Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to announce Laura McIver as a recipient of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation’s Conservation Heritage Award at the recent Call of the Wild Gala. McIver, Oklahoma and Southern Kansas regional representative, co-founded the Central Oklahoma Quail Forever Chapter in 2005 and served as the chapter president for five years. She has been with Quail Forever since 2014 and has started 38 chapters, helped to create and expand wildlife biologist positions in her region and empowered local chapters to invest over one million dollars into habitat projects. Join us in congratulating Laura McIver on her stellar conservation and outreach work. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4m9PmFH

PHEASANT FACT FRIDAY - What do pheasants eat this time of year? It's been six months since last fall's crop harvest. A new crop of weed seeds won't be available for four or five months. Juicy insects are still two to three months away. Even at this barren time of year, they still show a preference for farm crops. In March, over 80 percent of their diet is farm crops, with corn being number one. Less corn is consumed now than was during last year's corn harvest, but the difference is made up by increased consumption of wheat, barley and oats. This change to small grains is probably due to less corn being available. In March only a small part of the pheasant's diet is weed seeds. Insects make up four percent, consisting mainly of grasshopper parts and eggs. Green plants comprise percent of their food. Pheasant Fact Friday is presented by Irish Setter Boots #pheasantsforever #pheasantfactfriday

Quail Fact Friday - Montezuma quail (also called Mearns quail) are one of the most unusual members of the New World quail family. Found primarily in Mexico, their range reaches into the mountains of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and West Texas. Named after the Aztec emperor Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, these birds follow a rhythm unlike other quail species. Males begin calling as early as February or March, but nesting doesn't start until July or August, timed precisely with summer monsoon rains. Their nest is equally distinctive: a domed structure of woven grass with a single side entrance - far more elaborate than most other quail nests. Quail Fact Friday is presented by Irish Setter Boots #quailforever #quailfactfriday

Spring Dance // Impressing Hens is a Lot of Work When the sun gets warm and the world starts greening up, ringneck roosters come out of hiding to display their feathered glory — and their fitness to perform breeding duties — for all, including the objects of their desire, to see. Welcome to the spring dance. Like at any good dance, a good fight is apt to break out between amorous suitors. Roosters jump at each other, kicking and flailing and biting — a real hullabaloo. Then there are tender moments between victor and prize. Rooster pheasants put on a grand spring show indeed. Feathers puffed. Bright red wattles aflame with blood. Ear tufts erect. Strutting, wing-flapping, cackling, drumming and crowing. But it is the hen that chooses which suitor she will mate with — the biggest, baddest and bestest. Let the next generation begin.

It's banquet season across quail country and you won't want to miss your local QF Chapter Banquet! You can count on a good time, great food, and camaraderie with fellow bird hunters all in the name of conservation. Click the link below to find an event near you. Drop the date and location of your chapter banquet in the comments as well! https://bit.ly/41aQ9wu

One hunter’s relentless quest to chase upland birds across America’s wildest terrain. This conversation dives deep into the reality behind the “upland slam” — not just the birds, but the dogs, the habitat, and the wild game meal at the end of a hunt. Listeners will pick up practical insights on upland bird hunting strategy, from breaking down unfamiliar terrain to identifying productive habitat like timber cuts, chaparral, and sagebrush steppe. There’s a heavy emphasis on how to adapt when things aren’t working, including when to abandon a spot and trust your instincts. Listen now at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/4sFU7ZV “On the Wing Podcast” is proudly fueled by Pro Plan Sporting Dogs

One hunter’s relentless quest to chase upland birds across America’s wildest terrain. This conversation dives deep into the reality behind the “upland slam” — not just the birds, but the dogs, the habitat, and the wild game meal at the end of a hunt. Listeners will pick up practical insights on upland bird hunting strategy, from breaking down unfamiliar terrain to identifying productive habitat like timber cuts, chaparral, and sagebrush steppe. There’s a heavy emphasis on how to adapt when things aren’t working, including when to abandon a spot and trust your instincts. Listen now at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/4s4qZu8 “On the Wing Podcast” is proudly fueled by Pro Plan Sporting Dogs

Quail Country Weather - Drought Monitor Across Quail Country With high temps never seen before combined with droughty conditions, March was a tough month across the quail range. Let's all cross our fingers for some timely rains in April. As always we will keep you up to date here. Quail Country Weather is presented by Southwind Plantation

BIRD DOG ISSUE BOUNDING IN Is there any heart purer than that of a bird dog? Where would we be without our bird dogs? And where would upland conservation be without our bird dogs’ eager eyes egging us on to accomplish more of Pheasants Forever’s habitat and public access missions? John Stewart Wright’s cover photo, which I dub simply “Joy,” captures the perfection and purity of our bird dogs’ hearts, and kicks off PF Journal’s annual Summer Bird Dog Issue. It’s coming fast though: Make sure you are joined up or renewed with PF by April 7 to get it. Let’s keep doin’ ‘em proud. And lovin’ ‘em up. - TOM “CARP” CARPENTER, EDITOR Join PF here: https://bit.ly/4bYQG9l

Prescribed burns use a controlled application of fire to regenerate and renew the landscape. Clearing invasive plants, dry brush, leaf litter, thatch, and monoculture grasses. They reduce wildfire risk, stimulate new growth, restore biodiversity, and create an inviting environment for wildlife. Planning is the key to a safe and successful prescribed burn. Preparation is time-consuming: pulling permits; contacting the local fire departments and any neighbors who might be affected; making sure that fire breaks are adequate and that the equipment is prepped; and gathering an adequate number of burn crew volunteers to match the requirements of the acreage to be burned. Read "The Gift of Fire" & "Blueprint for a Chapter Burn Program" here: https://bit.ly/3PHhLGT EDITOR'S NOTE: With ongoing wildfires impacting parts of Nebraska, we're thinking about everyone affected — residents, landowners, firefighters, livestock, and wildlife alike. While wildfire brings real loss, this story explores a different side of fire: how prescribed burns, when used carefully, can restore habitat and even reduce future wildfire risk. Words & Photos by Gary Krukar

The Desert Triumvirate Series - "In The Kingdom of Cottontops" Scaled quail, also known as "blues" or "cottontops," wear a distinct slaty-blue breast, beige belly, and fine black-edged feathers that give them their scaled look. Their range is vast — second only to bobwhites in the U.S. — stretching across New Mexico, West Texas, southeast Arizona, southeastern Colorado, the Oklahoma panhandle, slivers of western Kansas, and into Mexico's deserts. They are creatures of open country: shin-to-knee-high bunchgrasses and forbs stitched with bare ground, dotted by low shrubs like mesquite and creosote with cholla and ocotillo scattered like caltrops. That mosaic matters. Grasses hide them, shrubs shade them, and the patches of open soil are their highways. Scaled quail are runners first, fliers second; they prefer to string a hunter along until the last moment. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4m0AUzK Story by Taylor K. Lee Illustrations by Kate Hall