An experienced firefighter who has served as chief with multiple fire departments, Richard Shannon Draper has served as a fire service instructor with Bucks County Community College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. When he isn’t working, Richard Shannon Draper enjoys upland hunting.

Once used simply as a synonym for “countryside,” the term “upland” now signifies an entirely unique set of hunting techniques and gear. Experts in bird hunting generally divide the sport into two categories: wetland hunting (which takes place in lowland areas that tend to collect water) and upland hunting (which takes place on plateaus of relatively higher elevation). Although the dictionary definition of upland makes reference to land that is typically dry, experienced upland hunters often encounter precipitation and muddy ground while in the field.

Far more than the terrain on which it takes place, upland hunting is defined by its particular species of quarry. The primary types of birds that upland hunters pursue are the ringneck pheasant, the ruffled grouse, the American woodcock, and the bobwhite quail.