What came first for you? Was it hunting or the dog? "Recently I was talking with a friend of mine about the chicken-and-egg nature of gundogs and hunting. Our basic question was what comes first? The interest in hunting or the interest in dogs? And how much does the one stoke interest in the other? I suspect, for most of us of a certain age, hunting was the initial catalyst for our subsequent interest in dogs, and only over time did the dogs become the primary interest and reason for hunting. However, the bird dog world — and the hunting world — has changed much since those days, and I suspect there are now as many people being introduced to hunting through the conduit of their dogs as there are people being introduced to dogs through the conduit of hunting." Read the full blog "Gateway Dogs" by QF Journal Editor Chad Love, at the 🔗 link below.

🇺🇸 Land of the free, because of the brave. Today we honor our fallen heroes, gone but NEVER forgotten.

"The dogs and I had never seen, heard, or in their case, smelled or tasted a mountain quail. And for that matter, none of us had spent any time in the Pacific Northwest. The heavy dampness of the coastal mountain air was far different from the arid portions of western Texas we had come from. That morning there was a layer of fog cloaking the forest of massive Douglas firs. Below the firs was an understory of blackberry bushes and ferns drenched by the ever-present moisture in the air." Read the entire article "Mountain Warfare: Long Drives, Foggy Walks, and Mishaps in Pursuit of a Mountain Ghost" by Trey Johnson, at the link below. https://quailforever.org/mountainwarfare

In southeastern Arizona, Quail Forever staffer Gerry Berthelette is working with a multitude of stakeholders to help restore habitat connectivity to a region featuring some of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet - The Madrean Sky Islands. A region of mountain ranges spanning several states and two countries, the Sky Islands ecoregion is aptly named for the 55 pine and oak-studded mountains varying between 3-10K feet in elevation and connected by incredibly vast grasslands. But these landscapes are under attack. Mesquite trees have adapted to invading desert landscapes and are aided by lengthy tap roots that reach deep underground, soaking up groundwater not accessible to plants and grasses with shallower root systems. They define the phrase “water hog.” And once established, mesquites shade out native species at ground-level revealing erosion issues, take a toll on water reserves for the desert Southwest, and break the connectivity of grasslands between Sky Islands. The work being done across public and private lands to restore mesquite-invaded grasslands is through mechanical “grubbing,” a selective technique to completely remove the tree – taproot and all – from the ground. This method has proven to have an immediate and long-lasting positive effect on the landscape by deliberately targeting each individual tree, as opposed to other broad-spectrum treatments like prescribed fire. Learn more about the critical work being done through the Southern Arizona Grassland Initiative at the 🔗 link below.

On The Wing Podcast Ep. 215: Talking Bird Dogs With Trampled By Turtle’s Dave Simonett, is Live! Head to the 🔗 link below to listen now! Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Dave Simonett, lead singer of the band Trampled by Turtles, and Mike Wieben, head dog trainer at Dokken’s Oak Ridge Kennels, for a conversation about Simonett’s two bird dogs. The conversation starts with a focus on Hrbek, Simonett’s Australian shepherd mix breed rescue, then transitions to Maxon, Simonett’s new German wirehaired puppy currently being trained by Wieben. Sincerest THANK YOU to SportDOG Brand for sponsoring this episode of On the Wing podcast. Episode Highlights: - Simonett discusses his relatively new love for bird hunting and how it has reprioritized his autumn calendar and opened his eyes to the value of public lands. The guys also compare the artistry of songwriting with the artistry of training a dog to reach its full potential as a bird dog. - Simonett also talks about his growing outdoors writing endeavors with recent stories in Garden & Gun magazine and Tom Beckbe’s Field Journal. Sign up for Simonett’s new newsletter, GOOD RECORD, at his website DeadManWinter.com. https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Podcast-Ep-215-Talking-Bird-Dogs-with-Trampled-By-Turtle’s-Dave-Simonett.aspx

With discussions around the 2023 Farm Bill continuing to heat up, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever has been busy on Capitol Hill working with partners and champions to advance our policy priorities. Read more at the 🔗 link below!