UKC Hunting Ops Podcast

On this week's episode, Field Trial & Hunt Test Program Manager Domenick Muoio is back! And today he’s bringing you all the big winners from last spring's Elite Shed Dog Series Nationals, including the owner/handler of this year's national champion, who's gets her name from a popular TV show you may recognize (hint: Montana). He also interviews the year end award winners, including the elected ambassador of the year, who everyone (literally everyone) agrees was fully deserving of the honor. You will also hear from the youth handler of the year! And after this interview, you just know the future of this sport is in good hands! Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

You asked, we answered! We're back with an all-new episode, and this week Allen and Trevor are answering your questions. Everything from rules on tractive collars, double header bench shows, the possibility of a puppy hunt, and they address status of our registration process and just how caught up our customer service team got during their two-day blackout. This is an episode that is for you and by you. If you have a question you'd like answered on a future episode just leave a comment and the guys might answer it next time! Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

Allen and Trevor have been travelling around the country to different events every weekend, so there is no new UKC Hunting Ops Podcast this week. But we've still got you covered! With American Redbone Day coming up this weekend and Plott Days just wrapping up, we are rerunning an episode from our most popular series which will get you ready for this weekend. Part 3 of our all-time top reproducers series sees Allen and Trevor break down the top reproducing Redbones Coonhounds, as well as the Plotts, and English Coonhounds. You will also hear Allen talk about some of his personal experiences hunting with the top dogs discussed. Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

This week, Allen and Trevor are taking you through the 25 year history of Youth Nationals...in a tight and informative 90 minutes! They'll take you through the early days (even before Allen came aboard), it's continued growth over the years and achieving a record number of participants, and even how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the event. Allen even shares how one year he road up in style... Start 'em young we always say! If your kids are already hunting with you or they are just getting started, this is a great episode to listen to with them. UKC is all about family and family friendly events, and it doesn't get more family than this

In this week's episode, Allen and Trevor are talking to the newest member of the UKC staff, Bench Show Program Manager, Danielle Champ. They'll talk about Danielle's history, background, and all the exciting changes coming to this year's Autumn Oaks...spoiler alert, it includes puppies!

In this week's episode, Allen is coming to you straight from the field...literally. He and his good friend Atlee Lambright loaded up their dogs, a few nice T-bone steaks, and headed out into Atlee's field to not only let their dogs loose, but the conversation was just as loose and free as the dogs. They talk about everything from Atlee's marathon accomplishments, the type of grass he planned in his field, their mutual love of hunting, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and everything in between...again, literally. So, sit back, relax, maybe grill a few steaks to get in the mood, and listen to the sounds of two hunters completely in their element. If you listen real closely you can even hear dogs barking in the distance Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

In this week's episode, Allen and Trevor are taking you back to the historic Tournament of Champions. This time they are chatting with UKC field reps Philip Foster, Curtis Sparks, Mark Vest, and Jaime Estep, who was not only a field rep during TOC, but also hosted our live shows. He's a man of many talents, as are all our reps! They talk about their experiences in the field, laugh about life, and the changes they have seen in the sport of coon hunting over the years. Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

This week on the UKC Hunting Ops Podcast, Allen flies solo once again, this time from this year's big beagle weekend: Clash of Champions and Hunting Beagle Nationals Finals! Held in Zanesville, Ohio at the Muskingham CO Fairgrounds for the 4th year in a row, Clash of Champions had a total purse of $35,000 up for grabs. And the overall winner, 17-year-old Eli Watson and his beagle Opie owned by Joe Merrit, took home the big prize of $10,000! The Hunting Beagle Nationals is an annual "Big Five" event established in 1992. Three degrees are awarded to Nationals winners - 1) Winner of the Grand Category in the hunt receives the distinguished degree of NATIONAL GRAND HUNTING BEAGLE 2) Winner of the Grand Category in the show receives the distinguished degree of NATIONAL GRAND SHOW CHAMPION 3) Winner of the Junior Category in the hunt receives the distinguished degree of NATIONAL JUNIOR CHAMPION (UKC'S NEWEST DEGREE) Every winner has an incredible story to tell, this is an episode not to be missed not by just beagle enthusiasts, but all dog enthusiasts! Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

Today Trevor and Allen conclude their discussion on our updated running rules for our Hunting Beagle Program. In this episode, the guys are taking you through rules 9, 10, and 12 (General Information, Scorecards, and Questions, Panels, Appeals, Misconduct) in the final installment of our three-part series on the Hunting Beagles. If you’re a hunting beagle fanatic, this series is surely one not to miss! To learn more about our Hunting Beagle Program, visit: Beagles | United Kennel Club (UKC) Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

Today, Trevor and Allen continue their series on the all-time top reproducers. In the final installment of this series, they are breaking down the top reproducing Redbones, Plotts, and English Coonhounds. Allen also discusses some of his experiences hunting with some of the top dogs discussed. Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

It's the episode you've been waiting for! Today Allen and Trevor interview the finalists from the 2025 Tournament of Champions! It started with over 1400 dogs and by the end of the weekend, we had a new champion. And her name is Little Ann. Held in Greencastle, Indiana at the beautiful 3 Fat Labs Wedding and Event Barn, our finalists endured three days of intense competition against some of the top Coonhounds in the world! You'll hear from the owners, handlers, and family members of the 3 dogs who climbed (and barked) their way to the top: Maxed Out Dow Jones, Pine Bottom Electric Cowboy, and the eventual champ Willy's Little Ann. So, settle in for great conversations, laughs, and memories from a tournament that will go down in the history books! Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

Today Allen and Trevor continue their discussion on our updated running rules for our Hunting Beagle Program. In this episode, they are taking you through rules 5-8 and 11 (Scratching Offenses, Time Outs, Tie-Breakers, Cast Winner Criteria, and the Judges, Handlers, Spectators rules) in the second part of our three-part series on the Hunting Beagles. If you’re a hunting beagle fanatic, this series is surely one not to miss! It's also a great way to prepare for Clash of Champions and Hunting Beagle Nationals coming up this weekend! To learn more about our Hunting Beagle Program, visit: Beagles | United Kennel Club (UKC) Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

Today Allen is flying solo recapping the Cur and Feist World Championship. You'll hear interviews from all of the big winners, sometimes taking place in his truck, and Allen takes you through all the major events from the weekend! You'll also get insight into just how hard these dogs and handlers work and what this event means to them! Spoiler alert: it's A LOT! Other than the Dog of the Year program rivaling it, the World Championship is the most prestigious title sought for Curs and Feist. UKC's Feist program has seen a steady increase of interest and support in recent years. Held in Tell City, Indiana, for the third year in a row now, there are actually two separate World Championships held simultaneously: one for Curs and the other for Feist. Prior to 2017 Curs and Feist competed together in the same hunt but were separated due to their hunting styles are generally quite different. Curs tend to use their noses more and "hunt out" further while Feist tend to use their eyes and ears more and tree game via sight. Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

Today Trevor and Allen continue their series on the all-time top reproducers. In part two of this series, they are breaking down the top reproducing Treeing Walker Coonhounds and the relatively newer X Breeds. You will also hear Allen tell of his experiences hunting with some of the top dogs discussed. Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

In this week’s episode, Allen and Trevor are back in the studio together to discuss the upcoming Coonhound Tournament of Champions, which will be held on April 10-12, 2025, in Greencastle, Indiana. We start by sharing what it takes to get an invitation to the big event. We had 1,491 total qualified dogs from 2024—a record high for us! Tune in to hear the breed, sex, and state breakdown for this year along with trends over the past few years. Next, we outline the 922 regional entries across six regions and hit on the top cast winners of each breed for the year. We also dump heaps of need-to-know information for anyone getting ready for the big event. We close the show by reflecting on the origin and history of this “new” TOC framework that we’ve been working on for the last five years. We also want to thank our field reps and affiliate clubs for their time and all their help to make this event happen! For the list of qualified dogs, tournament rules, FAQs, and more information about the 2025 TOC, visit: https://www.ukcdogs.com/ukc-tournament-of-champions Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

In this week’s episode, Allen is reporting from Kentucky at the 2025 Dog of the Year National Runoff, and annual event that showcases the dogs with the most cast wins from the previous year, for both curs and feists. Allen walks us through the Top 7 cur and feists heading into the runoff and he walks us through the final results. With interviews, first we hear from Doug Marlow and the dogs he keeps now and what he started with. He also shares his insights on his breeding program and talks about his participation in competition hunting with dogs, which started at age 13. We also learn why he moved from beagles and coonhounds to focusing on squirrel dogs. Next up is Kevin Cable, fresh from winning the final cast of the cur running with Burley. Kevin shares how he spent a few years looking for a good squirrel dog before he picked up Burley, who won the DOY last year, too. We also hear from Kevin’s son who is a passionate young squirrel hunter. For feist fanciers, Allen visits with brothers Mike and Marty Kelley. They talk about getting ready for the event and their experience at the running. They also mention their approach to their breeding program and reflect on some of their best dogs they’ve ever owned. Mike offers two very important tips for raising a squirrel dog pup. He then leaves us with the difference between a dog that will tree squirrels and a squirrel dog. Last on the mic is Vance Plante who sits down with Allen right after his win with Robber to take home the DOY for the feist division. Vance talks about going to many hunts and steep competition along the way and coming up on top this time, after the second year coming into the event in the bye seat. He also mentions how he keeps his dogs in the woods and conditioned throughout the year. See more about our squirrel dog program: https://www.ukcdogs.com/cur-feists Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

In this week's episode, we're rerunning our most popular and most downloaded episode of all time. We're throwing it back to Ep. 67, recorded live at Autumn Oaks 2023, when Allen and Trevor sat down with very special guest Steve Fielder to discuss the history of UKC Nite Hunts. This is a fantastic episode that any student of the coonhound game should absolutely listen to! Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast https://www.facebook.com/UKCcoonhounds www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

In this week’s episode, Domenick is at the National Bird Dog Museum on the night before the first brace of the 2025 National Championship running. Now in its 126th year and possibly the largest total ever, this traditional horseback trial will showcase 55 dogs and assign one overall champion winner. First, we hear from Ames Plantation Director, Matt Bakas, who works hard all year to maintain the viability of the grounds and healthy habitat for quail. He teases out a new agreement that will bring a huge boost to the facility with a goal to begin running the event on wild birds. He also gives some useful tips on how to help birds on your own property. Matt is joined by Dr. Stan Wint who shares his thoughts on how to make improvements to increase quail populations and how to bring more participants to this prestigious event. Next up is judge Rich Robertson who shares his story about how he became a judge. He mentions what he’s looking to see out of the dogs and what motivates him as a judge. He’s been in the bird dog game a long while and grew up competing at Ames. We touch on what a training regime looks like to get to the big event and Rich shares a touching tale of his most memorable moment running at the National. Lastly, we hear from National Championship reporter Tessa Hughes. She also judges events and compares the two different styles of observing a brace. She talks about the challenges of reporting on the National which is so much different than other stakes. We also learn how she coordinates getting reports and content to those eagerly waiting to consume it. She closes out with some helpful advice for anyone looking to write a great field trial report. To catch up on the event, visit: https://www.amesplantation.org/ Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast https://www.facebook.com/UKCcoonhounds www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

In this week’s episode, Domenick is reporting from the National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee to check in on the 2025 Hall of Fame (HOF) Inductions. We first hear from Greg Blair who shares his experience and gives some great advice for anyone looking to get started in pointing dog trials in the UKC/American Field pointing dog events. We also compare the differences between how dogs run in walking vs horseback stakes. Greg also talks about what a National Shoot To Retrieve Association event looks like—if you’re brand-new to pointing dog sports, this is a great place to start! Next up is Sean Derrig, owner/trainer of HOF Erin's Hidden Shamrock, “Jack,” an English setter. Sean set a goal for himself to become the only handler to have bred and trained both a pointer and a setter to reach the HOF. He talks about his background and his motivations to breed, raise, train, and campaign dogs in the 1%. He also shares some exciting stories about hunting birds with a pointer, a terrier, a hawk, and a horse! Lastly, we hear from the Smith family, on-site to celebrate the induction of the late Larry Smith. His wife, Linda, shares several stories from his busy field trial life. Larry had a love for the sport of pointing dog field trials, hosting events, and raising puppies. Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast https://www.facebook.com/UKCcoonhounds www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com

Welcome to our 2025 miniseries update on the top coonhound reproducers. This time we’re talking about the top ten males and females of each breed of all-time and ranking them by the number of hunt-titled dogs they’ve produced. Here in part one, we go over the black & tan, bluetick, and American leopard hound breeds. We also cover the top hunt title-producing dogs of the 2024 calendar year to highlight those up-and-coming hounds making their way up the ranks of all-time reproducers. If you’re a coonhound fancier, you’re going to want to tune into this multi-part series. Follow Us on Social! www.facebook.com/UKCHuntingOpsPodcast https://www.facebook.com/UKCcoonhounds www.instagram.com/ukchuntingops https://www.youtube.com/@ukcdogs Check Out Our Sponsors: www.eukanubasportingdog.com