Bird Dogs & Big Game

Behind Bird Dogs & Big Game

Bird Dogs & Big Game is hosted by Tyce Erickson, owner of Utah Bird Dog Training. Tyce has spent nearly two decades training pointing dogs and retrievers, and every fall he trades the training field for the duck marsh, the upland covers, and the elk woods. The show is the conversation he wants to have with the people who share that life: trainers, breeders, vets, guides, biologists, and hunters.

Formerly The Bird Dog Podcast. Same host, same dogs, a little more country. Every earlier episode is still right here in the archive.

New episodes post here and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music, and the show airs every Tuesday on the Outdoor Radio Network.

Tyce Erickson holding a pheasant with his golden retriever Tyce Erickson with a mule deer buck
Tyce Erickson shooting with his golden retriever beside him

For nearly two decades, Tyce Erickson has made his living training bird dogs. As the owner of Utah Bird Dog Training, he has worked with dogs of all breeds and backgrounds, from young dogs just beginning their training to seasoned hunting companions, and with the people who love to hunt behind them.

Bird Dogs & Big Game grew naturally out of that life. It's a place for honest conversations about dog training, hunting, breeding, genetics, gear, and the lessons learned from years in the field. Tyce sits down with trainers, breeders, hunters, industry experts, and everyday dog people to share experiences, ask questions, and talk about what actually works.

Meet Tyce

Tyce Erickson training a golden retriever in a field

Dogs and hunting have shaped a pretty big part of Tyce Erickson's life. As the owner of Utah Bird Dog Training, he spends his days working with pointing dogs, retrievers, and family hunting dogs, and helping their owners develop dogs that are enjoyable and capable in the field.

Tyce is an avid hunter himself, and that experience has always influenced the way he approaches dog training. He loves waterfowl and upland hunting, but bird dogs aren't his only excuse to be outside. Big game hunting is another major passion, particularly elk and deer, and much of the year tends to be measured by whatever hunting season is coming next.

Over the years, training dogs has put Tyce in contact with an incredible range of people: trainers, breeders, hunters, veterinarians, industry professionals, and dog owners from all over the country. Those relationships, and the conversations that came with them, eventually became the foundation for Bird Dogs & Big Game. It gives Tyce a chance to ask questions, compare methods, hear different perspectives, and dig deeper into subjects he genuinely wants to know more about.

At home, Tyce and his wife, Rachel, are raising their five kids in Utah, where dogs, hunting, and time outdoors are simply part of everyday life. Together they raise field-bred Golden Retrievers and a small number of litters of pointing Labs each year. Breeding dogs alongside training them has given Tyce an even deeper appreciation for how genetics, natural ability, temperament, and good training all come together in a hunting dog.

Tyce doesn't believe there's only one right way to train a dog, and he'll be the first to tell you he's still learning. That curiosity is a big part of the show: talk to good people, ask good questions, share what works, and keep learning.

Listen to Episodes

Work With Tyce

If the show has you thinking about your dog's training, Tyce offers professional bird dog training, started dogs, and consulting through Utah Bird Dog Training. Whether you have a young pup you want started right, a dog that needs polish, or you just want a conversation about what approach makes sense for your situation, that's exactly the kind of work he does every day.

He works with pointing breeds, retrievers, and versatile dogs at all levels, and takes on a limited number of clients each year to keep the quality of work where he wants it.

Visit Utah Bird Dog Training

From the field

From the field

Bird dog work at dawn Archery bull elk in the aspens Bird hunting at dawn Bull tahr below snowy peaks Golden retriever puppies Packing a mountain goat off a steep slope Tyce Erickson training a golden retriever Archery black bear in the timber

Background photos: Alex Moliski and Aaron Brewer on Pexels.