Somebody opened a treat jar somewhere!

• I believe bird dogs take on personality traits of their owners.

• I believe bird dogs “recognize” individual dogs they’ve “met” before.

• I believe my bird dog can hear the lid of her treat jar from distances greater than sound should be able to travel.

• I believe my bird dog knows if we’re hunting for pheasants versus ruffed grouse when she leaves her truck kennel by assessing the habitat around her.  A forest equals ruffed grouse, while grasses equal pheasants.

• I believe bird dogs recognize their own kind.  Released into a group of other bird dogs, I’ve watched golden retrievers sniff other goldens first, Labs sniff Labs first . . . same goes for shorthairs, Brittanys, and springers.

• I believe bird dogs are the key ingredient to getting a new generation interested in bird hunting and wildlife habitat conservation.

• I believe bird dogs equate blaze orange with “it’s time to go hunting,” even if they don’t see colors the same way their human hunting counterparts see colors.

• I believe bird dogs enjoy fireplaces, sleeping in on Sundays and quality habitat as much as his/her hunting master.

• I believe if you name your bird dog “Trouble,” “Tank,” “Precious,” or “Crash,” then that dog is going to live up to their dubious name.

What about you?  Are there things you believe about your bird dog that may be considered a little left of center?

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

(left to right) Bob St.Pierre, Howard Vincent, Kim Price and Dave Nomsen in 2008

I remember the first time I ever met Kim Price.  It was at SHOT Show in 2005.  Pheasants Forever was investigating the formation of Quail Forever and Kim owned Covey Rise, the nation’s only monthly publication dedicated exclusively to the bobwhite quail.

“I bet you couldn’t even hit a quail over a pointed covey,” Kim poked me.  “Son, after shooting those basketball-sized pheasants all fall long, a covey of quail would eat you alive.”

It turns out Kim was right about my shooting prowess, but he grossly underestimated the survival instincts of a flushing rooster.

“B Saint P, that basketball was hummin’,” Kim giggled after a rooster flushed behind two empty barrels of his over/under a few years later on a South Dakota prairie.

Kim was a man who favored over/under shotguns, laughed easily, recognized good habitat, loved bird dogs, enjoyed writing and appreciated solid journalism; which is to say we were fast friends.

Around the marketing department, my team affectionately referred to Kim as “Sweet Home” referencing his Alabama roots, southern drawl and steadfast support for our PR efforts.  As you probably heard, or inferred by now, Kim passed away last week after a lengthy battle against cancer.  He was a champion for quail and for pheasants, he was the epitome of a professional, and he is a friend I will miss forever.

I conducted the following Q&A for a blog post last year.  I thought it appropriate for all of you to learn a little more about my friend Kim from his own words.

Kim N. Price

Born in what town:  Alexander City, Alabama

Current Town of Residence: Alexander City, Alabama

Family: Wife, Janet; Chilluns, Whitney, Matt, Chase, & Griffin

Occupation: Owner and President of Price Publications, Inc. , publishers of three weekly newspapers and Covey Rise, national quail hunting publication

Dogs:  Baxter, a Boykin Spaniel and Herkimer, Collie/lab mix

Favorite place to pheasant hunt: South Dakota

Favorite place to quail hunt: Thomasville, Georgia

Favorite pheasant hunting shotgun: Beretta Lightweight 12- gauge

Favorite quail hunting shotgun: Browning Citori 28-gauge

Best pheasant hunt of your life was: My first time six years ago in Clark, South Dakota, and my last time in Kansas.

Best quail hunt of your life was:  Albany, Texas at the Stasney Cook Ranch. We saw probably 60 coveys on the roads driving into the ranch, and over the next two days the dogs found about 70 coveys.

How did you first get involved with Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever? I was asked to serve on the national board to help institute Quail Forever as part of a national organization seeking to restore quail populations across the Northern Bobwhite’s landscape. I also serve as treasurer now. 

What is your favorite aspect about serving on the National Board? Conservation is my life and PF/QF is truly all about conservation. Our board is made up of dedicated conservationists who give of their time to work on important conservation issues whether locally at a chapter meeting, at a quarterly national board meeting, a committee meeting or working on pushing conservation issues in Washington, D.C.

What is the single biggest challenge facing Pheasants Forever in the future?

My biggest concern not just for PF/QF, but for all conservation organizations is the loss of critical conservation programs in the 2012 Farm Bill. That one issue is the great challenge for Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever. Fortunately, PF/QF is the hands-down leader in conservation work in Washington on the Farm Bill and PF/QF has an awesome respect among the decision-makers – I know because I’ve seen it in person. It’s about habitat. The loss of sensitive brood rearing habitat and food cover areas that could get plowed under due to a lack of Farm Bill program funding could be disastrous. The Conservation Reserve Program alone helped return pheasant populations to the landscape and without CRP and other conservation-friendly programs, pheasants, quail and other upland species are in for a rough time down the road.

Times are bleak for America’s bobwhite quail.  What is it going to take to turn the tide?

Habitat restoration. I know that sounds basic, but it is. States with on-the-ground programs are making a difference using federal and state programs available to landowners. That is key. Since the 1980s bobwhite quail have lost much of their reproductive and successional habitat. Farming practices changed, timber practices changed and fire was removed from the habitat for too long. That closed the timber canopy – ever heard of Kudzu – and quail had no place to live under the tall Southern pine forests. Predators began dominating the shadows and populations started declining in the 70s. By the 1980s, some states, like my own Alabama, had seen as much as 80 percent to 90 percent loss of bobwhite populations. That is significant. Quail Forever’s goal is to get as many on-the-ground chapters working with as many individual landowners on a contiguous basis to promulgate quail restoration. Along with state wildlife quail biologists – many who serve on the National Bobwhite Technical Committee – and federal agencies like the Farm Service Agency, we can work together to make this happen. In a perfect world, the “Deep South” would have just as many Farm Bill biologists helping landowners plan, plant and burn so the landscape benefits Mr. Bob. I asked FSA Administrator Jonathan Coppess at the recent Pheasant Fest in Omaha if it is possible for states and FSA to team up with QF chapters to get these Farm Bill biologists on the ground. He said he would work to help us notify his state managers in the south. That cooperation is what it will take because it represents the biggest opportunity for faster landscape change. Then, we will see bobwhite populations return. They may never get back to the 1960s, but they’ll be back to a point you can go on the back porch and hear that ole man whistle again.

I’ll miss you Sweet Home.  I’ll rejoin you down the road for a hunt, so remember to leave a few birds in those coveys for seed.

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

Part of the Benelli family, all Franchi shotguns are Italian made and will be on display in Kansas City at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic coming up next month.

Check out this fantastic video of the new Instinct L:

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

(From left to right). Lucy the Lab, Matt Kucharski, me and my shorthair Trammell

At the request of @Noah B, a commenter of my “Wild Game Dinner Parties” blog post, I attained my buddy Matt Kucharski’s spectacular Peking Pheasant recipe. Matt is a savvy public relations professional, a dynamic adjunct college professor and a skilled wingshooter; however, his true calling may be in the kitchen tied up in an apron as a wild game chef.  I guarantee you will not be disappointed with Matt’s Peking Pheasant preparation.  Here you go!

Ingredients (serves 3-4 four):

• 1 lb pheasant breast, cut into ½ inch by 1 inch slices (cubed also fine).  Thigh meat can be used to stretch, but can be chewy.
• 3 tbsp corn starch or flour (corn starch preferred)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp frying oil (canola or vegetable)
•  (Optional) 1 whole sweet red bell pepper, julienned
• (Optional) 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
• 2 minced garlic cloves or tbsp of minced jar garlic, separated in half
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup House of Tsang Spicey Szechuan Stir Fry sauce (available in most grocery stores – other brands can be substituted but this one works well)
• (Optional) 3 tbsp packed brown sugar

Preparation:

Sauce:  Mix 1 tbsp garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, stir fry sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.  Brown sugar gives the final dish a little bit more caramelizing and a hint of sweetness.

Meat:

• In a wok, heat oil and lightly sauté remaining garlic.
• Mix corn starch, salt and pepper in a plastic bag.  Add small amounts of pheasant to coat and set aside.
• Oil is hot enough when a small piece of pheasant sizzles the moment it is dropped in.  Gradually add small amounts of pheasant and stir fry until golden brown and slightly crisp, keeping pieces separate to create individual “nuggets”.  Add more oil as needed, and set aside finished pieces on paper towel.
• When pheasant is cooked, remove from wok and stir fry pepper and beans until barely tender
• Add pheasant back into wok and lightly stir fry until warm
• Add sauce and toss to coat all contents and heat until sauce bubbles.

Serve hot with rice and lo mein noodles. 

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

The calm before the feeding frenzy

Every holiday season, my wife and I host a party we call “Pheasant Feast.”  In fact, last month we hosted Pheasant Feast IX . . . Yes, we’re now using Roman Numerals in our invitations.  Nevertheless, this has become an annual tradition and a lot of fun for our friends and family.  I’ve even enlisted my hunting buddy Matt Kucharski as co-chef for the event.  This year, we were joined by two dozen guests for a night of taste-testing comprised exclusively of wild game. 

The 2011 Pheasant Feast menu included:

• · Peking Pheasant
• · Pheasant a l’Orange
• · Poached Blueberry Ruffed Grouse
• · Roast Moose with Coffee Gravy
• · Pheasant Tortellini with Brussels sprouts
• · Minnesota Wild Rice Soup
• · Duck Rumaki
• · Jalapeno Pheasant Poppers
• · Tenderloin of Venison
• · 7-Up Northern Pike
• · Pheasant Pesto Pizza
• · Desserts, Beer & Vino

As you can imagine, some of these dishes turned out better than others when more than ten preparations are on the grill, stovetop and oven.  The low spot of this roster was certainly the 7-Up Northern Pike . . . I won’t be reproducing that funky fish anytime soon. However, I plan to do my best to replicate Matt’s Peking Pheasant recipe this weekend.  All in all, leftovers were non-existent which I consider a good indication of success.

As I reflect on this menu, I naturally think about the camaraderie of a day spent afield with friends and family pheasant hunting.  However, what Pheasant Feast also reminds me of is the power wild game has of bringing family and friends together around the table.  For me, the meal is almost, almost as important as the hunt and also nearly as fun.

What about you, have you ever hosted a wild game dinner party?

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

Pheasant Tortellini with Brussels sprouts at the mid-point

“Eat your vegetables Bobby,” was the nightly ultimatum from Mom while growing up.  Green beans, peas, spinach and even broccoli presented no problems in meeting her demands, but my delicate childhood palate did have one little green nemesis – Brussels sprouts. 

Like most kids, I “guaranteed” vomiting if I were made to eat something as detestable as a Brussels sprout.  And also like most kids, I’ve grown to love foods I scorned as a youngster.  In the case of Brussels sprouts, I have a pheasant dish to thank for my new found love affair with these green little nuggets of goodness.  The pheasant dish of which I speak is pheasant tortellini with Brussels sprouts and I developed it on a whim while grabbing some pre-packaged pasta fixings in the cold case of my local grocer.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• · One pheasant breast deboned and cut into 1 inch cubes
• · Approximately two dozen Brussels sprouts cut in half
• · A package of cleaned portabella button mushrooms
• · A package of cheese tortellini
• · A package of Alfredo cream sauce
• · A half stick of butter

Preparation Instructions

1. Add butter to a large frying pan and melt.  When the butter is melted add pheasant meat to the frying pan and sauté till the pheasant begins to brown.

2. Sauté the mushrooms in butter in a separate frying pan.

3. Likewise sauté the Brussels sprouts in butter in a third frying pan until they begin to caramelize. 

4. Combine the pheasant, mushrooms and Brussels sprouts into one large frying pan and reduce heat to low.

5. Boil the tortellini as instructed on packaging

6. Combine cooked tortellini with pheasant, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts.

7. Pour Alfredo cream sauce over all ingredients.

8. Stir everything, so Alfredo sauce is evenly distributed and simmer uncovered for three minutes.

9. Serve & Enjoy

I realize this isn’t fine dining and some culinary purists will rip me for covering up the delightful taste of pheasant in cream sauce.  I get it.  Nonetheless, this is a very easy dish to make, and a really palatable dish for those folks that may be new and tentative to eating wild game.  It’s a great way to walk them through the wild game door with little risk of being turned off.  Or in my case, it’s a great way to learn to enjoy Brussels sprouts.

Now that I’ve tackled Brussels sprouts, I think I’m finally ready to confront lima beans.  Anyone got a pheasant recipe that includes lima beans?

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

Three of us bagged our 4-bird Kansas daily limit of roosters in early December. Notice the snow on the ground behind us.

As the pheasant season begins to wind down in the northern reaches of the rooster range, I begin to receive calls from Pheasants Forever members in places like Traverse City, Michigan; Baraboo, Wisconsin and St. Cloud, Minnesota.  These callers all draw out their “O’s” and are known to drop an occasional “eh” to the end of their sentences.  They also share a common question this time of year, “Where should I travel this January to extend my pheasant hunting season?”

My short answer to that question is to follow the Nebraska/Kansas border from Norton, Kansas and McCook, Nebraska all the way to the Colorado border.  The further west you go along that line, the better the bird numbers with decreasing hunter pressure.  In Colorado, draw a triangle from Sterling to Holyoke to Burlington.  Any of the regions in that three state corridor should produce roosters if you’re riding with good dog power.

My longer answer to the question involves a story you’ve probably heard before centered on habitat loss and harsh weather.  Like most states in the last year, this trio of January “hotspots” have suffered through significant habitat loss due to CRP conversion coupled with poor spring reproduction conditions.  Additionally, the early winter weather has been brutal.  Kansas, for instance, has been hammered with two winter storms already this month leaving more snow on the ground there than we have in Saint Paul, Minnesota outside the PF offices.  That’s right; there is more snow on the ground in Kansas than in Minnesota to start 2012.    

Nebraska’s Pheasant Hunting Forecast

Season Ends: January 31, 2012

Kansas’ Pheasant Hunting Forecast

Season Ends: January 31, 2012

Colorado’s Pheasant Hunting Forecast

Season Ends: January 31, 2012

The other nugget I’d suggest is to get your hand-shaking smile warmed up.  There is a lot of public hunting ground in all three of these states, but those acres have been pounded with Danner boots the last few months.  During an early December trip to Kansas, a pair of my pheasant hunting partners purchased a county plat book and began knocking on doors to gain permission.  Three front steps later, we had access to half a township’s worth of private ground filled with ring-necks. 

One final note on gaining permission to hunt private land; all three of those landowners have received notes of our sincerest thanks and a pound of fresh pecans shipped direct to their doorstep at Christmas.  Remember, it only takes one idiot to ruin a landowner’s impression of hunters, so do your part to thank them for the habitat they’ve left alongside their crops and show them your appreciation for the access they’ve granted after the hunt.  It’s a lot easier to slam the door in your face the next time around after a bad experience. 

And after all the seasons are closed, remember to mark your calendars and join the fun for Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2012 in Kansas City on February 17, 18 & 19.

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

I have always taken my hearing for granted.  Sure, I’d put ear plugs in prior to shooting a round of trap at a clays range, but I’ve never done anything to protect my hearing at a concert or while on a bird hunt.  Last year, however, I noticed the hearing in my left ear beginning to deteriorate.  It was especially noticeable after a day afield in pursuit of birds with frequent shooting.  That’s a bit frightening for anyone, let alone a guy in his mid-thirties.

This season, I was introduced to SoundGear hearing protection by LaPierre.  SoundGear is an instant fit device with the comfort and feel of custom hearing protection, which means SoundGear is a lot more affordable than the very expensive custom hearing protection options out on the market.  One of the best advantages of SoundGear is the fact I can still hear what’s going on around me at the same time my hearing is being protected from the fire of my shotgun. This feature allows for safe hunting practices by being aware of your surroundings.  SoundGear is a totally unique product because a professional fitting is not required and they’re as simple to use as ear plugs. 

Pheasants Forever now carries SoundGear in our online store, so not only will your purchase help protect your shooting ears, but you’ll also be helping further PF’s habitat mission whenever you purchase products in the online Pheasants Forever MarketPlace.

SoundGear hearing protection now available through Pheasants Forever

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

PF's Matt Morlock and his English setter, Bob

I am an admitted bird dog name snob.  I realize that and also admit to having named my bird dog after a has-been baseball player from two decades ago – Trammell.  All that said; I encountered a new dynamic with a bird dog on this year’s Rooster Road Trip in South Dakota.

Have you ever been in a field with two hunters named Mike?  Sure, it’s a little confusing, but at least both Mikes can speak for themselves.  However, I bet you haven’t been hunting a field with a bird dog that responds to the same name to which you respond, have you?  Humorously, that’s exactly what happened with Matt Morlock’s English setter, Bob, and I yesterday.

Matt and I are friends, but rarely have an opportunity to hunt together.  Consequently, we walked the fields next to each other for an opportunity to chat.  The name confusion arose in the middle of a cattail stand that towered over both our heads.  A rooster flushed in front of Matt and he made a nice swinging shot to drop the bird in the middle of the cattails.  That’s when the instructions for “Bob” to do this and do that began.  Add a howling wind to the tall cattails and you can imagine my confusion about what I was supposed to be doing and what “Bob” the dog was being ordered to do.  It made for a fantastic rendition of “Who’s on First.” 

Follow Pheasants Forever’s Rooster Road Trip 2011 at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org, on Facebook , YouTube, and Twitter (#rrt11). 

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.

I am a bird hunter first.  I am a diabetic second. 

My doctor, my mom and my wife may disagree with that order, but that’s my reality. 

I wear my insulin pump clipped to my belt 24 hours a day (located just above the Garmin Astro 320 and to the right of the Rooster's head)

I didn’t know jack about diabetes before I was diagnosed with adult onset juvenile diabetes at the tender age of 26, but it’s one of those diseases that takes over your entire existence, so you learn quick.  You have to.  From doing a radio interview to going out on my fishing boat, diabetes has added a wild card to every activity in my life; especially bird hunting.

My form of diabetes, Type 1, is the insulin-dependent kind.  You may be more familiar with Type 2 diabetes which develops in folks that are a little older, a little over-weight and a little less physically active.  Type 1, on the other hand, is the old school needle-carrying form. 

At this moment, your blood sugar is probably about 84.  That’s considered normal thanks to your healthy and functioning pancreas releasing insulin to manage your blood’s glucose level.  My blood sugar, on the other hand, has been as low as 28 and as high as 584.  At this moment, the insulin pump monitoring my blood sugar level reads 212.

When I have low blood sugar, I feel weak, disoriented and starved.  When I have high blood sugar, I am agitated and also have difficulty thinking clearly.  Lows in the middle of the night that wake me out of a deep sleep are the absolute worst.  Not only do I binge eat to get my sugar back up, it’s virtually impossible not to over-eat, so my blood sugar jumps super high.  It just flat out makes me feel awful for the entire next day.  The goal is to get my blood sugar as close to normal as yours with the combination of monitoring my carbohydrate intake, taking insulin injections, exercising, limiting alcohol intake and managing stress.  On paper it seems relatively easy.  In reality, it’s a crap shoot with every decision I make throughout the day. 

As a diabetic constantly monitoring my body’s reaction to food and activity, I can tell you without a single doubt that bird hunting is the most physically demanding activity I participate in throughout the year and that is compared to 5-mile runs, lifting weights or chopping firewood.  Now I’m not talking pheasant hunting on the groomed paths and corn rows of a game farm.  I’m talking cattail busting.  I’m talking about walking through a field of chest-high prairie grasses pulling at your legs like “Night of the Living Zombies.”  Forget about P90X, take up pheasant hunting instead. 

Give me a plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, stuffing and a glass of lemonade.  On a normal day, that meal might put me into a blood sugar overdose, but send me out into a snowy cattail slough in mid-December and I’ll be sucking down Gatorade an hour later to push my blood sugar back up to normal just so I have enough energy to make it back to the truck before I pass out. 

So when it comes to a five day, five state marathon pheasant hunt like the Rooster Road Trip, I get intimidated.  I carry granola bars and Gatorade in the field with me, and I make sure to eat snacks before bed because my metabolism will be burning sugar all night long after a day busting the pheasant fields. 

The moral of my story is we’ve all got crosses to bear in life.  Mine is diabetes.  Diabetes will likely be what kills me, but I’ll be damned if diabetes is going to be what defines me. 

I am a bird hunter.   

Follow Pheasants Forever’s Rooster Road Trip 2011 at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org, on Facebook , YouTube, and Twitter (#rrt11). 

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.