The Flush Podcast - Stories from the field

Dakota Dream Hunts

Hunter Schwind joins the show along with Renee Tomala & Emily Spolyar from Pheasants Forever during a 3-day upland bird hunting road trip in western North Dakota.  We explain how and why Hunter bid on PF’s dream hunt two years in a row, hunting wild birds from South Dakota to North Dakota, meeting generous landowners with a passion for conservation, epic bird flushes, hits & misses, nicknames & family time.  Renee and Emily explain the work they do on the ground in North Dakota and provide late-season advice for the rest of this season. Presented by North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/) & Nutri Souce (https://nutrisourcepetfoods.com/)

First Time Flushers

Tony Jones “The Reverend Hunter” and Brandon Morton join the show to talk about bird hunts gone right & wrong.  We break down a failed pheasant hunt, hunting in water, running roosters on public lands, making adjustments in the field, helping others learn to hunt, accepting defeat, first-timers experience the rush of the flush, hunting behind flushers vs pointers, getting back to the basics, and the sweet rewards from success. Presented by North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/) & Nutri Souce (https://nutrisourcepetfoods.com/)

Upland Road Trips & Hunting Lessons

Bob St. Pierre from Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever joins the show to discuss his mid-season review and look ahead to late-season hunting. Bob & Travis talk about lessons learned in the field, hunting public lands, finding new properties, hunting on weekends, how to outsmart wily roosters, where do ruffed grouse go when it snows, running roosters, falling through ice, drought updates, habitat success stories, quail numbers, losing a bird dog, and so much more. Presented by North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) & OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/)

Iowa, South Dakota & Minnesota Pheasants

Tim Brown “The Bearded Uplander” lives in western Iowa. Tim joins Travis on the first two legs of a 3-state pheasant hunting road trip. Tim and Travis talk about Iowa’s rooster rebound, hunting public lands, missing roosters, late hatches, South Dakota pheasants vs Iowa pheasants, predator bounties, asking for permission, making the most of a season, blaming misses on bent sights, and so much more. Presented by North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) & OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/)

That Dog Will Hunt

Scott Fransen joins the show to discuss back to back successful upland bird hunts in North Dakota.  Scott and Travis also talk about hunting with young bird dogs, watching the light switch turn on, celebrating special moments in the field, and making the most of seasons that never last long enough. Presented by North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) & OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/)

Upland Ammunition

Brian Kelvington works for Federal Ammunition.  Brian and Travis take a break from pheasant hunting to talk about America’s current ammunition supply, millions of new gun owners, Federal’s acquisition of Remington & Hevi-Shot, trying to keep up with ammunition demands, new upland bird hunting loads, Prairie Storm, Bismuth & TSS loads, plus Federal Ammunition celebrates 100 years in business. Presented by North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) & OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/)

Upland Adventures & North Shore Grouse

Bill Sherck joins the show to recap his recent ruffed grouse hunt on Minnesota’s North Shore.  Plus, Bill and Travis talk about life in outdoor television, wild adventures behind the camera lens, leaving news to produce outdoor television, missing birds on camera, favorite hunts, and least favorite hunts.  Bill shares about his personal hunting journey, being a color-blind bird hunter, living an outdoor lifestyle, and looking ahead to a Florida snipe hunt. Presented by Grain Belt Beer (https://www.grainbelt.com/,) North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) & OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/)

Upland Cowboys

Matt Fruge & Aaron Martin join the show to help us break down our prairie chicken and sharptailed grouse hunt in the Sandhills of Nebraska.  We discuss the ups and downs of hunting on horseback, getting bucked from a horse, hunting rugged terrain, prairie chicken history & habits, gaining access to private ranch lands, an upland bird hunting outlook for the rest of this season, mixed bag hunting in Nebraska, and a few Nebraska hot spots to target for pheasants, sharptails, bobwhite quail & prairie chicken. Presented by Grain Belt Beer (https://www.grainbelt.com/,) North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) Huron Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau (http://www.huronsd.com/,) & OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/)

America’s 2021 Quail Hunting Forecast

Tim Caughran & Andy Edwards from Quail Forever join the show to help us break down the 2021 quail hunting forecast across America. Drought, fires, & arctic winter blasts had an impact on bird numbers, but prospects for this season are still good across much of the country.  We break down each state and highlight hot spots to help you plan for your hunting season. Presented by Grain Belt Beer (https://www.grainbelt.com/,) North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) Huron Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau (http://www.huronsd.com/,) & OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/)

Mayhem in the Mountains

Dylan Waller joins Travis Frank to break down their ptarmigan and dusky grouse hunt in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  Blizzard conditions in the high mountain terrain had a major impact on this hunt.  Dylan and Travis explain their journey, the hunt through brutal conditions, disappearing birds, alpine tundra habitat, a bird most hunters avoid, preparing your body for high altitude hunting, first aid, dogs, bird biology, and the success of bagging all 10 species of Colorado’s upland game birds. Presented by Grain Belt Beer (https://www.grainbelt.com/,) North Dakota Tourism (https://www.legendarynd.com/,) Chief Upland (https://chiefupland.com/,) Federal Ammunition (https://www.federalpremium.com/,) Huron Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau (http://www.huronsd.com/,) & OnX Maps (https://www.onxmaps.com/)