The Ugly Dog Podcast

88. Kate Hall - Drawing and Journaling Her Way Through the Uplands

In this episode, Kate Hall shares her journey from art student to celebrated wildlife artist and bird hunter. We explore her creative process, her experiences with bird d

87. Blaine Peetso - Falling in Love with Anarchy, The Journey Of a Self-Made Bird Hunter.

In this episode, Blaine Peetso shares his journey into bird hunting, the challenges of training pointing dogs, and dives into what it's like hunting close to home in

86. Tom Reed - The Intersection of Writing, Conservation, and Bird Hunting

Tom Reed joins the show this week to share his journey into bird hunting, the importance of public lands, and the deep connection between hunting, conservation, and perso

85. Jordan Horak - Backyard Hunter to National Champion and now Cato Outdoors

In this episode, Jordan shares his journey from a young hunter in Iowa to a top-tier dog trainer and field trial competitor. We explore dog training principles, the impor

84. Grayson Guyer - The Art of Developing a Well Rounded Gun Dog

In this episode, Grayson Guyer shares insights on dog training, breed variation, and building strong relationships with hunting dogs. Discover practical tips for selectin

83. Cackle Clothing Company - The Origins of Family Friendly Pheasant Gear

Brooks and Skyler from Cackle Clothing Company share their journey from bird hunting enthusiasts to apparel entrepreneurs. They discuss starting a business, designing fun

82. Reid Bryant - On Becoming an Upland Hunter, Writing, and Navigating an Aging Bird Dog

Reid Bryant shares his journey from childhood in Massachusetts to becoming a passionate outdoor enthusiast and bird hunter. We explore the influence of childhood experien

81. Melody Ward, DVM - Understanding and Combatting Heat Stress in Bird Dogs

In this episode, veterinarian Melody Ward shares expert insights on managing heat stroke in dogs, emergency veterinary care, and best practices for keeping your bird dogs

80. Nate Kennedy - Falling in Love With Grouse Dogs, Conservation, and Keeping the Family Log Book Going

Nate Kennedy shares his journey from a deer hunter to a passionate bird dog owner and conservation advocate. He gives insights on habitat diversity, the impact of bird do

79. Ford Van Fossan - Quail on the Eastern Shore to Chasing Chukar and Taking WingWorks Vests to the Next Generation

Ford Van Fossan shares his journey from the eastern shore to owner of Wingworks, a classic upland hunting vest brand. We explore the history of the brand, the importance

78. Chris Midgette - Boykin Spaniels, Wirehaired Vizslas, and Beyond

In this episode, Chris Midgette shares his journey from waterfowl hunting to upland, exploring the unique traits of Boykin spaniels and his decision to add a wirehaired v

77. Des Stormont - A Look Back at the NAVHDA Invitational and a Changing Perspective on What's Important.

Des Stormont is BACK on the Ugly Dog Podcast! She and Mike look back on their NAVHDA Invitational training season and test date, discuss how training and hunting prioriti

76. Andrew Vavra - The Journey From Intern to VP of Marketing, Waterfowl to Upland, and Now A Proud Member of Team Wirehair

Andrew Vavra sits down with Mike this week to share how an "I need a job" internship led him to a career in marketing and communications with Pheasants Forever. And, alon

75. Q&A - Spring Training, Thoughts on Expanding Field Trials and Hunt Tests, and Lessons Learn Along the Way

As is tradition, every 25 episodes Mike solicits questions from listeners, social media followers, etc. In this episode he sits down to answer questions about transitioni

74. JP Knutson - A Journey Into Bird Dogs, Guiding, and Learning to Shoot With a Fused Arm

JP Knutson joins the show this week to share his journey into bird dogs and upland hunting, what he learned jumping into guiding early in his bird hunting career, and how

73. Mitch Skatter - Looking Back on 2025 and Looking Ahead to 2026

Mitch Skatter joins the show this week to recap his 2025 pheasant season, chat about Pheasant Fest 2026, and take a deep dive on his Garmin dog GPS questions.  Check out

72. Grouse Camp Q&A - The Guys At Camp Answer Listener Questions

If you're looking to learn more about grouse and woodcock hunting from a bunch of seasoned vets who also relish giving each other a hard time, this episode is for yo

71. Bode Springer - College Level Questions on Upland Hunting and Ruffed Grouse

Bode Springer joins the show this week to grill Mike for an upcoming college homework assignment. He is a student at UMD and studying environmental sustainability. Bode r

70. Nate Akey - How Following a Dog Led to Hunting Places Far and Wide and Working for onX Hunt

Nate Akey from onX Hunt joins the show this week to discuss his path into bird hunting and dog training, his NAVHDA Invitational run, hunting season so far, and so much m

69. Mitch Skatter - Creating the Upland Path, Starting on YouTube, and The Importance of Coaching and Mentoring.

Mitch Skatter joins the show this week to share more about his journey starting Upland Path, a new YouTube Channel aimed at sharing helpful tips and tricks for upland bir