Transcript for On The Wing Podcast Ep. 344: Grouse Camp Comes Alive: Inside Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic's Upland Gathering

Speaker 1 (00:50)

Welcome to On the Wing podcast presented by Purina Pro Plan. I've got the very first National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic 2026 preview podcast on tap today. And we're going to feature a brand new attraction to the event, our very first ever Grouse Camp will be integrated into National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic coming to Minneapolis this February 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Joining me to talk Grouse Camp, I've got Jody Provost from the North American Grouse Partnership, Gabe Stone from the Rough Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society, and Ashley Stanky. Stanky, I practiced your name and I butchered it the first time. Ashley's back on the podcast from the Wisconsin Sharptail Grouse Society. I'm proud to recognize Purina Pro Plan once again as the presenting partner of On the Wing podcast, huge partner in National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic as well. Not only does Purina support the Wildlife Habitat Mission of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Rough Growl Society, I see on the screen, they had terrific partners of conservation far and wide. But Purina Pro Plan also has a team of the world's best scientists and nutritionists behind their dog food. Purina Pro Plan was created for the bird dogs like yours and like mine. You can learn more at Pro PlanSport.com. All right.

Jody, Gabe, Ashley, thank you very much for joining me today. Jody, let's start with you. Grouse Camp is the evolution of what was once known as the Grouse Trail. And you've been a part of all of those conversations from the very genesis of the Grouse Trail to now what's Grouse Camp. Talk to us about the concept and your vision.

Speaker 2 (03:12)

Hey, Bob. Sure. Thank you. first of all, I just want to say that we're very grateful for you hosting in this Bobcat podcast.

Speaker 1 (03:22)

You almost created a new term there, okay? Bobcast. I might have to trademark that, Jodi. I like it.

Speaker 2 (03:32)

I like it too! Yeah, back in 2023 at Minneapolis, we started the Grouse Trail. Whenever Fest occurs in Minnesota, it's a real opportunity to have all these amazing grouse groups gathered together because of their locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. And so we began what we call the Grouse Trail, where we all gather our booths together to make it convenient for people to visit us and talk grouse.

And we thought, hey, this year let's up our game, man. We're back in Minneapolis. Let's do it again. Let's do it bigger and better. And thanks to Pia for being all on board and supporting the Grouse Camp idea. So how it's different from the Trail is we're actually going to have a mini lounge and a little stage. It's going to have a relaxing camp sort of atmosphere where you're going to be able to hang out, learn about everything from grouse, from hunting to cooking to habitat to policy, what's going on out there and share your stories in a real nice family friendly type atmosphere.

Speaker 1 (04:38)

Yeah, and I want to echo thank you guys all for coming and partnering. I think that there's some level of the public that believes that, you know, we're all competitors like Yankees versus the Mets, Tigers versus the Twins. And the reality is we work so much together for the Uplands. You know, the habitat needs of all these birds are slightly different and we can collaborate on so many different things. The work that we do together in Washington, D.C., or in Lansing, Michigan, or St. Paul, Minnesota, benefits all these birds. And, you know, it's no secret that, you know, Minnesota, the Great Lakes states, Wisconsin, Michigan have some of the best rough grouse numbers. I mean, not only in birds, but also in hunters. And then as you look to our neighboring states, the Dakotas and Montana, you know, Wisconsin, a tremendous number of folks that chase sharpies and greater prairie chickens and a little bit further west sage grouse. So hopefully the addition of all these partners in the new Grouse Camp is appealing beyond the pheasant and quail junkies and brings all the Upland world together to make a trademark infringement here, the Super Bowl of the Uplands for everybody. We do sincerely appreciate the collaboration. I think it's a credit to all the organizations. We play in the sandbox pretty well together.

Speaker 2 (06:21)

We sure do. I like the team aspect too. You know, the upland game bird team, we all bring different talents to the team and the different specialties to round it out. And the cool thing about grouse is they're pretty much is about a grouse to represent about every habitat out there across North America. You know, from the prairie to the shrublands to the deciduous forest to the coniferous forest to the tundra. And if we can have those birds, we know we've got the habitats and all the other critters that go with them.

Speaker 1 (06:54)

So I'm going to put each of you out of the spot with something completely off script. Challenge to each of you, what is your absolute favorite upland bird? And you think about all the species. We'll start with Jodi. We're going to put you on the spot first. What species rises to the top?

Speaker 2 (07:19)

That's pretty easy for me, it's sharp-tailed grouse. My whole career I've had the opportunity to manage and survey for them and do habitat projects on public land and private land and yeah, that's easy. I love sharp-tailed grouse, I love everything about them.

Speaker 1 (07:36)

Okay, so it's probably going to be relatively easy for the next guy I'm going to pick on. Ashley representing the Wisconsin Sharptailed Grouse Society. Are you going to go off script?

Speaker 3 (07:48)

I am going to go off script, even though I am with the Sharptail Grouse Society. My favorite upland bird is the Greater Prairie Chicken. When you work on a species for your graduate work and spend your entire life for two and a half years working on them, they really get under your blood. But even more so standing on a Western South Dakota Prairie in April and hearing that booming from a mile away is a pretty spiritual experience for me and something that every prairie grouse hunter should go and do and not just visit our awesome grasslands in the fall but get there in the spring and listen to that and you'll want to do anything you can to save them after you get to hear that.

Speaker 1 (08:31)

I do love Greater Prairie Chickens. They're just super cool. And you get one of those young ones, they're pretty darn hard to beat on the plate too. They're fabulous. All right, Gabe, what is your absolute top of the list upland bird?

Speaker 4 (08:52)

Probably a big surprise here, but from my perspective, it's the king for a reason. I would have to say the rough grouse.

Speaker 1 (09:00)

we're getting into the king con.

Speaker 4 (09:03)

I had to do it, man.

Speaker 1 (09:05)

King of the forest, I'll grant you that.

Speaker 4 (09:10)

When I was in, so I had been a hunter my whole life, but I came into bird hunting much later in life. I grew up in Southeast Michigan and there used to be tremendous amount of grouse down here and hear these stories from my father and everything. But growing up, it just seemed like this thing of the past, right? And I just wasn't super aware of the conservation needs and everything leading to them. And I caught wind of grouse hunting my senior year of college, going to school for a business degree, not anything to do with conservation. And I almost failed out my last semester because I started trying to get the last opportunities to hunt birds before the snow fell. And then that December, I graduated in December and I actually skipped my college graduation to go try to hunt rough grouse in the EPA at Michigan and be free to snow without any dog and everything else. So we have a kind of a pretty little love story together that ended me up in the spot where I'm at working for RGS. So without a doubt, Ralph Graus is number one for me.

Speaker 1 (10:14)

And just for listeners, there aren't any rough grouse left in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. There's no reason to go hike that. Yeah, don't go there. Yeah, it's kind of a waste of time and travel. Yeah, so you're missing. Just stay away.

Speaker 3 (10:30)

I thought we were going to have to have a little fisticuffs here when he called that the king. thought maybe we'd have to start talking about that he probably just has short hairs instead of setters or something. That he's calling that a king and we could really start going at each other.

Speaker 1 (10:46)

Now, let's throw out all those nice things they said about other conservation dens. The wrong birds and the wrong dogs.

Speaker 2 (10:59)

Yeah, well that's easy small Munsterlanders are definitely the kings.

Speaker 1 (11:04)

All right, I'll get us back at track, Jody. Beyond the conservation groups making this happen, tell us about the corporate partners that are helping fund this element of the show floor.

Speaker 2 (11:21)

You bet. So in great thanks to MNL, our own North American Grouse Partnership, the Minnesota Sharptail Grouse Society, The Ruff Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society and Pine Ridge Grouse Camp. Due to these sponsors, will be able to have camp this year. It really couldn't happen without them. Their support is so much appreciated. And of course to PF for hosting us and allowing us to have this event at the Fest.

And we'll be located, just so folks know, will be between the paths of the Upland stage and the public land stage in the area booth number 804. And besides having our six booths to visit with, just want folks to know that we're gonna have a viewing blind again like we have other years where you can pop in there and in six minutes experience the displays of all 12 gross species in North America.

We're going to have a happy hour on Saturday night. It's always five o'clock at gross camp. So we'd love to see you there. We're going to have a cake. We're going to share. yeah. And we're going to have a couple of film fests where we will show some of our films, including the Saving Ranchy and Grasslands film that we recently did with Cornell.

And then too, we want folks to know about our Grouse Camp 2026 t-shirt. We'll have these available online soon to buy from Pike Gear. Much thanks to Pike Gear, all the proceeds will go back to our Grouse groups for conservation. And if you buy a shirt, you are entered into drawing for some amazing prizes offered by our groups, a big package of prizes, everything from a Orvis Rod Set to a Sun shirt, or some Vest caps, Purina Pro Plan and more.

And if you wear your shirt to camp, then you're also entered the drawing. And if you visit all six of our booths and join three of our orgs or renew with us, you're again entered into the drawing. So lots of incentive to come hang out.

Speaker 1 (13:27)

That's super cool. I think about it. Yeah, I'm looking at get the show program layout for what's happening at Grouse Camp and the logos from all the groups and those groups include North American Grouse Partnership, the Minnesota Sharptail Grouse Society, the Wisconsin Sharptail Grouse Society, the Rough Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society, Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society and the Prairie Chicken Project. So we've got all these groups and you know there's no doubt in my mind this is the largest grouse event that's probably ever occurred and it's a credit to all of you to be joining us at National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic together. This is the largest collection of upland groups in one place for one event that's ever taken place and that makes everybody at our organization super proud. It demonstrates the collaborative nature, once again, bird hunters and being in this together. So it's super cool. Let's start with Gabe. Tell us about, from your perspective, what's got you excited from The Forest King and what's going to happen at Grouse Camp?

Speaker 4 (14:52)

I appreciate that, Bob. Yeah, it's, um, we go to Grouse Camp every year. Uh, I've been for a bit last, the last couple of years, having it back in Minnesota, the Great Lakes States has us super excited. Minnesota, Wisconsin, the upper Midwest. That's our people. Um, you referenced that earlier.

Um, first off, I just want to give a big shout out to Jodi, Provost for all the work that she's been doing on this. I know you, you shot her out here early, but, um, I don't think all of us could, could be where we're at without Jody's help. So I just want to make sure that goes on the record.

Yeah, this year turning it from a Grouse Camp or a grouse trail into the more encompassing camp, I think has a ton of opportunity. We're going to have a great lineup of speakers, opportunity to meet and interact with a mixed bag of grouse folks from the prairies to the forests with all these other different organizations. It's one of my favorite times of the year to come connect with these other groups. Passionate uplanders right at Pheasant Fest in general, but to have us all there in one area, it really excites me. From our perspective, we're going to have a pile of staff there from Minnesota, Wisconsin conservation delivery staff. That's the folks that everybody wants to talk to know what we're doing out there on the ground in the forest. There's going to be some engagement coordinators myself, our Minnesota engagement coordinator as well as our Wisconsin engagement coordinator. And we're going to have some more national staff there as well. So really excited for that. We have a great lineup of speakers on Friday all the way through Saturday and into Sunday as well.

Speaker 1 (16:35)

Cool. Ashley will go from the forest to the prairies, the grasslands. What are the highlights from your perspective?

Speaker 3 (16:45)

You know, I really have to start out just like Gabe did. know, Jody being on this podcast today and just what a treasure that you are Jody, that we have you in our corner in this Prairie Grouse world. You know, this fall Jody and I had the opportunity to spend three days together in Valentine, Nebraska at the 35th gathering of the Prairie Grouse Technical Council meeting where I was fortunate enough to give a presentation on my work that I do for my day job is the Audubon Grassland Ecologist here in Wisconsin. And just her energy and her ability to put this together is, is pretty amazing. So Jodi, you can never retire. You have to stick around for us young people to see out our careers too. You know, like, I guess that takes me back to the excitement that I have is how, how center stage grouse are, are becoming right now.

And especially amongst, you know, what I'll call my generation and Gabe's generation, us younger biologists who are sort of taking the torch, right? From, from the baby boomers who are aging out and retiring and being at that Prairie Grouse Tech Council meeting, it was full of young people just getting out of college, finishing grad degrees. you know, collaborating on projects, talking about future projects and now bringing all of us together at Grouse Camp is just going to be an amazing experience being there.

Hopefully we can put together some awesome projects to collaborate on while we're sitting in that, at that lounge at Pheasant Fest. And I'd be remiss to talk, if I didn't talk about that, I'm excited about a big picture that Mike Amman took of me this fall in the Northwest Sands of Wisconsin, holding my really big adult male sharp-tailed grouse that I got for the first hunting season that Wisconsin's held since 2018. So that's going to be front and center.

We're really going to talk about that conservation success story at our booth and really show how our public land managers are really just killing it in Northwest Wisconsin and saw our shark tail population explode by fivefold allowing us to hunt them again, which is pretty much the ultimate measure of conservation, right?

Speaker 1 (19:00)

Was that sharp tail the one you bagged came right after a pheasant you missed, right?

Speaker 3 (19:05)

It did, yes. And earlier that morning, I'd actually got a rough grouse. So Mike Ammon, who I hunted with, me... I would have had the trifecta. And he's like, I don't know that there's anybody modern day in the last 50 years that shot a rough grouse, pheasant, and sharp tail on the same day in Wisconsin.

Speaker 1 (19:25)

So close. You had a timber doodle to that and you had the grand say, I am. That's pretty cool. So here's an observation I want to bounce off you all. You talked about younger folks having grouse species take center stage. My impression is that there is no more time in my life that Sharpies have been as popular as they are now. And I attribute that to kind of the Instagram effect and that their season, know, Sharpie seasons open up early September. And while I personally love to go rough grouse hunting in September when it's a jungle, a lot of other people end up going to the prairie where they could see their dogs and work, you know, young Sharpies and they hold tight and they popcorn flush.

Let's start with Gabe. What do you think? Are sharpies on a massive surge of interest because of Instagram?

Speaker 4 (20:34)

Honestly, Bob, I had a conversation very similar to this probably three weeks, four weeks ago. And yeah, I would have to agree with you. I know that was my case, an opportunity to extend your season. And like you said, in the upper Midwest, grouse hunting, if you not only want to see your dogs, but want to get a glimpse of the bird that you're maybe get a chance to shoot at, rough grouse hunting the first couple of weeks is probably not your best choice. So yeah, for the last five years or so, myself and a lot of other folks I know, head west to the prairies, chase sharp tails, and one of my other favorite birds out there, the Hungarian partridge.

Speaker 1 (21:16)

Yeah, right. What do you think Ashley?

Speaker 3 (21:20)

This fall I had the opportunity when I was going out to the Prairie Grouse Tech Council to stop off in South Dakota with some old grad school friends and we were able to shoot prairie chickens and sharp tails in the same day, in the same fields. know, we get a lot of mixed lex in that area. But I really think, and it's my favorite time of year too, when people are starting to text and send photos of where they're at, the Dakotas or Montana or Saskatchewan or wherever.

But I really think that besides Instagram, there is a culture of folks right now who are just really concerned and care a lot about our native birds and specifically our native prairie grouse. And I think we're really starting to tell that story. And obviously Instagram is part of that, but then you, you know, this is second podcast I'd been on talking about them on the Pheasants Forever podcast. So I think.

And right now I'm working on a shark tail project in Northwest Wisconsin, where we partnered with the Rough Gale Society. so like with all of us telling our story and telling our successes, I think that is leading to more people just being aware that these birds are there and that it's available. It's a great resource on public lands in the West. you know, there's that huge, we have a huge public lands movement going on right now. And so I think that's just all tied together throughout our country.

Speaker 1 (22:42)

Yeah, think all those things are contributing to it. I've just thinking about, you know, a couple of years ago, Montezuma quail or Mearns quail, depending on where you're from, were the Instagram darling. Then like the last couple of years, maybe last year more, Chucker were the Instagram darling. To me, it's like sharp tails have been maybe the Instagram darling of the decade. But I do think you're right, there's contributing factors, more more interest in these birds, the beautiful places they live, people that are passionate and terrific spokespersons for these birds. You guys, we mentioned Jodi, there's just so much enthusiasm.

And, you know, in the world that we live in now, we're all just much more interconnected than we ever were. You know, we're so secretive about our spots, but we could share our love about these birds.

All right. So I'm going to transition us a little bit to have you each talk about your organization, a little bit of, you know, commercial about your organization and also what special maybe membership offers you have coming up at National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic.

I'm a member of every single one of these groups and I invite our listeners to also join and become members at Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic. So before we start that, I do want to give a shout out to our mutual partner at every one of these groups works with OnX. Just an absolute champion of conservation, OnX Hunt.

We're particularly proud at Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever to have partnered with OnX on our PATH program, Public Access to Habitats, which has opened up more than 100,000 acres now in South Dakota and Nebraska and new this past season in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Michigan. And I've got word more states are coming on the horizon.

OnX is helping to make a real boots on the ground impact for all of us as upland bird hunters. If you are not yet a subscriber or a member of OnX, please go to the link in the show notes at onyxhunt.com and use the code PFQF. Not only will you get a 20 % off discount to your OnX Hunt membership, OnX will make a donation back to our Habitat Mission for every code used.

All right, Jodi. This is kind of a Jodi cast too. You termed it a Bob cast, but this is a shout out celebration of the work that you've done. Tell us about, you're going to tell us about North American Grouse Partnership, but a couple other groups that are not able to join us for this episode of On The Wing.

Speaker 2 (25:56)

Yeah, you bet. Well, first, I just want to say thanks to OnX too. They've been hugely supportive to all of our work. And Bob, I got to thank you too for always being a member. Every Pheasant Fest, you come by our booth and rejoin. Thank you for doing that. And I have a challenge to you though. I'm a to all six groups too, and I'm a life member of three. Why don't you come by and be a life member this year, Bob?

Speaker 1 (26:28)

What is the life member cost for a North American Grouse Partnership?

Speaker 2 (26:33)

I think it's a thousand. Yes.

Speaker 1 (26:36)

Just walking around money for us.

Speaker 2 (26:38)

Yeah, yeah, just a little allowance money. I'm sure your wife would say, you bet, go for it, Bob.

Speaker 1 (26:42)

You know Meredith well, she probably would.

Speaker 2 (26:49)

No, but okay, yeah. So on to our groups. Yeah, so the North American Growers' Partnership. We will have our booth as always. Just a couple of fun facts. We were started in 1999 actually by a group of falconers that were concerned about the loss of habitat and where they hunted their falcons on their prey. And so we've been growing ever since. We've been around what 26 years now going on.

And we focus on conserving grouse and their habitats through science, policy, management, and partnerships. And of course, because grasslands are the most endangered ecosystem here in North America and the world, that's really what we're focusing on, and their prairie grouse. So right now we're working hard to stop and reverse the loss of grasslands. In fact, it's hard to say this, but every year we lose roughly 2 million more acres of grassland. And we can't let that happen anymore. We've got to work together to stop that.

And so that's kind of what we're all about. Right now we're working hard with some rancher conservation land owner heroes, particularly unless you're Prairie Chicken Range down in the five states of the Southwestern Great Plains. So stop on by our booth. We love to talk about our work, hear your thoughts, your ideas. We'll be selling memberships. We'll have a membership special. We'll have some swag like hats, decals, our fall magazine that was hot off the press while ago.

And in addition to our group, yes, the other mighty small dedicated passionate groups that will be here on the camp are the Minnesota Sharp-Till-Grouse Society, the Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society, and the Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Project. And just a little bit about each of those, they too will be selling memberships in SWAG. Love to talk habitat and projects.

You know, we're raising awareness, but we all need that awareness to lead to action. It doesn't mean anything if it doesn't lead to action on the ground for habitat and the birds. And these groups are really getting it done locally. The Sharptail Grouse Society, they were started in 1986, and they're dedicated to Sharptail in Minnesota as their management restoration. And they're having a membership drive right now and would love you to stop by and join them. And they wanted me to highlight the two partnership awards they got this year from Pheasants Forever and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They've been going gangbusters using outdoor heritage funds to restore and protect more shrublands for sharp tail.

And the Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society, they were started in 1973 and their primary goal is to raise awareness about the words, the birds, and the word about the birds. And they have annual meeting and they are going gangbusters too using outdoor heritage funds, also with PF like MSGS to acquire and restore and enhance lands. In fact, they're having a really good presentation in one of our seminars of how these two groups work together with PF. And then finally, the Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Project. They're a pretty new project organization just in the last year.

And their real goal right now is to get these habitat work days done out there for greater prairie chicken that last population and rally around them in central Wisconsin and the grasslands there. And they want me to remind folks that they can check their Facebook page about the next Habitat Workday coming up on January 17th.

Speaker 1 (30:08)

Yeah, you bring up Prairie Chicken Society, Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society, Minnesota Sharptail Grow Society. I think about habitat projects we've done with both of those land acquisitions that with the Prairie Chicken Society in the northwest corner of the state of Minnesota, there's prairie chickens, there's pheasants, there's also moose on that property.

On the ones on the east side of the state with Minnesota Sharptail Grow Society, there's turkeys and ducks and sandhill cranes and sharpies and harizons. It's just another illustration of we so often work together to get things done, partnerships with an avid game when it comes to habitat.

Gabe, tell us about what Rough Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society are up to and what you got going on from a membership perspective.

Speaker 4 (31:07)

Yeah, and I appreciate that, Bob. I always love to talk, have the opportunity to talk to folks about rough grouse and what we do for both them and American Woodcock and effectively all forest dwelling species. So I'd like to think that everybody knows about us, the rough grouse society, but the amount of people that I've ran into while out hunting or whatnot that don't still shocks me to this day. So for those that don't.

We're a national conservation organization. We were founded in 1961 in believe it or not, Virginia. And we are the premier forest wildlife organization. Our mission is to promote healthy forests through active management so that the current and both the future generations can enjoy abundant wildlife through ethical conservation and recreation.

Everybody that I work with at RGS, have this deep care for the birds that's on our logo, the rough grass and the American Woodcock. But the work that we do expands so much further outside of the scope of just these birds. They both are an indicator species. So effectively what that is, we refer to them as the bellwether of the forest.

And they indicate the health and the wellness of the forest, those water systems, the whole bigger holistic picture, almost to a T. So this next step, keep that in mind. Grouse are currently listed as a species of greatest conservation need, I believe in 19 states across the country. They say grouse and rough grouse. And Woodcock are listed in 29 states. So if we think of them as indicator species, right, thumb on the pulse for the health of the forest and the ecosystems that they need and all other forest wildlife needs, they need to melt. The birds do and their habitat do. And that's exactly what we're doing, period. That's my value proposition for the Rough Grouse Society.

Something that I think is super important to mention too is we are a member organization, just like Pheasants Forever, Quell Forever, North American Grouse Partnership, the list goes on. We are a member-based organization, and we simply could not do the work that we do without our members that make up our chapters. So big shout out to them.

If I had a magic wand, I've been asked this question before, what would I do in the terms of RGS or AWS? If I had that magic wand and I can make everybody a member of RGS, that was a rough grouse or an American woodcock hunter that would exponentially change our impact in a positive manner.

So another little fun fact, just this year -

Speaker 1 (34:15)

Do you know what percentage of current Rough Grouse hunters are members of RGS at present, like what market penetration is?

Speaker 4 (34:27)

I don't have that across the country. So I was in Wisconsin, now I'm back in Michigan where I'm originally from and my region is Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. For instance, off the top of my head in Michigan, it almost pains me to say this, but I think it's important. Last year, the DNR projected in Michigan, the Rough Grouse Hunting License is a base license, right? So it's not a specific stamp.

went through their data and projected 100,000 licensed grouse hunters in the state of Michigan. And we have just over 1,500 members in the state of Michigan. So we have a lot of opportunity to grow. And I'm excited about that. that's what my job is as an engagement coordinator. But you know, the...

Speaker 1 (35:16)

Yes. Just to really, I mean that's 1.5% grouse hunters in Michigan, which is startling. if my recollection is correct, Minnesota, it goes Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin for a total number of grouse hunters by state. Like I think Minnesota sells the most, or has the most grouse hunters. Michigan's number two.

Speaker 4 (35:38)

I believe so.

Speaker 1 (35:42)

Wisconsin's number three. And if I recall, Michigan is the number one Woodcock hunting state in the country. just to highlight that 1.5 % of grouse hunters in the state of Michigan are RGS members, that's preposterous. I mean, because I think comparatively, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, I think it's preposterous that we're roughly market penetration 8 to 10% of pheasant and quail hunters are members. I mean, as a collective upland community, we've got to keep pushing to 50, 75%. And when you consider 90, or in the case of Michigan grouse hunters, 98.5 % are not even RGS members. And it's the third best grouse state in the, or second best grouse state in the country.

Speaker 4 (36:40)

Yeah. we, we talk about, we talk about hunters funding conservation and the reality of it is guys, and everybody knows this now is, you know, conservation funding for state agencies is the lowest it's ever been right now. And, us hunters really need to step up and help, help, uh, these organizations and put this money on the ground. Cause like you said, the exponential difference that you could do if you had a hundred thousand members just in Michigan, the amount of resources that we could pump into the land, um, to produce more birds would be incredible in this country and you know, as a guy who works his day job in conservation and partner with a lot of state game agencies, it's, hard for them right now to, to keep up with inflation and keep up with their work that they do. So we got to, you know, this that's my call to everybody on this podcast right now that's listening, you know, join, join all of our organizations or at least pick one and join it and, and become, become a paying member.

Speaker 2 (37:32)

Amen.

Speaker 1 (37:33)

And it doesn't have to be a thousand dollar life membership. Honestly, at $35 or $45 member adds your voice in the halls of Congress and the halls of state capitals. we can exponentially turn those dollars. All of our groups can turn those dollars through PR funding, through volunteer efforts. We can exponentially leverage those dollars for greater things that mean more habitat acres, more access, and more birds in the air for all of us to chase our bird dogs around. mean, we spend a couple cases of greenbelt premium cost $35, $45 bucks, you know? We could spend a little money in many cases, pick up a lid with your favorite bird on it as part of the membership and you get a publication and it's really a worthy cause no matter what group you're talking about. Sorry to cut you off, Gabe.

Speaker 4 (38:39)

No, I appreciate the conversation. you know, just, I don't want to zoom in on Michigan too much, but, you know, folks, if maybe they're a Pheasant hunter or Quill hunter or something along these lines, we're doing a lot. We have an MOU signed now Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever and RGS / AWS. And, you know, I could list a couple different projects that we're working on collectively right now in the state. So I really think that extends for all the groups here on the call, all the groups that are going to be at Grouse Camp. We have this collective mission of conservation, right? And that even extends outside of the bird groups, but supporting one of us, one way or the other supports the collective whole. It really does. So, not all doom and gloom though, a little statistic I'd like to throw out there or metric is, just this year, we, surpassed over 500,000 acres positively impacted, since 2021.

And why I say 2021, that is really when our new business model was able to go into effect under our CEO, Ben Jones. So that's a huge achievement for us. And I like to tell people that that's just a little snowball at the top of the hill and we just nudged it off. And that baby is picking up steam and growing in size. We've doubled in capacity and staff during that time as well energy attracts energy. Yeah. Love to have some more members out there.

Speaker 1 (40:11)

Right on. Ashley, round out the membership offers, is what Wisconsin Grouse Society's got going on. Sharp tailed Grouse.

Speaker 3 (40:20)

Yeah, you know, just a little bit ago, Bob, we talked about Instagram and how popular sharp tails are right now. And every year at Pheasant Fest at our booth, it's fascinating how many people come to our booth and have no idea that Wisconsin has sharp tail grouse. you know, the last time we were in Minneapolis, had, we had two younger kids. think they were 19 years old and they were from Houston, Texas.

And in their words, every fall they dirt bag it in the back of their truck to Northwest South Dakota to hunt sharp tails and huns. And they both signed up as life members that day at our booth. These two 19 year old kids from Texas. And so, you know, our membership stuff is pretty standard. It's the $300 life membership and then, you know, annual $35 membership that we actually have a renewal system on, automatic renewal system on now. And of course we're, we're selling swag, t-shirts, hats, that kind of stuff. You know, one thing I'm excited about is just really trumpeting the success we've had in Northwest Wisconsin and really lifting up the folks that are managing cracks in the Namacoggin Barons and Mike Ahman managing the Barnes Barons and Bob Hanson doing all this great work in the Northwest Sands. And really, I think it's just, it's really telling that positive story, right? And people want to be on the winning team and that's...

That's a shout out to one of Pheasants Forever's employees, Bob. Seth Owens out in North Dakota. I don't know you know Seth or not, but we spent three days at the Prairie Grouse Tech Council meeting and he was, you know, as an outreach and education coordinator, he just kept talking about how we have to tell that winning story. Cause that's who, that's people want to be on the winning team. And so we're going to come really positive, talk about the good things we have going on. How do we build on that? How your membership dollars help build on that and how we can take that money and match it with you guys and the Rough Grouse Society and the North American Grouse Partnership and whoever else to do landscape level conservation to ensure that we have even more sharp tails next year for another hunting season in Wisconsin.

Speaker 1 (42:28)

Right on. All right, we'll round out this episode. I'll tell a little bit more details about Pheasant Fest. Before I get to the close, I want you guys all to think about, I want you to paint a picture for me of your favorite place to bird hunt. Tell me where that is. You don't have to put a hot spot on the map. But tell me what dogs in front of you kind of paint the picture of your favorite place in the world. Jody, before we get there, give a shout out to our Grouse Camp sponsors once more.

Speaker 2 (43:11)

sure thing Bob. They are MNL, our own North American Grouse Partnership, the Minnesota Sharptail Grouse Society, the Rough Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society, and Pine Ridge Grouse Camp.

Speaker 1 (43:27)

All right, you can come to Grouse Camp. It's part of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's National Pheasant Fest coming to the Minneapolis Convention Center the weekend of February 20th. We kick, checking my dates here, we kick things off at 11 a.m. on the 20th with the Bird Dog Parade, my single favorite hour of the year.

Right after the parade, we cut the ribbon and opened the show floor. You can get in and see puppy and dog training seminars, a youth village for kids, hunting seminars. Got more than 400 exhibitors signed up on the show floor, including our very first ever Grouse Camp. National Pheasant Fest and Quilt Classic. You can learn more about it at pheasantfest.org.

And a special thank you to Federal ammunition once again our presenting sponsor of National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic. Again, it's the weekend of February 20th, and if you don't have your tickets yet for the big concert on the 19th We have a few left. Actually, I have a lower section tickets left nothing left to the upper in the balcony but we got some tickets to see Turnpike Troubadours with Dave Simonette opening the show.

Excuse me, Dave Siminet opening the show. And Dave shot his very first rough grouse with me in my beloved Esky just a few years ago. All right. I asked you to paint a picture. We'll start with Gabe. What is your perfect hunting scene and what kind of dog is in front of you for that scene?

Speaker 4 (45:15)

That's pretty easy for me, Bob, but before that, and I don't want to interject too much, I realized that I totally skipped over our membership promo that we're going to be doing at, at Grouse. Yeah, hit it. If I can hit that real quick. So, we've set a goal for ourselves this year of 500 conservation level memberships. So there's the Rough Grouse Society and the American Woodcock Society. A conservation level membership is a membership to both of those. They're $60.

We're going to be doing outside of the Grouse Camp, a shared space with Brent Pyke of Pyke Gear. If we reach that, anybody that purchases a conservation level membership is going to be entered into an RGS branded Pyke Gear set up from head to toe, the whole nine yards entered into a raffle for that.

And at Fest we'll be giving you a, you know, rate there so you can go out, Stuttin' and styling around the rest of Fest, with a throwback vintage RGS AWS Rope Hat too. and-

Speaker 1 (46:20)

A Rope Hat.

Speaker 4 (45:21)

Rope Hat. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (46:23)

very trendy of you.

Speaker 4 (45:24)

I know, right? Like the one I'm wearing right now. yeah. And there's something else we're working on. It's not entirely finalized yet, but I just like to tease it. We're putting some final touches on if we hit that goal of 500 conservation level memberships at FEST, there's a really cool partnership that will make an exponential conservation impact. I don't want to, you know, give it away yet. But come by and see us at Fest. And if we hit that 500 person conservation goal, I think people are going to be really excited about what comes out of that. And that's all I'll say with that.

So sorry to interject there, Bob. All right. But it's pretty easy. I wouldn't say I'm a man with words. I can sure talk a lot, but I wouldn't say I'm a man with words.

It's a two track that leads down on the left-hand side and rough grouse hunting, as you may expect. On the left-hand side, there is a beautiful little, probably six foot wide stream with probably 30 foot bank of cedars going uphill. So it's got the lowland component, some hazel brush that moves into a beautiful aspen cut that right now in 2025, I'd say is about 10 years old, maybe going on 11. And I'd have both of my black and white Blue Ellen setters in front of me as I've had for many years. I only hunt that spot once a year. It was one of the very first spots that I took my very first dog, Josie, who's still with me. It's the very first dog I ever grouse hunted with. That's the very first dog I ever grouse hunted over. And it's the very first grouse I ever got over dog. And not exactly this space, but very, very near.

Speaker 1 (48:18)

Yeah. Fabulous. What day of the year is it?

Speaker 4 (48:24)

I would say October 18th with a little Indian summer about, you know, 62 degrees.

Speaker 1 (48:34)

Yeah. I'm right there with you. All right, Ashley, your turn.

Speaker 3 (48:40)

Man, this challenge you gave us, I feel like I'm sitting in the spot right now and just like reminiscing about old times. as I said before, hunting greater prairie chickens, or prairie chickens are my favorite upland bird. There's a spot in East central South Dakota that a good friend of mine owns a big cow calf ranch. And he's got some really nice broken up hills, some buttes, sort of that Missouri Coteau country.

On top of a couple of those buttes are there's some teepee rings up there with the rock still in place. And it would be the dog that I grew up with. I grew up with short hairs and it would be a point on one of the edges of one of those broken up hills with a covia six prairie chickens getting up at her nose on October 5th. And then after that, sitting down on a tailgate, having a beer and having a cast iron pan, searing a Prairie chicken breast and their legs, medium rare, and then topping that off with Danielle Pruitt's whiskey butter sauce. And just like chef's kiss, like the perfect afternoon and that Prairie sun going down. Perhaps you're hearing an upland sandpiper that's still migrating through. Yeah, that's...

If I could be there today right now, Bob, I would teleport there.

Speaker 1 (50:14)

That's a Greenbelt premium moment. All right, Jody, round this out for us. Where are you going to be?

Speaker 2 (50:23)

Yeah, well, when I'm done stalking these two to find their spots, my favorite spot would be an undisclosed grassland, to the west of me here in North Dakota. I would be walking it with my two Munsterlanders, Ava and Briar, with my over-under. And I like to get there about early mid-afternoon in the fall, after they had doing good grouse partnership work, of course.

Take them out for a couple hours. And I love the end of the day then after we've walked a big loop, just watching the sunset. And I've been really lucky this fall a couple of times to have short-eared owls flying over and checking us out. One even vocalized over the top of us one evening. And that's just when I'm totally at peace, man. When I can't see anything but grass around me, nothing else but grass. and then if my husband Tom was with me, we'd love... to go end up at the Cheyenne Saloon for a beer and a pizza.

Speaker 1 (51:28)

Oh, that's terrific. As I pose this, I keep thinking about there's a property in north central Minnesota that we made public, Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, with Minnesota Sharptail Ground Society and it happened because of the legacy amendment. It was one of the very first Minnesota Legacy Amendment projects that was voted into creation by Minnesota voters in 2008. And this property is where I called in my nephew's very first ever wild turkey and the first place I was ever able to bag a Woodcock, a Rough Grouse, a pheasant and before they closed the season, I missed the sharp tail. I had the opportunity, I missed it.

Speaker 4 (52:24)

We have a lot in common, Bob.

Speaker 1 (52:28)

Yeah. Ha ... But it is one of my favorite, it might be my favorite place on the planet. I told my wife, when I pass away, you can spread my ashes there. I don't know if that's legal, but don't tell anybody.

Speaker 2 (52:43)

I've been thinking the same thing, we just won't tell anybody.

Speaker 1 (52:48)

But that's what this is all about. You know, these birds that we all cherish, they don't just live in one place. They share these habitats and they share it with us, right? I mean, these public places, these wild places are so important for the human being, for our souls. And, you know, yeah, you can write this off as a commercial for Grouse Camp and...

You know, hey, come to Pheasant Fest. This is so much more deeply meaningful to all of us. And I know our listeners that are bird hunters and they love their dogs like their family and they love these places. Get that. hopefully you're coming to the Minneapolis Convention Center, maybe not your favorite place in the world to be, but please join us and you can reminisce about some of these places that are very incredibly special to all of us. And when you become a member and help put some of the dollars back into these places, we can create more of them and make the ones that are out there even better. Whether you love forest grouse, prairie grouse, know, big gaudy, bad-ass ring-necked pheasant, or any of the six species of quail that call the United States home.

Please come join us and make Grouse Camp one of your destinations. Folks, thank you very much. Really appreciate you joining for this conversation. Thank you to the listeners and look me up at National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic. I'll be the guy with the orange sport coat and the microphone at the Bird Dog Parade. I'm Bob St. Pierre reminding you to always follow the dog. Something good will rise. Thanks, folks.

Speaker 2 (54:46)

Thanks, Bob.