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Life Lists
Jon and I have been here before—heavy legs and burning lungs. We’ve circled this peak, crossing boulder field after boulder field. It’s taken nearly four hours to complete the circuit around this 12,000-foot Uinta peak. I’m drained. Ida’s standard Lab trot has surrendered to a nearby amble. But then I see it—for most, it would…
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Escape Velocity
I’ve been feeling uneasy. It’s been this way, more or less, for over a year. I went into last upland season feeling rushed and underprepared. It didn’t really pan out that way; things went fine. But in my head I always felt a half-click off. I’ve been battling, trying to get through it, pin point…
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Rio Flufferbunny
It was fall when she came to us on a plane from New Mexico, all legs and ears and sharp puppy teeth. She pointed from the womb — butterflies, song birds, turtles, tufts of grass stirred by a breeze — nothing was safe from…
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Climbing Mountains for Elusive Birds
The wind is gusting at my back collapsing my empty game bag. It’s a chilly reminder, as if I needed one. In the distance I can still pickup Steve and the deft setter Winchester, navigating their way uphill beside the creek that tumbles the opposite direction in this cut. We’ve got them on elevation. The…
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Way Upland Season II Episode 6
Seems like we’ve made it out of the Missouri River basin and are alone on this stretch of the Buffalo Gap Trail. We’re seeing more Sharptail than other sections and the bike rides are a little less intense out here on top. Great views, great camping….. but why is it so hot? Please subscribe to…
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Way Upland Season II Episode 9
The bike is repaired and the heat breaks so we head back on trail to continue our trip across the North Dakota badlands. On this day we ride through Teddy Roosevelt’s old stomping grounds, Elkhorn Ranch. You can certainly see why he was so captivated by this place. It’s days like this that make the…
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Treed Grouse Dilemma
There are times, especially early in a season, when forest grouse – Dusky, Spruce, Ruffed – have yet to recognize that almost everything loves the taste of grouse. Nearly 70% of these birds will not see a second year. The short hop to the nearest tree seems the earliest learned evasion tactic which can be…
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Way Upland Season II Episode 1
Starting at the southern trailhead, we begin an overland journey across 160 miles of the the Little Missouri National Grasslands of North Dakota. The Maah Daah Hey starts at Burning Coal Vein Campground. The lab Ida, the setter Rio and I push our gear and bodies to the limit on this thru-bike route. Alex from…
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Kansas Bird Hunting in Perspective
I make the annual pilgrimage to Kansas to reunite with old friends and family. It reminds me of where my passion for bird hunting was first kindled. Because this year was no exception to the rule, Kansas seemed like the right place to bring together our young Jornada Llewellin Rio with our veteran flusher Wyatt…
