I’ve measured my hunting season this year as a series of “lasts.” I’m not dying or anything — nothing that dramatic. But when I walked out of the grouse woods on the evening of January 7, the final day of the season, in a way it was the end of a chapter. You see, when the season picks back up next September, I’ll be a father. I’ve always thought of my own father’s life as being separated into two distinct parts. The time before he had children, and his life since. I’m not sure why I’ve always broken it down like that, but now that I’m about to cross the threshold myself I’ve been looking at my own life through the same lens. So this fall I took note of my “lasts” — last duck hunt before I become a father, last grouse hunt, so on and so forth. I marked the end of this chapter mostly because I’m so excited to start the next. My son is due at the end of April, and among the chaos of preparing for a baby, I can’t help but look forward a few years to a time when I’ll be able to share this world with him. All the “lasts” I experienced this year will be replaced by “firsts.” Read the full blog "The Next Chapter" by PF & QF Senior Public Relations Specialist Casey Sill, at the link below. https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/The-Next-Chapter.aspx

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to once again announce a new Women on the Wing chapter in Michigan, following the recently formed chapter based in Oakland County. This group, named “Thumbs Up Women on the Wing,” is based in Tuscola County and will focus on providing a conservation opportunity for women across the southeast portion of the state. “This group was formed after a fun event called ‘Women, Wine and Wild Game,’” said Melissa Gildemeister, Pheasant Forever and Quail Forever’s regional representative in Michigan. “It was thrilling to see so much interest in hunting from the 70 women in attendance and I was more than happy to help them form a chapter of their own.” To learn more about this new chapter and their future events, head to the link below. https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/New-Women-on-the-Wing-Chapter-Forms-in-Michigan.aspx

AN ISSUE FOR THE AGES, THE SOUL OF THE HABITAT MISSION. "By my reckoning there are no less than 10 species of native grasses and wildflowers on the cover of Spring’s Pheasants Forever Journal: rudbeckia, big bluestem, sideoats grama, yellow coneflower, monarda, milkweed, Maximilian sunflower, purple coneflower, Indiangrass and goldenrod. There are surely more. And no trees. It is the kind of habitat where pheasants are hatched and grown below while pollinators waft and buzz above, a host of other upland wildlife thrives alongside, and a hunter’s heart skips a beat come fall. Explore the very soul of The Habitat Organization’s mission, and learn more about pheasants and the quiltwork of habitat they thrive in, with the big Pheasant Habitat Essentials Guide anchoring Spring’s Journal of Upland Conservation. Renew your membership or join by February 1 to be sure you get this keepsake edition." – Tom ”Carp” Carpenter, Editor Link below to become a member today! https://pheasantsforever.org/SpecialPages/Special-Memberships/2023-Annual-Membership-Appeal.aspx

Bird Dog Field Care class returns to 2024 National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic. Learn more about the course and register at the link below. https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Bird-Dog-Field-Care-Class-Returns-to-Pheasant-Fest-2024.aspx The Bird Dog Field Care class will take place once again in Sioux Falls. At the helm this year is Dr. Joe Spoo, a South Dakota based veterinarian who specializes in working dogs. This year’s course will be broken down into two basic parts. During the lecture portion, Dr. Spoo will cover what gun dog owners should carry in their first aid kits in the field. He will also cover numerous health issues, injuries and conditions encountered by working dogs — including how to recognize, treat and prevent conditions ranging from heat stroke to migrating foreign bodies and everything in between. In addition he’ll cover post-hunt issues like stress diarrhea, anorexia and soreness. The next portion of the class will be hands-on, as Dr. Spoo will demonstrate how to properly conduct a tailgate exam at the end of a hunt, showcasing tips and tricks to identify sources of a lameness in a worn out dog. Next, he’ll run participants through bandaging and splinting a limb, bandaging an ear wound, how to properly examine, flush and apply medication to the eye — with each participant getting a chance to practice these methods. Participants will also learn how to safely remove their dogs from leg hold and conibear traps, as well as snares. The Bird Dog Field Care class is presented by Purina Pro Plan

Start your career with The Habitat Organization today! We are currently hiring for roles across the nation. Find these roles at the link below and apply today! https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=e9cf9c51-b70e-4607-b723-b8bf76c3161b&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US

Pheasant Fact Friday!💡 During the coldest month of the year, January, pheasants require twice the energy they burned in October. Yet with adequate habitat their body fat content can be at its highest in January. Pheasant bioenergetics require that the birds have three cover types to help survive the coldest of winters. The cover types are roosting, loafing, and food cover. Winter habitat includes grass cover for roosting at night, trees and shrubs to loaf in during the day, and food. The purpose of each is to reduce the pheasants’ vulnerability to predators, to reduce the birds’ energy requirements, and to increase the body fat content of hens for spring nesting. For each 160 acres, 5 should be set aside to provide these covers. The relationship of theses covers to each other is also important. Ideally, each cover requirement should be located next to the other, or at most one quarter mile apart. #pheasantsforever #pheasants #pheasantfactfriday