An excited woman wearing upland hunting gear in the field with the Moment of Thrill Logo

When summer days start to feel shorter and nights grow crisp, upland-bird hunters and their dogs know that their favorite time of year is right around the corner. At Orvis, we share the building anticipation of hunting season, so to help you get in the mood for Opening Day, we offer these exciting Moments of Thrill.

An aerial view of a group of people in hunting gear walking toward a sunset with their hunting dogs

Untold Possibility

Big walks in big country provide a world of possibility, to dogs and upland hunters anyway. Every footstep could be the one that nudges something into flight, something we’ve been waiting for all season long.

Hunters in bright orange gear looking over an upland landscape

Upland Hunting Gear

Two women upland hunting with a dog

Wingshooting Trips

A hunting dog in tall grass at sunset, pointing

Suspended Animation

A bird dog at work is all motion and speed, a critter that gobbles up country in big bites. But then there is that moment when motion intersects scent and time stands still. In those moments, anticipation is reduced to its purest, most remarkable form.

A close up of bird plumage being held by a gloved hand

Simplicity

It doesn’t take much … a well-worn shotgun, a sturdy pair of boots, and a dog that understands the game. Upland hunting is simplicity defined, and that is its ultimate beauty.

A close up of dog drinking water from a water bottle

Right Under Our Nose

A good bird dog believes in what he can’t see. That’s the whole point. Our conviction comes in trusting them, trusting what they have to show us, and seeing it proven in a thunderous flush and a burst of color rising from the grass beneath our feet.

A hunter and dog walking in an open landscape

Alone Time

You are never alone in the company of a good dog. It’s a friendship of shared walks, sunsets and frosty mornings, occasional hits, and monumental misses. It’s the best kind of company, the easiest kind … the kind that doesn’t demand much of you but makes each moment better.

Hunting for More?

Devoted dogs, a life afield, the simple joy of endless landscapes and their breathtaking beauty. These are our stories—they bring us together, inspire us, and bond us in our shared love of the sport.

Simon Perkins with his dog Copa.

Copa

In her 14 years and counting, Copa has been by the side of Orvis President Simon Perkins.
A feather stuck on a long piece of dry grass with a hunter's silhouette in the background.

Grouseman

For wingshooting guide Steve Grossman, the hunt is about so much more than shooting a limit of birds. Ever since he was a teenager, he has devoted himself to chasing wild birds and training dogs.
An aerial view of two hunters in a vast rolling grassland.

Uplander

“When you first get into bird hunting it’s all about getting the bird. Then you start enjoying the habitat and scenery, how the dogs are working. Then it’s the sharing with other people. That’s when it all comes together.”