Bird dog of the year: owner & handler share their secrets, training and hunting tips

Crosswind's Envy a Trip to the Train Station, call name "Rip," is the Dog of the Year for the National Shoot to Retrieve Association and while he didn't have much to say, his owner and handler offer plenty of help to fellow hunters in this episode. I'll get the inside scoop from Sara Thorne, Rip's owner, and handler Brandon Ralston. Getting to a lofty pinnacle in the field trial world yields benefits for owner, handler and dog that translate directly to bird hunting and we'll explore that intersection.

From training tricks to conditioning advice, diet, strategy in the bird field and trial course, Brandon and Sara will share the hard-won tips that put Rip at the top of the heap. We'll also answer the question: can a trial dog also be a bird hunter?

"Handle It" is now "Fix It," and this week there's a shooting tip for you. Listeners share their Christmas wish list - and their dog's too. And we launch the 2025 edition of our Fur Feathers Friends tradition with some early prizes if you listen and enter with our Word of the Week. Prizes and entry information here.

And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

And don't miss Wingshooting USA TV airing on local stations, sports networks and national TV networks. Learn more here.