How to Hunt Upland Birds
In this series you'll hit the road to meet five hunters in different regions of the country hunting different upland birds. Then start your own journey to learning how to hunt upland birds.
Meet Our Hunters
Each person brings a unique story to the table.
Some have rich family hunting traditions.
Some learned to hunt on their own.
Some live in big cities,
and others in remote towns.
Follow their story and then create your own.
AMANDA
Amanda Dyer and her family have a long-standing tradition of hunting Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock in Maine.
DURRELL
Durrell Smith is the co-founder of the Minority Outdoor Alliance. He lives in Georgia and has a passion for hunting Northern Bobwhite Quail.
KENG
Keng Yang works in technology and is part of the Twin Cities Hmong community in Minnesota. His greatest joy is hunting Ring-necked Pheasants with his dog Kaiya.
CAYLA
Cayla Bendel lives on the windswept plains of North Dakota and loves to chase Ring-necked Pheasants and Gray Partridge.
RUBEN
Ruben Mata is a first-generation American who grew up in Ventura County California. He taught himself to hunt Valley Quail in his early 20s.
MARK
Mark Norquist is your host on this journey across the country. He grew up in Minnesota hunting Ruffed Grouse, American Woodcock, ducks and deer.
Course Outline
(All stories & lessons are in video format)
TRAVEL STORIES
We'll start this journey by visiting our five hunters in different regions of the country.
MAINE
Amanda Dyer and her family have hunted Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock in Maine for generations. We learn about their deep traditions.
MINNESOTA
Keng Yang is part of the largest Hmong community in the U.S. Even though his dad hunted in their homeland of Laos, Keng didn't start hunting until he was in his 20s.
GEORGIA
Durrell Smith grew up in Atlanta. As a first generation African American hunter he now brings the unlikely to the outdoors through the Minority Outdoor Alliance.
NORTH DAKOTA
Cayla Bendel's passion for hunting is only made stronger on the wind-swept prairie-grass as a leader of the local all-women's chapter of Pheasants Forever.
CALIFORNIA
Ruben Mata grew up in Ventura County, and never hunted. He's now teaching his kids everything he learned from being a self-taught hunter of Valley Quail.
HUNTING LESSONS
After meeting our hunters and seeing all the upland hunting opportunities available to you we'll dig into the lessons to get started on your path to becoming
an upland bird hunter.
BIRD BASICS
A look at several species of upland birds, including Ring-necked Pheasants, Ruffed Grouse, American Woodcock, Northern Bobwhites, California Quail and Hungarian Partridge
HUNTING EQUIPMENT
Learn about the must haves and how to get started, without breaking the bank.
PRE-HUNT PREPARATION
Considerations you need to address as you prepare for a first hunt.
POST-HUNT RESPONSIBILTIES
Your time the field is only part of the hunting process so we'll look the important actions you need to take after the hunt.
HUNTING CULTURE
The modern hunting culture is getting more diverse, but there are timeless values and principles that you must consider in your journey to becoming a competent hunter.
A Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever educational series produced by Modern Carnivore with support from our partners
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This Project was funded by a Multistate Conservation Grant (#F22AP00799-00), a program funded from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, and jointly managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Example Curriculum
- Ring-necked Pheasants Basics (4:14)
- Ruffed Grouse Basics (5:30)
- American Woodcock Basics (3:23)
- Quail Basics (Northern Bobwhite and California) (3:38)
- Gray Partridge Basics (2:39)
- Hunting Equipment - Clothing (9:01)
- Hunting Equipment - Shotguns (8:30)
- Hunting Equipment - Safety & Care (3:45)
- Hunting Dogs (3:42)
- Pre-Hunt Preparation (10:51)
- Post-Hunt Responsibilities (12:07)
- Hunting Culture (8:38)