Anchorage, AK
34059 Sheep Camp Rd.
Bonner, MT 59823
501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit
Federal Tax ID Number:
88-1817113
California
Amanda is an adult-onset hunter who enjoys watching her beloved girls work in the field, Bentlee (GSP) and Finn (GWP). She is passionate about providing safe hunting opportunities to all willing to tag along with her. During the off-season, you can find her training bird dogs and supporting organizations whose missions align with preserving bird habitat, promoting youth hunting/shooting, and supporting women in the outdoors.
Utah
Deb Hinton is an adult-onset hunter introduced to the pursuit of game by her then-boyfriend shortly after graduating high school. While not raised around hunting, she quickly embraced the tranquility and sense of accomplishment that comes with a hard day afield. You’re as likely to find her roaming around Idaho and Utah with a shotgun or rifle as you are to meet her with a backpack on a backcountry hike with a fly-rod in tow. Since being introduced, her passion for the outdoors has grown intense. What started as a casual way to spend more quality time with her now husband has allowed her to pursue many different types of games in multiple states with a diverse pool of individuals. From the big woods of northern Minnesota chasing whitetails and ruffed grouse to the roosters and sharptails of the Midwest or the mule deer, elk, and upland of the intermountain west, her repertoire grows yearly. She’d hate for you to call her an expert, but her knowledge about hunting, firearms, and ammunition have more than once left a mansplainer with a gaping jaw. She’s usually joined on her treks by her Labrador Avery and Drahthaar Jäger while occasionally letting her husband tag along.
Ashland, OR
Montana
CEO, Founder – Montana
From the moment her heart-dog, Briar, a spirited German Wirehaired Pointer, delivered a pheasant to her hands, Courtney Bastian knew her life was set to follow the path of feathers and fields. It was 2008, and that poignant gesture from Briar beckoned Courtney away from her camera and into the world of upland hunting with a shotgun and a passion to match the drive of her four-legged companions.
As the Founder and Executive Director of HerUpland, Courtney stands at the forefront of a movement celebrating and fostering the spirit of women and youth in the realm of upland hunting. Her journey, which took a significant turn upon moving to the expansive and wild beauty of Montana in September 2019, has been driven by a quest to connect, share, and grow with fellow upland enthusiasts. As the global pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges to forming in-person bonds, Courtney pivoted with grace and ingenuity, launching The Bird Dog Babe Podcast. This virtual gathering space became the pulse of a burgeoning community, leading to the conception and subsequent blossoming of HerUpland into a nonprofit organization by the end of 2022.
Courtney orchestrates HerUpland events with an unwavering commitment to education, hands-on experiences, and mentorship, offering hunting skills camps, wingshooting clinics, and bird dog training camps. Her vision is carved from the belief that competency and confidence are the wings upon which female and youth hunters will soar.
Her life is a tapestry of adventures alongside her husband William, and their two children, Burke and Blayre. Whether she’s navigating the uplands with her German Wirehaired Pointers, Bracchi Italianos, and a Cocker or savoring the tranquility of her Montana homestead amid chickens, Nigerian Dwarf goats, Kune Kune pigs, and her beloved Tennessee Walking and Paso Fino horses, Courtney lives her ethos of balance and passion.
Courtney’s roots in science, with a B.Sc. in Biology and Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, have nourished her methodical approach to conservation and sustainable hunting practices. Currently, she is further sharpening her acumen by pursuing an MBA dual degree in Management and Marketing, fortifying her ability to lead HerUpland with innovative strategies and a clear vision.
A luminary in the upland hunting community, Courtney Bastian is not just forging paths for women and youth in this field but is ensuring that the trails are wide, welcoming, and wonderfully wild.
I was introduced to hunting via the waterfowl world 9 years ago. My favorite thing about it was watching the dogs work. In 2018 I was introduced to big game hunting. I went on my first pheasant hunt in 2018 as well, but didn’t hunt upland birds over a dog until I got my own in 2021. I got a golden retriever to mostly be a house dog who could pick up ducks every once in a while. Her first hunt surprised us all with 1 bird short of two limits on pheasants. I was hooked, and have been avidly chasing upland birds with her since then. Grouse camp 2022 introduced me to HerUpland, and I’ve loved every moment I’ve been able to be involved with this group.
New Mexico
Stephanie, a Texas native, and new hunter as of 2018 gravitated to the upland sport as a means to find solitude and a gateway into hunting big game. With no prior knowledge of the New Mexico desert quarry and the realization that hunting small birds among massive acreage of public land is no easy feat, she took to a search for the perfect hunting companion—a bird dog. The combination of canine, covey rises, and shotguns captured her heart, and now the uplands are where her soul lives. Stephanie is passionate about growing her skills in upland hunting and bird dog training, introducing others to the excitement of a bird flush, and sharing her experiences as a hunter to empower those seeking a hunter’s lifestyle. With her obsession for New Mexico diverse landscapes and public land opportunities, you can find Stephanie chasing her two English Setters, Sven and Huldah, English Cocker, Kipp, and five-year-old Charlotte year-round from the deserts of southern New Mexico to the most northern parts of the state where sagebrush flats meets high mountainous spruce trees.
Montana
Montana
