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Birdshot Podcast

#341 | The Prairie Partnership: Ranchers, Wildlife, and the Grasslands We Stand to Lose

Birdshot Podcast

Nick Larson

Wilderness, Hobbies, Science, Nature, Leisure, Sports

4.6 • 936 Ratings

🗓️ 5 December 2025

⏱️ 72 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of the Birdshot Podcast, Nick Larson welcomes back Ted Koch, for an important conversation on prairie grouse conservation, grassland loss, ranching, and the future of upland habitat across North America. Ted also shares unforgettable elk-hunting stories, ruffed grouse parallels, and urgent insights into habitat fragmentation and the decline of gamebird populations. Ted Koch is a retired endangered species biologist and CEO of the North American Grouse Partnership. With decades of experience in western wildlife conservation, Ted works directly with ranchers, agencies, and conservation partners to protect prairie grouse species, including sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie-chickens, lesser prairie-chickens, and sage-grouse. Expect to Learn Why prairie grouse populations are collapsing across North America How grassland loss and fragmentation impact sharptails, prairie-chickens, and sage-grouse Why ranching is essential to upland bird habitat How public-land and private-land management affect upland hunting access What hunters can do to support prairie conservation and rangeland stewardship Episode Breakdown with Timestamps [00:00:00] - Introduction [00:04:36] - What’s keeping Ted Busy [00:19:20] - Storytelling, memory, and the hunt [00:20:42] - Introduction to the North American Grouse Partnership [00:25:18] - Private-land rangelands and public perception [00:37:05] - How Conservation Practices Create Real Value for Wildlife and Habitat [00:43:37] - Rangelands, Cattle Production and Food Output [00:56:12] - Comparing The Approach with CRP [01:00:50] - National Grasslands Conservation Act and Its Role in Farm Bill Funding [01:04:40] - Learn More about The North American Grouse Partnership and Membership Follow the Guest Ted Website: grousepartners.org  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrousePartners  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/na_grouse_partnership/?hl=en  Saving Ranching to Save Wildlife: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxM6vvEoRgc Follow the Host Nick: Instagram: @birdshot.podcast Website: www.birdshotpodcast.com Listening Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcast SUPPORT | http://www.patreon.com/birdshot Use Promo Code | BSP20 to save 20% on https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app Use Promo Code | BS10 to save 10% on https://trulockchokes.com/ The Birdshot Podcast is Presented By: https://www.onxmaps.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

One of my favorite things about hunting sharp-tailed grouse is hunting the topography. And one of the best ways I have found to do that more effectively and efficiently is with Onyx Hunt's 3D map view. The next time you're scouting from your living room, the roadside, or when you're in the field hunting it, fire up the Onyx Hunt app and turn on the 3D map view to get an up close and in detail look at the topography of any piece of property.

0:22.6

Whether it's a gentle, rolling piece of terrain or a truly elevated and mountainous landscape,

0:26.6

you can use the exaggeration slider to fine-tune your view and highlight the topographical features you're looking for.

0:33.6

From benches to bowls to draws and drainage, get a clear picture and develop a strategy for you and your bird dog to work the terrain and hunt the topography with on X hunt

0:42.4

Use the promo code BSP20 to save 20% on your next subscription

0:47.0

Download the hunt app today know where you stand with on X hunt

0:52.8

When it comes to shotguns, it seems every upland bird hunter has a slightly different vision

0:57.4

of what their ideal wing-shooting shotgun is, which is exactly the kind of thinking we welcome

1:01.9

and encourage at Upland-Gun Company.

1:04.1

Every Upland-G company gun is handcrafted and finished by RFM in Italy with quality

1:09.0

components and expert craftsmanship. Your Upland-Gun Company shotgun is built to your standard, both functionally and aesthetically. From choosing the barrel length, grip style, trigger setup, engraving options, and even selecting the piece of wood used on your shotgun, you truly are limited only by your imagination. And with included custom stock dimensions, you can be sure your Upland-G shotgun will shoot just as well as it looks and feels. Head over to Uplandguncom and try out our web and 3D gun builders to begin crafting your ideal Upland shotgun today. We lose 2 million acres of grasslands every single year. We used to be able to hunt lesser prairie chickens 11 years ago. Now they've been listed twice under the Endangered Species Act. And this is on us hunters. We have concluded, if we want to save prairie grouse, we must save ranching. And I will never forget, as he strutted, his eyeball rose above the branch and below the branch as he took each step around the end of this branch and he stopped and looked at me

2:02.2

and I just drew back on two populations of pronghorn found in North America that are listed under

2:07.1

the Endangered Species Act. There's some genetically distinct population here. Is there space to

2:12.8

increase range lands and cattle production while still maintaining our level of food output and agriculture.

2:19.3

I don't know in an ultimate sense, but I do know in a proximal sense.

2:22.3

I mean...

2:23.3

...you know.

2:24.3

...aum... Good to hear me.

2:35.0

I'm a girl, sweetie. That's a big bird. That's a big bird.

2:53.2

That's a big bird.

2:56.2

Wow.

2:59.3

Hey, everyone.

...

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