There isn't much that can beat staying at the two beautiful resorts on Lanai...unless it's the great bird hunting! Manele Bay and the Lodge at Koele provided the lodging while I explored the Island hunting for Francolin and Pheasants.

Most of the Island is open rolling hills, with a large valley floor. In Part One of our specials, I joined Steve Gelakoski from Palawai Outfitters as we hunted for Grey Francolin. This small, Hungarian Partridge sized bird, was imported from the Indian sub-continent and has become a much sought-after game bird. With Steve's German Short Haired Pointer KoKo, we hunted in natural cover, where once the Dole Pineapple company raised millions of tons of pineapple. A variety of grasses and other Island plants have replaced the pineapple fields, and have provided great habitat for the Grey Francolin and Pheasants.

In this episode, I shot my first Grey Francolin, saw some beautiful Island scenery, hunted with the Pacific Ocean off my shoulder, and made a new friend in Steve.

Hawaii Part Two

A more challenging hunt for Francolin occured on our Part Two episode from Lanai, Hawaii. In Part One, the hunting was done in the generally open country in the center of the Island. This hunt took place in a steep, wooded canyon, where the Francolin hang out along the canyon floor. The day began in a tropical down pour. The birds that were there, slipped deep into the woods, making the hunting extremely difficult. My guide and hunting partner for the day was Henry Eskaran of Palawai Outfitters. We hunted behind an English Pointer named Mahana. He worked hard searching for the beautiful little birds.

After points that only produced flushed birds we didn't see...and a point that resulted in me shooting trees...Mahana finally got a point on a covey of birds along the edge of an old access road. The resulting flush resulted in me shooting one of the most satisfying "doubles" I've ever shot! Henry, Mahana and I ended the day with a beautiful "Blue" Pheasant out in the open fields, a long way from the canyon where we began our day.

The Islands of Hawaii have much to offer the vacationer...and for those of you who enjoy bird hunting, don't forget to contact Palawai Outfitters to explore the wingshooting opportunities on Lanai.

Scotland Part One

The beautiful Tulchan estate was our home base for these shows. In part one, you will see what my wife Karenanne Swift and I saw as we toured the historic city of Edinbourgh, took a scenic ride on the famous Royal Scotsman Train, toured Glamis Castle in the Scottish countryside, all before arriving at the Tulchan estate. While waiting for my evening duck hunt, I joined other members of our party on the Spey River to learn how to fish with a double-handed fly rod (known as the Spey Rod here in the states). Then, in the late afternoon, I was joined by a true legend in the outdoor television industry, Grits Gresham. What you will see in this hunt is different from duck hunting here. We did not use decoys or camouflage. We did not call the ducks. We just sat and waited in our assigned wooden shooting stand known as a "butt". The shooting was wonderful. It was particularly exciting to be shooting with Grits. I hope you will enjoy seeing him again, as much as I enjoyed having him on this hunt.

Scotland Part Two

In the morning, Karenanne and Grits joined me for our Red Grouse hunt in the Scottish moors. As you may know, the Red Grouse is considered the premier game bird in Europe. Members of the royal families have been coming to Scotland for generations to test their shooting skills on these rugged birds. Hiking through the Heather was difficult, but the rewards were wonderful. We hunted through the morning hours with a wonderful bird dog named Zack who never tired. And although we managed to take a couple of birds, I hope you'll take notice of the incredible scenery from high atop the hills.

The afternoon hunt was a "rough hunt" (walk up hunting), for Pheasants. These birds have been in the British Isles since Roman times. My guest Rob Rattray, along with his dog Weasel, and I spent a very enjoyable few hours hunting the valley floor for these big birds.

Uruguay Part One

In this first show, we were hosted by Bernardo Barron and his family at his Estancia Hasparren. They live in a beautiful Estancia, 3 hours northwest of the capitol of Uruquay.... Montevideo.

While there, we hunted with two of Bernardo's favorite dogs, Matise and Luna. Matise is a 12 year old Brittany Spaniel who doesn't hear anymore, but still knows how to find the beautiful Perdiz (a chukar size, brown game bird that is a member of the Ostrich family). Luna is a 4 year old English setter with great style and grace. You'll love watching both of these dogs as Bernardo and I hunt through the open plains of this beautiful country. Then he and I leave the dogs behind to set up in blinds for a late afternoon Eared Dove hunt and an early morning Wood Pigeon hunt. You'll have to see these two hunts to believe them! Birds filled the sky around us almost constantly.


Uruguay Part Two

In our second show from this wonderful country, we traveled to the beautiful Estancia San Patricio, hosted by Raul Aenlle and his family. In the morning of our hunt there, Raul and I hunted for Perdiz with his German shorthair, Malu. She has a unique way of tracking Perdiz through the low cover that you just have to see to believe. In the afternoon, following a fantastic outdoor barbeque lunch, I joined Raul and his other guests for an amazing Eared Dove hunt.

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