Pheasants Forever

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Appoint Jonathan Eerkes as Prescribed Fire Programs Manager Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) are excited to introduce Jonathan Eerkes as the new prescribed fire programs manager, a position made possible through support of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Working Lands for Wildlife Bobwhite Partnership. As a member of the national habitat programs team, he will champion PF & QF’s efforts across the nation to increase the safe and effective use of prescribed fire as an upland management tool through well-trained team members, supported prescribed burn associations and qualified chapters. Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/ggUfKthq

PF & QF's CEO Marilyn Vetter’s mission in Alabama: Reviving a legacy of quail, land and tradition A breezy October afternoon welcomed Marilyn Vetter, a Midwesterner with a lifelong love for the outdoors, to Alabama. In state for the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival hosted annually on the banks of the Coosa River, Vetter found a fitting backdrop to share her story in an interview with Yellowhammer News As part of the festival, she spoke to hunters, landowners and conservation-minded Alabamians as CEO of Quail Forever about a tradition older than the state itself. “If people don’t have the opportunity to experience it, it’s hard for them to imagine why we should care,” Vetter said. “And it’s having more people that care. They can only do so much for themselves. You know, they’re a tiny little thing. They’re pretty dependent upon us taking care of their habitat.” ‘They’ being quail – a small bird with an outsized impact on Alabama’s ecosystems and heritage. In particular, the northern bobwhite quail – an iconic species to the state and the Southeastern U.S. as a whole. Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/g4HQZMPz via Yellowhammer News w/ Marilyn Vetter

Podcast Ep. 291: Rooster Road Trip Kicks Off 15th Season in North Dakota This is the first episode of Pheasants Forever’s 15th annual Rooster Road Trip. True to Rooster Road Trip’s foundation since its creation in 2010, this year’s hunting occurs exclusively on publicly accessible lands. In this first podcast installment, host Bob St.Pierre is joined by PF’s Vice President of Marketing Andrew Vavra, PF’s North Dakota State Coordinator Emily Spolyar, and PF’s Social Media Coordinator Nate Akey to set the stage for this year’s trip and to recap the crew’s first day hunt. Listen at https://lnkd.in/gXv_KDkK And special thanks to our Rooster Road Trip 2024 sponsors: * Browning * Orvis * SoundGear * Ruff Land Kennels * Federal Ammunition * Garmin * YETI * Irish Setter

The Rooster Road Trip || North Dakota Takes Flight Championing the necessity of increased wildlife habitat, the advancement of conservation policies and programs, the expansion of public access, and the need for a larger, more informed upland community is at the heart of every Rooster Road Trip. As is the beauty and simplicity of packing your gear, loading up the dog, finding some spots on the map, and seeing what happens next. This year is no different, but there are always unique twists and turns. So what did we experience during our upland adventure across North Dakota’s publicly accessible lands? Follow along as we release new episodes, podcasts, and photo galleries documenting everything that comes with following the dogs through some incredibly important and inspiring landscapes - places that are out there waiting for you right now. Watch the first episode of Rooster Road Trip 2024 at https://lnkd.in/gUtGYaZb

Post-Election, Our Mission Remains the Same By: Marilyn Vetter, President & CEO If you took some time out of your busy fall schedule to vote last week – thank you. Your civic engagement is not only a duty, but a meaningful contribution to shaping the future we share as conservationists and hunters. Historically, sportsmen and women haven’t been known for high election participation, but this year we have been highly targeted by nationwide get out to vote efforts (including our own), and for good reason! This year’s voter turnout, which many of our community have contributed to, was extraordinary. Your news feeds are probably flooded with punditry on the outcomes of the election and filled with anxious or elated speculation about what this election means for the nation. I want to answer a different, more pointed question that has been on my mind and may be on your mind too – what does all this mean for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever? Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gm8faEJw

Pheasants Forever and Blue Forest Launch First-of-its-Kind Watershed Resilience Bond Supporting Working Lands in Southern Oregon and Northeastern California Pheasants Forever and Blue Forest are excited to announce the launch of the Southern Oregon-Northeastern California I Watershed Resilience Bond (SONEC I WRB). The SONEC I WRB will finance landscape-scale conservation across privately owned working lands, marking the first financial product from non-profit conservation finance organization Blue Forest that focuses on improving watershed resilience across property boundaries.   The WRB, co-developed by Blue Forest and Pheasants Forever, is an innovative financing mechanism that taps into private capital to finance restoration projects, increasing the watershed’s resilience to fire and other disturbances, improve wildlife habitat, and bolster the community and local economy. While the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides funding to private landowners to implement conservation projects, these programs require landowners to pay upfront costs with a portion to be reimbursed by NRCS after the completion of work. Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gKE9z2r6 w/ Blue Forest

Chief Upland Signs On as Corporate Partner of Pheasants Forever Pheasants Forever is thrilled to introduce a new corporate partner, Chief Upland. The Wisconsin based company signed on to a licensing partnership through 2026. Chief Upland will provide an upland hunting vest displaying the Pheasants Forever logo, with a portion of each sale going towards The Habitat Organization’s mission. "We’re excited to welcome Chief Upland as a licensing and proud partner in our mission,” said Chris Kalis, vice president of corporate relations at Pheasants Forever. “Chief Upland’s commitment to crafting high-quality, innovative gear for upland hunters aligns seamlessly with our dedication to conservation. This partnership not only brings exceptional products to our members but also directly supports our habitat initiatives, ensuring the future of upland hunting for generations to come.” The family-owned business has been working to develop the ideal equipment for the upland hunter since 2018. Founder of the company, Jake Lindemann, has been an entrepreneur since age 16 and an outdoorsman his whole life. The team is passionate about providing a high-quality product to ensure you keep up with your dogs in the field and hunt until their hearts are content – rain or shine, prairie or mountain. Jake operates Chief Upland alongside his wife Kristen and their two labs, Chief and Buzz. Chief Upland’s front loading upland hunting vest is entirely customizable. Straps on the shoulders, chest and stomach ensure the user is able to comfortably wear the vest for long days in the field. The vest is now available to be purchased online, alongside additions such as the water bottle pouch, ammo box and an electronics pouch. Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gPdAVAsz w/ Chief Upland & Chris Kalis & Laura Wood

Build a Wildlife Area® Program Secures 348-Acre Addition in Southwest Iowa Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area® program recently added 348 acres of public hunting access in southwest Iowa. Located in Fremont County, the Askew Family Tract connects two existing parcels of Auldon Bar Wildlife Management Area to create a complex of 1,800 acres of contiguous upland habitat open to public access. The new tract was made possible by a generous donation by John and Lauri Askew, whom the tract is named after, and was dedicated on October 22 at a gathering of partners and supporters. “We wanted to leave something to have an impact for future generations,” said John Askew, a retired sixth-generation farmer and donor of the property. “I realized that putting this back into public land will ensure that for generations to come, it will be there for people's enjoyment and for increasing wildlife.” The dedication ceremony celebrated the Askew Family’s legacy of environmental stewardship and the collective efforts that made this project possible. Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gUFuNCyB

WINTER JOURNAL CELEBRATES PF COMMUNITY As two roosters from a winter flock cross our Winter Pheasants Forever Journal cover, so the impact of PF chapters, volunteers and donors crosses into the lives of people and communities across the pheasant range. Here the stories in our winter issue, with a hearty helping of winter hunting takes and techniques. And you do not want to miss our special section poking some good fun at all the kinds of hunters you see out there. Sign up or renew by November 12th to make sure you are on the list for Winter’s Pheasants Forever Journal. – Tom Carpenter, Editor. Become a member and receive our Browning Bird & Buck knife at https://lnkd.in/gsWQYQGw

Podcast Ep. 290: Celebrating Opening Day Traditions with the Hildebrand Family Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by “The Captain” Billy Hildebrand and his sons Erik and Chad Hildebrand for a discussion about the ingredients making opening day of a bird hunting season so special. The guys also recap the original PF & QF film, Opening Day, featuring the Hildebrand family’s Minnesota pheasant opener traditions. Listen at https://lnkd.in/g7JBtcaG w/ SoundGear SportDOG Brand