On The Wing Podcast

The biggest victories for upland birds often happen long before hunting season ever opens.

Wild pheasants, quail, public land access, and quality bird hunting all depend on decisions made long before opening day. State legislatures shape wildlife habitat, conservation funding, prescribed fire, hunter access, and the future of upland hunting across America.

Bob St. Pierre sits down with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Director of ...

Discover the overlooked birds, wild landscapes, and upland habitat work shaping Wyoming.

Wyoming may be famous for sage grouse, mule deer, and elk, but the state offers far more upland hunting opportunities than most hunters realize. From dusky grouse in the high country to Hungarian partridge, chukar, sharp-tailed grouse, pheasants, and ruffed grouse, Wyoming is one of the most diverse bird hunting destinations in the West.

Pheasant...

A conservation legend and a remarkable young bird caller reveal why America's uplands are worth protecting.

Conservation begins with curiosity, and few conversations capture that better than this one. Twelve-year-old bird calling phenom Samuel Henderson shares how his passion for birds and his extraordinary ability to mimic more than 125 species have inspired millions to pay closer attention to the natural world. From bobwhite quail...

Fall bird hunting starts long before the first rooster flushes or the first covey rises. It begins with maps spread across the table, bird reports rolling in, and conversations about the places, people, and traditions that make every hunting season unforgettable.

Travis Frank, host of The Flush on Outdoor Channel, shares what's ahead for the newest season while swapping stories about upcoming adventures across North America. From ru...

Few things define the upland hunting experience like a good bird dog, a trusted shotgun, and memories built one hunt at a time.

On this episode of On The Wing Podcast, PF & QF’s Bob St.Pierre and Casey Sill sit down with Iowa musician and avid bird hunter Jared Benson to talk about the inspiration behind his new song, Old Bird Dog. What starts as a conversation about music quickly turns into a deeper discussion abou...

As Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever celebrate Grasslands Week and Pollinator Week, this conversation explores the critical relationship between healthy habitat, thriving pollinator populations, and strong upland bird numbers. From pheasant chicks and bobwhite quail to Gambel's quail and prairie grouse, the insects supported by flowering plants provide the protein young birds need to survive and grow.

Habitat Education Programs Ma...

It’s “Hatch Week” at Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, so it’s cause for celebration. In fact, peak hatch is happening now and understanding it can make you a better upland hunter.

What actually happens during pheasant hatch, quail nesting season, and prairie grouse breeding? This conversation breaks down the biology behind the birds many upland hunters pursue each fall, and explains why nesting cover, br...

The connection between a bird dog and a hunter may be one of conservation’s most powerful forces.

For many upland hunters, the journey begins with their first bird dog. For others, that dog is what keeps them connected to hunting, habitat conservation, and life outdoors.

John Zeman has spent decades training bird dogs, competing in field trials, mentoring new handlers, and helping hunters develop better dogs. After retiring fro...

Monsoon rains, desert grasslands, and wild coveys collide in Arizona’s ambitious quail restoration effort.

Arizona’s quail country is bigger, rougher, and more alive than most hunters realize. In this conversation, the crew behind Quail Forever’s Arizona Quail Initiative breaks down how large-scale habitat restoration is shaping the future of Gambel’s quail, scaled quail, and Mearns’ quail.

From remote d...

Washington, D.C. can feel a long way from pheasant country, quail habitat, and working farms, but the decisions made there shape the future of upland hunting across America. In this conversation, the crew from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever breaks down what happened during a recent D.C. fly-in alongside members of The Habitat Organization’s new Upland Caucus.

Public relations specialist Mikayla Peper shares what it was li...

Better habitat means better hunting. That’s not a surprising statement. What may surprise folks is how much sweat equity it takes to turn average habitat into elite upland habitat. In this episode, learn how an everyday landowner is building wildlife-rich ground with a little help from friends and family.

Private landowner Tim Kraskey breaks down the real-world habitat management strategies that directly impact upland bird num...

Balancing bird dog training with young kids, busy schedules, and everyday life is a challenge most upland hunters eventually face. The reality is your dog doesn’t stop needing structure just because your time gets tighter. The good news is you don’t need hours in the field to maintain a high-performing hunting dog.

Veteran bird dog owner and SportDOG Brand’s Clay Thompson breaks down how to keep an experienc...

Deep in the Texas High Plains, a committed group of conservationists is proving what’s possible when habitat work meets community grit. On a sprawling 9,000-acre property at Palo Duro, volunteers, biologists, and land managers are tackling real-world challenges like invasive species, wildfire mitigation, and declining upland bird habitat through hands-on conservation projects.

This conversation dives into the strategy behind a...

Great hunting spots aren’t just found; they’re named through hard-earned moments in the field. This collection of listener-submitted stories dives into the heart of upland bird hunting culture, where bird dogs, wild flushes, and unforgettable days turn ordinary places into permanent fixtures on the map. This “snackable” episode also announces the winner of the Frost River Woodsman Pack from the contest annou...

This conversation breaks down Habitat University, a skills-based platform designed to close the gap between theory and real-world application. Whether you’re planting a pollinator plot, improving nesting cover, establishing a food plot, or managing CRP acres, the focus is on actionable knowledge that leads to better results on the landscape.

You’ll hear how modern conservation faces a growing challenge: fewer people ente...

What if higher quality quail habitat could unlock better turkey hunting on your land?

Spring turkey hunting gets the spotlight, but the real story starts long before opening day. It lives in the habitat. This conversation brings together two wildlife biologists to break down the relationship between wild turkeys and bobwhite quail, cutting through myths and getting to what actually drives bird numbers on the landscape.

The discussion...

What if better habitat decisions could directly translate into higher populations of pheasants and quail, as well as better hunting opportunities?

Behind every great day chasing upland birds is high quality habitat that actually produces birds. This conversation pulls back the curtain on how science is shaping the future of upland bird hunting across the country.

During this conversation, PF & QF leaders and university professors...

Every hunter has a spot with a name that holds memories, birds, and meaning.

Spend enough seasons chasing upland birds and the map starts to change. What begins as public land or a patch of cover turns into something personal. A place earns a name through miles walked, bird dogs worked, and coveys flushed at just the right moment.

This conversation dives into the stories behind those names and the hunting memories that made them stic...

One hunter’s relentless quest to chase upland birds across America’s wildest terrain.

This conversation dives deep into the reality behind the “upland slam” — not just the birds, but the dogs, the habitat, and the wild game meal at the end of a hunt. Listeners will pick up practical insights on upland bird hunting strategy, from breaking down unfamiliar terrain to identifying productive habitat like tim...