Some buckles must be earned to wear them… including the “Guardian of the Grasslands” buckle recently bestowed upon our Chief Conservation Officer, Ron Leathers, at the Western Working Lands for Wildlife Conference in Kansas! For the past 20 years, Leathers has dedicated his career to saving grasslands while working with landowners and producers to preserve their way of life. He’s been integral to the organization’s relationships with the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, helping conserve pheasants, quail, prairie grouse and other wildlife along the way. #wlfw23 Working Lands for Wildlife

The ideal time for planting many of our seed mixes has passed. So as we enter the dog days of summer, it’s time to turn our thoughts to late summer/early fall food plots. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have great options for these late season plots, like our NEW Fatal Fall Forage or Tree Stand Treat — as well as old reliables like our Clover Kandy and Big Buck Brassica mixes. Head to the link below and use Code: FALLFOOD23 to get 10% off all of our fall food plot seed mixes. https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/store/items/FP/

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the acceptance of 2.7 million acres into the Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) Grassland sign-up, selected from a record-setting 4.6 million acres in offers. When combined with the enrollment of over 1 million acres during CRP’s general sign up, the program will accomplish a net gain in total CRP acres for the third consecutive year. The sign-up news is especially meaningful in key upland bird states like Colorado (430,899 acres), Nebraska (417,865 acres), and South Dakota (325,443 acres), which saw the highest enrollment in the country during this sign-up. Once implemented, accepted offers in this trio of states will have immediate impacts for ring-necked pheasants, bobwhite quail, scaled quail, prairie chickens, and sharp-tailed grouse. Additionally, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to employ more than 40 technical assistance staff in this region. In partnership with USDA, these team members assist landowners in submitting and executing voluntary conservation practice contracts from start to finish. Learn more about today's announcement at the link below. https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Pheasants-Forever-and-Quail-Forever-Applaud-USDA-Acceptance-of-2-7-Million-Grassland-CRP-Acres.aspx

Guzzler. It may be a funny word, but these water catchers are extremely important to quail populations in dry and arid regions. Which is why volunteers and members of Quail Forever Ventura Chapter put in some 💪 work on this guzzler project earlier this summer. To find ways to volunteer with a chapter near you, head to the “Find a Local Chapter” link below. https://quailforever.org/Participate/Find-a-Chapter-en.aspx

Birds and Bucks flash auction, is live! Link below to bid now! This popular on-line auction is back and bigger than ever, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have secured some amazing hunts and experiences and they could be yours. Chances like winning a nonresident Iowa deer tag or a new Polaris Sportsman 570 don't come around very often but time is of the essence, get your bids in before July 25th to claim the prize of your dreams. https://pheasantsforeverquailforever.uplandfundraising.org/birdsandbucks3/Campaign/Details

Quail Forever is proud to announce the hiring of Lauren Stamm as a regional representative in the southwest United States. In her new role, Stamm will provide support for dedicated members and volunteers throughout Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, working closely with local chapters to improve public and private lands conservation efforts for quail and other wildlife. "As a recognized volunteer of Quail Forever in Nevada, Lauren brings an extensive background in effective communication with people from all backgrounds, cultures, and ages," said Jerry McDonald, Quail Forever’s field services manager. "She will be able to hit the ground running and effectively grow Quail Forever's presence in the Southwest. We're excited to have her join a dedicated team of professionals helping to restore native quail habitat alongside our incredible local chapters." Learn more about Lauren and her new position at the 🔗 link below.

"Over the better part of my lifetime I’ve watched this ridge change from open prairie to a few trees here and there to a veritable forest of eastern redcedars. The draws below, where I once could watch a dog run big, are now so choked with cedars that I can’t even make a path through them. The prairie chickens disappeared decades ago, buffeted by larger issues that continue to threaten their existence. The bobwhites hung on for a while, but eventually they too took their leave, and the whistle of a bob there now is as rare as the booming of a chicken was back then. Eventually I came to the realization that if I ever wanted to hear quail there again, and someday perhaps even the booming of a prairie chicken on the old lek atop the ridge, I had to do something about the scourge of cedar infestation... Enter the chainsaw." Read "The Oklahoma Chainsaw Massacre: Sawdust and Cedar Murder is Good for the Soul, and Quail" by QF Journal Editor Chad Love, at the link below https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/The-Oklahoma-Chainsaw-Massacre.aspx