It came down to the very end, but after receiving more than 3,000 votes, the German shorthaired pointers have come out on top of the upland’s favorite popularity contest for the third year in a row, and have been crowned the winner of the 2023 Bird Dogs for Habitat Campaign! Even if you didn’t vote for the GSP, you can take solace in knowing that the real winner is habitat. Thanks to all the voters and sponsor’s passion for bird dogs and our upland habitat mission, almost $80,000 has been raised towards our Build a Wildlife Area Program through this year’s Bird Dogs for Habitat Campaign. Habitat protection, enhancement and public access are at the core of our Build a Wildlife Area Program and we know this is what will make your four-legged best friend happy - because good bird habitat is good bird dog habitat! And a special thank you for our partners at Orvis, Purina Pro Plan, SportDOG Brand, Ruff Land Kennels, and NAVHDA International. View the full and final leaderboard here: birddogsforhabitat.org

"I hear it every day from frustrated dog owners that realize they greatly underestimated the commitment required to own and properly care for their well-bred bird dog. As a result, the more noble-minded owners realize that they and their beloved pet would be much happier if their dog lived in a home of experienced hunting dog owners. A home where they actually get to do what they were bred to do — hunt." Read the full blog "Gundogz Rescue" presented by NAVHDA International at the link below! https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Gundogz-Rescue.aspx ✍️: Pat Nordquist, President/Founder of Gundogrescue.org

Time is running out! Celebrate the all-stars of the uplands! Save 20% on select bird dog items now through April 30th at the QF store! 🔗 Link below! https://bit.ly/41GnFsv MAKE A PURCHASE WITH A PURPOSE. Every purchase made through our exclusive online Scheels Outdoors store generates funds for our wildlife habitat mission. Through this special partnership you're more than a customer, you're a conservationist.

It’s the last week of Bird Dogs for Habitat, so we’re showing off a few of the PF & QF employee bird dogs that love to adventure in the places we love to protect! Bird Dogs for Habitat ends 4/30, don't forget to vote for your favorite breed (🔗Link below)! In Order: 🐶 Blue - Lab, Handler: Brenna Riley 🐶 Obe - Epagneul Breton, Handler: Aaron Wilson 🐶 Lux - Flat Coated Retriever, Handler: Emy Marier 🐶 GSP Puppy Pile, Handler: Marilyn Vetter 🐶 Tuck - Lab, Handler: Nate Pflueger 🐶 Isaac - English Setter, Handler: Ben Beaman 🐶 Teddy - Lab, Handler: Chance Steward 🐶 Oden - GSP, Handler: Addie Piernicky 🐶 Warden - Lab, Handler: Brooke Morgan Which breed will be crowned champion of Bird Dogs for Habitat this year?! Go vote, and see all the great prizes and ways to win at the 🔗 link below! https://quailforever.org/Habitat/Bird-Dogs-for-Habitat.aspx A thanks to all of our Bird Dogs For Habitat sponsors: SportDOG Brand, Purina Pro Plan, Ruff Land Kennels, Orvis, & NAVHDA International

A solid point, a great retrieve. Hunting behind a well-trained dog makes all the difference when chasing pheasants. But there are certain skills and traits that a human cannot teach a dog. Some lessons can only be learned after many years afield with the dog having exposure and experience on wild birds: wild birds on public land to be even more specific. These are the roosters that are pressured under constant human threat. These birds have learned many ways to escape. Only these birds can teach your dog to be smarter. As you begin or continue your hunting journey with your four-legged friend, see if you have noticed any of these skills and traits that make for a smart dog. Read the full story at the 🔗 link below!

"Braque Francais Checks-off all the Boxes" Affectionately known as “Braques,” these dogs are relative newcomers to the United States (about 50 years ago) but have a long history in Europe dating back to the 15th century. The breed was perfected hundreds of years ago in the Pyrenees Mountains of southwestern France. As far as dog breeds go, this is an ancient one. Read more about the Braque Francais, and if it could be the right breed for you, at the 🔗 link below. https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Braque-Francais-Checks-off-All-the-Boxes.aspx Don’t forget, we are down to the final days of Bird Dogs for Habitat, so whether it’s the Braque that you call your favorite, or any other breed, go vote to help us create more habitat for all our dogs to roam. birddogsforhabitat.org ✍️: Tim Fredricks

As is the case every year during our Bird Dogs for Habitat campaign, this month has gone to the dogs. While there is a lot of focus on field gear and training tips, our friends at Orvis have some products that have shifted our attention to also keeping our four-legged companions comfortable during the times between adventures in the uplands. Head to think to read more, and don't forget to vote for your favorite breed at the Bird Dogs for Habitat page as we close out the final week!

On The Wing Podcast EP. 212: Previewing New "Mouthful of Feathers" Book. 🔗 Link below to listen now! Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Tom Reed, Greg McReynolds, and Reid Bryant, the three principles behind the new Mouthful of Feathers book. Each participant previews their contributions to the upcoming book of short stories focused on bird hunting and bird dogs with a heavy dose of literary prose absent of how-to essays. Episode Highlights: - Byrant, host of the Orvis Hunting and Shooting podcast, recounts assembling a group of outdoors writers at a northern Minnesota grouse hunting lodge in 2017 that included Reed, McReynolds, and St.Pierre all meeting for the first time. - McReynolds, who works at Trout Unlimited with Reed, talks about the intersection between Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, and Trout Unlimited as the habitat created through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) benefiting upland game birds and cold-water fish species. The new Mouthful of Feathers book will be available in a print edition this summer and includes stories from Quail Forever Editor Chad Love and PF & QF’s Conservation Leadership Program Manager Marissa Jensen.