We all have to start somewhere, and the first step to better shooting (whether on feathered our clay birds) is understanding a shotgun and how it works. Read "How Shotguns Work" by PF & QF Web Developer and resident shotgun expert Rachel Hoveland, at the link below. https://bit.ly/3q1gqyi

New cover photo time! This one seemed fitting given we are all seeing chicks on the landscape. 📸: Quail Forever Journal Editor Chad Love

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