Birdshot Podcast

Bird dogs and wild birds in the same photograph have kept Chad Donahue carrying a camera through the woods for 21 years. This fall, he finally got a photograph he had been chasing: a grouse on the ground with his setter Dax pointing behind it. He was shaking so much that some of the pictures came out blurry.Chad joins Nick for a conversation about the moments between a dog finding a bird and that bird taking flight. They talk about the pull of hunting season, taking kids along, and why photographs of old dogs grow more valuable with time. Chad also shares his approach to photographing woodcock, stories from spring banding, and the perspective he gained from photographer Tim Flanigan.The conversation closes with Chad's field-care suggestions for birds headed to a taxidermist and the hand-drawn upland designs behind Lazy 8 Outfitters.In this episode:October hunts, young dogs and taking kids into the coverThe photograph that started Chad's camera habit in 2005Why a grouse and a pointing dog are so difficult to capture togetherGetting low, working around cover and letting the bird settleWoodcock band recoveries and the stories behind individual birdsRemembering old dogs through photographsFreezing and handling birds for taxidermyConnect with Chad: https://lazy8outfitters.com/Questions from the conversationWhy is photographing a grouse with a pointing dog so difficult?Chad describes a narrow window in which the grouse, dog and camera all line up. Grouse rarely tolerate much movement, and even a small leaf or blade of grass can obscure the bird or the dog's face. Over 21 years, he says he has captured only four photographs with both a grouse on the ground and a dog in view.How does Chad approach woodcock photography?Chad starts with the photograph available from a distance, then gradually moves closer if the bird remains comfortable. He tries to keep his movements calm and often lies on the ground for a lower perspective. His goal is a clear view of the bird's eye, with the dog's eye and nose visible when both fit in the frame.What can a recovered woodcock band reveal?A band number can connect a harvested bird with the record made when it was banded. Chad keeps his own field notebook alongside the information submitted through the banding program. In this conversation, he describes sharing photographs with hunters who recovered birds he had banded, including one found roughly 100 yards from its spring location and another 134 miles away.How does Chad prepare birds for the taxidermist?Chad's approach is to protect the bird from unnecessary damage, double-bag it, squeeze the air out and freeze it promptly. He encourages getting the frozen bird to the taxidermist before it spends months being shifted around the freezer. He also explains that early-season pin feathers can make the work more difficult than a later-season bird with more developed plumage.Chapters0:00 Birdshot Podcast Intro0:58 October Hunts and Bird Reports11:41 Meet Chad Donahue19:25 The Pull of Hunting Season23:43 When Photography Becomes Part of the Hunt29:21 The Photograph That Started It34:12 Grouse, Pointing Dogs and a 21-Year Pursuit42:45 Approaching Birds With a Camera46:35 Photography Lessons From Tim Flanigan49:27 Stories Behind Chad's Photographs55:23 Woodcock Banding and Recoveries57:23 A Woodcock in a Tree1:08:24 Looking Back at the First Photograph1:16:29 A Banded Woodcock's Journey1:20:19 Field Care for Taxidermy1:23:27 Lazy 8 Outfitters and Hand-Drawn Designs1:26:16 Birdshot Podcast OutroSupport the showSupport the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/birdshotSponsorsThis episode is brought to you by Upland Gun Company, Final Rise, and Irish Setter Boots.Upland Gun Company: https://uplandguncompany.com/Final Rise Shirt of the Month: https://finalrise.com/pages/upland-shirt-subscriptionIrish Setter Pheasants Forever Edition: https://irishsetterboots.com/pheasantsforeverListen and followSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdshot.podcast/Website: https://www.birdshotpodcast.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Young bird dogs can make a handler question everything after one rough hunt. Then the next outing offers a very different picture.Aaron Hepler of InCamp Podcast joins Nick to talk about learning alongside his French Brittany, Rue, and finding a place for bird hunting in a life that already includes bowhunting, work and family. Rue's development leads into a conversation about running pheasants, bird contacts, changing conditions and what it means to look for a pattern instead of judging a dog by a single mistake.There is more to the story than training. Aaron remembers growing up outdoors in Pennsylvania, shares a few thoughts on taking kids hunting, and looks back on Emma, the Labrador who made bird hunting part of his life. Her loss, and the quiet she left in the house, help explain why getting another bird dog meant so much.Later, Nick and Aaron compare the expectations they put on themselves with their first pointing dogs. They talk about everyday whoa foundations, learning from older dogs, and the satisfaction of watching a young dog begin to understand the job.In this episodeGiving kids room to enjoy their own day in the woodsHow Emma's pheasant hunts hooked Aaron on bird dogsMoving from a flushing Labrador to a pointing French BrittanyReading a young dog's progress across multiple bird contactsRue's very different outings in changing wind and moistureEveryday foundations and hunting alongside experienced dogsConnect with AaronInCamp Podcast: https://linktr.ee/incamppodcastRecorded October 13, 2026. Weather, season references and mentions of an episode releasing "today" refer to that recording date.Questions from the conversationDoes bumping a bird mean a young pointing dog is falling behind?A bumped bird alone does not tell the whole story. Nick describes looking at the pattern across contacts: whether the dog is trying to point, what happens on the next bird, and how conditions affect the work. Aaron's experiences with Rue show why one frustrating day can look very different from the next outing. This is a discussion of their experiences, not a training prescription.How did Aaron's experience change when he moved from a Labrador to a French Brittany?Aaron found himself learning a different job alongside Rue after years of pheasant hunting with his Labrador, Emma. He describes encouraging a pointing dog's natural instincts and providing bird exposure rather than trying to manufacture a point. The conversation centers on his own dogs and his expectations as a handler. It does not establish a rule about every Labrador or Brittany.What helped Aaron see progress in Rue's pointing?Repeated bird contacts gave Aaron a better picture of what Rue understood. He describes solid woodcock points and a pheasant outing that followed a much harder day. Nick connects those stories to looking for a pattern over time. Aaron also reflects on wind, moisture and running birds, while the conversation leaves room for several factors influencing any individual hunt.What do Nick and Aaron mean by everyday whoa foundations?They describe brief, consistent moments in daily life where a dog stands and waits for a release, including around meals, doors and the kennel. Nick distinguishes that foundation from the more involved steadiness work a new handler might see demonstrated. Aaron discusses adjusting to the dog in front of him. Their point is the value of clear, repeated communication in their own routines.What can a young bird dog learn from hunting with an older dog?Aaron describes Rue backing an experienced Vizsla and paying attention to how that dog worked. Nick shares his early observations of running a puppy with an older setter, while also wanting the pup to develop an independent search. Both stories concern what they have seen with their own dogs. The balance between shared hunts and solo time remains part of that development.How do they approach taking kids hunting?Nick and Aaron talk about letting the child's experience shape the day rather than pressing toward the adult's original objective. Aaron describes adjusting to a child's energy and interest, while Nick reflects on slowing down with his boys. Small-game outings and a memorable turkey encounter illustrate the conversation. Current youth-season dates and requirements depend on the relevant state regulations.Support the showSupport the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/birdshotSponsorsThis episode is brought to you by Upland Gun Company, Final Rise, and Irish Setter Boots.Upland Gun Company: https://uplandguncompany.com/Final Rise Shirt of the Month: https://finalrise.com/pages/upland-shirt-subscriptionIrish Setter Pheasants Forever Edition: https://irishsetterboots.com/pheasantsforeverListen and followSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdshot.podcast/Website: https://www.birdshotpodcast.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bird dog puppy progress can be easier to recognize looking back than it is in the moment. In this solo episode, Nick Larson catches up on the grouse season and recaps a South Dakota sharptail hunt with Hazel and Rose.Back in the woods, six-month-old Hazel gets her first woodcock and begins showing more caution around grouse. Nick talks through the cover he explored, the birds he found and the check-ins that are helping him build confidence in her. A final walk produces the kind of puppy work that makes a day, even without a shot.On the prairie, fog and heat shape the hunting, Rose brings the experience of a six-year-old dog, and Nick encounters his first rattlesnake. Hazel keeps following scent across much more ground than Nick expects. Twice, he stops believing her before the birds get up.The episode also introduces Across the Uplands, a film series following a Upland Gun Company 20-gauge Venus and a Final Rise vest as they travel from hunter to hunter. The South Dakota film launches Friday, October 16, alongside this podcast episode.In this episodeHazel's first woodcock and more deliberate work around ruffed grouseAspen cover, understory and a patchy midseason bird reportRange, bells and learning to stay connected in the woodsRose's experience on exposed prairie birdsA first rattlesnake encounter and the unfamiliarity of new countryPuppy bumps, long sharptail tracks and learning when to trust the dogAcross the Uplands films, partners and giveawaysAcross the Uplands campaign and updates: https://finalrise.com/pages/across-the-uplandsQuestions from the episodeHow is Hazel progressing as a young bird dog?Hazel is beginning to slow down, point and advance more cautiously around birds. Nick contrasts her recent grouse-woods work with the birds she bumped in South Dakota. Her first woodcock and several promising grouse contacts stand out, while range, consistency and staying connected remain part of her development. This is one puppy's progress report, rather than a fixed training schedule.Why does Nick use a bell with a GPS collar?Nick likes the bell because its cadence gives him a sense of how his dog is moving through cover. With Hazel, he can hear her coming back, pausing to locate him and moving again after he calls. He describes those small exchanges as useful while they learn to keep track of each other in the grouse woods.What did the South Dakota sharptail tracks teach Nick?The long tracks challenged Nick's confidence in Hazel. During one sequence, he followed her for about 400 yards before stopping, and she continued downhill before two sharptails flushed. The experience left him wondering why he had quit following. He also acknowledges uncertainty about exactly what scent she was working throughout these sequences.What is Across the Uplands?Across the Uplands is a film series following a Upland Gun Company 20-gauge Venus and a Final Rise vest as they travel between hunters. The recording describes current-season hunts filmed and released shortly afterward, including this South Dakota trip. Nick also mentions partner giveaways. Find campaign updates at https://finalrise.com/pages/across-the-uplands.This episode is brought to you by Upland Gun Company, Final Rise, and Irish Setter Boots.Upland Gun Company: https://uplandguncompany.com/Final Rise Shirt of the Month: https://finalrise.com/pages/upland-shirt-subscriptionIrish Setter Pheasants Forever Edition: https://irishsetterboots.com/pheasantsforeverSupport the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/birdshotListen and followSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdshot.podcast/Website: https://www.birdshotpodcast.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ruffed grouse habitat can look good on a map and still leave plenty of questions once the boots hit the ground. Ann Jandernoa returns for her tenth appearance on the Birdshot Podcast to help Nick work through listener questions about reading cover and handling bird dogs.The conversation starts with early-season conditions and how dry weather changes the places Ann looks for birds. From there, they get into stem density, the forest floor, and the smaller features that make one pocket of a cut more useful than the surrounding cover. A clump of balsam, a shaded edge, or a connection between cover types can give a grouse another option.There are questions about hawthorn and wild apples, hunting habitat farther east, where grouse spend the night, and those unusual days when birds seem to keep flushing from the same stretch of cover. Nick and Ann also discuss helping a young dog work running grouse more calmly, choosing dogs to run together, and communicating a plan with hunting partners.In this episodeDry conditions, moisture, and early-season brood observationsWhat stem density tells Ann about canopy and the forest floorFinding productive pockets and connections within grouse coverHawthorn, wild apples, and habitat differences between New England and the Great LakesGrouse movement, nighttime cover, and large concentrations of birdsRelocating on running grouse and helping a young dog slow downRunning one dog or several, approaching points, and planning a hunt with partnersQuestions from the conversationWhat does stem density tell a grouse hunter?Ann looks beyond the number of stems to how the canopy comes together and what grows beneath it. She describes cover with an interlaced canopy and a floor that young grouse can move through. Nick and Ann discuss how the useful features change as a stand ages and birds move beyond their brood cover.How does dry weather change where Ann looks for grouse?Ann follows shade, moisture, and cover connections. She describes looking toward transitions near lowlands and conifers when surrounding cover dries out. Nick and Ann also discuss how sandy and heavier soils respond differently, and why the condition of the plants and forest floor can be more useful in the field than remembering a soil classification.What makes one pocket of grouse habitat better than another?Ann's answer changes with the season. Early on, she pays close attention to the floor and canopy. As leaves come down, shrub cover and connections between habitat types become more important. Nick describes scanning for a lone spruce, balsam clumps, deadfalls, and nearby edges, then giving his dog a chance to investigate those features.How does Ann approach a dog on point?Ann describes circling out and around rather than crowding the dog from behind or coming directly alongside a young dog. She also looks at likely escape cover and whether there is room to swing a shotgun among the trees. Nick shares his own tendency to circle wider, with communication and positioning becoming especially important when another hunter is present.Connect with AnnScout and Hunt habitat maps: https://scoutandhunt.com/Support the showThis episode is brought to you by Upland Gun Company, Final Rise, and Irish Setter Boots.Upland Gun Company: https://uplandguncompany.com/Final Rise Shirt of the Month: https://finalrise.com/pages/upland-shirt-subscriptionIrish Setter Pheasants Forever Edition: https://irishsetterboots.com/pheasantsforeverJoin the Birdshot Podcast community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/birdshotQuestions for a future episode: [email protected] and followSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdshot.podcast/Website: https://www.birdshotpodcast.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sharptail hunting on the prairie gave Nick plenty to think about, especially with Hazel along for her first prairie trip. In this solo episode, he recaps the hunts and shares what changed when he started choosing cover with a young setter in mind.A cut hayfield that looked too short to hide a bird turned into one of the trip's most memorable walks. There was good work from an older dog, a puppy carrying a sharptail around a hay bale, and plenty of small moments that made the next hunt even more exciting.Nick also answers a listener's question about range and staying connected with a young dog, reflects on what the wind can hide, and remembers Hartley as another season gets underway.In this episodeWhy the roadside view doesn't always tell the whole story about prairie coverGrazing, patchy grass, and choosing places where Hazel could move and stay in sightA cut hayfield, Pike's point, and Hazel's first sharptail experiencesYoung-dog range, checking in, changing directions, and GPS collarsHow wind and the path a dog takes can change a bird contactHazel's early pointing and backing, and memories of HartleyA few questions from the conversationCan sharptails hide in a cut hayfield?They did on this trip. Nick describes Pike pointing a sharptail in short alfalfa that looked too open to conceal a bird. Taking Hazel into that field gave her room to move and stay visible, and the hunt changed Nick's confidence in a cover type he hadn't spent much time hunting.What made patchy prairie cover useful for a puppy?Nick found that thinner areas let Hazel move more easily and maintain visual contact. Patches of snowberry, bowls, and other remaining cover also gave the hunt clearer places to investigate. He contrasts that with thick, tall grass that can make a young dog's first outings harder than they need to be.How does Nick stay connected with a young dog?Nick describes building that connection through repeated outings and opportunities for the pup to check back. When Hazel lost sight of him, he stopped and let her look for him. He also talks about reconnecting before a major change of direction and fitting her with a GPS collar before her first grouse hunts.Does a birdless walk mean sharptails weren't there?Nick's experiences have taught him to leave room for doubt. One bird flushed while the hunters stopped to water a dog and check the map. In another remembered hunt, Hartley passed close to birds on the wrong side of the wind, then found them when he looped around.Support the showThis episode is brought to you by Upland Gun Company, Final Rise, and Irish Setter Boots.Upland Gun CompanyFinal Rise Shirt of the MonthIrish Setter Pheasants Forever EditionJoin the Birdshot Podcast community on Patreon.Have a question or something you'd like to hear more about in a future solo episode? Email [email protected] and followSpotifyApple PodcastsYouTubeInstagramBirdshot Podcast website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.