On The Wing Podcast

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PODCAST EP. 93: Rooster Road Trip Day 5 Recap with the Traveling Crew Oct 17, 2020

Show notes

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 filming and editing process evolved through the course of the trip to deliver compelling videos recapping each day’s events. • Vavra and Hinners discuss how much they learned about habitat in the last week during hunts with Pheasants Forever biologists Megan Howell, Matt Christensen, Tanner Bruse, Becca Kludt, and Sabin Adams. • And Bob finds his shooting eye on the final walk. Follow along all this week at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org

PODCAST EP. 92: Rooster Road Trip Day 4 Recap with a Biologist and a Musician Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

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 lands habitat restoration for pheasants, prairie chickens, and sharp-tailed grouse. • Simonett explains how bird hunting has deepened his connection with nature. He also shared an inspiringly fun story of transforming his rescued mixed breed pup, “Hrbek,” into a bird dog. • As is the Rooster Road Trip tradition, Andrew delivers today’s Instagram questions for an entertaining lighting round. Follow along all this week at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org

PODCAST EP. 91: Rooster Road Trip Day 3 Recap with PF Volunteer Jeff Davis Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

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 the agriculture industry and volunteers as the chapter president in Lincoln County, estimates that more than 90% of the soybean crop has been harvested and likely 80% of the corn will be out by this Saturday for the second weekend of Minnesota’s pheasant hunting season. • Bruse and Davis talk about the connection between the farming and hunting cultures that exists across rural southwest Minnesota. • The crew also talks about the etiquette of going back to a public hunting spot that a friend has shared during a previous day’s hunt. • As is the Rooster Road Trip tradition, Andrew delivers today’s Instagram questions for a lighting round. Follow along all this week at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org

PODCAST EP. 90: Rooster Road Trip Day 2 Recap with PF Biologist Megan Howell Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

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 unspoken affection for rare the breed. • The lively and fun conversation covers a lot of ground from morel mushrooms and Bloody Mary asparagus to identifying birdy habitat from the road and strategies for pheasant hunting on very windy days. • As is the Rooster Road Trip tradition, Andrew delivers today’s Instagram questions for a lighting round. Follow along all this week at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org

PODCAST EP. 89: Rooster Road Trip Day 1 Recap with PF Legend Joe Duggan Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

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 and explains how someone garners the recognition of having both a state Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and a federal Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) named in his honor. • In what has become a Rooster Road Trip tradition, the crew answers questions from Pheasants Forever’s Instagram audience to round out the episode. Follow along all this week at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org

PODCAST EP. 88: BONUS Episode - 2020 Rooster Road Trip Preview Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

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 recap of their early season prairie grouse, ruffed grouse, woodcock, and whitetail bow hunting adventures with reports from public lands trips to North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. • Andrew explains this year’s #ResponsibleRecreation theme, then shares his excitement for the forecasted mild weather and bumper crop of pheasants. • Logan reasserts the “F-8 and Be There” motto of the digital event, while Bob talks about his hopes for a young bird dog set to experience her first pheasant hunt. Follow along all this week at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org

PODCAST EP. 87: Ruben Mata on Volunteering and Starring in a new Project Upland Film Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

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 serendipitous day and the conversations had along the way, Ruben researched Quail Forever and quickly became a chapter volunteer. • Ruben talks about the popularity of hunting within southern California’s Latino community and provides advice for how Quail Forever “can make more Ruben’s.” • The trio also talk about the mythical 100-bird valley quail covey flush. Ruben says you can feel the “rumble” of that flush! Check out Ruben in Project Upland’s film “This Exists – A California Quail Hunting Video”

PODCAST EP. 86: Pro Photographer Erik Petersen on the Making of a Pheasant Hunter Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

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 photo worthy of framing. The trio discuss the importance of moving past the tailgate shot and the grip & grin pose. • The group unveil the backstory of a photo Erik sent to Logan and how it launched Erik’s effort to improve inclusivity through his work photographing and filming the uplands. • Erik also provides a teaser for the film he’s partnering with Pheasants Forever on this hunting season called “A Long Way Home” which will premiere at the 2021 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic. Read Erik Petersen’s story from the Fall issue of the Pheasants Forever Journal titled “To Make a Pheasant Hunter.” www.pheasantsforever.org/tomakeahunter

PODCAST EP. 85: Fly Fishing & Bird Hunting Go Together Like Peas & Carrots Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

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 with foster children through fishing. • Jenny talks about tying flies during the COVID-19 pandemic using the birds bagged by the duo while upland hunting. • Marissa discusses her love for the names of flies. She also references Nick Simonson’s Pheasants Forever blog 12 Flies you can Tie from Rooster Feathers. • Carla explains her love for “devil birds” and how hunting chukars is more difficult than training for Ironman Triathlons. • Jenny and Carla jointly paint the picture of just how beautiful the Western landscape is where chukars and trout live, and how these beautiful places inspire conservation. • The group discuss the benefits of social media as an outdoors recruitment tool and as a way to convert folks into hunters and anglers. Follow Carla on Instagram at @OregonOutdoorGirl and Jenny on Instagram at @Sea2Sage to check out photos of their fly fishing and bird hunting adventures. • Marissa talks about the habitat connection between healthy upland birds, abundant trout populations, and clean cold water. • As the episode closes, Jenny and Carla share their tips for the guys out there listening who want the women in their lives to come along into their outdoors adventures . . . to coach or not to coach?

PODCAST EP. 84: Recruiting, Retaining, and Reactivating Hunting into the Future Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

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 organization’s launch of the Mentor Pledge being sponsored by ALPS OutdoorZ. Episode highlights: • Colby shares his experience as a first-generation hunter and the memorable duck hunt in college that hooked him. • Matt explains the Wildlife Management Institute’s role as a “think tank” for natural resources. He also discusses how that work led to a deep dive into the loss of hunters and potential ramifications for the rapid decline in license sales. • Matt also details the struggles of the hunting community as its efforts successfully cloned middle aged white males but didn’t adapt to reflect America’s changing demographics. • Bob and Matt also debate the comparison of hunting as a sport or a lifestyle and the ways to change the conversation to make it more inclusive. • The group also discusses the importance of mentorship. As Matt says, “become a mentor, and your circle of friends will grow exponentially”. • In the end, they review tips for mentors and how Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever can help hunters be mentors. Take Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Hunter Mentor Challenge this hunting season!

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