You don’t want to miss this! Join us for our first-ever Concert for Conservation, featuring Trampled by Turtles LIVE at Washington Pavilion on Thursday, February 29 in Sioux Falls! Presented by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, in partnership with Pepper Entertainment. Sponsored by Leinenkugel’s and kicking off weekend festivities ahead of National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic at the Denny Sanford Premier Center, all concert proceeds will benefit PF & QF’s upland habitat conservation mission. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, October 6th. Learn more about the show at www.PheasantsForever.org/trampledbyturtles Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, Pepper Entertainment, Trampled by Turtles, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.

PF & QF applaud Congress for sending the “Protecting Hunting Heritage & Education Act” to President Biden for his signature. The bill clarifies that the Dept. of Education’s ban on using federal funds for weapons training programs DOES NOT apply to hunter education, archery in schools, school-sponsored shooting teams, and other outdoor programs. The bill passed both the U.S. House & Senate in less than 24 hours with only one negative vote, a sign of widespread support for youth enrichment programs helping create and shape the next generation of hunter-conservationists.

LAST CHANCE to become a Public Land Creator and receive a FREE 10oz. Yeti Lowball when you donate $33 or more for healthy habitat and public access. Link below! Quailforever.org/bawa There has never been a better time to support permanent habitat protection and public access. In celebration of our annual Build a Wildlife Area Week, a generous anonymous donor has provided a matching gift of $150,000! Combined with our ability to leverage strategic partnerships and grant funding, this means every $1 you donate is amplified into $20 that will be used to permanently protect critical habitat and open it up to public hunting and recreation. What is the Build a Wildlife Area Program? Build A Wildlife Area is Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s permanent habitat protection program delivering strategic, fee-title acquisitions to conserve habitat and increase public hunting access. The program strives to create functional landscapes that support wild, sustainable populations of upland birds and other wildlife, while providing natural resources and community benefits

The Heart of the Build a Wildlife Area program, like so much of Pheasants Forever’s mission, lies in grassroots support. As Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever celebrate Build a Wildlife Area week, the organization would like to highlight Nicole Stengle, who has recently championed this grassroots model with a $150,000 donation to the Frozen Man Creek Game Production Area in central South Dakota. The Frozen Man Creek Game Production Area Addition is a 560-acre permanent protection project that builds upon an already extensive corridor of habitat in Stanley County, South Dakota. The property sits west of the state capital of Pierre, and is home to pheasants, sharp-tail grouse and deer. Last week, Pheasants Forever sat down with Stengle to talk about her history with the outdoors and her motivation to make this contribution. Read about the interview at the link below.

On The Wing Podcast Ep. 232: The Story Behind the New Howard K. Vincent Public Wildlife areas, is live. Link in the comments to listen now, or wherever you get your podcasts. In celebration of Build a Wildlife Area week, host Bob St.Pierre visits with three people instrumental in the creation of the new 195.5-acre Howard K. Vincent Waterfowl Production Area honoring PF & QF’s recently retired president and chief executive officer. The group in this conversation includes President of the Spirit Lake Protective Association John Smeltzer, Iowa Great Lakes Pheasants Forever Chapter volunteer Mary Jo Rapp, and PF & QF’s Minnesota State Coordinator Tanner Bruse. Episode Highlights: - Rapp explains how this project fulfills her local PF chapter memberships’ interest in improving habitat on public lands in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. - Smeltzer, a retired biologist with the Colorado Department of Parks & Wildlife, explains his passion for Spirit Lake’s water quality where he has made his retirement home and how that water quality focus also dovetails with his passion for hunting upland birds. - And the group of Labrador-loving guests have some fun ribbing St.Pierre for being the only pointer guy on this podcast. Learn more about PF & QF’s Build a Wildlife Area program at quailforever.org/bawa

Pheasants Forever’s model empowers chapters across pheasant country to turn their dollars into forever habitat for wildlife … and permanent access for hunters. Here is how it’s done. Read "Anatomy of a Land Acquisition" at the link: https://www.pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Anatomy-of-a-Land-Acquisition.aspx To become a Public Land Creator donate to our Build a Wildlife Area Program and receive your FREE Yeti Lowball at the link: quailforever.org/bawa

As part of our ongoing Build a Wildlife Area Week stories of success and opportunities for support, we’re excited to announce a new project taking place in Stanley County, South Dakota! Located half an hour west of Pierre, the 560-acre John Stengle Tract will be the newest addition to the Frozen Man Creek Game Production Area complex. It is comprised entirely of grassland habitat and is home to pheasants, prairie grouse, mule deer, antelope, pollinators, and other wildlife. This project is named after the late John Stengle, an avid upland hunter, outdoor enthusiast and champion of public lands and public access. A generous donation was made by John’s family as a way to honor John, protect habitat, wildlife, and ensure public access opportunities for generations of families to enjoy in the future. To donate to our Build a Wildlife Area program for more projects like this, head to the link below. Pheasantsforever.org/BAWA

"Access is a huge barrier for new hunters. And even established hunters can find it difficult to venture beyond their usual haunts. How does one magically create more hunting land open to the public? Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever recognize this need, and we are doing something about it with our Build a Wildlife Area® program." Read the entire article "PROVIDING FOR BIRDS AND HUNTERS ALIKE," by PF & QF Hunting Heritage Program Manager Ashley Chance at the 🔗 Link below. https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Providing-for-Birds-and-Hunters-Alike.aspx