Cover by Terry Allen

The upland lifestyle offers such great opportunity, and it’s not always about chasing happy dogs or wily birds. Sometimes it’s all about fellowship in a charming town that brings new life to conservation and art.

In this issue of Covey Rise, we explore that idea in the City of Charleston—who every February combines a Ducks Unlimited banquet with a world-class art exhibition, all while bringing vendors, hunters, and gatherers to one of our nation’s greatest treasures for a weekend of fun. It’s called the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE), and it should be on your list.

In addition to exploring SEWE, we turn in this issue to a handful of folks in our larger community who infuse our traditional space with style and innovation. Martin Dingman brings an unprecedented panache to the boots and leather goods that propel us through the upland world, all while embracing his beloved Llewellin setters. Peter Hofer, an Austrian gunmaker in the Ferlach tradition, reminds us that extraordinary things are possible when the imagination meets human feats of engineering. Luca Casari renders a similar artistic edge to the world of Beretta, as his recent engraving masterworks capture moments in history that define Western civilization on the plates of a shotgun.

We round out the issue with a collection of essays that we hope will inspire you and call you to action as the season approaches. We are cleaning guns and counting boxes of shells and trying to squeeze into last year’s briar britches after a summer of burgers and beverages, all looking toward loading the dogs and the truck and heading into more glorious days afield.

Thanks for joining us for this issue, in this sport, and around this lifestyle. Read deeply, dream mightily, and make the stories we tell actionable in your life.

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A South Dakota Hidden Gem: The Big Bend’s next generation

Lug-soled Luxury: Martin Dingman’s functional field boot

Dreams Made of Steel and Walnut: The practical vision of Peter Hofer

Feeding the Upland Soul: The Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds

A Vision of What Still Can Be: Southeastern Wildlife Exposition

Luca Casari: Beretta’s Master Engraver