Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are excited to announce Donnie Vincent – explorer, biologist, conservationist, and sportsman – as the featured guest and keynote speaker at the 2024 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic Celebration Dinner. Tickets are now available to hear Vincent’s message and attend the nation’s foremost upland hunting and conservation tradeshow coming to the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls on March 1-3. Link below to get your tickets today. https://pfqf.myeventscenter.com/event/2024-National-Pheasant-Fest-Quail-Classic-84173 Donnie Vincent

RUFF LAND KENNEL GIVEAWAY: It’s simple - let us know what kind of bird dog(s) you own and you’ll be automatically entered to win! Head over to www.roosterroadtrip.org to officially submit your answer and then make sure to tune in for the series’ fourth and final episode this Wednesday at 6pm CST to watch our variety pack of bird dogs hit the field. We’ll choose the Ruff Land Kennel winner out of all the submissions on Monday, December 11th. Congrats to last week's winner of the Yeti Loadout GoBox and SoundGear Phantoms, Stephanie from Hugo, MN Irish Setter Boots Ruff Land Performance Kennels

Take advantage of this special membership offer and receive a FREE Limited Edition Concert for Conservation Shirt by joining, renewing, or extending your membership today. Plus if you join at the Covey Club Member level, you'll also receive a Limited Edition Concert for Conservation Poster! Thank you for your support! https://quailforever.org/trampled

The 2023 Tall Timbers Field Day was held at Livingston Place in Jefferson County, Florida recently. The 9,000-acre property is on the beautiful Aucilla River, and has been managed for quail since the 1950s. The event was well attended by quail and habitat management enthusiasts. As a sponsor, Quail Forever staff were able to interact with attendees and discuss habitat resources and opportunities available throughout the Southeast. The focus of the tour was habitat and home restoration at the property. The Livingston Family and Foundation also hosted the Continental Field Trials, with 2023 being number 128. The property was placed under easement in 1998 and eventually gifted to Tall Timbers in 2013. The tour also highlighted prescribed fire techniques, showing the effectiveness of switching from ring fires to block burning. Block burning has aided in creating more diverse habitat structure, providing critical habitat throughout the seasons. Hunting happened too! The guides reported hunting parties encountering up to 6 coveys per hour: That will wear a dog out! In addition to abundant quail populations, Livingston Place also has a thriving population of striped newts, which are listed in Florida as Threatened. The wetlands are nestled amongst the managed pines – a testament to the value of property management in the name of bobwhite quail. The annual Tall Timbers Field Day is not one to be missed. Keep an eye on @talltimbersresearch for the next one. #quailforever #quail #wildlifehabitat

Did you know dormant pollinator plots host hundreds of overwintering insects. Species such as the goldenrod gall fly overwinter in goldenrod stems, native bees lay eggs in hollow and pithy stems and some caterpillars, like the species of conservation concern, Regal Fritillary, lives under leaves during the cold winter months. It’s important to take these into consideration when doing management on you plots. First, do not mow your plot in the fall. Even though it may look “unsightly” compared to its spring and summer colors. Second, if you are burning your plots, make sure to not burn the entire plot in one year. Leave nesting habitat for the pollinator species. In addition, overwintering birds such as the Chickadee or downy woodpeckers feed on overwintering larva like the goldenrod gall fly and it is an important source of food for these native songbirds. In the spring when the insects hatch, they are important food for our native grassland birds. #pollinators #leavetheleaves #RxFIRE #habitatmanagement #moconservation #pheasantsforever #quailforever #uplandhabitat #pollinatorhabitat #habitat

During a visit to Iowa last week, secretary of interior Deb Haaland announced the recipients of a number conservation-oriented grants. Among the successful bids was a partnership including Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, focused on restoring grasslands in Iowa and Missouri. Partners in the endeavor include the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, Missouri Prairie Foundation and Drake University/Jay N. Darling Institute for Rural Sustainability. The group will focus on conserving, restoring and reconnecting Missouri and Iowa’s native grasslands through collaborative habitat management on both public and private lands — such as prescribed fire, invasive species control and grazing. Read more at the link: