ANNOUNCING! THE RETURN OF THURSDAY NIGHT #FANOutdoors on KFAN FM 100.3 with host Bill Hildebrand tomorrow from 7pm to 9pm (central). With no Thursday evening NFL or Minnesota Wild games on the schedule, we've got a packed roster of guests. We'll chat first with Shari Baker of Gunflint Pines Resort and Campground about Northwoods life running a family-owned lodge on the Gunflint Trail. We'll then catch up with Pheasants Forever biologist Rachel Bush to talk about the impact of this severe winter weather on upland birds AND we'll also get a preview of the Habitat Stage at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic happening in Minneapolis this February. We'll wrap up the show with Keng Yang to learn about his journey becoming an adult-onset bird hunter through the love of a dog AND get a preview of his talk on the Public Lands Stage at Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic. Tune in on FM100.3 in the Twin Cities or stream online at www.KFAN.com

WE'RE HIRING! Start the new year with a new career! Quail Forever & Pheasants Forever currently have openings throughout the country. If you're looking for a career in conservation, look no further than "The Habitat Organization." Link Below! https://pheasantsforever.org/Careers.aspx

Use the link below for this limited time offer to purchase one National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic ticket and get a second one for free! https://pfqf.myeventscenter.com/event/2023-Fest-67774?unlock=BOGO 2023 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic, presented by Federal Ammunition, is back in Minneapolis and promises to be an event you won't want to miss! The nation’s largest upland tradeshow and convention has something for everyone including hunters, landowners, and bird dog enthusiasts. Coming attractions for 2023 include a Upland Film Festival, Public Lands Pavilion, Path to the Uplands Stage, Habitat Stage, Bird Dog Stage, and more than 400 unique vendors featuring outfitters, gear, food, and so much more!

And just like this rooster, 2022 is gone! Happy New Year everyone, see you in 2023! 📸: Anthony Hauck

[READ] "LESSONS FROM A NEWBIE," PRESENTED BY NAVHDA International AND WRITTE BY LEAH HOFER. LINK BELOW. https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Lessons-from-a-Newbie.aspx "The story of how I came to be the owner of a beautiful, energetic, amazingly frustrating vizsla puppy is one that I will never forget. After inquiring about a litter of puppies that a neighbor was breeding (out of mere curiosity), I found myself following the pups on social media as they grew. I knew in my heart that this time in my life is so incredibly full; I am a high school teacher, I have two small kids and a farmer husband, and I’m working on a master’s degree. The last thing I needed (or so I thought) was a puppy. But as I looked at videos and pictures of the puppies throughout the weeks, I couldn’t help but wonder: could I make it work?"

With a gift of $55 or more using the link below, you’ll receive a Pheasants Forever Heavyweight Hoodie as our thanks to you. But most importantly, you’ll help us realize our biggest upland habitat goal to date. At this time, Pheasants Forever is engaged in our most ambitious initiative ever: The Call of the Uplands campaign. Through this $500 million effort - which your donation supports - we set a goal of protecting and restoring nine million acres of upland habitat over a period of five years. We’re now raising that habitat goal to 10 million acres! Help us meet this goal by donating today at the link below. https://pheasantsforever.org/hoodie

ON THE WING PODCAST EPISODE 196: BOBWHITE AND BLUE QUAIL IN TEXAS WITH GUN DOG SUPPLY'S STEVE SNELL, IS LIVE! Head to the link below to listen now. https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Podcast-Ep-196-Bobwhite-and-Blue-Quail-in-Texas-with-Gun-Dog-Supply%E2%80%99s-Steve-Snell.aspx Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Gun Dog Supply’s Steve Snell to talk bird hunting, dogs, and bird dog gear. Steve is a passionate bird dog man and likely among the country’s top traveling wingshooters racking up truck miles in search of covey flushes from his home in Mississippi to his quail hunting properties in Texas to public lands destinations in Montana and beyond. Episode Highlights: The guys reminisce about a quail hunting trip together on which Bob bagged his first-ever blue quail after making the 17-hour drive from Minnesota to West Texas to hunt over his own bird dogs. Snell also explains his love for hunting “cheating” blue quail (also known as scaled quail and cottontops) over big running English pointers. Snell explains the Gun Dog Supply origin story and shares the business’ top-selling bird dog gear items, while also offering some sage advice for what to list on a bird dog’s ID collar. Just back from a quail hunting trip to Texas, Snell provides a recap of his hunt and an overview for the rest of the Texas quail season. 📸: Emily Spolyar

"And as I shovel dirt and slowly fill that hole, I think of all the meaningless drama and petty grievances that consume us every day, and how a dog, so utterly without guile and so full of genuine, unadulterated love, cuts through all that bickering, backstabbing human artifice and gets right into your heart for no other reason than that’s exactly where it wants to be." Endings and Beginnings: Losing Dogs, Gaining Perspective, and Moving On in a New Year. Read the full article by Quail Forever Journal Editor Chad Love, at the link below. https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Endings-and-Beginnings.aspx

Start the new year off right, as a Pheasants Forever Life Member! This offer includes not only a lifetime of benefits, but also a FREE YETI Hopper Flip 18 Cooler. Thanks to all of you who have answered the call, but for those still on the fence, make sure to take advantage of this limited-time opportunity before it’s gone! Taking your membership to the next level allows Pheasants Forever to create, restore, and permanently protect more wildlife habitat, while preserving the legacy of our hunting and conservation heritage. Head to the link below to become a PF Life Member today. https://pheasantsforever.org/SpecialPages/Special-Memberships/Life-Membership.aspx

WINTER STORMS POUND MIDWEST PHEASANT STATES: TIME WILL TELL IF ICE, SNOW, AND EXTREME COLD IMPACT WINTER SURVIVAL RATES. Read the full article at the link below. Less than a week after much of the Midwest was slammed with the first winter storm of the season, another round of wind, snow and extreme cold is headed to the country’s core pheasant range. South Dakota, Iowa and western Minnesota are bearing the brunt of the current storm, but harsh conditions range from western Wisconsin all the way to central Montana. The combination of heavy snow and wind can destroy critical winter cover for pheasants, and when that’s immediately followed by extremely cold temperatures it can make for a rough winter.

"OUTCOME BASED GRAZING AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR CONSERVATION." Read the full article by Adrienne Hoskins, Idaho Program Coordinator, at the link below. For many, thinking about “The West” brings images to mind of cows grazing on open landscapes and cowboys watching over their herd. As Pheasants Forever works to expand their upland habitat mission in the West, these cows and cowboys are a large part of that expansion. Working with livestock operators on those open landscapes extends the PF mission westward.

On The Wing Podcast EP. 195: Counting Bobwhite Quail Populations With Eyes, Ears, & Technology, is live! Head to the link below to listen now. https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Podcast-Ep-195-Counting-Bobwhite-Quail-Populations-with-Eyes,-Ears-Technology.aspx Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by three of the country’s foremost quail biologists to talk about past, present, and future efforts to count bobwhite quail and how that population data is used to create high quality quail habitat, more birds, and better hunting opportunities. Those quail biologists include Quail Forever’s Working Lands for Bobwhite Quail Framework Coordinator Dr. Jessica McGuire, Georgia DNR’s Quail Coordinator Dallas Ingram, and University of Georgia Associate Professor Dr. James Martin. Episode Highlights: -Ingram and Martin explain how bird dogs are used to help count fall bobwhite coveys, while taking fun jabs at each other’s favorite bird dog breeds in the process. -McGuire also discusses how landowners who are interested in fostering higher quail populations on their property can get involved with counting quail as a means of better understanding what factors need to be improved on a particular piece of land. -Martin also talks about how his grad students at the University of Georgia are using new technology to make significant strides in our understanding of quail population dynamics.