Get your holiday shopping done at the QF Store! SAVE 20% on Artisans lifestyle apparel until December 19th. Link below! https://bit.ly/3DlVx7d

READ: "Mid-Season Reflections" by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's President and CEO, Marilyn Vetter. Link below. https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Mid-Season-Reflections.aspx "I have the midseason blues. Winter has set in and the nicest days for Midwest upland hunting are behind me. The days ahead will be filled with short walks in gnarly cover, cattails snapping me in the face with their notorious fuzz sticking to absolutely everything. I must remind myself that December and January pheasant hunts are productive ways to fill the freezer with far fewer hunters to compete with on publicly accessible land. It's a bit ironic that I’m lamenting the beginning of winter after experiencing some of the hottest days I’ve spent in the field. Our ten days in Montana were crazy hot but CRAZY GOOD! There’s nothing like approaching your dog on point and not knowing what species of bird will erupt. On very lucky days, you get a mixed bag right in front of your eyes. And for this neophyte sage grouse hunter, the powerful lift off of North America’s largest grouse, was awe inspiring. Luckily, I got my bearings and connected with my first sage hen, a first for my bird dogs too... ...Thankfully, my season is just past the half-way mark. Desert quail are calling me...But until then, roosters will hold my fascination with a trip home to North Dakota for the holidays. There are some benefits to being raised in North Dakota. One of them is the ability to tolerate nasty weather! Bundle up and get out there. The uplands are calling and your bird dogs are ready!"

As a Quail Forever Life Member, you are a proven champion for the uplands. You know what is at stake and the importance of our work. And you know what will happen if we don’t fight for quality habitat, abundant wildlife, public access opportunities and for the next generation. None of the work we do would have been possible without your generous support. Thank you! The truth of the matter is that we have more work to do. We need more acres of grassland, more birds in the air, and more hunters in the field. During our annual Elite Member Week, we are rallying our passionate members, supporters, and partners—individuals like yourself—to band together for conservation. We are well on our way to achieving our goal of raising over $500,000 this week! We cannot stop now, and we need your help to do it! Today, we are excited to offer you an exclusive opportunity to join as a Quail Forever .And for a limited time, when you join today, you will receive an exclusive Quail Forever YETI Tundra 45 cooler as a token of our appreciation for your enduring support. Link Below! https://quailforever.org/SpecialPages/Special-Memberships/Life-Membership-en.aspx

On The Wing Podcast Ep. 295: Rooster Road Trip 2025 Recap, is live. Listen now at the link below, or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Rooster-Road-Trip/Podcast-Ep-295-Rooster-Road-Trip-2024-Recap.aspx This is the fifth and final episode of Pheasants Forever’s 15th annual Rooster Road Trip. 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 put a bow on this year’s adventure across North Dakota. Episode Highlights: - For gear junkies, each member of the crew talks about their favorite piece of gear from this year’s hunt. Vavra also talks about features of the new Browning 825 making it a shotgun he’s planning to add to his own personal gun safe. - The group also fields crowd-sourced questions from PF & QF’s social media channels about Rooster Road Trip, hunting North Dakota public lands, gear questions, and bird hunting strategy. - Find all four companion videos accompanying the trip at RoosterRoadTrip.org. While there, enter to win a Browning Citori 825 shotgun and join/renew/extend your Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever membership featuring the new Browning Bird & Buck knife. DEADLINE is December 16, 2024. The On The Wing Podcast is fueled by Purina Pro Plan Thank you to our Rooster Road Trip Sponsors: Garmin Fish & Hunt, Orvis, Browning, SoundGear, YETI, Irish Setter Boots, Federal Premium, Ruff Land Performance Kennels

Today, PF & QF are encouraging private landowners and public land managers to help identify innovative strategies to restore quality pollinator habitat in the United States in light of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed threatened status of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. Eastern migratory populations of monarch butterflies have declined by more than 80% since the 1980s, and western migratory populations by more than 95% in the same timeframe. Loss of breeding, migratory, and overwintering habitat, including food sources along established migration corridors and throughout the blooming season, remain among the top threats for monarch butterflies. PF & QF’s mission to create high-quality habitat for pheasants, quail, and other upland species directly intersects with the monarch butterfly. That very same habitat, filled with diverse grasses and forbs (flowering plants) is critical for all pollinators, but essential for the monarch. PF & QF have been among the nation’s leaders in pollinator-friendly habitat, implementing 392,864 acres of high-quality habitat for pollinators and planting more than 1.3 billion milkweed seeds – an essential component for the monarch lifecycle and migration habitat – over the past decade. Read more at the following link to learn how you can help: https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/USFWS-Proposes-Threatened-Status-for-Monarch-Butterfly-Under-Endangered-Species-Act.aspx?viewmode=0

While I love the first month of pheasant season, the true hunter in me longs for the short, colder days of late-season pheasant hunting after Thanksgiving when the birds are bunched up in the thick stuff and fewer hunters are afield. In fact, part of me believes more people should be aware of the benefits of hunting late-season roosters. Selfishly, the other part of me wants to keep it a secret. As another South Dakota winter settles in and the crowds thin out, I'm reminded why late-season hunts have become my favorite tradition. Sure, the weather can be unpredictable and you'll work harder for your birds — but that's exactly what makes it special. There's an intimacy to winter pheasant hunting that October just can't match. If you think you’ve missed your chance to hunt South Dakota this year simply because the first month of the season passed you by, think again — the season is just beginning. So while others have hung up their vests for the year, feel confident knowing that some of the season's best hunting still lies ahead. See the full article "South Dakota's Pheasant Season is Just Getting Started" and learn why late season in South Dakota might just be the best time to hit the field at the link below. https://tinyurl.com/bd7m6czy Sharing on behalf of our partners in conservation Travel South Dakota Author Bio: South Dakota native Andrew Johnson lives for pheasant hunting, capturing the thrill of the chase through his gun, camera and words. Connect with him on X, Instagram, and YouTube: @DakotaPheasantHunt