Western Upland Pursuits

Posted by Lucky Duck Team on Nov 18th 2025

With Kali Parmley, Editor in Chief – Gun Dog Magazine

“You’ve planned, you’ve saved, you’ve trained with your dog tirelessly—and now you’re ready to point your tires west for the upland adventure of a lifetime. But how do you ensure your trip is successful and you bag birds? Here are must-follow tips to come home with memories for a lifetime.”
— Kali Parmley

1. Plan A, Plan B, Plan C

The west is vast. You have millions of acres of public land and walk-in areas at your disposal for hunting. This is both a blessing and a curse. Where do you begin?

Long before you leave, you should be e-scouting. Start with the Division of Wildlife of the state you plan to hunt. Generally, states have detailed maps showcasing wildlife ranges for specific species, helping you to pinpoint where to begin. Additionally, don’t be afraid to call a state’s small game biologist and ask where to start—they are happy to point you in the right direction. From there, utilize mapping applications such as onX and Google maps. Look for public lands or lands open to hunting, terrain, water, etc. and drop pins on spots that look birdy.

Make sure you have multiple locations pinned. The last thing you want to be doing is spending time in the truck looking for another spot to hunt rather than actually hunting.

2. Get Fit

This includes both your dog and you! Like we said above, the West is vast. You’ll be hunting many miles a day over rough terrain—from rolling sage brush prairies to steep desert mountains for chukar, to high elevation mountain forests for grouse.

Going from eating potato chips on the couch to trying to climb a chukar mountain is not going to end up well for you. It’s a good way to injure yourself and your dog.

Your dog needs to be exercised daily, started on a high-quality diet to fuel it for the calories it will burn, and to prep both their mind, muscles, and paw pads. The terrain can tear a dog’s pads up quickly, sidelining them for days at a time. Additionally, your dog is going to have to cover many miles to find birds, which will take a toll physically. You’re putting your dog at risk of a season-ending injury if you ask your companion to run overweight through the uplands.

Same with yourself. Cardio is your best friend. It will prep not only your lungs, but your leg muscles—which you’re going to need. Don’t ruin your trip by huffing and puffing while hiking for Huns.

3. Gear Check

Make a gear packing list and check it twice.

Clean your shotgun—and your back-up shotgun which you should be packing as well. Check the laces and soles of your hunting boots—or if you’ve purchased new, walk/hike many miles in them before you head afield to ensure you aren’t dealing with blisters on your long-awaited trip. Don’t forget your shells, chokes, and gun cleaning kit.

Your dog is relying on you to pack its bags! Make sure your dog’s e-collars are working properly and you have their chargers packed. Call your vet and tell them what you’re doing and where you’re heading. Ask for updated meds that can help you on the road in case of emergency. Don’t forget stake outs, food bowls, water jugs, food, crates, leashes, etc.

Don’t forget your wheels! Get your truck an oil change, check your tires, make sure your tire jack is good to go, and throw in a battery powered air compressor.

4. Be Emergency Prepared

It’s better to be over prepared, than under prepared. You need two emergency kits: a truck kit and a field first aid kit for your bird vest.

The field first aid kit should be made up of essentials that are going to stop bleeding fast and get you back to the truck. We recommend gauze, a tourniquet, Kwik Stop powder, a Leatherman, vet wrap, and heavy-duty cable cutters in case your dog gets trapped in a snare.

Your truck kit needs to hold more emergency essentials plus equipment to triage injuries that may not require a trip to the vet. Medications, Chlorhexidine rinse, saline wound wash, hydrogen peroxide, ear flush, eye wash, triple antibiotic ointment, etc. Make it easy on yourself and consider the kits from Paradigm Sporting Dog that were created by Veterinarian Clairissa Maples.

When you know where you’ll be hunting, search for local veterinarians and keep a list in your truck with phone numbers and addresses.

5. Head West!

We can’t ensure success, but if you follow the tips above, you’re a few steps closer to making memories with your bird dog that you will long tell around the campfire.