Back on the prairie
There’s something about Kansas that keeps pulling me back. My first upland trip to the state was nine years ago, and that part of the country has captivated me ever since. There’s a remoteness to it — a feeling of being far from the modern conveniences of everyday life — yet scattered across the prairie are quiet reminders of the past: abandoned homesteads, old farmsteads, and the faint traces of people who once tried to carve out a living in a hard, open land. Trees are scarce, grass is abundant, and the horizon seems to stretch forever. Today, large farming operations dominate the landscape, with cattle pasture and row crops of wheat, corn, and milo shaping much of the countryside. Fortunately, this is exactly the kind of environment where pheasant, quail, and prairie chickens thrive.

Why I Come to Kansas
When I make the trip to Kansas, I really have only one bird in mind: pheasant.  If we run into quail, I’m happy to hunt them, but my focus is always on roosters. They’re big, beautiful birds, and they eat about as good as anything you’ll find in the uplands — especially the breast and thighs. But pheasants are also a thinking man’s bird, and a thinking dog’s bird.  A good pheasant dog has to be smart and balanced. Genetics play a role, but experience is absolutely essential. When you finally get a well-bred dog with years of prairie miles behind it, it’s something special to watch.  I saw that firsthand over the years with my old dog, Friedelsheim’s Blues Brother UT-I. Early on, he was productive but overstimulated — he’d overrun birds, get too far out front, and sometimes forget that I was a pretty important part of the equation. Over time, he learned to slow down and use his head. He wouldn’t give up on a track, he’d point when a bird finally hunkered down, and sometimes he’d even pin birds to keep them from running or flushing wild.  When he passed this fall, I knew my current crew had some big boots to fill.  Rose and Koko have spent most of their prairie time on sharptail grouse and huns. We’ve hunted pheasant off and on, but not nearly enough for them to truly master the species. This trip was supposed to give them a full week of pheasant experience — but winter had other plans.

Rain, Recovery, and a Reborn Prairie
Kansas has had a rough stretch.  In 2022–23, the state was hit with an extreme drought that hammered the grasslands and, with them, the pheasant population. I hunted that year with my daughter, and it felt like walking across a dusty, barren moonscape. There was still very little rain in 2023–24, so I stayed home and gave the birds time to recover.
In 2024–25, moisture finally returned. I made it out for a few days, but it was still tough hunting.  This year, though, was different.  The state received solid rainfall, and the results were impossible to miss. CRP fields looked fantastic — a true night-and-day difference from the year before. Good grass means a good hatch, and good cover means birds that can survive the winter. Standing out there, it felt like the prairie was finally breathing again.

Birds on the Ground, Misses in the Air
After driving through the night, we hit our first field at 8 a.m. and hunted into the late afternoon. That first day rewarded us with pheasants and a quail — a good way to shake off the road miles.  The next couple of days continued to produce birds, and unlike the year before, finding good cover wasn’t a problem. But as the weather forecast started calling for a winter storm, we knew our trip was about to be cut short. On our last day, we decided to start at sunrise.  It was 15 degrees when we unloaded the dogs.  As I worked my way toward the back of the field, the dogs started getting birdy. A rooster erupted right at my feet. It was a wild flush, but an easy shot — and somehow, I missed.
Not long after, Rose locked up on point. I walked in, expecting a hen. Instead, another rooster exploded into the air. Another chip shot. Another miss.  Then Ty went on point. I walked in. Another rooster flushed. Two more shots sailed harmlessly into the sky.  At that point, choice words were sent across the prairie. I sulked back to the truck, wondering how the dogs still loved me after I’d managed to let every single one of them down.  There’s just something about pheasants. Once I see that big, beautiful bird lift off with those long tail feathers streaming behind it, I get too excited for my own good.

Old Friends and the Next Generation
My buddy Tim joined me on this trip. We were both introduced to upland hunting on the western prairie back in 2016, and we’ve made a lot of miles together since then.
The dogs we started with are gone now, and we’re both working with the next generation.  We even ended up with puppies from the same 2020 litter — the Sundance breeding of VC Jacob vd Westwind MH and VC Sundance Pied Piper. That’s where Sundance Kohler Illumination UT-I MH aka "Koko" came from, and where Tim’s male, Sundance Tennessee Jed NA-I, came from as well.  Watching Jed cover the prairie is something else. He moves through the grass with purpose, and when that dog goes on point, he looks like a million bucks. On the first day, Jed and Tim had two roosters in the bag before lunchtime.  He’s a strong, handsome dog, and I really enjoyed watching him.  

Back to the Prairie
In the end, even with a shortened trip and more missed shots than I care to admit, it felt good to be back in Kansas.  The drought appears to be behind us, and if the weather cooperates this coming year, next season could be something truly special. Good grass, healthy birds, and young dogs learning the prairie — that’s a pretty good recipe for the future.

As an upland bird hunter living in North Carolina, December is the month I look forward to most. That’s when woodcock season opens here, and each year it feels like a fresh start.
In November, I spend time scouting the areas around me. This year, I found no shortage of birds, which usually means a mix of resident birds and early migratory woodcock passing through. When the season opened on December 11th, I headed to a new spot I’d identified during scouting—and it turned out to be the perfect way to start the season.
Less than forty minutes after turning the dogs loose, I had my limit of three woodcock. Koko, Rose, and Ty all took part in the action, and we even capped the hunt with a water retrieve—always a fun bonus when you’re hunting behind versatile dogs.

Ty - Learning the Prairie
I was fortunate enough to return to the prairie at the end of October. I was curious how the hunting would unfold now that most of the harvest was complete and the opening-weekend surge of orange vests had faded. The weather was noticeably cooler compared to September, and the migration of waterfowl across the pothole region made it clear fall was in full swing.
On this trip I brought two dogs: Rose and Ty. Ty belongs to pro trainer Joe Finney of River Roan Kennels and holds a special place in my heart — he’s a Brother pup from the 2018 Brother × Sidney breeding from Windchime Kennels. I left Koko behind in North Carolina as Joe was preparing to run her in an upcoming AKC Master Hunter test.
Ty has earned his AKC Master Hunter title and a NAVHDA Utility Prize III, but his experience on wild birds was limited. This was his first trip west, and I’m not sure what he thought after a 30-hour drive delivered him from the East Coast to the wide-open prairie.
His first western hunt was for pheasant along a brushy drainage. Despite thin bird numbers — the area had been hunted heavily, according to a nearby landowner — Ty locked up on point over a hen pheasant. A great sign that he knew exactly what he was doing. Later that day he pointed sharp-tailed grouse, though I mistakenly thought he was standing old scent—until the bird erupted.
Part of hunting over a new dog is learning to read them. I can usually predict what Rose or Koko are thinking, but Ty and I needed time together to understand one another. The prairie presents countless variables: multiple species, running birds, non-targets, and the occasional unwanted encounter (porcupines, skunks, rattlesnakes, coyotes—you name it).
Over the next few days, Ty and I settled into a rhythm. I watched him work a running pheasant down a drainage, pin it beautifully, and hold while I flushed and dropped the rooster for him. Mission accomplished. Throughout the trip, he hunted sharptails, pheasants, Hungarian partridge, and even did some duck retrieves. I thoroughly enjoyed hunting over Ty and look forward to getting him into some woodcock soon.

Isaac - Lessons for a Young Dog
The first part of my trip was spent hunting with Fred Rice of Sundance GSPs. Fred has mentored me across NAVHDA and the wild-bird world for the past 12 years, and we always enjoy chasing birds together. This year I had the chance to watch him shape a promising young dog in his program.
Sundance CRK Son of Promise NAI (“Isaac”) is a lively, talented young GSP — and a littermate to Evan Roberts’ dog Zuri, whom I hunted over in September. Isaac has a motor, and that dog loves to find birds. His natural range is about 150–200 yards, and on my last day with Fred we hunted an area rich with sharpies.
Isaac was having the time of his life — a little edgy, as expected for an 18-month-old surrounded by wild birds — and Fred showed remarkable patience. He let the birds teach Isaac the key lesson every young dog needs to learn: if you move on pointed birds, they fly away. After a few bumps, Isaac settled in, held steady on a wild bird, and Fred was able to flush and drop it cleanly. It was a great moment to witness.

Koko - A New Master Hunter
Overall, it was another memorable and productive trip. I came home with plenty of upland birds and ducks. Rose continued to impress as always, and Ty gained invaluable experience on wild birds.
Shortly after returning to North Carolina, Koko ran in her final AKC Master Hunter test with Joe — and she passed both runs flawlessly, earning her Master Hunter title. Koko went an incredible 6-for-6 on her MH passes. I’m not surprised; her natural steadiness, honest backing, and countless hours on wild birds have shaped her into a truly dependable and composed hunting dog.
A huge thank-you to Joe Finney for prepping and handling her throughout the process.

Hitting the Prairie Again
I was fortunate enough to spend most of September out west, and there’s just something special about those early-season hunts. After months of being cooped up, both the dogs and I were itching to get back into the field. There’s an energy that comes with that first trip of the year—the anticipation, the crisp mornings, and the sight of endless prairie grass waving in the wind.
This season, bird numbers seemed a little lower than in past years. Don’t get me wrong—we still found birds and had some great days with full limits—but there were also days when I never pulled the trigger. In the area I was hunting, the grain harvest hadn’t yet taken place, and I suspect those standing crops provided plenty of food and daytime cover. I’ll be heading back later this month, so we’ll see if that theory holds once the combines have rolled through.

The Dogs: Rose and Koko in Top Form
​We focused mainly on sharptailed grouse and Hungarian partridge, with a few prairie chickens mixed in. The dogs worked beautifully.
Rose, as always, was a bird-finding freak. She covers the prairie with effortless speed and grace, and when there are birds around, she somehow knows exactly how to zero in on them. Watching her on the open prairie is a sight that never gets old.
Koko also impressed. Her closer range makes her an excellent “backer” to Rose, and she’s really come into her own this season. Rose isn’t perfect—no dog is—and when she misses birds, Koko’s right there to pick up the slack. She’s also learned to work different ground from Rose, which has turned into a real win-win for me.

Hunting with Friends: Sundance GSPs
One of the highlights of the trip was spending time with Fred from Sundance GSPs and watching his dogs work. Isaac stood out—last year I saw him as a young pup, and now he’s filled out and matured into a serious bird dog. Definitely one to watch!
And of course, Lina will always be one of my favorites. She’s eleven now, but you’d never know it by watching her. I still remember my daughter dressing her up in scarves and costume jewelry when she was a pup at our house—those memories make seeing her in the field even sweeter. Lina’s still a bird-finding machine; keep your eye on her long enough, and she’ll be locked on point before you know it.

Watching the Next Generation Work
I also had the chance to watch Ridge—the sire from our “A” litter—stretch his legs on the prairie. Back east, Ridge is a woodcock-finding machine, so seeing him adjust to open country was a real treat.
Evan’s other dogs, Zuri and Bailey, were equally fun to watch. One day I limited out early and tagged along with Evan just to see his crew work the rolling terrain. Zuri’s got a motor, and I like it.

​Looking Ahead: Pheasants, Ducks, and Future Plans
In another week or so, I’ll be heading back out west for round two—this time to chase pheasants and ducks. I’m also looking forward to hunting over a few different dogs, which always gets my gears turning about future breedings and pairings for Vanguard Gun Dogs.
Until then, I’ll be daydreaming about the prairie, the dogs, and the next covey rise.

— Jeff Tucker
Vanguard Gun Dogs | Proven on the prairie