Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. --(AmmoLand.com)- On Monday morning, 150,000 acres were opened to landowner enrollment through the Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) practice.

By Tuesday morning, states were already reporting their allotted acreages were fully enrolled. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the reallocation of these SAFE acres just over two weeks ago on February 27th at Pheasants Foerver’s National Pheasant Fest in Des Moines, Iowa.

Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, and both Dakotas have reported extremely high demand for the newly reallocated acres. Iowa filled their 9,000 acre reallocation by the end of Monday. Idaho expects to fully enroll their new 16,000 acre reallocation by the end of this week. Minnesota has also experienced high demand and expects their 10,800 acres to be gone soon. Nebraska landowners have offered well over their available 4,500 reallocated acres to once again cap out their two SAFE programs. North Dakota’s 18,000 acres were committed by the end of Tuesday. And, South Dakota’s 18,000 reallocated acres are also expected to be fully enrolled by week’s end with 11,000 under contract by Wednesday morning.

“There is obviously pent up demand for available SAFE acres from farmers and ranchers. That’s great news for wildlife,” reported Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Government Affairs. “The wildlife success stories that SAFE has delivered, coupled with the landowner demand we are currently experiencing are certainly our two strongest allies as we go back to Secretary Vilsack and request additional SAFE acres.”

SAFE acres focus on environmentally sensitive land, as well as species that have suffered significant population declines and/or are considered to be socially or economically valuable. This is the newest CRP practice (CP 38). States and target species include North Dakota pheasants, South Dakota grassland birds, Idaho Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, Minnesota pheasants, Mississippi bobwhite quail, Nebraska upland habitats, Iowa pheasants and upland birds, Illinois pheasants and upland habitat, and Georgia bobwhite quail.

“Local Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency employees, along with Pheasants Forever Farm Bill biologists, deserve a tremendous amount of credit for turning these newly allocated SAFE acres into landowner contracts in such a short window of time,” added Nomsen.

Also during his National Pheasant Fest visit last month, Secretary Vilsack announced the reallocation of 100,000 acres for CRP’s “Bobwhite Buffers” practice (CP 33), 50,000 acres for CRP’s “Duck Nesting Habitat Initiative” practice (CP 37), and plans for the first general CRP signup in four years.

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High Demand for Conservation Reserve Program’s Reallocated SAFE Acres

Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. - -(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have honored three local chapters for their efforts to introduce youth to the outdoors and create the next generation of hunters and conservationists.

Recipients of the third annual No Child Left Indoors® National Awards include the Mahaska County (Iowa) Pheasants Forever chapter, the Illinois Pioneer Pheasants Forever chapter and the Great River Area (Illinois/Iowa) Quail Forever chapter.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s No Child Left Indoors initiative is the organization’s national effort to engage youngsters in outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing and camping. The No Child Left Indoors® National Awards recognize chapters for their youth habitat projects, youth and family community events and youth outdoor education programs.

“These chapters have shown the ultimate commitment to promoting youth activities and getting kids involved in the outdoors,” said Cheryl Riley, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Vice President of Education and Outreach.

Great River Area Quail Forever Chapter
This chapter does youth work on both sides of the Mississippi River – in Illinois and Iowa. From presentations to high school kids, an FFA banquet, hunter safety programs and youth fishing tournaments, Great River Area Quail Forever chapter members engaged youth and talked about habitat and the needs of quail. The chapter also held its first mentored youth hunt last September.

Mahaska County Pheasants Forever Chapter
Each spring, the Mahaska County Pheasants Forever chapter sponsors an outdoor day that includes every 5th grade student in the county, 350-plus students. In the fall, the chapter hosts a field day which over 200 youth attend and everyone goes home with a Pheasants Forever Ringnecks (youth) membership. The chapter also sponsors an Iowa Youth Hunter Education Challenge Team as well as a scholastic shooting team that had 60 participants this past year. Last year, chapter expenditures on youth programs topped $16,000.

The Mahaska County Pheasants Forever chapter’s youth coordinator is Mahaska High School student Brooks VanDerBeek. Brooks’ dad, Jeff, is president of the chapter. Brooks serves on Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Youth Leadership Council and recently helped form the first-ever high school student Pheasants Forever chapter in the country, the Oskaloosa Pioneering Ringnecks. Brooks’ efforts have earned him the Izaak Walton Iowa Youth Conservationist of the Year award, and he was named a “Hero of Conservation” in the current issue of Field and Stream magazine.

Illinois Pioneer Pheasants Forever Chapter
The Illinois Pioneer Pheasants Forever chapter held 11 events in 2009 as part of its “Young Guns” program, involving members, women, FFA, scouts and families in trap and skeet shoots, a fishing derby, a hunter safety course, a rifle shoot and a youth mentor hunt. In 2009, the Illinois Pioneer chapter spent approximately $31,000 on youth programs. There are 290 youth members in “Young Guns” and this year they will be working on an 80-acre habitat restoration project. The chapter credits the “Young Guns” program in making its annual fundraising banquet last spring the largest in its 25-year history. Original “Young Guns” Ben Magers and Kirstin Blackford helped create and serve on the newly formed Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever State Youth Leadership Council, and each was recognized as a 2009 Environmental Hero by the Illinois Governor.

For more about Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s No Child Left Indoors® initiative, contact Cheryl Riley at criley@pheasantsforever.org and 651.209.4975.

Pheasants Forever and its quail division, Quail Forever, is a non-profit conservation organization is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs. Pheasants Forever has more than 120,000 members in 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org

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Quail Forever’s Third Annual No Child Left Indoors National Awards

Pheasants Forever

Des Moines, Iowa - -(AmmoLand.com)- Today at Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced plans for a new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup.

Secretary Vilsack also announced increased acreage allotments for three CRP practices significant to wildlife, and then signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pheasants Forever.

The new general CRP signup slated for later this year will be the first general signup since 2006. It arrives in time to address the 4.4 million acres of CRP expiring on September 30, 2010. An additional 14.2 million acres of CRP are slated to expire between 2011 and 2013.

“Last week at a Pheasants Forever event is southern Minnesota, Secretary Vilsack indicated his intent to keep CRP at, or nearly fully enrolled at, the program’s authorized level of 32 million acres. Today the Secretary outlined just how he intends to accomplish that by utilizing both a general signup and increased allocations for continuous CRP practices targeted at benefitting pheasants, quail, and waterfowl,” reported Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Government Affairs. “Considering the severity of this winter and sizeable number of acres set to expire from CRP this year, the Secretary’s announcement is very welcome news for wildlife and hunters. USDA’s actions today will benefit birds tomorrow with newly allocated CP-33’s, 37’s, and 38’s (SAFE) being available on March 15, 2010.”

During his keynote address in front of 800 attendees, Secretary Vilsack outlined the new acreage caps for three critical CRP practices at or approaching current limits.

• Conservation Practice 33: Known as the “Upland Bird Habitat Buffers” or “Bobwhite Buffers” practice, more than 219,000 of the 250,000 acres allocated in the program have been enrolled nationwide. The newly announced 100,000 acres will be distributed among Midwest and Southern states
• Conservation Practice 37: This “Duck Nesting Habitat Initiative” practice has 87,000 acres currently enrolled in the Prairie Pothole Region states of Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. Today’s newly announced 50,000 acres includes 25,000 acres for North Dakota, and an additional 15,000 acres for South Dakota.
• Conservation Practice 38: Also known as the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement program (SAFE), this conservation practice focuses on environmentally sensitive land, as well as species that have suffered significant population declines and/or are considered to be socially or economically valuable. This is the newest CRP practice, but states like Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota were already maxed out or were quickly approaching their acreage caps. An additional 150,000 SAFE acres have been allocated benefitting a wide array of species. States and target species include North Dakota pheasants, South Dakota grassland birds, Idaho Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, Minnesota pheasants, Mississippi bobwhite quail, Nebraska upland habitats, Iowa pheasants and upland birds, Illinois pheasants and upland habitat, and Georgia bobwhite quail. Currently, more than 253,000 acres are enrolled in 34 states.

“When President Obama took office, we asked his Administration for a new general CRP signup, new SAFE acres, and new CP 33 acres for quail,” explained Nomsen. “Today, Secretary Vilsack and President Obama delivered us these critical tools needed to put habitat back on the ground, birds in the air, and hunters in the field.”

Secretary Vilsack also signed a first ever MOU between the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and Pheasants Forever. The MOU establishes the framework for the three groups to work together in partnership toward common goals; specifically the implementation of Farm Bill conservation programs. The MOU facilitates the free flow of information among the groups and provides a foundation for Pheasants Forever to deliver conservation technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and landowners.

The MOU will allow Pheasants Forever to facilitate expansion of its current Farm Bill Biologist program, which has proven an effective method for assisting landowners in implementing conservation practices on their property. Pheasants Forever, along with other state wildlife partners, currently employ 50 Farm Bill and Partner Biologists in eight states. To date, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted 30,000 landowners, resulting in the improvement of 1.3 million acres of land for wildlife.

National Pheasant Fest 2010 wraps up on Sunday, February 28th with show hours of 10AM to 5PM. Tickets are available at the Iowa Events Center.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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USDA Secretary Delivers Welcome CRP News to Pheasants, Quail, and Hunters

Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant Fest 2010

Des Moines, Iowa --(AmmoLand.com)- There’s never been a better time for pheasant hunters and wildlife enthusiasts to become a Pheasants Forever member than National Pheasant Fest 2010.

Pheasants Forever and Cabela’s are giving attendees a special show membership offer, exclusively for the Fest’s final day. National Pheasant Fest 2010 is February 26-28 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

With the help of Cabela’s, there’s never been a more attractive offer for attendees to join Pheasants Forever. Attendees who purchase new, or renew existing, Pheasants Forever memberships on Sunday, February 28th ONLY will receive:

• 1 (one) year membership to Pheasants Forever (5 magazines, decal, member card & calendar)
• Sunday admission to National Pheasant Fest
• Pheasants Forever hat And
• Cabela’s Gift Card – redeemable in stores or online!

That’s more than a $70 value! “The final day of National Pheasant Fest finishes strong with a full slate of bird dog, hunting and wildlife habitat seminars and attractions, but it also provides an excellent chance for visitors to join Pheasants Forever’s efforts,” said Brad Heidel, PF’s Director of Special Events Sales. ”

Thanks to Cabela’s, which is always looking to help Pheasants Forever connect people to the wonderful world outdoors.”

Following is a list of special memberships offers during National Pheasant Fest:

• Weekend Special – $30 ($70 value) 1 (one) year membership to Pheasants Forever (5 magazines, decal, member card & calendar)
• Weekend (3-day) admission to National Pheasant Fest Pheasants Forever hat
• Sunday ONLY Special – $30 ($70 value) 1 (one) year membership to Pheasants Forever (5 magazines, decal, member card & calendar) Sunday admission to National Pheasant Fest Pheasants Forever hat AND Cabela’s Gift Card – redeemable in stores or online!
• Ringnecks Youth Membership – Limited Free Memberships

Limited free memberships – Donated by Minnesota Hunting Spaniel Association (Receive membership by visiting Rudy’s Youth Village at the show).

Life Membership – 2010 Life Member Sweepstakes – Life Member Gun Drawings
Become a Life Member of Pheasants Forever at the show, and you’ll automatically be entered in the 2010 Pheasants Forever Life Member Sweepstakes for a chance to win a SCAG SFZ Freedom Z zero-turn riding lawnmower, valued at over $7,100. And for every 10 Life Members that sign up at the show, we’ll draw one Fausti Stefano Over / Under 12 gauge shotgun (MSRP $1,489)!

Patron Membership – Special Gun Offer
Make the ultimate commitment ($10,000) to “The Habitat Organization” and you’ll not only receive standard Patron-level thanks (Patron Plaque, Pheasants Forever Jacket & recognition in Pheasants Forever Journal), but for joining at National Pheasant Fest 2010, you’ll also receive a Fausti Stefano Over / Under 12 gauge shotgun (MSRP $1,489)!

National Pheasant Fest 2010
The Country’s Largest Event for Upland Hunters, Sport Dog Owners and Wildlife Habitat Conservationists, combining a national outdoor tradeshow, wildlife habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art.
www.PheasantFest.org

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Cabela’s Helps PF Sweeten Sunday Pheasant Fest Membership Offer

Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant Fest 2010

Des Moines, Iowa -(Ammoland.com)- Pheasants Forever has confirmed U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will attend National Pheasant Fest 2010. Vilsack, the former Governor of Iowa, is slated to give the keynote address at the Pheasant Fest luncheon on Saturday, February 27th at noon. Immediately following the luncheon, Secretary Vilsack will sign a first-ever Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and Pheasants Forever.

“We are very pleased to have the Secretary joining us at National Pheasant Fest and see this MOU with the NRCS and FSA as an excellent step toward accelerating the delivery of conservation policy to on-the-ground habitat acres,” reported Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Government Affairs.

The MOU establishes the framework for the three groups to work together in partnership toward common goals; specifically the implementation of Farm Bill conservation programs. The MOU allows for the free flow of information between the groups and provides a foundation for Pheasants Forever to deliver conservation technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and landowners. In this capacity, Pheasants Forever, along with other state wildlife partners, currently employ 50 Farm Bill and Partner Biologists in eight states. The Farm Bill Biologist program is designed to assist landowners in implementing conservation practices on their property. To date, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted 30,000 landowners, resulting in the improvement of 1.3 million acres of land for wildlife.

The Future of CRP
“We are also optimistic that Secretary Vilsack will be bringing us some much needed good news about the Conservation Reserve Program’s future,” added Nomsen. “Every pheasant hunter, particularly our Iowa members, looks across the snow covered landscape today and clearly sees the need for returning significant acres back to the program.”

Originally established in 1985, CRP is in its 25th year. There are currently 31.1 million acres enrolled in the program nationwide, which has seen 6.5 million acres expire in the last three years. Of significant concern is that another 15.4 million acres more are set to expire by the autumn of 2012 without any new sign-ups currently upcoming.

CRP is a voluntary program offering landowners annual payments for 10-15 year contracts for establishing grass, wetlands, shrub, and/or tree cover on their environmentally sensitive lands. Not only have these CRP lands been shown to improve pheasant populations, but CRP is also responsible for improvements in water quality, soil erosion prevention, and the creation of critical habitat for a wide variety of other wildlife species. CRP also helps stabilize farmer’s incomes through annual payments and contributes billions of dollars to the economy annually from hunting expenditures; much of which benefits rural communities.

Pheasant Notes
At a press conference on March 9, 2006, then Governor Vilsack helped Pheasants Forever announce National Pheasant Fest’s first visit to Des Moines in 2007. Iowa bird hunters set an all time low pheasant harvest during the 2008 season with 383,000 roosters bagged. It’s expected the 2009 season total will be even lower than 2008. In the last three years, 389,426 acres of CRP have expired in Iowa. There are currently 1.6 million acres of CRP under contract in Iowa. However, another 422,041 acres are slated to expire in the next three years.
Secretary Vilsack will become the third Secretary of Agriculture to attend National Pheasant Fest. Mike Johanns attended the Des Moines event in 2007 and Chuck Connor attended the Saint Paul event in 2008.
National Pheasant Fest 2010
Pheasant Fest is the country’s largest event for upland hunters, sport dog owners and wildlife habitat conservationists, combining a national outdoor tradeshow, wildlife habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art.

Adults – $10 Daily * Ages 6-16 – $5 Daily * Ages 5 and Under – FREE
Weekend Special – $30 (Includes annual Pheasants Forever membership & hat, over $80 value)
To purchase tickets for the Saturday luncheon at Pheasant Fest where Secretary Vilsack will be the keynote speaker, please call Stacy at Pheasants Forever toll free 877.773.2070. Tickets are $30 each. www.PheasantFest.org

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USDA Secretary Vilsack Returning to Iowa to Attend National Pheasant Fest

Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant Fest 2010

Des Moines, Iowa – -(AmmoLand.com)- February 16, 2010 – In conjunction with Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest, the Iowa Machine Shed restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa, has added pheasant to its menu for the weekend of the event.

National Pheasant Fest 2010 is February 26-28 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

After taking in all that National Pheasant Fest has to offer and working up an appetite, attendees can enjoy a home-cooked quarter pheasant pan roasted and served in country gravy at the Iowa Machine Shed, located at Living History Farms in Urbandale, just minutes from downtown Des Moines.

“Our five word constitution is ‘Dedicated to the American Farmer,’” said Cat Penton, Executive Staff for the Machine Shed chain of restaurants. “We want everyone who comes to our restaurant to receive the Machine Shed experience of made from scratch, home-cooked meals served in the traditions of the farming community. For many in town that weekend, those traditions center on days afield pheasant hunting followed by fantastic pheasant dishes.”

The Iowa Machine Shed will serve pheasant on February 25-27 from 3PM to 10PM and on Sunday, February 28 from 11AM to 9PM. Additionally, if you’d like to know how to make this fantastic dish, Machine Shed Chef Roger Johnson will show Pheasant Fest attendees how he prepares the Machine Shed’s special pheasant recipe. The demonstration will be at 2PM on Friday, February 26 in seminar room 5 at the Iowa Events Center.

MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc is the supplier of the pheasant to be served at the Machine Shed. MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc. was also supplier of the pheasant served at the Presidential Inaugural luncheon in 2009. The Machine Shed was started 31 years ago in Iowa by Mike Whalen, founder and CEO.

Attend National Pheasant Fest 2010
The Country’s Largest Event for Upland Hunters, Sport Dog Owners and Wildlife Habitat Conservationists, combining a national outdoor tradeshow, wildlife habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art.

Adults – $10 Daily * Ages 6-16 – $5 Daily * Ages 5 and Under – FREE
Weekend Special – $30 (Includes annual Pheasants Forever membership & hat, over $80 value)
www.PheasantFest.org

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Machine Shed Adds the Other Other White Meat – Pheasant To Its Menu

Pheasants Forever

Des Moines, Iowa –-(AmmoLand.com)- Ever wish your bird dog could be on the cover of the Pheasants Forever Journal? For the first time ever, Pheasants Forever is opening up the coveted space, to be auctioned off at the National Pheasant Fest 2010 Banquet on Saturday, February 27th in Des Moines.

National Pheasant Fest is February 26-28 at the Iowa Events Center.

Tickets still remain for the National Pheasant Fest Banquet, which will be the largest event in Pheasants Forever’s 28-year history, but they are going fast!

An unprecedented live auction features the opportunity to purchase the rights to have your hunting buddy professionally photographed for the cover of one issue of the Pheasants Forever Journal, the organization’s signature publication that’s received by more than 100,000 Pheasants Forever members five times annually.

Quail enthusiasts, take note, as the same goes for Pheasants Forever’s quail division, Quail Forever, and your bird dog on the cover of the Quail Forever Journal!

Staying on point with the bird dogs, Iowa’s own Top Gun Kennels has donated a German Shorthaired Pointer to the live auction for the banquet.

To come from an upcoming litter (male or female), the $5,000-valued pup will be completely trained for the hunting enthusiast:

• All commands of here, heal, sit, whoa, and kennel completed.
• E-collar conditioned to commands and beeper collar completed.
• Retrieve training to hand completed on land and water.
• Hold point and steady to wing and shot.
• Honor another pointing dog’s work.

Combined with a year’s supply of Native performance dog food and a 3-day, 4-night hunting trip for 4 to the Highland Hideaway near Riverside, Iowa, this dog/dog food/hunting package is unbeatable.

Other live-auction items include South Dakota guided pheasant hunts, an Argentine dove hunt, a Maine coast getaway, firearms, custom-built furniture by Iowa craftsmen/artists more.

To see the entire auction lineup, visit www.IowaPF.org. To reserve your space for Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest Banquet, CLICK HERE.

Attend National Pheasant Fest 2010
The Country’s Largest Event for Upland Hunters, Sport Dog Owners and Wildlife Habitat Conservationists, combining a national outdoor tradeshow, wildlife habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art.

Adults – $10 Daily * Ages 6-16 – $5 Daily * Ages 5 and Under – FREE
Weekend Special – $30 (Includes annual Pheasants Forever membership & hat, over $80 value) www.PheasantFest.org

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Is Your Bird Dog Pheasants Forever’s Next Top Model?

Cowley County Quail Forever plans spring habitat projects, fall banquet

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Arkansas City, Kansas — -(Ammoland.com)- Hunters and conservationists from Cowley County have formed the state’s newest Quail Forever chapter, Cowley County Quail Forever. The group has plans to protect, restore, and enhance bobwhite quail habitat in southcentral Kansas.

The Cowley County group will use Quail Forever’s approach to wildlife habitat conservation, which allows local chapters to decide how 100 percent of their fundraising dollars are spent.

This local control gives chapters and members the ability to make things happen for habitat in their communities, while belonging to a national organization that gives wildlife and conservation a voice in Washington, D.C.

“In our first year as a Quail Forever chapter, our focus is to establish ties with surrounding communities and get people to help improve quail habitat,” said Justin Nulik, an Arkansas City resident and president of Cowley County Quail Forever. “In particular, we look forward to having conversations with area farmers and private landowners because they are the real keys to creating upland bird habitat.”

Other chapter leaders include Dan Durbin, treasurer, Winfield; Bret Pudden, habitat chair, Arkansas City; and Jeff Swanson, youth/education chair, Arkansas City.

Several specific events are planned for the year ahead. Spring 2010 projects will include establishing food and cover plots and prescribed burns and conducting a trap shoot at Dexter City Club (dates yet to be finalized). The first fundraising banquet will be held in Winfield on Saturday, Oct. 23.

To join Cowley County Quail Forever or for more information about the chapter, phone Nulik at 620-441-7745 or email Justin.Nulik@BNSF.com, or phone Pudden at 620-660-2918 or email bpudden@rangerecorces.com. For additional information, go online to www.PheasantsForever.org or www.QuailForever.org.

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New Quail Forever Chapter Formed In Cowley County

Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

East Peoria, Ill. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever recognized chapters and individuals from across the state for their wildlife habitat conservation efforts at its recent state convention.

The Vermilion County Pheasants Forever chapter was named the Illinois Pheasants Forever Chapter of the Year, and Gary Laurent of Donnellson was named the organization’s Volunteer of the Year.

Illinois Pheasants Forever Chapter Awards

The Vermilion County Pheasants Forever chapter was recognized as the Illinois Pheasants Forever Chapter of the Year. The chapter worked with many local partners and donors to complete a 108-acre land acquisition in 2009, which is open to public hunting and outdoor recreation.

Other Illinois Pheasants Forever Chapter Awards include:

• “Banquet of the Year” – Pioneer County Pheasants Forever
• “Conservation Excellence – $100K Spending on Habitat” – Kendall County Pheasants Forever, Woodford County Pheasants Forever, Piatt County Pheasants Forever
• “Conservation Excellence – $250K Spending on Habitat” – DeKalb County Pheasants Forever

Illinois Pheasants Forever Overall Awards

Gary Laurent, who volunteers as the habitat chairperson with four local chapters (Montgomery County Pheasants Forever, Little Bluestem Quail Forever, Illinois Pioneer Quail Forever and Southern Illinois Claybird Quail Forever) and serves as the vice president of the Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever State Council, has been named the 2009 Illinois Pheasants Forever Volunteer of the Year.

• “Dedication Award” – Chuck Eiben, LaSalle County Pheasants Forever; and Scott Hopkins, Dewitt County Pheasants Forever.
• “Wildlife Professional of the Year” – Marc Miller, Director, Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
• “Brood Booster Award” – Bruce Stikkers- Champaign Soil and Water Conservation District Resource Conservationist
• Long Spur Society Inductees – Honored for decade or more of significant volunteer service were Bill Bryan and Larry Schaefer from McLean County Pheasants Forever; Scott Hopkins from Dewitt County Pheasants Forever; Steve Tondi from Rock Island / Henry Pheasants Forever; and Russ Lusador from the Edgar County Pheasants Forever chapter.

Find Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever online at www.IllinoisPF.org. For more information about Pheasants Forever, contact Matt Bradshaw, Pheasants Forever regional field representative, at 217.386.4324 and mbradshaw@pheasantsforever.org; and for Quail Forever, contact Tim Caughran, Quail Forever regional wildlife biologist, at 618.467.2586 or via email at tcaughran@quailforever.org.

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Vermilion County Pheasants Forever Honored with Illinois Pheasants and Quail Forever Awards

Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant Fest 2010

Des Moines, Iowa –-(AmmoLand.com)- It’s open season for all upland, waterfowl, small game and big game hunters at Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest 2010.

The event, being held February 26-28 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, will feature a mixed bag of hunting how-to’s at the Hunter Help Room presented by Cabela’s.

“National Pheasant Fest will have the top-names in outdoor gear, apparel and firearms exhibiting at the show, and once you’ve got the gear, you need to know how to use it,” said Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations.

How-to seminars at the Hunter Help Room will run on-the-hour through the entire three-day weekend. Highlighted presenters include:

Parker Gun Collectors Association – Using Classic American Double Guns for Upland Birds
Side by Side upland game guns made by the top makers – Parker, L C Smith, Ithaca, A H Fox and the Winchester Model 21. Come learn and put your hands on – yes, fingerprints allowed! – some of the finest firearm models ever crafted. “They are useful articles, well made and in upper grades, artistically engraved,” says Bruce Day, associate editor for Parker Pages magazine, the official publication of the Parker Gun Collectors Association.

Barnie Calef – World Class Calling to put Ducks and Geese in Your Bag
Cedar Rapids’ own Barnie Calef will present Friday and Saturday. A Big Foot Pro Staffer and member of Drake’s Waterfowl Systems Elite Team, Calef was the first person to ever win back-to back-World Duck Calling Championships and is one of only five callers to have won three world titles.

Coyote Doctors – Up Close and Personal -Prescriptions for Predator Hunting
Right in the thick of predator hunting season, Merris Miller from the Coyote Doctors will show you what it takes to be successful in this fast-growing sport.

To see the entire lineup for the Hunter Help Room presented by Cabela’s, CLICK HERE.

Attend National Pheasant Fest 2010

The Country’s Largest Event for Upland Hunters, Sport Dog Owners and Wildlife Habitat Conservationists, combining a national outdoor tradeshow, wildlife habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art.

Adults – $10 Daily * Ages 6-16 – $5 Daily * Ages 5 and Under – FREE

Weekend Special – $30 (Includes annual Pheasants Forever membership & hat, over $80 value)

www.PheasantFest.org

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Open Season in the Cabela’s Hunter Help Room at Pheasant Fest

Own land in the U.S.? National Pheasant Fest offers wildlife habitat management consulting

Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant Fest 2010

Des Moines, Iowa –(Ammoland.com)– If you own land anywhere in the country, you can receive free land-use management consultation at Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest 2010. The Landowner Habitat Help Room, presented by Best Buy & Geek Squad, will feature state-of-the-art technology and is free with paid admission to the show. National Pheasant Fest runs February 26-28 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

Thanks to Best Buy, the official Technology Partner of National Pheasant Fest 2010, the Landowner Habitat Help Room will offer a dozen work stations featuring large-screen monitors providing a detailed look at each piece of property. Accompanied by a trained Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever biologist, or partnering biologist from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, landowners will be educated on ways they can improve their acres for wildlife and even what local, state, and federal conservation programs they qualify for enrollment.

“Iowa pheasants are in dire need of some positive habitat news when you look at the string of wet springs, snowy winters, and massive CRP losses across the state,” explained Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Director of Marketing & Public Relations. “The Landowner Habitat Help Room is one of the many ways we hope to make Pheasant Fest the focal event for turning Iowa’s habitat needs into new acres.”

Landowner Habitat Help Room presented by Best Buy & Geek Squad

With the most current streaming data available, the Landowner Habitat Help Room will offer topographic and aerial maps on any piece of property in the entire country. All you need to do is:

• Attend National Pheasant Fest 2010 and visit the Landowner Habitat Help Room inside HyVee Hall.
• Bring the legal description of your property (township, range, and section) or the ability to pinpoint that property’s exact location on the map.
• That’s it! You’ll leave with a free wildlife habitat management plan for your land.

Landowners have seen the value of the Landowner Habitat Help Room at National Pheasant Fest, as more than 1,000 of them have taken advantage of this service at past shows, leading to over 65,000 habitat acres that have been evaluated for management recommendations by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever wildlife biologists during Pheasant Fest events since 2005.
Attend National Pheasant Fest 2010

The Country’s Largest Event for Upland Hunters, Sport Dog Owners and Wildlife Habitat Conservationists, combining a national outdoor tradeshow, wildlife habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art.
Adults – $10 Daily * Ages 6-16 – $5 Daily * Ages 5 and Under – FREE
Weekend Special – $30 (Includes annual Pheasants Forever membership & hat, over $80 value)
www.PheasantFest.org

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Best Land Use with Best Buy, and the Best Part…It’s Free

Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

Salina, Kan - -(AmmoLand.com)- Kansas Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever will hold its 2010 State Habitat Meeting on Saturday, February 6th at the Ramada Inn in Salina, Kansas.

The event is filled with seminars covering land management, bird dogs and upland hunting.

The meeting will conclude with the Kansas Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever State Banquet at 6:30PM.

The Kansas Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever 2010 State Habitat Meeting will offer seminars throughout the day, including:

• Conservation Reserve Program Maintenance and Management
• Natural Resources Conservation Service Landowner Help Desk
• Hunting Dog Health and Care
• Estate Planning Help Desk
• Hunting Tips & Wild Game Cooking

“Upland hunting continues to grow in Kansas, and that can be attributed to the work Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever do,” said Jordan Martincich, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever regional representative in eastern Kansas.”We have an excellent arrangement of seminars at this year’s banquet and we encourage anyone interested to come and see what it means to be a part of this organization. It’s a great chance to meet fellow conservationists and to also become part of something which will preserve wildlife habitat in the state of Kansas for many years to come.”

“The Habitat Organization’s” 2009 Kansas Wildlife Habitat Work

The 42 Pheasants Forever chapters, 9 Quail Forever chapters and 5,300 members of “The Habitat Organization” totaled over 500 wildlife habitat projects in 2009, benefitting pheasants, quail and other wildlife on 31,700-plus acres.

For more information about Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in Kansas, including the 2010 Kansas State Habitat Meeting, contact one the organization’s regional representatives: Devon Walter in western Kansas at (785) 524-4033 / dwalter@pheasantsforever.org and Jordan Martincich in eastern Kansas at (785) 242-3175 / jmartincich@pheasantsforever.org.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org

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Kansas Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever State Habitat Meeting is Feb. 6 in Salina

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to a continue a major change in pheasant hunting designed to be a major step toward re-establishing wild pheasant populations in Pennsylvania.

The agency’s Ring-necked Pheasant Management Plan calls for restoring self-sustaining and hunt-able populations of wild pheasants in suitable habitats called “Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas” (WPRAs). In 2009, the Board created three such areas, defined as the Pike Run, Somerset and Central Susquehanna WPRAs. The agency is releasing wild-trapped pheasants into these areas, with a goal of achieving a density of 10 hen pheasants per square mile.

To give these wild pheasants the best opportunity to establish naturally reproducing populations, the Board has continued its ban on releasing of any artificially propagated pheasants – including Game Commission raised pheasants –within these WPRAs. Also, to limit disturbances to nesting hen pheasants, dog training of any manner will continue to be prohibited in these WPRAs from the end of small game season in early February through July 31 each year.

“Working with major partners, such as Pheasants Forever, the California University of Pennsylvania and local landowners, we already have a jump-start on creating WPRAs,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “These groups have invested in creating the necessary pheasant habitat in three areas of the state. To make the best use of the agency’s resources, and with the support of these partners, we are going to identify these areas as the first WPRAs in the state.

“While we hope to identify more, the Game Commission will continue to raise and release pheasants on public lands with suitable pheasant habitat each fall. And, should we receive additional revenues, we plan to increase our pheasant production level to 250,000 birds, as noted in the Ring-necked Pheasant Management Plan.”

For the 2010-11 seasons, the WPRAs continue to be defined as follows:

(1) Pike Run WPRA: The portion of Washington County, WMU 2A, bounded on the east by the Monongahela River, on the north by I-70, on the west by PA Rt. 917 to Swagler Rd. to Spring Valley Rd. to PA Rt. 2015 to Lone Pine Rd. to the intersection with Tenmile Creek in West Zollarsville, and bounded on the south by Tenmile Creek.

(2) Somerset WPRA: That portion of Somerset County, WMU 2C, bounded on the western side starting at the intersection of Coleman Station Rd. and Stutzmantown Rd. proceeding south on Coleman Station Rd., crossing SR 31, to Brotherton Rd., continuing south to Round Hill Rd., then east onto Wills Church Rd., then to Archery Rd. The boundary then follows Berlin Plank Rd. (US Rt. 219) south into the town of Berlin where it joins the Mason Dixon Hwy. (US Rt. 219) proceeding south to Pine Hill Rd. to Walker School Rd. then east on Maple Valley Rd., to Sawmill Rd. to the Cumberland Hwy. (SR 160). The boundary then follows the Cumberland Hwy. (SR 160) south to Salco Rd. and then proceeds north on Salco Rd. to Huckleberry Hwy. (SR 160) in the town of Berlin. The boundary follows Huckleberry Hwy. (SR 160) north, crossing SR 31, to the intersection of Roxbury Rd., then north to Shanksville Rd. The boundary then proceeds north to Stutzmantown Rd., then west to the beginning at the intersection of Coleman Station Rd.

(3) Central Susquehanna WPRA: Portions of WMU 4E in Northumberland, Montour, Columbia and Lycoming counties from the West Branch of the Susquehanna River south to the intersection with PA Rt. 642 and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Milton. The southern boundary is defined by PA Rt. 642 east from Milton to Mausdale, then north on PA Rt. 642 to just south of Jerseytown, proceeding east on Eyersgrove Rd. to Eyers Grove at PA Rt.42. Proceeding south on PA Rt. 42 to Mordansville, northeast of Mordansville along Robbins Rd. (Rt. 600) to Mordansville Rd. (Rt. 541), south on Millertown Rd. (Rt. 4011), then continuing east to follow Mount Pleasant Rd. (Rt. 4020) and Mount Pleasant St. (PA Rt. 4034) to Orangeville at the southeast corner of the WPRA. PA Rt. 487 lines the eastern boundary from Orangeville north to Maple Grove/intersection with PA Rt. 254. The northern boundary begins with PA Rt. 254 west of Maple Grove to the intersection with Winters Rd. (Rt. 459) proceeding west to the intersection with Austin Trail (PA Rt. 4039). Continuing west on Owl Rd. (Rt. 599), north and west on Reese Rd. (Rt. 578), and north and west on Trivelpiece Rd. (Rt. 576). Eagle Rd. (PA Rt. 4037) then continues northwest to the intersection with Whitehorse Rd./Whitehorse Pike (Rt. 661) heading west to just south of Sereno, and then south on PA Rt. 42 to Millville. From Millville, proceeding southwest on PA Rt. 254 to Jerseytown. Then northwest on PA Rt. 44, north on Swartz Rd., west on Shultz Rd., north on Ants Hill Rd., west on Wolf Hollow Rd., then north on Katy’s Church Rd. Crossing into Lycoming County and proceeding northwest on G Wagner Rd., west on Ridge Rd., crossing into Montour County, southwest on County Line Rd., south on Muncy Exchange Rd. (PA Rt. 1003), west on Hickory Rd. (PA Rt. 1008), west on Mingle Rd. (Rt. 433), west on Hickory Rd. (PA Rt. 1008) for the second time, and proceeding north on Gearhart Hollow Rd. (Rt. 441). Continuing west on Showers Rd. (PA Rt. 1010), crossing into Northumberland County, proceeding north and west on Pugmore Lane, north on Hockley Hill Rd. (PA Rt. 1011), west on Miller Rd. (Rt. 653), continuing southwest on Balliet Rd. (Rt. 664). Proceeding northwest and west on Schmidt Rd. (Rt. 564). continuing north on Susquehanna Trail (PA Rt. 1007), continuing west on Hughes Rd. (Rt. 655), crossing under I-180, proceeding south on Crawford Rd. (Rt. 507) to PA Rt. 54. Proceeding northwest on PA Rt. 54 to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

A native of Asia, pheasants were brought to North America back in the mid 1700s, but these early attempts to introduce pheasants to the continent were unsuccessful. It wasn’t until 1881, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, that pheasants first became established.

During the early 1890s, Pennsylvania citizens purchased pheasants from English gamekeepers and released them in Lehigh and Northampton counties. For several decades, many other small releases were made across the Commonwealth to establish pheasants for sport hunting.

In the early 1900s, the Game Commission set aside a special appropriation of funds to purchase and propagate game. Pheasant eggs were purchased and given to agency refuge keepers, sportsmen’s organizations and private individuals interested in raising pheasants. The first stocking of pheasants by the Game Commission occurred by 1915.

Habitat loss, from urban/suburban sprawl to changes in agricultural practices, had an impact on Pennsylvania’s naturally-reproducing pheasant populations. Additionally, budget constraints forced the Game Commission, in 2005, to reduce its annual pheasant stocking allocation from 200,000 to 100,000.

For more information on pheasants and the history of the agency’s pheasant management plan and propagation program, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), select “Hunting” then click on the photograph of the pheasant.

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Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas Continue For 2010-11

Pheasants Forever

Wolsey, SD –-(AmmoLand.com)- South Dakota’s 33 Pheasants Forever chapters and 4,300 Pheasants Forever members completed 1,700 wildlife habitat projects in 2009, benefitting 16,600-plus acres for pheasants and other wildlife.

This includes 725 acres of land acquired and then opened to public hunting and recreation as state Wildlife Management Areas, federal Waterfowl Production Areas or county conservation areas.

South Dakota Pheasants Forever 2009 Wildlife Habitat Work

For more about Pheasants Forever in South Dakota, contact Ben Bigalke, Pheasants Forever Regional Wildlife Biologist, at 605.350.2409 and BBigalke@pheasantsforever.org.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Pheasants Forever Improves 16,600 SD Acres for Wildlife in ‘09

Pheasants Forever

Stratton, Colo. –-(AmmoLand.com)-  January 26, 2010 – Colorado Pheasants Forever is hosting its 1st Annual State Habitat Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 30th, at the Stratton Activity Building in Stratton, Colorado.

A wildlife habitat-themed weekend kicks off Friday, Jan. 29th, with a Landowner Workshop hosted by the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

The weekend is geared to landowners interested in improving wildlife habitat on their property.

The Landowner Workshop is from 8AM – 2PM.

This event includes presentations on:

• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enhancement and mid-contract management
• State and federal private lands conservation incentive programs

RSVP to Jenny McCassland at the Burlington Conservation District at (719) 346-7699 to attend.

Saturday seminars run 8:30AM – 4PM and will cover habitat opportunities for pheasants and quail, crop yields for wildlife and continuous CRP practices. Presenting organizations include Pheasants Forever, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

“Not only are we excited about the first annual state meeting, but the event is a step in the right direction for habitat conservation in our region,” said Bob Hix, Pheasants Forever Regional Representative for the state of Colorado. “The seminar speakers for our first event come from a variety of different organizations, and attendees are sure to gain valuable insights to successful habitat management.”

For more information about the Colorado Pheasants Forever 2010 Habitat Meeting, visit www.coloradopf.com or email Bob Hix, Pheasants Forever Regional Representative at bhix@pheasantsforever.org.

Colorado Pheasants Forever 2009 Wildlife Habitat Work

Colorado’s 18 Pheasants Forever chapters and 2,500 Pheasants Forever members completed over 200 wildlife habitat projects in 2009, benefiting pheasants, quail and other wildlife on over 4,700 acres.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org

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First Annual Colorado Pheasants Forever State Habitat Meeting Coming to Colorado

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA- (Ammoland.com) – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced the agency will be helping Commonwealth school students learn about the vital role of trees in the environment through its “Seedlings for Schools” program, in which students will be able to plant a variety of tree seedlings at home, on school grounds or in their community.

“There is no charge to schools participating in this project, as the seedlings are provided by the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery,” Roe said. “The cost of shipping seedlings is covered through the generous donations of Waste Management; Mealey’s Furniture; Wildlife for Everyone Foundation; USFWS-Partners for Wildlife; and Pheasants Forever Chapter 603.”

The program provides two levels of involvement based on the grade level, and the agency has been working with the state Department of Education to get the word out about the availability of seedlings.

“Seedlings for Your Class” is primarily for third grade students.  As part of this program, the Game Commission provides a classroom or one grade level with enough seedlings for each student to take a seedling home to plant.  Seedling choices are silky dogwood or white pine, and a teacher’s guide comes with the seedlings. Orders will be accepted Jan. 19-April 1.

“Seedlings to Develop Habitats” is primarily for middle and high school students.  As part of this program, the Game Commission provides a variety of seedlings to students interested in planting seedlings on school or community grounds to improve habitat, plant along a stream, develop a tree nursery, or create an environmental area. Orders will be accepted Feb. 26-April 26.

“Seedlings come in bundles of 25, and will be shipped directly to schools by UPS during the weeks of April 19 and 26, dependent on order receipt and weather, to be available for Arbor Day plantings,” said Cliff Guindon, superintendent of the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery.  “Once seedlings arrive, it is important to keep them moist.  Hand out seedlings with roots in plastic bags with moist shredded newspaper or plant them in juice/milk cartons for transplanting at home. ‘How to plant’ information and educational materials will be provided with seedlings.”

For more information, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on the “Seedlings for Schools” icon in the center of the homepage.

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GAME COMMISSION OFFERS ‘SEEDLINGS FOR SCHOOLS’ PROGRAM

Pheasants Forever also opens over 8,300 acres for public hunting in last year

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. – (Ammoland.com) – The 621 Pheasants Forever chapters, 103 Quail Forever chapters and 125,000 members of “The Habitat Organization” nationwide completed over 22,000 wildlife habitat projects in 2009, benefitting over 500,000 acres for pheasants, quail and other wildlife. This includes over 8,300 acres of land acquired and then opened to public hunting and recreation as state-managed wildlife areas or federal Waterfowl Production Areas.

Pheasants Forever spent over $34.7 million on program expenses last year, including $4.9 on land acquisitions. In fact, since Pheasants Forever formed in 1982, the organization has spent $50 million on land acquisitions, opening 144,000 acres to public hunting and outdoor recreation. And in 2009, 9,942 youngsters took part in local Pheasants Forever mentored youth hunts that introduce them to hunting and wildlife habitat conservation.

“The past year was another testament to the ability of Pheasants Forever’s local approach to wildlife habitat conservation,” said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever National President and CEO. Pheasants Forever and its quail division, Quail Forever, empower county and local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent – the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. “A half million acres is great, but we know with our model, we have the ability to do even more habitat projects on more acres and accomplish more for our favorite upland birds.”

Pheasants Forever’s 2009 Nationwide Wildlife Habitat Work

About:
Since 1982, Pheasants Forever has raised and spent over $365 million, which has helped benefit wildlife on over 5.8 million acres and provided for 68,000 youth to take part in youth mentored hunting and youth conservation education events.

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Half Million Acres of Habitat Work for “The Habitat Organization” in ‘09

To Feed or Not to Feed Pheasants?

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn –-(AmmoLand.com)- From the Dakotas and Minnesota to Iowa and Illinois, much of the core pheasant range is experiencing winter’s first real test due to recent heavy snowstorms and extreme cold.

Naturally, many hunters and conservationists have found cause for concern regarding ring-necked pheasants’ ability to survive, and ask “Should we be feeding pheasants?” Pheasants Forever has some careful considerations.

Habitat is the Effective Long-Term Solution
The key to carrying pheasants through the winter is quality thermal habitat. While this may provide no consolation this winter, consider that resources spent on establishing high quality winter cover will yield far greater results and the best winter survival rates down the road. The lesson to be learned from a tough winter is the need to plant more high quality thermal cover this spring. Start your habitat planning now!

“More than anything, feeding is reactionary to the winter, when the best thing we can do is be proactive about improving quality habitat,” said Rick Young, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Field Operations. “Unfortunately, many well-intentioned people who provide corn and other grains as food sources actually harm pheasants more than they help them.”

Why NOT to Feed Pheasants

• The biggest reason to shy away from feeding pheasants is that feeders attract predators and expose pheasants to death by predation. Feeders give predators a focus point similar to a bait pile.
• In fact, it is rare for a pheasant to starve, but death by freezing can be common. Poorly-placed feeders may draw the pheasants out and away from their protective winter cover and cause birds to congregate and expend energy competing for food. Instead of saving birds, this actually adds to freezing deaths.

Contact Pheasants Forever Field Staff
To contact a Pheasants Forever representative in your area with your winter habitat or pheasant feeding questions, click here.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. “The Habitat Organization” has over 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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To Feed or Not to Feed? Pheasants Forever Has Answers

Central Illinois Bobwhites Chapter of Quail Forever holding inaugural banquet on Sat., March 6

Quail Forever

Sherman, Ill. – January 6, 2010 – Quail hunters and conservationists in central Illinois have formed the state’s newest Quail Forever chapter. Known as the Central Illinois Bobwhites Chapter of Quail Forever, the chapter will focus on quail habitat restoration efforts in Menard and Sangamon Counties.

According to Lee Scott, an avid hunter from Athens, Illinois, and the chapter’s president, the Central Illinois Bobwhites chapter is a necessary tool for quail conservation in the area. “Habitat is the key to quail conservation,” Scott said, “By working with area farmers to implement financially sound conservation practices on their land, we can make an immediate impact on quail in central Illinois. Not only do these conservation efforts benefit bird hunters, but the natural resource improvements help the entire community.”

Helping the Central Illinois Bobwhites Chapter of Quail Forever make its local impact will be Quail Forever’s unique local model. Founded by Pheasants Forever in 2005 to address the nation’s quail population decline, Quail Forever applies the successful Pheasants Forever model of empowering local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent. As a result, the organization’s 125,000 members and more than 700 chapters see the fruits of their conservation efforts in their own communities, while belonging to a national organization with a broader voice on federal conservation policy in Washington, D.C.

“There is a long tradition of quail hunting in Illinois and these folks in the new Central Illinois Bobwhites chapter are dedicated to making sure that tradition continues,” reported Tim Caughran, Quail Forever Regional Wildlife Biologist in Illinois. “Habitat is the key to bringing back the area’s quail populations and this chapter is ready to get to work on habitat projects with local farmers and landowners.”

The Central Illinois Bobwhites Chapter of Quail Forever will hold its first fundraising banquet on Saturday, March 6th at St. John’s Vienne in Sherman, Illinois. The public and media are invited to attend. For more information and tickets to the banquet, contact Lee Scott at 217.636.7723.

About:
Quail Forever is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the conservation of quail, pheasants and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs. Its unique model ensures that 100% of all the funds raised locally is spent by the local chapter.  Illinois is home to 16 Quail Forever chapters. For more information, contact Tim Caughran, Quail Forever Regional Wildlife Biologist, at 618.791.3909 and/or tcaughran@quailforever.org.

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Central Illinois Home to New Quail Forever Chapter

Pheasants Forever

Des Moines, Iowa –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever is proud to announce a generous donation of $20,000 to the organization’s “Reload Iowa” campaign by the Vermeer Charitable Foundation. The donation – the first major gift to “Reload Iowa – will help the campaign goal of improving 1 million acres of wildlife habitat, increasing the number of upland hunters and increasing hunting-related revenue to local communities in Iowa.

The goal of Pheasants Forever’s “Reload Iowa” is to raise $11.5 million to establish and improve 1 million acres of wildlife habitat on private and public land in the state. The Vermeer Charitable Foundation is the charitable function of Vermeer Corporation, a leading agricultural, construction, environmental and industrial equipment manufacturing company based in Pella, Iowa. Vermeer Corp was originally founded by the conservation-minded Gary Vermeer, and the Vermeer Charitable Foundation’s gift to Pheasants Forever reflects his values.

“The ‘Reload Iowa’ campaign appealed because it will improve water quality – which affects every person in the state – and it will prevent soil erosion,” said Dan Vermeer, grandson of Gary Vermeer and a past board member of the Vermeer Charitable Foundation. “Iowa’s outdoor legacy must also be protected, and Pheasants Forever has that in mind. The pheasant hunting opener used to be a holiday, but with habitat loss and a subsequent decline in bird numbers, that’s no longer the case. We’d hate to see that be a continuing reality in a state with such a rich upland tradition.”

One way “Reload Iowa” intends to make that happen is by establishing 50 wildlife Farm Bill biologist positions across the state to complement the efforts of the Iowa Department of Natural Resource’s 10 existing private land biologists. Through “Reload Iowa,” Pheasants Forever recently placed the first four such positions on the ground, which covers nine counties.

“The key to creating habitat is having biologists who understand land-use and conservation programs as easily accessible resources for landowners. Conservation is not lost on Iowa; we simply need to expand our ability to deliver conservation programs, and we’ll do this with support such as that of the Vermeer Charitable Foundation,” said Tom Fuller, Pheasants Forever Regional Field Representative for Eastern Iowa.

You can become involved with or learn more about Pheasants Forever’s “Reload Iowa” campaign at Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest, coming to the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines February 26, 27 & 28 in 2010. Pheasant Fest is the nation’s largest event for upland hunters, landowners, sport dog owners and wildlife habitat conservationists. For more information and updates on National Pheasant Fest 2010, log onto www.PheasantFest.org.

To get involved or learn more about Pheasants Forever’s “Reload Iowa,” please visit www.IowaPF.org.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org

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Vermeer Charitable Foundation behind Pheasants Forever’s “Reload Iowa”

Pheasants Forever

Delaware, Ohio - -(AmmoLand.com)- Ohio’s Delaware and Franklin counties are home to the nation’s newest chapter of Pheasants Forever (PF). The group, named the Central Ohio Chapter of PF, becomes the state’s 30th PF chapter and the first to service the Columbus area. Chapter leaders plan to focus their efforts on connecting area youngsters to the outdoors and America’s hunting heritage.

“The leaders of this chapter are committed to preserving our outdoor traditions for future generations,” explained Rob Williams, the new chapter’s president and Powell resident. “By starting this chapter, we hope we can all take the time to give something back that will benefit our children and beyond. We are dedicated to maintaining and nurturing Central Ohio’s outdoor legacy through conservation and youth education.”

The chapter plans to hold a fundraising banquet this spring. With funds from that banquet, the chapter will design an outdoors event for area youth. PF and its quail division, Quail Forever (QF), are the only national conservation organizations that empower local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent. This local control allows members to see the fruits of their chapter efforts in their own communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice on federal conservation policy in Washington, D.C.

“There has been a void for our organization in the Columbus area despite the large number of bird hunters in and around Columbus. I am extremely excited to have this group of enthusiastic guys come together to continue a tradition that is important to the area’s heritage,” said Doug Bensman, PF’s regional wildlife biologist for Ohio.

Ohio boasts 30 PF chapters and 2 QF chapters accounting for 5,500 members statewide. Since the state’s first PF chapter formed in 1989, chapters have completed 15,000 habitat projects in the state to the benefit of more than 122,000 acres across Ohio. To learn more about PF in Ohio, check out www.OhioPf.com.

Joining Williams as chapter officers are Jeff Paulus of Westerville, Matt Christian of Hilliard, Jonathan Peele of Powell, and Jim Marshall of Lancaster. The chapter plans to hold their next organization meeting in January. The meeting is open to the public, and chapter leaders would encourage anyone who is interested to attend. In order to learn more about the chapter, please contact Rob Williams at (614)668-9071 or via email at pres0878@pfofficers.org.

Please contact PF’s Doug Bensman at (937)597-3737 or dbensman@pheasantsforever.org if you are interested in joining an Ohio chapter or learning about starting a chapter in your community.

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New Pheasants Forever Chapter Launches North of Columbus Ohio

Mule Deer Foundation

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah --(AmmoLand.com)- Mule Deer Foundation President and CEO Miles Moretti announced today that MDF has once again put over $1.5 million dollars on the ground in 2009 to enhance and conserve mule deer and black-tailed deer habitat throughout the western United States.

The money was raised through the sale of state wildlife auction and raffle tags, local fundraising banquets, along with corporate and private donations. Despite the economic downturn, MDF has been able to exceed project funding goals for 2009.

Projects funded vary from water developments and habitat improvement projects to the purchase of land to be conserved for mule deer and other wildlife.

Moretti said, “The number one goal I had for MDF when I took over the reins in 2006 was to increase MDF’s presence in funding habitat projects for mule deer. We have worked with State and Federal agencies, other conservation groups and private landowners to make that happen.”

In 2009, several projects highlight the organization’s commitment to funding projects that make a difference. MDF, in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, purchased the Allan Smith Property in Eastern Utah. The purchase of these 5,700 acres protects a critical migration corridor between summer and winter range for mule deer and elk. The property also contributes critical winter habitat for mule deer, elk and sage grouse.

MDF also partnered with Pheasants Forever to purchase 1,000 acres adjacent to the Beckman Wildlife Management Area in Central Montana. This piece of property is a key component that connects land owned by Montana FWP, Block Management land and Department of Natural Resources and Conservation land. Together, these properties total over 15,000 contiguous acres of incredible wildlife habitat, and they also provide ample opportunity for outdoor recreation and hunting.

MDF’s Chapter Rewards Program has also contributed to funding of on-the-ground projects. This program enables chapters to keep a percentage of money raised at the local level for projects in their area. In 2009, MDF chapters funded 72 projects utilizing over $200,000 from the Chapter Rewards Program. The Central Wyoming Chapter in Casper, Wyo., contributed over $42,000 to the Bates Creek Watershed Restoration Project in Central Wyoming. The project involves prescribed burns and mechanical treatment of Aspen to restore a viable aspen community and improve the watershed. The multi-year endeavor has treated over 6,000 acres of aspen to date.

Other projects funded by MDF will be highlighted at the 10th Annual Mule Deer Foundation Convention which will be part of the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo (WHCE) in Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 11-14, 2010. Over the past three years, the WHCE has raised over $20 million dollars for wildlife. For details about the Fourth Annual WHCE, go to www.huntexpo.com.

Visit MDF’s Web site (www.muledeer.org) to learn more about projects funded in your state.

About MDF (www.muledeer.org)
The Mule Deer Foundation is a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization, with over 14,000 members. MDF’s mission is to ensure the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitats. MDF is dedicated to restoring, improving and protecting mule deer habitat (including land and easement acquisitions) resulting in self-sustaining, healthy, free ranging and huntable deer populations; encouraging and supporting responsible wildlife management with government agencies, private organizations and landowners; promoting public education and scientific research related to mule deer and wildlife management; supporting and encouraging responsible and ethical behavior and awareness of issues among those whose actions affect mule deer; and acknowledging regulated hunting as a viable component of mule deer and black-tailed deer conservation.

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Mule Deer Foundation – $1.5 Million for Mule Deer In 2009

Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announce Joseph M. Pavelko as the organization’s new Director of Conservation Programs for Minnesota. Pavelko joins “The Habitat Organization” from the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Inc. and Friends of the Minnesota Valley where he served as Conservation Projects Manager since 2005.

As Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Director of Conservation Programs for Minnesota, Pavelko will work to obtain, administer and manage grants and programs that help achieve Pheasants Forever’s wildlife habitat mission in the state. This includes state Outdoor Heritage Fund grants, state Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund grants and federal North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants. Pavelko will also work with Minnesota’s 77 Pheasants Forever chapters and two Quail Forever chapters on statewide conservation initiatives, such as Pheasants Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area program.

“The addition of Joe’s talents builds Pheasants Forever’s capacity to deliver our wildlife habitat mission,” said Matt Holland, Senior Field Coordinator with Pheasants Forever, “With the advent of dedicated natural resource funding in Minnesota, the addition of a Director of Conservation to the Minnesota Pheasants Forever team is another step in furthering our organization’s position as a leader in habitat conservation.”

A native of Richfield, Minnesota, Pavelko spent a great deal of time in Jackson, Minnesota, at his grandparents.

“I was by no means a city kid,” he said, “I harvested my first pheasant on the grove where my grandma grew up. One time every year, Pavelko hunts the Pavelko Wildlife Management Area southwest of Jackson. The area is named in honor of Joe’s great grandfather who sold the property to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “I hunt it for nostalgia and tradition, and always seem to come away with a rooster,” Pavelko said.

An avid hunter and outdoorsman, Pavelko has been an active member of the Carver County Chapter of Pheasants Forever in recent years and has increasingly seen the value of the organization. “I enjoyed partnering with Pheasants Forever in my previous positions, and look to do even more in my new role,” he said, “What’s so important is that the work Pheasants Forever does not only benefits pheasants and our pheasant hunting tradition, but has many positive impacts on other game and non-game species and water quality. Through banquets, projects and youth events, Pheasants Forever also fosters community involvement.”

Prior to joining the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Pavelko worked for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. He earned degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Pavelko and his wife, Alicia, reside in Victoria, Minnesota.

Pavelko can be contacted at (612) 532-3800 or via email at jpavelko@pheasantsforever.org. For more information on Pheasants Forever in Minnesota, log on to www.MinnesotaPF.org.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. “The Habitat Organization” has 125,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org

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Joseph M. Pavelko Named Pheasants Forever’s Director of Conservation Programs for Minnesota

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to announce that long-time partner Federal Premium® Ammunition is now the organization’s “Official Ammunition Sponsor.” Over the last decade, Federal Premium’s Pheasants Forever-labeled Wing-Shok® shotshell boxes have helped benefit “The Habitat Organization’s” conservation efforts, and Federal Premium has now produced more than 20 million rounds in support of Pheasants Forever.

“At Federal Premium, we don’t treat conservation as an afterthought; it’s a part of how we operate. Over the years, we’ve been proud to support Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. And Federal Premium wants to do more to support their vision to the future. Pheasants Forever members are some of the most passionate conservationists you’ll ever meet, and we’re proud to be a part of such a great effort,” said Ryan Bronson, Conservation Specialist with Federal Premium Ammunition/ ATK Commercial Products.

“Federal Premium has been a model supporter of conservation over the years,” said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever’s National President and CEO, “Many pheasant hunters and Pheasants Forever members already load up with Federal Premium, and we’re proud to call them the Official Ammunition Sponsor of this organization.”

In addition to Pheasants Forever-labeled Wing-Shok® boxes, Federal Premium produces Quail Forever-labeled Wing-Shok® boxes. Federal makes a donation to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s conservation efforts work for each labeled box sold. Wing-Shok® loads are the fastest upland steel loads and copper-plated lead loads available for your favorite winged game in -20 and 12-gauge offerings.

And as the Official Ammunition Sponsor of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Federal Premium Ammunition will bring you the “In The Field” section in each edition of On The Wing, the monthly eNewsletter from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Federal Premium will also be a Gold Sponsor of National Pheasant Fest 2010, the nation’s largest event for upland hunters and wildlife habitat conservationists. The event will be held February 26, 27 & 28, 2010, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

For more information on Federal Premium and their lineup of products, go to www.federalpremium.com.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Federal Premium Ammunition Becomes Official Ammunition Sponsor of Pheasants Foreve

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. – -(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever is expanding its Farm Bill Biologist program in North Dakota with the addition of two new positions created in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and local Soil Conservation Districts. Matthew Olson of Fort Ransom, North Dakota, is the new Farm Bill Biologist based out of Forman and Jeff Potts of Watertown, South Dakota, is the new Farm Bill Biologist based out of Dickinson.

Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program is designed to educate farmers and landowners – through one-on-one consulting – about the benefits of conservation programs (such as the federal Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP), as well as assist those farmers and landowners after programs have been implemented. Pheasants Forever first began employing Farm Bill Biologists in 2003 and now has over 45 Farm Bill Biologists working in seven states – Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted over 28,000 landowners, resulting in the improvement of over 1.3 million acres of land for wildlife.

“These positions come at an especially critical juncture for North Dakota, where nearly 775,000 acres have expired from the wildlife-friendly CRP in the past five years and another 1.8 million acres are slated to expire in the next five years,” said Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist Coordinator, “With continuous CRP practices and other conservation programs, landowners have numerous conservation options. The challenge has always been informing them, and these Farm Bill Biologists meet that challenge head on.”

Matthew Olson
A native of Fort Ransom, North Dakota, Olson joins Pheasants Forever after four years with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. An avid outdoorsman, Olson has an excellent knowledge of the Forman and surrounding area. Olson earned his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Management from North Dakota State University. He is based out of the Wild Rice Soil Conservation District Office in Forman and can be contacted at (701) 724-3247 or via email at molson@pheasantsforever.org.

Jeff Potts
Potts joins Pheasants Forever after earning his B.S. in Wildlife Fisheries and Science from South Dakota State University. He already has extensive experience in the natural resource field, having worked previously with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks as a wildlife technician and a land/habitat intern. Potts is based out of the NRCS office in Dickinson and can be contacted at (701) 225-3811 x118 or via email at jpotts@pheasantsforever.org.

Pheasants Forever also has a Farm Bill Biologist position in Jamestown, North Dakota. Steve Stensgard can be contacted at the Jamestown NRCS office (701)252-2521 ext. 129 or via email at SStensgard@pheasantsforever.org. For more information on Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program, contact Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist Coordinator, at (419) 569-1096 or via email at jinglis@pheasantsforever.org.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever has 125,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org

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Pheasants Forever Adds Conservation Program Experts in North Dakota

Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. –-(AmmoLand.com)- An unusually wet autumn to date across the core of the pheasant range means that late-season pheasant hunting in November and December will be “Prime Time” for hunters.

And after a day afield, hunters that make it “Miller Time” with Miller High Life will help Pheasants Forever raise funds for local wildlife habitat projects.

Miller High Life, the Official Beer of Pheasants Forever, is being sold in special camouflage cans for the hunting season, available through December 31st. Participating establishments that are purveyors of Miller High Life will be helping Pheasants Forever chapters raise funds through the Miller High Life Rooster Promotion.

Miller High Life Camo Cans

Hunters, conservationists and patrons will be able to purchase “roosters” at participating establishments for $1 and $5. Then, sign your name on the paper rooster, and it will be displayed at the business. A large covey of roosters will not only demonstrate patrons’ support of Pheasants Forever, the net funds raised through this promotion will be used by local Pheasants Forever chapters to fund their wildlife habitat projects!

“A great day pheasant hunting followed up by a Miller High Life just goes together,” said Chris Gotziaman, Field Marketing Manager with MillerCoors, “That perfect combination, however, is dependent on having wild places and spaces to enjoy the great outdoors. Nobody understands that better than ‘The Habitat Organization,’ and we’re proud to call Pheasants Forever a partner in conservation.”

“Miller High Life has always recognized the effectiveness of Pheasants Forever’s unique fundraising model, and this fall’s Rooster Promotion is yet another example of their commitment to conservation,” said Joe Duggan, Vice President of Corporate Relations & Marketing with Pheasants Forever.

Miller High Life, the Official Beer of Pheasants Forever, has been the long-time sponsor of Pheasants Forever’s annual wildlife Print-of-the-Year, which has resulted in well over $1 million in revenue for Pheasants Forever’s conservation efforts. Pheasants Forever was also the first conservation partner in Miller’s “Friends of the Field” program, which was established to support wildlife habitat conservation and promote responsible outdoor recreation.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever has 125,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

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Miller High Life & Pheasants Forever Partner For Wildlife

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have expanded its Farm Bill Biologist program into the state of Iowa with the hiring of four new positions. The new Farm Bill Biologist positions cover nine counties and will improve how conservation programs are delivered to landowners and producers.

The positions come at an especially critical juncture for Iowa, where over 450,000 acres have expired from the wildlife-friendly Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the past five years.

Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program is designed to educate farmers and landowners – through one-on-one consulting – about the benefits of conservation programs (such as CRP), as well as assist those farmers and landowners after programs have been implemented. Pheasants Forever first began employing Farm Bill Biologists in 2003 and now has over 40 Farm Bill Biologists working in seven states – Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted over 28,000 landowners, resulting in the improvement of over 1.3 million acres of land for wildlife.

Iowa’s first Farm Bill Biologist positions are the initial results of Pheasants Forever’s “Reload Iowa” campaign, a three-year statewide effort to improve 1 million acres of wildlife habitat on private and public land in the state. Pheasants Forever plans to establish 50 such positions across Iowa in the coming years.

“Many times, landowners don’t even know what conservation options are available to them,” said Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist Coordinator, “These four new biologists – all Iowa State grads – care about the state’s natural resources and will work for what’s in the best interest of landowners and wildlife.”

Tyler Bass – Adair and Madison Counties. Bass joins Pheasants Forever after a year as a private lands wildlife habitat specialist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. A native of Madison County, Iowa, Bass earned his B.S. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. Contact Bass at tbass@pheasantsforever.org.

Matthew Allen – Pottawattamie and Harrison Counties. Allen joins Pheasants Forever after working previously as a private lands wildlife specialist and a natural resource aide with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Allen earned his B.S. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. Contact Allen at mallen@pheasantsforever.org.

Josh Divan - Winnebago and Hancock Counties. Divan joins Pheasants Forever after working previously with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Iowa’s Boone and Green Counties. Divan grew up on a family farm in Winnebago County, and holds a B.S. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. Contact Divan at jdivan@pheasantsforever.org.

Robert Patterson - Lyon, Osceola and Dickinson Counties. Patterson has been a habitat specialist with Pheasants Forever and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources since 2007. He earned his B.S. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. Contact Patterson at RPatterson@pheasantsforever.org.

For more information on Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program, contact Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist Coordinator, at (419) 569-1096 or via email at jinglis@pheasantsforever.org

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever has 125,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

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Pheasants Forever Adds Four Farm Bill Experts to Staff

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Tech Mix, Inc., makers of energy recovery and performance products for sporting dogs, have joined Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s wildlife habitat conservation efforts as a new sponsor.

For each Tech Mix product sold bearing the PF/QF logos, including K9 Restart™ Energy Bars, K9 Restart™ Chewables, K9 Restart™ Natu-Joint and K9 Performance Tabs™,Tech Mix will make a donation to support Pheasants Forever’s conservation work.

“Sporting dogs need instant energy and the proper hydration to be their best,” said Mike Nelson, President of Tech Mix, Inc., “But they also need wild spaces to do what they do. It’s exciting to develop this relationship with Pheasants Forever and all its loyal supporters who value their dogs not only as companions but working partners in the field.”

“Sporting dogs help create and keep conservationists, as evidenced by the 70 percent of Pheasants Forever members that are dog owners,” said Joe Duggan, Pheasants Forever Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Relations, “Keeping that companion happy and healthy is a must, and we’re proud to call Tech Mix, Inc. partners in conservation.”

Tech Mix Pheasants Forever – Quail Forever Licensed Products

• K9 Restart™ Energy Bars – Designed specifically for sporting dogs and canine athletes. With its unique blend of carbohydrates, it will provide your best friend with sustained energy throughout the day.
• K9 Restart™ Chewables – Provide an ideal blend of energy sources and in-the-field performance enhancers to keep your hardworking dogs on top of their game throughout the day.
• K9 Restart™ Natu-Joint – Natural support for joint function and lubrication.
• K9 Performance Tabs™ – A fast-dissolving hydration supplement used to help support the health of active dogs.

To purchase Tech Mix sporting dog products with the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever logos, shop Pheasants Forever’s online store at www.PFstore.org or call toll free at 1-877-209-5353.

For more information on Tech Mix sporting dog products, visit www.techmixinc.com.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org

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Tech Mix Joins Pheasants Forever Conservation Efforts

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. --(AmmoLand.com)- Recently, high ranking officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture spoke at public forums in support of the Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) wildlife benefits and the need to protect the program’s legacy.

While the verbal support for CRP may signal that hunter’s messages are being heard within the halls of USDA, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever says now is not the time to rest easy.

Just last month, USDA announced that one of their policy options under consideration is to drop CRP enrollment to 24 million acres nationwide.

On Monday, October 5th, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack joined South Dakota Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in Bath, South Dakota for a Rural Issues Forum. At that event, the Secretary commented on the need for CRP to be at the program’s 32 million acre cap. He also suggested it was time for a reallocation of available acres to meet the demands of CRP practices like the very popular new State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (Conservation Practice 38), which reached its 50,000-acreage allotment in South Dakota many months ago.

On Wednesday, October 7th, Farm Service Agency Administrator Jonathan Coppess testified before the U.S. House Agriculture Sub-Committee during a hearing on conservation programs. Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Government Affairs Dave Nomsen was in attendance for that hearing.

“Administrator Coppess reiterated Secretary Vilsack’s comments from South Dakota that USDA intends to keep CRP at, or nearly fully-subscribed at, 32 million acres. He also noted that SAFE and CREP sign-ups may be valuable tools toward that goal,” reported Nomsen. “I was also pleased to hear that a general CRP sign-up may be available next year. With 3 million acres expiring on September 30th of this year and another 5 million acres expiring next year, it was welcome news in support of conservationist’s favorite program.”

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency has asked the public for comments on CRP. That comment period is quickly coming to a close next Monday, October 19th. If you haven’t participated in this important process as yet, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have some simple suggestions for what to communicate by sending an email to CRPcomments@tecinc.com.

• Request USDA implement CRP at its maximum acreage of 32 million acres, and that USDA request additional authority for an expanded CRP of at least 40 million acres from Congress
• Call for a new CRP General Signup
• Call for new authority for Continuous CRP programs such as CRP SAFE and CRP Upland Bird Habitat Buffers
• Ask that all Continuous CRP including CRP SAFE and CRP Upland Bird Habitat Buffers, be made available to all expiring contract holders

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Pheasants Forever Guardedly Optimistic about Recent USDA Comments Concerning CRP

Pheasants Forever

Bottineau, N.D. --(AmmoLand.com)- Residents from Bottineau County, North Dakota have formed the newest chapter of Pheasants Forever (PF). The group’s first fundraising banquet will be held on Thursday, October 29th at the Bottineau Armory with the chapter’s leaders focused on using those dollars to improve local habitat for pheasants.

“Being only 10 miles south of the Canadian border, our birds face tough winters. Through Pheasants Forever’s model, our banquet dollars stay under our control for habitat projects to create winter cover for the birds here in Bottineau County,” explained Ryan Getzlaff, the chapter’s president and Bottineau resident.

PF is the only national conservation organization that empowers local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent. This local control allows members to see the fruits of their chapter efforts in their own communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice on federal conservation policy in Washington D.C.

“I hunted last week’s opener near Crosby, which is roughly the same distance south of Canada as Bottineau, and there were birds everywhere,” reported Getzlaff. “The recipe is simple; plant the habitat and establish the winter cover, and the pheasants here in our county will respond too.”

North Dakota’s 27 chapters account for nearly 3,000 PF members statewide. Those chapters have completed 4,000 habitat projects benefitting over 43,000 acres in the state since the first PF chapter formed in North Dakota in 1986.

“I am very excited to finally have a chapter based in Bottineau County,” said Jesse Beckers, PF’s regional wildlife biologist for North Dakota. “There is tremendous potential for increasing the bird numbers in the area with some strategic thermal cover habitat projects. I hope all the bird hunters and pheasant fans across the county will come out for the chapter’s banquet on the 29th of October to support this group of volunteers working hard to improve wildlife habitat for the entire community.”

To purchase tickets for Bottineau County’s first-ever Pheasants Forever banquet, please contact Ryan Getzlaff at (701)228-4959, Kenny Fix at (701)228-2220, or Stuart Coleman at (701)263-7375. You can also email Getzlaff at ryangetzlaff@yahoo.com for more information about the chapter.

If your are interested in joining a chapter or starting a chapter in North Dakota, please contact PF’s Jesse Beckers at (701) 202-8120 or email jbeckers@pheasantsforever.org.

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Bottineau Boasts New North Dakota Chapter of Pheasants Forever

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minnesota --(AmmoLand.com Firearms News)- Pheasants Forever and Northland Ford are teaming up to conserve wildlife habitat. The Northland Ford Dealer group, made up of 245 Ford Dealers in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, has donated a 2010 Ford F-150 XLT to be raffled off by Pheasants Forever.

Tickets for the raffle are available through local Pheasants Forever chapters in the Northland Ford region, and all proceeds raised will be kept by each chapter for use in their local wildlife habitat efforts.

Raffle tickets for the 2010 Ford F-150 XLT and other prizes – including firearms – will be sold at Pheasants Forever chapter events in the Northland Ford region, including 2009-2010 Pheasants Forever banquets. To find the chapter and event nearest you, visit www.PheasantsForever.org or call toll free at 1-877-773-2070. The grand prize drawing for the truck will occur in June of 2010.

“The Northland Ford dealers are pleased to again be a partner with Pheasants Forever and help preserve and enhance wildlife habitat,” said Steve Johnson, Chairman of the Northland Ford Dealers Advertising Board of Directors, “It’s an outstanding grassroots group that Ford and its dealers are proud to support.”

“Pheasants Forever operates under a unique organizational model, and it’s because of great partnerships like Northland Ford that we are able to be successful at improving local habitat,” said Joe Duggan, PF’s Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Relations, “In these times, people want to see that their donations are put to the best possible use. This raffle with Northland Ford works because it stands behind Pheasants Forever’s mission and local fundraising model. This Northland Ford raffle will raise thousands of dollars for local habitat efforts – efforts that will be seen by local hunters and outdoor enthusiasts for years to come.”

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

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Pheasants Forever and Northland Ford Buckle Up to Create Cash for Conservation

Pheasants Forever

Austin, Texas –-(AmmoLand.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has presented Pheasants Forever’s Dave Nomsen with a National Great Blue Heron Award in recognition of his wetland and waterfowl conservation work. Nomsen, who is Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Vice President of Government Affairs, received the award yesterday at the Waterfowl Working Group meeting of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies gathering in Austin, Texas.

The National Great Blue Heron Award recognizes participants whose activities with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan Committee results in substantial benefits to waterfowl and other wetland-associated migratory bird populations of North America over a long period of time. Nomsen has been a conservation leader on a national scale for nearly two decades, with his work extending beyond pheasants, quail and other upland birds to a wide array of wildlife.

Nomsen’s influence helped shape the last three federal Farm Bills – 1996, 2002, & 2008 – and he became one of the nation’s loudest voices in support of the Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) wildlife legacy. CRP land in the Prairie Pothole Region of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana and North and South Dakota is some of the most productive waterfowl habitat in the world, contributing more than 2 million ducks annually. Most recently, Nomsen helped the creation of a new CRP practice called Conservation Practice 38, better known as the State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) practice, which has allowed many states to create new wildlife and wetland conservation initiatives. And through his leadership, local Pheasants Forever chapters have restored 60,000 acres of wetlands across America.

Nomsen has also served on North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Council since 1999. His first appointment by the Secretary of the Interior under President Clinton and then subsequent re-appointments by President Bush’s administration showcased Nomsen’s ability to bridge parties in the name of conservation.

“Wetlands and waterfowl conservation have always been as near and dear to my heart as upland conservation – both are equally important, and equally connected,” said Nomsen, who points to his early work with the with South Dakota’s Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit as the source of his most important knowledge about wetlands. “While this award is quite an honor, it is ultimately reflective of the passion of the 125,000 Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members across the country. It’s an honor to represent a group of such dedicated conservationists.”

Past recipients of the National Great Blue Heron recognition have included former Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Chairmen Jim Range, U.S. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, the Delta Waterfowl Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.

Nomsen is a Clear Lake, Iowa native, where his father, Richard Nomsen, was the chief pheasant biologist for the Iowa Conservation Commission (now the Iowa Department of Natural Resources). Nomsen received a master’s in wildlife management from South Dakota State University. He has been with Pheasants Forever since 1992, where he began as Pheasants Forever’s wildlife biologist for Minnesota. He makes his home in Garfield, Minnesota, with his wife, Melanie, and his Labrador retriever, Nellie, and Springer Spaniel, Little TR.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org

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Pheasant Guy’s Waterfowl Work Earns Him a Heron

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. --(AmmoLand.com)- Last week, Pheasants Forever (PF) closed on a 233-acre parcel in Pipestone County using funds from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund.

The new 233-acre Dubbledee addition connects to the existing 310-acre Winter Wildlife Management Area (WMA) creating a 543-acre tract. This is the first land acquisition using funds from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment approved by Minnesota voters last November.

The new 543-acre Winter WMA provides critical habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and is in one of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) highest priority areas in the state. PF plans to turn the land over to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with the possibility of it being open yet this year to public hunting.

The acquisition was led by the Pipestone County Chapter of PF, with funding partners in addition to the Outdoors Amendment funds including: The Nature Conservancy, North American Wetlands Conservation Act, PF’s Minnesota Habitat Fund, and the Minnesota DNR. The seller, Al Dubbledee, also donated a portion of the sale. In total, the acquisition was $583,300.

The original 310-acre Winter WMA was acquired by the 2005 Build a Wildlife Area campaign. Developed by PF, the Anoka County Chapter of PF, Game Fair, Outdoor News and Gander Mountain in 2003, the Build a Wildlife Area campaign raises funds for the acquisition of public wildlife areas. Through the unique partnership, every dollar raised is tripled through matching grants from the DNR and the USFWS. All acquisitions are then transferred to DNR or USFWS and are open to the public.

“This is the perfect example of the great projects we’ll be able to accomplish thanks to Minnesota voters supporting the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. This acquisition is in a very important area for Minnesota wildlife and it connects to another parcel of critical habitat at a time a willing seller was ready,” explained Ron Leather’s, PF’s Government Grants Administrator.

PF has 77 chapters and over 22,000 members in Minnesota. Join Pheasants Forever online at www.PheasantsForever.org or attend a local Pheasants Forever Chapter Banquet in Minnesota this autumn.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Pheasants Forever Leads First Land Acquisition Using Outdoors Amendment Funds

Pheasants Forever

Newton, Iowa –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever will be racing into the Iowa Speedway on Friday, September 18th and Saturday, September 19th with “Pheasants Forever Fan Fest.” Throughout the weekend, Pheasants Forever will be highlighting its National Pheasant Fest 2010 – coming to Des Moines in February – and other wildlife habitat initiatives during the season finale at the track in Newton, Iowa.

On Friday from 6 PM to 8:30 PM, Pheasants Forever will be hosting free interactive fan activities, wildlife habitat awareness, and garage tours. On Saturday, the finale at the track includes the USAR Pro Cup Series and the ASA Late Model Series.

To add to the excitement, a post-race concert featuring country music recording artist Billy Currington will take place on the Grinnell Mutual concert stage. During the day, Pheasants Forever and the Iowa Speedway will be raising funds for Pheasants Forever’s Build a Wildlife Campaign. Since 2006, Iowa’s Build a Wildlife Area campaign has helped create over 400 new acres open to the public for public hunting and outdoor recreational activities.

“Iowa Speedway is excited about the opportunity to partner with Pheasants Forever in 2009. Our joint efforts will not only promote the benefits offered by both organizations, it will also move us in the direction of promoting the rebuilding of wildlife habitats in Iowa,” said Chuck Spicer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Iowa Speedway. “Iowa Speedway prides itself in finding partners that are motivated to make a difference, and Pheasants Forever is that type of a partner.”

“Pheasants have a need for speed and so do pheasant hunters and conservationists. We hope to see many of them at the Iowa Speedway!” said Brad Heidel, Pheasants Forever’s Director of Special Event Sales, “Iowa is a state where wildlife habitat has suffered in recent years, and Pheasants Forever is trying to draw as much attention to that fact as possible. We’re doing great things, but the birds need your help!”

Tickets for the weekend at the Iowa Speedway can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or at the Speedway Box office. The Iowa Speedway is located at I-80 Exit 168 Newton, IA. A special 2 for 1 ticket offer will be offered to Pheasants Forever members.

National Pheasant Fest – the nation’s largest event for upland hunters, landowners, sport dog owners and wildlife habitat conservationists – will take place February 26, 27 & 28, 2009 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. For more about National Pheasant Fest 2010, log onto www.PheasantFest.org.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Pheasants Forever Races Into Iowa Speedway

Conservation Reserve Program

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)-We have reached the most critical juncture in the history of the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), undoubtedly the most successful conservation program in modern times. Since 2005, over 4.2 million acres have expired, and over the next five years, another 21 million more acres are slated to expire. That makes participating in the public comment period and public meetings about CRP in September and October the most significant action you can take as a Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever supporter this autumn.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has asked the public for comments on the Conservation Reserve Program and scheduled nine public meetings from September 15 through October 8 to solicit comments on the program. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have identified a platform of three action items to communicate during the public comment period and at the public meetings.

Immediate Need for a New CRP General Signup
Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has no plans for a new CRP general signup to re-enroll or replace expiring acres.

“The stated intent of this public comment period is to find ways to make the Conservation Reserve Program more effective for producers, and increase the environmental and wildlife benefits of the program,” said Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Vice President of Government Affairs, “Those goals are unachievable without a new CRP general signup.”

1 Million SAFE Acres
Conservation Practice 38, better known as the State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program, allows states to cater CRP to specifically address key wildlife and habitat needs within a state. Currently, there are over 200,000 acres enrolled in SAFE nationally, and the USDA has established a goal of 500,000 acres for the program. But demand for SAFE acres in states such as South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska has been so strong that they are at or near their initial SAFE acreage guideline. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are pushing for an additional 500,000 acres nationwide for the program based upon strong interest and demand for SAFE in multiple states.

“A 1-million-acre SAFE program is the progressive step needed to maintain the strength of CRP and create critical habitat for wildlife,” Nomsen said.

Double Bobwhite Quail Buffers Program
Conservation Practice 33, or “Bobwhite Buffers,” establishes the edge habitat along fields, streams and woods that bobwhite quail need. Currently, there are over 200,000 acres enrolled nationally, and USDA has established a goal of 250,000 acres for the program.

“This program has been a resounding success and has proven to increase bobwhite quail populations where acres exist. But to realistically push the bobwhite beyond its current near-threatened status, the USDA needs to allocate additional acres for this important quail program,” added Nomsen.

Public Comments on CRP Due by October 19, 2009

• Email comments to CRPcomments@tecinc.com
• Submit comments online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov
• Mail comments to: CRP SEIS, c/o TEC Inc., 8 San Jose Dr., Suite 3-B, Newport News, VA 23606
• Fax comments to: (757) 594-1469

DON’T LET THE sun set on the Conservation Reserve Program! Make your voice heard at public meetings or submit comments online!

CRP Public Meeting Schedule
Sept. 15, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Spokane, Wash.
Hilton Garden Inn

Sept. 17, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Great Falls, Mont.
Hampton Inn

Sept. 21, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Moorhead, Minn.
AmericInn Lodge and Suites

Sept. 23, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Manhattan, Kan.
Clarion Hotel

Sept. 25, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Springfield, Ill.
Hilton Garden Inn

Sept. 29, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Marriott Hotel

Oct. 1, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Clovis, NM
La Quinta Inn and Suites

Oct. 6, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Albany, Ga.
Hilton Garden Inn

Oct. 8, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Harrisburg, Pa.
Courtyard by Marriott

About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Help Save the Conservation Reserve Program

Pheasants Forever

Pierre, SD –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasant hunters and conservationists in the nation’s “Pheasant Capital” will have another way to scratch that pheasant itch this fall with the new Pheasants Forever $2 scratch game from the South Dakota Lottery.

On sale now wherever scratch games are sold, the Pheasants Forever scratch game offers players 18 and older the chance to win up to $12,000! Keep an eye out for the “Rooster” symbol when you play, and you’ll be sighting him in with a double barrel – double the prize!

“Hunting and outdoor activities in South Dakota are a big deal, but pheasant hunting is tops,” said South Dakota Lottery director Norm Lingle, “We felt it was natural to offer the thousands of pheasant hunters that make the ‘Pheasant Capital’ their destination every autumn a fun scratch game that highlights that.”

“The 35 Pheasants Forever chapters in South Dakota have completed over 16,000 wildlife habitat projects in the last 20 years, and Pheasants Forever is working harder than ever in South Dakota to make sure the habitat that produces the pheasants that greet hunters every autumn remains,” said Joe Duggan, Vice President of Corporate Relations for Pheasants Forever, “The new Pheasants Forever scratch game is another way to spread our conservation message. Have a blast when you come to South Dakota, but don’t forget the wildlife habitat that makes it all possible.”

South Dakota’s statewide pheasant hunting season runs from October 17, 2009 – January 3, 2010. Don’t forget to attend a Pheasants Forever banquet or event during your trip to South Dakota this year. To find an event, log on to www.PheasantsForever.org or contact Ben Bigalke, Pheasants Forever Regional Wildlife Biologist in South Dakota, at (605) 350-2409 or via email at bbigalke@pheasantsforever.org.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Pheasants Forever Scratch Game From SD Lotto Targets Pheasant Hunters

Pheasants Forever

Hendricks, Minn. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasant hunters and conservationists have formed a new Pheasants Forever chapter in Hendricks, Minnesota. Known as the Hendricks Chapter of Pheasants Forever, the new group has identified supporting Minnesota’s Build a Wildlife Area campaign as its top priority, and looks to create new public hunting and outdoor recreation areas in Lincoln County.

“We formed as a group of friends and fellow sportsmen and women to improve wildlife habitat,” said Jason Markkula, the chapter’s president, “With the current decline of Conservation Reserve Program acres, we felt the need to take action to support the wildlife habitat around Hendricks.”

As a Pheasants Forever chapter, the Hendricks group will decide how 100 percent of their fundraising dollars are spent. Pheasants Forever is unique among national conservation organizations in that its chapters operate through this truly grassroots structure. This financial model puts local chapters in complete control of how to allocate their funds, allowing them to see the benefits of their conservation leadership in their own communities while belonging to a larger national organization with a voice on federal and state conservation policy.

“This chapter is located in the heart of pheasant country and there is a ton of good work that can be done,” explained Scott Roemhildt, Regional Representative for Pheasants Forever in southern Minnesota, “The chapter leaders and volunteers of the Hendricks group have a great passion for the conservation cause and they really believe in the mission of Pheasants Forever. Their enthusiasm to increase public awareness and to expand the access to quality public hunting lands means these individuals will truly make a positive impact for this community that will last for generations to come.”

The Hendricks Chapter of Pheasants Forever will hold its first event, an open house and gun raffle, on Saturday, August 29th from 5 PM – 8 PM at the Bank Inn Hunting Lodge. The Hendricks Chapter of Pheasants Forever has also elected Alden Olsen of Hendricks as habitat chair; Aaron Morseth of Hendricks as youth/education chair; Travis Olsen of Hendricks as treasurer; and Keith Johnson as banquet chairman. The chapter meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Bank Inn Hunting Lodge in Hendricks. For more information about the chapter, contact Jason Markkula at (612) 309-2513 or via email at jasonmarkkula@yahoo.com.

For more information on Pheasants Forever in southern Minnesota, to start a chapter or join one of the state’s existing chapters, contact Scott Roemhildt, Pheasants Forever Regional Representative, at (507) 327-9785 or via email at SRoemhildt@pheasantsforever.org. Find more information online at www.MinnesotaPF.org.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Pheasants Forever Brings More Conservation Commitment to Minnesota

Pheasants Forever

Mitchell, SD – -(AmmoLand.com)- Pheasants Forever announces Greg Wolbrink as the organization’s new Farm Bill Biologist in Mitchell, South Dakota. Wolbrink joins PF after two years as a wildlife technician with South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks (SDGF&P). The new position was created in partnership with the Mitchell-based Pheasant Country Chapter of Pheasants Forever and SDGF&P. Wolbrink will be based out of the USDA Mitchell Service Center’s Natural Resources Conservation Service office.

Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Biologist program is designed to educate farmers and landowners about the benefits of conservation programs, as well as assist those farmers and landowners after programs have been implemented. The program originated in South Dakota, and Pheasants Forever now has 36 biologists working in six states – Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In just over six years, Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted 28,065 landowners, resulting in the improvement of nearly 1.3 million acres! In South Dakota, seven Farm Bill Biologists have contacted and consulted 8,316 landowners, resulting in 434,362 acres that have benefitted from habitat recommendations.

“This is a dream-come-true for local landowners and those who believe in the mission of Pheasants Forever,” said Mike Kuchera, a board member with the Pheasant Country Chapter of Pheasants Forever, “This chapter annually works with 300 landowners a year to create pheasant habitat, and now, with the addition of a local Farm Bill Biologist, we will have the ability to do it even better. Landowners are lining up to have their acreage evaluated by Greg for habitat management.” Pheasant Country chapter president David Allen added that though South Dakota remains the country’s premiere pheasant destination, work is required to keep it that way. “If you’re not working to create habitat, you’re losing habitat,” he said, “The loss of expiring Conservation Reserve Program acres is one of just many serious concerns. A Farm Bill Biologist in this area will help meet these challenges head on.”

“Greg Wolbrink has a diverse background in the wildlife field, from research to working with landowners to solve wildlife-related issues. This experience will come in handy as he assists landowners in finding the right program and funding to meet their personal habitat and land-use goals,” said Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist Coordinator.

A native of Aberdeen, Wolbrink earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from South Dakota State University. He can be contacted at (605) 201-3217 or via email at GWolbrink@pheasantsforever.org. To contact a Farm Bill Biologist in your area, click here. For more information on the Farm Bill Biologist program, contact Jim Inglis, Farm Bill Biologist Coordinator, at (419) 569-1096 or via email at jinglis@pheasantsforever.org.

About:
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Pheasants Forever Expanding Farm Bill Biologist Program in South Dakota

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. – -(AmmoLand.com)-

WHAT:
For the fifth year out of the last six, Minnesota pheasant hunters in 2008 harvested more than a half million roosters.

Prior to 2003, Minnesota hunters had bagged more than 500,000 birds during just two seasons since 1964 (1981 & 1991).

While the 2008 harvest fell well below the 40-year record set in 2007 with a 655,000 bird harvest, hunter participation and success during the 2008 season remained high.

Season Length (Days) 65

Year /  Pheasant Harvest / Number of Hunters

• 2003 511,000  105,000
• 2004 420,000 77 104,000
• 2005 586,000 79 111,000
• 2006 588,000 80 119,000
• 2007 655,000 81 118,000
• 2008 522,000 86 107,000

WHY:
Pheasants in Minnesota have enjoyed milder winters and spring conditions advantageous to reproduction in recent years. Those favorable weather conditions, coupled with good habitat on the landscape, including nearly 1.7 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands in Minnesota, have created the successful pheasant seasons we’ve enjoyed in the state since 2003. Unfortunately, danger is on the horizon with massive CRP acres set to expire over the next few years. Last year, 107,000 acres of CRP contracts expired in Minnesota, and 65,000 more acres will expire this year. In fact, 621,000 acres of CRP are set to expire in Minnesota between 2010 and 2013. Pheasants Forever is diligently working to re-enroll, replace, and improve those acres of habitat. The new State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) practice of CRP is one successful example.

WHO:
Consider an interview with the following Pheasants Forever officials in response to today’s Minnesota DNR announcement:

• Matt Holland, Pheasants Forever Senior Field Coordinator, (320)354-4377
• Eran Sandquist, Pheasants Forever Regional Wildlife Biologist for western & central Minnesota, (763)242-1273
• Scott Roemhildt, Pheasants Forever Regional Field Representative for southern Minnesota, (507)327-9785

About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Minnesota DNR Reports a 522,000 Rooster Harvest during 2008 Pheasant Hunting Season

Pheasants Forever

Saint Paul, Minn. – -(AmmoLand.com)- The best outdoor stories are often found in unexpected places. From a wild west pheasant opener, to pheasant habitat helping trout, and a one-of-a-kind craftsman, this week’s episode of Pheasants Forever Television seeks out those hidden outdoor treasures! The episode airs on Outdoor Channel this Thursday at 1AM CDT / 2AM EDT, Friday at 7:30AM CDT / 8:30AM EDT and on Saturday at 2AM CDT / 3AM EDT and again at 3:30PM CDT / 4:30PM EDT.

First, Pheasants Forever Television and The Man Afield, Bill Sherck, visit Winneshiek County and the sportsman’s paradise that is northeast Iowa. The Conservation Reserve Program has helped restore pheasant populations, and also provided a boost to area streams.

Next, Pheasants Forever Television travels to Ohio and the workshop of leather artist James Acord. Custom, handcrafted art for the fly fisherman, upland hunter and waterfowler has given Acord a reputation as one of the most unique artists around.

Finally, Pheasants Forever Television is there for the pheasant opener with South Dakota’s Black Hills Chapter of Pheasants Forever. South Dakota is the nation’s number one pheasant destination, but the Black Hills lie on the western edge of the state’s pheasant range, which makes creating prime ringneck habitat much more difficult. Chapter members Karl Castor, Terry Hulm and others made it their mission to create habitat despite the arid plains…now see the results!

Each episode of Pheasants Forever Television’s also features informative tips, including Shotgun Savvy with shooting pro Ed Prechel, Habitat Habit brought to you by Carlson’s Choke Tubes and Gun Dog Savvy sponsored by Purina. Find more information about Pheasants Forever Television at www.pftelevision.org.

Pheasants Forever Television’s sponsoring partners include: Outdoor Channel, the South Dakota Department of Tourism, Native performance dog food, Polaris, Purina Pro Plan, Carlson’s Choke Tubes, SportDOG and HEVI-Shot. Thanks to these sponsors for bringing Pheasants Forever Television to viewers across the nation.

About Ron Schara Productions
Based in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, Ron Schara Productions is the leader in outdoor-variety programming. Ron Schara and his award-winning team of writers, producers and photojournalists cover the natural world and entertain outdoor enthusiasts on major networks including The Outdoor Channel, Versus Network, ESPN2 and NBC. To learn more please visit www.ronscharaproductions.com.

About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 125,000 members in 750 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information about Pheasants Forever, please visit www.PheasantsForever.org

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Hidden Outdoor Treasures This Week on Pheasants Forever Television