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The newsletter of ...

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Are you as lucky as we are?

We are three fly fishers with a bird hunting problem. Or the other way around. Whichever it is, two of us have been meeting twice annually

Mill Creek

Just back from here. Have you had your own "boy's weekend?"

since we left music school some three decades ago. The third joined us when he took up fly fishing 15 years ago. They are a good friend and brother, and I hope they would say the same about me.

 

We plot these trips, conspiring from afar with maps and Google searches, recalling distant rumors and eavesdropped conversations. Our hope is to find places with the promise of birds or trout that are equidistant from all of us. We often succeed. Read more.

At the blog ...
Where else will you find exclusive audio interviews with industry leaders like Mike Fifer, CEO of Ruger, icons such as the "Duck Commander," and author Guy de la Valdene? Or, how else can you avoid packing disasters thanks to the free downloadable "Ultimate Upland Checklist?"

 

If you need a hunting fix - now - you can watch video, browse photo galleries, and talk with others who share your pain. Discuss the issues of the day - all things upland - and save your dog's life too. It's all at my blog. See you there. 

 

[Have you been to the blog? How about our FaceBook page? Discussion, videos, inspiring photos, controversy, useful gear and helpful advice - why not join the fun?]
Who are you?

I'd like to know. So would my sponsors. I'm curious to know more about you, your other hobbies (who has time for more hobbies?) and what you know about my sponsors.

 

As you know, money makes the TV world go 'round, and the more information I can share with

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Like us!

sponsors, the more shows I can make! Will you take a couple minutes to complete a brief survey? Here's the link.

 

Thanks to those who responded to the last survey - note that this is a different one, so if you took one previously, please take this one as well. I'll be handing out a few "incentives" for respondents chosen at random, including a Gerber "Air Ranger" foldable knife designed by my friend Bill Harsey.

 

[FYI: In the last survey, you told me Labs and shorthairs rule - the most popular breeds each with about 20% of all votes. You hope to hunt more this year than last, and when you spend money, you buy stuff from Cabela's - 48% of you at least.]

 

Thanks! Here's the link again.

"Bright" is in the face of the beholder

Some people say I have a face for radio, and I might agree. I was in that business for 20 years for a reason! But Buddy knows that my face can also help him become a better hunter. (Thanks to NAVHDA judge Phil Swain for pointing this out!) See if it works for you:

 

Think about what dogs see, especially from any distance. Not much, in the way of details. A scowl, frown, smile, what can they make out from 20, 50, 100 yards?

Well-bred bird dogs will key in on your body's most visible, brightest component ... your mug, even if it's wanted poster-ugly. They'll try to stay out in front of you, and they know it's the front because they can see your face. Alright, so how do you use this to your advantage? Read more.
This fall's shows ...

This fall's episodes of Wingshooting USA will be the most diverse, exciting shows ever. We really put the miles on my old van (another good reason to sell it a few weeks ago!), traveling from Idaho, to South Dakota, Montana, Georgia, California, Oregon, North Dakota, and probably a few more I can't remember!

 

New episodes start the week of September 26 on five television networks! 

 

You'll see some rare species (prairie chickens, sharptails) and some interesting hunting methods (horseback, jeep). Tons of old favorites, plus the television debut of Buddy's grand-nephew Manny. There's a chance to win a trip to hunt with us on horseback next fall, tons of tips and advice, majestic scenery, and all the antics of dogs-hunters-horses-camera guys and the trouble they get into. Get all the details here. 

 Boot Camp, southern style
Walking away, SL and Buddy

We're headed for Atlanta .. are you?

The EPIC Game Fair promises to be the closest thing to an authentic English "Country Life" exhibition ever held on this side of the Atlantic, and I'll be speaking several times daily, doing my "Bird Hunting Boot Camp." If you live near Atlanta, I hope you'll come out to Foxhall Resort & Sporting Club Sept. 23-25 and say hello. Find more information here. 

Fellow citizen of the Upland Nation ...

Buddy retrieveIt's a matter of mere days now ... and our first chance to get back to the uplands! I don't know about you, but every season brings new challenges and new opportunities. This year, it's four states I've never hunted before, and working on steady to wing-shot-fall for both Manny and Buddy.

 

What are you looking forward to this fall? Maybe it's making things pencil out in this crazy economy, so you can actually go hunting. Possibly, it's a new pup and the promise that entails. Is it your year to introduce a newcomer to hunting?

 

I wish you the best, safest hunting possible this season, with good friends old and new. May your dogs be steady and healthy all season, and more shots connect than miss!

 

See you in the uplands,

    Scott 

Scott Linden, creator/host
Wingshooting USA
"TruckVault Cares" ... money for great groups, plenty of prizes for you

If you've been reading these Upland Nation newsletters, you know we are ramping up for the biggest public service campaign ever attempted in the world of upland bird hunting TV. "TruckVault Cares ... for conservation, canines & kids" will raise funds and awareness for six great causes:

 

Scholastic Clay Target Program, International Hunter Education Association, gun dog rescue clubs, North American Grouse Partnership, Ruffed Grouse Society, AKC-Canine Health Foundation.

 

But it's not just about helping them. There are a ton of prizes for voters - maybe you? From a custom-built TruckVault, to my own Fausti DEA SL shotgun. All you have to do is vote for the group you like, raising money for them and increasing your chances to win.

 

Get a sneak preview of the commercial I'll be running and learn more here. Bookmark this page so you can vote starting in late September, and tell your friends via FaceBook, Twitter, your club newsletter, smoke signals, snail mail, and any other way you can spread the word.  

 

TV Cares web banner

Voting starts in September

Bits & pieces: My faves, your saves

Okay, so it's grammatically incorrect. It's pretty accurate, though. My friends and I've formed a little group of hunting destinations called Preferred Lodges logo"Preferred Lodges" that offer everything you've told me you want in a lodge experience. These are all lodges you've seen on the show and that I strongly endorse. They are owned by personal friends and all are active in managing the operation, ensuring a personal touch.

 

Each is different, and there's a range of prices and amenities. I've convinced them to pull together special deals, pricing and incentives just for Upland Nation readers, so take a look at their pages starting here, then book your next trip.

This fall we're traveling in style on our annual Wingshooting USA production tour lovingly called the Awesome Upland Road Trip. A tricked-out Dodge Ram pickup customized by Bend, Oregon's Columbia Overland, capped by a GemTop "Outfitter" canopy, pulling a custom-built Aliner travel trailer built for bird hunting! If you see this logo, make sure you stop and say hello!

Aliner door graphic Got a smart phone? If you're like me, the phone is smarter than the owner! But I'm figuring out Twitter for one reason: so you can get frequent behind-the-scenes reports while I'm on the road this fall making Wingshooting USA episodes. If you already know how, I hope you'll follow @WingshootingUSA (I think that's how you do it!). If not, click on the link, below. 

 

Follow us on Twitter 

Dog boots - the debate continues ...
cactus

One good reason to know your dog boots.

Quite a while ago, Scott B. called with a question I've had a LOT of personal experience with: dog boots. This topic has generated more frustration among more hunters than almost any other (besides over/under vs. side-by-side). So, thought it would be useful for you, too. Whether it's cactus or lava rock, sand burrs or goatheads, our pooches' paws sometimes need a little help if we're going to hunt more than a day or two in a row. If not, the risk of a foot injury immobilizing your hunting companion is just too high.

 

Besides the cost, I've found most dog boots fall off and get lost, or wear out in the course of a day of chukar hunting. I'll offer my own solution in a minute, but if you insist on using boots, here are some suggestions. Read more.
Gov hunt gang

Sometimes, it's all about friends ... for more from South Dakota, click on the image.

  

Thanks to our sponsors ...  

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