In this episode, Dr. Lance McNew, Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Montana State University, takes Gabby and AJ behind the scenes of modern game bird research. From sharp-tailed grouse and habitat management to Pittman-Robertson and the realities of securing research grants, Dr. McNew explains how science informs wildlife management—and how the way we fund that science can shape the questions researchers are able to answer.
We explore why there are no universal "best practices" for managing game bird habitat, why Western game birds often compete with big game species for limited research dollars, and why some ecological questions simply can't be answered within a three- or five-year funding cycle. Dr. McNew also explains how hunters have historically funded wildlife conservation, why that traditional funding remains essential, and where flexible private funding can help fill gaps it wasn't designed to address.
Those gaps can be surprisingly practical. Researchers still know relatively little about portions of the sharp-tailed grouse's annual life cycle outside the breeding season. Research equipment and enormous datasets need to be maintained after individual grants expire. And funding graduate students doesn't just produce research today; it helps train the wildlife professionals who will study and manage game birds for decades to come.
This episode isn't just about funding game bird science. It's an opportunity to support it.
Support the Science Behind Game Bird Conservation
To coincide with this episode, the Project Upland Foundation has released the 2026 Sharp-tailed Grouse Conservation Stamp, featuring original artwork by Joshua Powell.
Every dollar from the $25 stamp goes directly to Dr. Lance McNew's sharp-tailed grouse research at Montana State University. Project Upland Magazine covers the costs of printing, shipping, postage, fulfillment, staff time, and payment processing, making this a true 100% in, 100% out initiative: every $25 purchase sends the full $25 to native grouse research.
Our goal is to raise $7,500. That flexible funding can help fill gaps traditional research grants aren't designed to fill, from maintaining equipment and preserving research data to extending data collection and pursuing important questions that emerge during ongoing research.
Science can't guarantee more birds. What it can do is replace assumptions with evidence, giving wildlife managers a better understanding of what works, where it works, and why. If we want better answers about the future of game birds, we have to be willing to invest in the science that can provide them.
Learn more about the Project Upland Foundation, follow the progress of the research, and purchase your stamp at projectuplandfoundation.org.
Support the show
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
