2025 Pheasant Hunting Forecast

Scott and the guys break down their three-state bird hunting adventure while relaxing in their mobile hunting rig affectionately dubbed the "White Whale”!  4 guys, 3 dogs in a 31-foot RV, someone please crack a window!   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Hunt Huron (HuntHuronsd.com), Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

Travis Frank & Scott Fransen share stories from the heart of hunting season, and Scott’s throwing a party.  We discuss pheasant and grouse hunts in Minnesota, Michigan, North & South Dakota, plus we share details on a conservation collaboration with Walton’s, Scott wins longest tail feather contest, and we invite you out to a night on the town with Scott & Tyler Webster this week in Stanley, North Dakota. Learn more about the Walton’s X The Flush pack for conservation @ www.waltons.com   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Hunt Huron (HuntHuronsd.com), Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

At Superior Upland’s rustic ruffed grouse camp in the UP of Michigan, Travis Frank and a crew of passionate bird hunters share stories from the Northwoods.  We discuss current ruffed grouse hunting conditions and what to look for to find birds now through the end of season, the woodcock migration, breaking down habitat, creating grouse hunting habitat, the beauty of grouse camp, life of a grouse guide, from the White House to the Northwoods, Women in the Woods, smells from the forest, and so much more… @superior_upland.   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Hunt Huron (HuntHuronsd.com), Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

Eric Anderson & David Ewel of Minnesota Pheasants, Inc. join the show to discuss the state of their unique habitat organization, how they work alongside Pheasants Forever and other wildlife groups to acquire land and turn it into publicly accessible wildlife habitat, raising money and putting it into the soil, how farmers view hunters, building trust & relationships, how to start your own habitat organization, joining other hunters on a mission, celebrating a great Minnesota pheasant opener, looking ahead at Minnesota’s pheasant hunting season, and so much more.   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Hunt Huron (HuntHuronsd.com), Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

Ryan Sparks, Quail Forever editor, published the 2025 Quail Hunting Forecast and joins the show to break it all down.  Travis and Ryan discuss areas where quail production saw huge spikes and places where numbers took a hit this year. We cover nearly 30 states throughout America’s quail country to give hunters a glimpse at what they might find when they hit the fields this season. @quailforever   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Hunt Huron (HuntHuronsd.com), Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

Clair Maples, DVM joins the show for a refresher course on first aid for hunting dogs using Paradigm Sporting Dog field kits. Clair and Travis walk through Clair’s handmade field kit & truck kits, discussing the tools in each kit and how to use them. They also discuss several topics like rattlesnake bites & Benadryl, removing porcupine quills, stapling a dog in the field, mean seeds, when to go to the vet, tailgate checks, how & when to use Hunt.Vet, and being prepared with a plan for emergencies in the field. @paradigmsportingdog   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Huron (huronsd.com/), Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

Travis Frank talks with upland bird hunters in the field to get real-time reports on bird numbers, habitat, moisture, food sources, hatch results, and highlights.  Tyler Webster gives us his views from Montana and North Dakota.  Joe Lesmeister shares his Montana report along with hunt information from North Dakota & the Sandhills region in Nebraska.  Bailey Peterson provides a Northwoods Minnesota ruffed grouse & woodcock report along with tips to find early season birds.  Jake Perry checks in from a ruffed grouse hunt in the UP of Michigan to provide reasons for optimism on their ruffed grouse & woodcock.  George Lyall closes our show with a prairie grouse report from South Dakota, and we close with reasons to get excited about pheasant season… @western.wingshooter.podcast @upland_xpress @baileyo1 @superior_upland @g.lyall66   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Compeer Home (compeerhome.com) Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

Jared Wiklund from Pheasants Forever joins the show to break down America’s 2025 pheasant hunting forecast.  We explain where pheasant populations saw a dramatic increase this year, and places that have been knocked down by storms.  Overall, the picture looks pretty good if you’re a pheasant hunter.  Travis & Jared explain why this season is a great one to hit the fields while sharing habitat news that lingers on the horizon… @pheasantsforever   Tell Congress to Strengthen the CRP Program -  https://pheasantsforever.quorum.us/campaign/137204/   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Compeer Home (compeerhome.com) Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

Ben Brettingen from OnX Hunt joins Travis Frank in Big Sky Country to kick start the new season of The Flush television show.  The two discuss their do-it-yourself Montana bird hunting adventure for sharp-tailed grouse & Hungarian partridge mixed with fishing for big lake trout, salmon and walleyes. The duo discusses planning a wild adventure, scouting online and in person, putting the pieces together to find more birds, dealing with heat, maximizing time in the field, grouse numbers, hail damage, OnX Hunt features to read terrain, making goals for the season, and a whole lot more… @benbrettingen   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Compeer Home (compeerhome.com) Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)

Tom Carpenter from Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever joins the show to break down the 2025 prairie grouse primer presented by Sportsman’s Guide.  We break down sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, Hungarian partridge, and prairie chicken hunting expectations by region, from Idaho to Minnesota and places in between.  We discuss factors that raised bird counts in some places, and lowered counts in others.  We share details that can make or break your next hunt on the prairie and throw in a few tricks to outsmart those wild birds.  It’s a full prairie grouse primer, with even more information @pheasantsforever   Presented by: Walton’s (waltons.com/) OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/) Aluma Trailers (alumaklm.com) GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb) Compeer Home (compeerhome.com) Federal Premium Ammunition (federalpremium.com/) Hunt North Dakota (helloND.com/) Lucky Duck Premium Decoys (luckyduck.com/) & Samaritan Tire (samaritantire.com/)