Rookie Hunter

Mike and Kelly sit down with Tanya Gates of Pannonia Kennel and Mark Schoene to dive into the world of bird dogs and upland hunting. Tanya shares how she got started with hunting dogs, her time training in Hungary, and what eventually led her to the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla and starting her own kennel in the Okanagan.
They talk about choosing the right hunting dog, what new owners should know before bringing one home, training and testing through NAVHDA, and why genetics and breeding matter so much in developing a capable hunting partner. Mark also shares his experience getting into bird hunting later in life, lessons learned from training his own dogs, and how that journey led to starting This Dog Points.
The crew also gets into what a typical BC upland hunt looks like, hunting grouse and chukar with dogs, the importance of building a bird dog community, and a few memorable hunting stories that show just how incredible it can be to watch a good dog work.
Learn more about Pannonia Kennel:
www.pannoniakennel.ca
Check out This Dog Points:
thisdogpoints.com
We're very proud to have The Wild Sheep Foundation as our title sponsor. To register, to become a member, to renew your membership, and to join the wildsheepfoundation.org
If you need a blade for the backcountry or a new chef's knife for your kitchen, check out our friends at North Arm Knives.

Mike and Kelly are back for a spring catch-up, covering everything from fly fishing tactics and gearing up for their annual yurt trip to bear hunting plans, half marathon training, and the excitement of preparing for another hunting season. They also dive into the world of bird dogs, discussing the possibility of adding a Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla to the family, what makes a great hunting companion, and why proper training matters.
We're very proud to have The Wild Sheep Foundation as our title sponsor. To register, to become a member, to renew your membership, and to join the wildsheepfoundation.org
If you need a blade for the backcountry or a new chef's knife for your kitchen, check out our friends at North Arm Knives.

In this speical episode, Mike guest hosts the 2025 season finale of Roost with Ben O'Brien and Sam Soholt. Recorded at the end of the 2025 turkey season, they recap the Western Turkey Tour from early highs to late season frustration, and reflect on why turkey hunting is as mentally demanding as it is addictive. The conversation covers family, filming hunts, road life, go fast setups, missed opportunities, hard earned birds, and why the struggle is part of what keeps them coming back every spring.
We're very proud to have The Wild Sheep Foundation as our title sponsor. To register, to become a member, to renew your membership, and to join the wildsheepfoundation.org
If you need a blade for the backcountry or a new chef's knife for your kitchen, check out our friends at North Arm Knives.

Shane Mahoney returns for our 200th episode to reflect on a life shaped by Newfoundland's wild places, a career spent living alongside big game in remote country, and why those experiences can be hard to translate back home. Shane also shares major updates from the Wild Harvest Initiative, including new regions of expansion and what the latest data suggests about the scale and social value of wild food in North America.
We're very proud to have The Wild Sheep Foundation as our title sponsor. To register, to become a member, to renew your membership, and to join the wildsheepfoundation.org
The Salute to Conservation and Mountain Hunting Expo takes place February 26 to 28 in Penticton, BC. To secure tickets, visit wildsheepsociety.com.
If you need a blade for the backcountry or a new chef's knife for your kitchen, check out our friends at North Arm Knives.

In this follow up episode, Mike sits down with Kelly to reflect on almost a decade of Rookie Hunter, what has stayed the same, what has changed, and why the community around hunting and conservation has meant so much along the way.
We're very proud to have The Wild Sheep Foundation as our title sponsor. To register, to become a member, to renew your membership, and to join the wildsheepfoundation.org
The Salute to Conservation and Mountain Hunting Expo takes place February 26 to 28 in Penticton, BC. To secure tickets, visit wildsheepsociety.com.
If you need a blade for the backcountry or a new chef's knife for your kitchen, check out our friends at North Arm Knives.