The Ugly Dog Podcast

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50. Q&A with Mike - NAVHDA Invitational Prep, DD vs GWP, and The Day Everything Changed Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

This week's episode features Mike answering questions submitted on our Facebook and Instagram pages. He covers his mindset heading toward the NAVHDA Invitational, his thoughts on DDs vs. GWPs, answers a whole bunch of silly geese questions, and talks candidly about losing 2 of his dogs to heat stroke.
This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

49. Nick Dulas - Being the Young Guy in a PF Chapter, Driving All Night To Get a Setter, and Making The Choice To Go Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

Nick Dulas joins the show this week where he recounts his pre-COVID journey to joining the Rice County PF chapter and why he's stayed involved since. He also shares how he developed a love for setters and the french brittany. He and Mike also talk a little hockey, and dive into Nick's advice for making long-distance hunting trips.

Enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

48. Nikki Flander - Loving Dogs So Much She Snuck One Home, Her Love of English Setters, and Diving Into The Industry and Creating Spaces for Women. Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

Nikki Flander joins the show this week to share her journey to working with the Minnesota Horse & Hunt Club, how she fell in love with English Setters, that one time she wanted a dog so bad she snuck one home in high school, and creating community for women in the hunting and shooting space.

Nikki is dedicated to any pursuit she picks up and this episode highlights her passion for the dogs and getting other women involved.

Enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

47. Hannah & Kyle Peterson - A Match Made Over Bird Dogs, Diving Into Cover Dog Trials, and Wanting An Assertive Female Setter. Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

Hannah & Kyle Peterson are a match made with a shared love of dog training, and then bird dogs in grouse country. In this episode they share their journey into dog training in very separate realms and how they eventually met, married, and now are growing a family, all while chasing English Setters through the grouse woods hunting and in Cover Dog trials. Both have taken an active role in the Minnesota Grouse Dog Association and are leading the charge to get more folks involved in the sport. Hannah and Kyle also share their differing opinions of male and female dog personalities, whether a champion means more when it's achieved multiple times over, and much more.

This is a fun one! Enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

46. John Zeman - Letting a Dog Fill Up The Country, The Power of Helping Others Train Their Dogs, and Ensuring Others Have Access to Dog Training Areas Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

John Zeman got his first German Shorthair in 1978 and has had various types of bird dogs ever since. Through mentors he found field trials and training methods which he now shares with many who show up at his home on Wednesday nights for training. He still runs and judges field trials across the upper midwest and is also the current president of the Minnesota Federation of Field Trial Clubs. He, and a special committee have been instrumental in working with the Minnesota DNR to offer dog training opportunities at the newly acquired Keystone Woods WMA property.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

45. Greg Blair - An Education in Field Trials and Landing a Dream Job with Purina. Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

Greg Blair joins the show this week to share his origins in bird dogs, NSTRA, and ultimately field trials. He shares how he landed his dream job at Purina, became a field trial judge, breaks down accessibility in field trialing as well as a look at this year's National Championship and much much more.

If you're looking to learn more about field trials, this episode is for you.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

44. Ray Esboldt - Finding NAHRA, Kelly Farms, and Keeping Keystone Woods WMA Open to Train Bird Dogs Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Ray Esboldt is a member of the Four Points Retriever Club and an avid NAHRA enthusiast. Mike & Ray sat down to discuss his experience going from a meat dog to appreciating the abilities and year round training opportunities or a NAHRA dog. Ray also speaks up about the recent purchase of Kelly Farms in Minnesota, what's different now, and shares more in-depth about the collaboration with the MN DNR to keep a portion of the newly named Keystone Woods WMA open to bird dog training throughout the summer months.

Enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

43. Jacob Walter - Transitioning from Labs to Shorthairs, Going All-In on Bird Dogs, and Why Physical Fitness Is An Underrated Component for Bird Hunting Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

Jacob Walter joins the show this week to share his journey of upland bird hunting from growing up with Labrador Retrievers to raising a young family with German shorthairs. Jacob also discusses what inspired him to become a local volunteer for Pheasants Forever, how he approaches long-distance hunting trips, and some insight into why he believes physical fitness is an underrated component of upland hunting.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

42. Luc Ramthun - Loving Large Munsterlanders and a National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic Preview! Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Luc Ramthun from Pheasants Forever joins the show this week to give a preview of the upcoming Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic being held in Kansas City (see y'all there), and share his journey into bird hunting. Luc shares how he pivoted from big city marketing and teaching to working for The Habitat Organization, and how Pheasant Fest led him to his first bird dog.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

41. Dr. RuthAnn Lobos - On When and How To Feed Your Hunting Dog, Choosing a Puppy Food, and Coming to Hunting Later in Life Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

Dr. RuthAnn Lobos is the Senior Veterinarian for Purina. She joins the show this week to share her journey with bird dogs and give some incredible, research backed insight into how we feed our dogs. You'll learn how to prioritize and plan your feeding schedule for hunting and training, whether you can feed 30/20 straight away or should choose a puppy specific food, and how Purina works every day with hunters to better their dogs through nutrition. Additionally, Dr. RuthAnn shares how she fell in love with bird hunting and what she's most excited about for her new puppy, Journey.

Quick heads up, we have a microphone issue on the last 20 or so minutes. We prioritize audio quality here at The Ugly Dog Podcast and apologize the last portion of this episode does not meet our normal standards. But, the content was too good to cut out. Thanks for sticking with us through it. We're confident you'll learn a few things.

This episode is brought to you by Ugly Dog Hunting Co. Shop now at UglyDogHunting.com.
Check out the Ugly Dog Hunting Co. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7G1T81K9zEBLmB0AoqOcgA

Music used under Creative Commons -Two Step Daisy Duke by Mr. Smith is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

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