The Ugly Dog Podcast
Episodes
89 episodes
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 Canada. We explore the nuances of different bird species, hunting seasons, and...
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 personal fulfillment. He dives into his history as a seasoned outdoor writer an...
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 importance of understanding dog behavior, and how to develop a strong, cooperat...
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 selecting, training, and understanding your dog to enhance your hunting experience...
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 hunting gear, leveraging social media, and preparing for the hunting seas...
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 experiences, the evolution of outdoor interests, and the emotional journey of cari...
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 safe during hot weather and hunting season.This episode is brought...
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 dogs, and the vibrant community supporting upland hunting. In this episode, ...
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 of durable gear, and the future of upland hunting apparel. In this episode...
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 vizsla into the mix. Chris shares his journey from novice dog trainer to a ...
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 priorities change over time, and look ahead to what's on the calendar for training...
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, along the way Andrew transitioned from a waterfowler to an upland hunter, rais...
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 transitioning from hunting to training, why he doesn't believe tests and trials shoul...
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 he's adapting to shooting after a train accident left one of his arms fus...
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 Mitch's YouTube Channel, Upland Path for more of his tips and t...
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 you. Mike sat down with he crew of friends and fellow die-hard ruffed grouse and ...
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 recently got his first bird dog, a springer, an apt choice given his last n...
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 more.Nate is an avid photographer who has leveraged his skill set wi...
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 bird hunters. He also dives...
68. Marc Musselman & Jonny Serrano - Alclair Outdoors and Why Hearing Protection Should Be a Normal Part of Your Kit
Marc Musselman and Jonny Serrano join the show this week to talk about Alclair Outdoors and the importance of high quality hearing protection. If you do any kind of dog training or bird hunting hearing loss is an under-discussed issue. Medical ...
67. Roy Ames - A Dive Into The NAVHDA Gun Dog Test and a Montana Recap
Roy Ames joins the show again this week to share a bit about our recent trip to Montana, the sometimes frustrating learning curve of puppies, and take a look into the first year of NAVHDA's Gun Dog Test.Announced this January at the NAVH...
66. Waylon Lunn - Hunting the Upstate, The Art of Jump-Shooting Ducks, and Raising a Family Outdoors
Waylon Lunn joins the show this week to share his journey in bird dogs from New York City to the Upstate and now traveling across the country with his family for birds. He describes his journey searching for and developing a "purpose built bird...
65. Marilyn Vetter - Priorities for The Habitat Organization, Planning for Hunting Season Ahead, and Keeping Up The Fight For The Birds.
Marilyn Vetter is the CEO and President of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. She joins the show this week to share some wins for the year as well as a handful of the many challenges ahead. Additionally, she lays out a bit about how she's pla...
64. Charles Coulter - Learning to Not Care So Much, Falling in Love With Bird Dogs, and Becoming a Professional Bird Hunting Guide.
Charles Coulter is a bird hunting guide, bird dog trainer, and a NAVHDA Senior Judge. He sits down with Mike to share his journey into bird hunting, what it's like having his passion become his profession, and how he's learned the importance of...
63. Desiree Stormont - Reflections on NAVHDA Invitational Training, Mindset, and the NAVHDA Lady Gang.
Desiree Stormont joins the show for round 2 after her initial appearance on The Ugly Dog Podcast over a year ago. We recap some of our current NAVHDA Invitational training, mindset, mental hurdles and problem solving in addition to a host of ot...