow for more great quail content.

PODCAST EP. 106: Unveiling the Organization’s Call of the Uplands Campaign Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

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 to add color to the campaign and the organization’s vision for the future. Episode Highlights: • The group talks about the 53 million acres of grasslands have been lost since 2009 – an area the size of Kansas – and how the Call of the Uplands campaign will help to replace 9 million acres of that habitat through conservation initiatives and legislative advocacy efforts. • Bethany Erb explains the 30 X 30 initiative for conservation, the North American Grasslands Act concept, and the organization’s goals for improving the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for landowners and hunters. • “Don’t let this die,” are the words used by Steve Shafer, the campaign’s volunteer campaign chair, to inspire upland hunters everywhere to get involved in the campaign. Learn more about Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s nationwide call to action, the Call of the Uplands campaign.

PODCAST EP. 105: Announcing the New Path to the Uplands Content Series Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

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 in exploring the uplands. Episode Highlights: • As an adult-onset bird hunter herself, Marissa Jensen talks about the genesis of the Path to the Uplands concept and the vision for this content to help anyone interested in the uplands find their path into our cherished community. • While everyone in this group loves bird dogs, Colby Kerber dispels the myth that you have to jump into the deep end of the pool by taking on dog ownership to find a starting point on the path to becoming an upland bird hunter. • The group’s conversation riffs off Pheasants Forever Journal Editor Tom Carpenter’s companion article “7 Reasons to Become an Upland Bird Hunter . . . and One ‘Path to the Uplands’ Promise to Help you Make the Journey.” • Follow the content series using the hashtag #PathToTheUplands Thanks to our Path to the Uplands sponsors Federal Ammunition, OnXMaps, SoundGear, SportDOG BRAND, and ALPS OutdoorZ.

PODCAST EP. 104: Bird Hunting Season Recap with Ron Boehme, Marissa Jensen, and Travis Frank Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

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 one more trip THIS season with Alaska ptarmigan hunting still open until early spring. • Ron Boehme’s terrific sense of humor steals the show when he connects this season’s added bird hunting pressure to the popularity of Harry Potter movies. • Marissa Jensen shares her love of Nebraska’s Sandhills as her most cherished annual tradition while also detailing her new love for Wyoming’s sage grouse country. If you missed the first edition of our Mixed Bag Mashup, check out our conversation with Durrell Smith, Nick Larson, and Tyler Webster.

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