In this episode, Mike examines practical strategies to help coonhound owners and handlers make better decisions before and after a competition hunt by applying a traditional business tool—a SWOT analysis—to competition coon hunting. By examining strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, owners and handlers can create a more fact-based plan for success. Winning consistently requires an honest assessment of both dog and handler, intelligent hunt selection, careful recordkeeping, and a willingness to prepare for the conditions you are likely to encounter.

You will learn how to evaluate your hound and determine which elements give the dog its best opportunity to perform well. Mike talks about:

• How to evaluate your chances without wishful thinking

• Why a dog’s competitive window should not be taken for granted

• How to conduct a SWOT analysis for your dog and yourself

• How to choose hunts that fit your dog’s strengths

• Why studying other dogs and handlers matters

• How journals expose performance patterns

• How environmental factors affect a dog

• What it takes to be a world-beater

• How to recognize low blood sugar and other health concerns

• What emergency tools you should carry

This episode’s topics include competition coon hunting, competition coon hunting strategies, coonhound training, competition coonhound training, how to win coon hunts, coon hunting tips, coonhound handling, coonhound obedience training, coonhound recall training, coonhound competition, training a competitive coonhound, coon dog training journal, coon hunting safety, hunting dog hypoglycemia, coonhound health, PKC, UKC, ProSport, competition hunt rules, and coonhound conditioning.

Mike uses a variety of resources to research the fundamentals of scouting for and hunting ruffed grouse in the Northwoods. This episode explains how to recognize productive grouse cover, work effectively with a pointing or flushing dog, and prepare for the split-second shooting opportunities that make grouse hunting so challenging.

What makes this episode unique is that it’s the result of Mike’s discussions with grouse hunters and guides, online research, and collaboration with AI to create and present it.

Ruffed grouse hunting appears simple but can be very challenging. This introductory overview includes critical lessons for beginners:

• How forest age affects ruffed grouse habitat
• How to identify food, security cover, and travel corridors
• Why internal habitat transitions are often better than obvious field edges
• How to scout with aerial imagery, timber harvest information, and spring drumming
• Where to look during the early, middle and late portions of the season
• How to hunt logging roads, skid trails, alder runs and regenerating cuts
• How to manage pointing and flushing dogs for success
• How to handle running grouse and birds that refuse to hold
• Common shooting mistakes and how to improve your gun mount
• Using field notes and mapping tools to develop a repeatable grouse-hunting system

This episode’s topics include ruffed grouse hunting, grouse hunting for beginners, Northwoods grouse habitat, hunting ruffed grouse with dogs, pointing dogs, flushing dogs, upland bird hunting, shotgun selection, aspen habitat, public land grouse hunting, hunting safety, wingshooting tips, and bird dog handling.

Mike Reed discusses the culture and traditions surrounding Southern dove shoots—the meal beforehand, field etiquette during the hunt, and the fun of gathering around tailgates at the end of the day. He talks about how good food, cold drinks, old guns, new dogs, stories from previous seasons, and the inevitable discussion about who shot well—and who didn't—all become part of the occasion.

A traditional Southern dove shoot brings friends and families together to celebrate hunting, dogs, food, drink, and the kick-off of another hunting season. A good shoot always has a social side! For many Southern hunters, the meal before or the party after the hunt can be as important as the shoot itself. A few don’t even bother to uncase their guns.

This episode discusses the things a guest can do to get invited back to a shoot in the future, as well as what behaviors to avoid. It touches on the role retrieving dogs can play and why it’s important that your dog is in good shape and the early-season heat is treated with respect. Mike also shares recipes for turning harvested birds into something worth gathering around the table to enjoy.

If you've attended dove shoots all your life, most of this will sound very familiar. If you've never attended a traditional Southern dove shoot, Mike explains why some people regard the first dove hunt of the season as a holiday celebration rather than simply another day in the field.

On YouTube, Mike includes a slideshow, mostly of pics from past shoots with his Labs and Drahthaars, as well as a buddy’s Griffon.

This episode's topics include southern dove hunting traditions, mourning dove hunting, plantation shoots, hunting safety tips, opening day dove shoots, sunflower & corn dove fields, dove hunting with retrievers, wingshooting & shotguns, dove hunting etiquette, motion decoys, Southern hunting culture, hunting camps & field gatherings, wild game cooking, dove recipes, grilling, and the traditions surrounding the beginning of hunting season.