Quail Forever’s 2023/2024 Farmer of the Year Award, sponsored by @johndeere , is presented to Jason Cater of Monticello, Arkansas. The annual award recognizes the innovative use of precision ag technology and utilization of data to identify profitable solutions for agriculture and wildlife on working lands throughout America. A native of southeast Arkansas, Cater and his family run a successful row crop and cattle operation, balancing productive agriculture with extensive wildlife habitat development. Several years ago, he obtained a new parcel of property for his operation, which he recognized held negligible agricultural value, but tremendous conservation opportunity. Starting with a total of 644 acres, he split the property in half — creating 322 acres of quail and pollinator habitat. “As we’ve been able to acquire more property, we’re putting more and more emphasis on how to do better with conservation practices,” Cater said. “Whether it’s on the cattle side of things, the row crops, or our pollinator plantings. We’re always looking for ways to improve the soil, species diversity, as well as the habitat for all the wildlife we have here.” Watch the full QF Farmer of the Year film at the link in our bio. #farming4habitat #quailforever #quail #farming #farm #habitat #wildlifehabitat #conservation
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National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic came to the Sioux Falls community during the first weekend of March 2024. Before the festivities began, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever team members spent a day at Harrisburg High School, just outside of Sioux Falls, helping over 200 students learn about potential career pathways in the world of wildlife conservation. “We want to help students learn about the wide variety of job opportunities, beyond being a biologist or conservation officer,” said Levi Day, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s conservation leadership programs manager. “Introducing students to our Journey to Conservation Careers program is a great way to get started in this field.” The Journey to Conservation Careers program was developed in partnership between Pheasants Forever, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bellevue University. This self-paced, online program features lessons around biology, ecology and upland habitat. Additionally, students will learn about the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, the Pittman Robertson Act and the role Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever play in conservation. To learn more about this event or get information on the Journey to Conservation Careers program, head to the link below. https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Exploring-Careers-in-Conservation-at-Harrisburg-High-School.aspx
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Attention landowners! The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is now open and application ends Friday March 29th! CRP is a great opportunity for those hard-to-farm acres. It also helps improve a farm’s profitability, delivers high quality wildlife habitat, cleaner water, and healthier soils. The CRP general sign up is going on right now through March 29th. Find a local Pheasants Forever biologist at the link in our bio or visit your local USDA service center. FARM THE BEST, CRP THE REST! #quailforever #wildlifehabitat #farming #crp
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Quail Fact Friday!💡 While many hunters and landowners know the benefits of prescribed fire, many are nervous that fires will also kill wildlife. The timing of a controlled burn is very important, but wildlife is also better at escaping fire than many realize. Animals like deer, turkeys, doves, and bobwhite quail can run or fly away from the flames. Squirrels can climb trees and let flames pass underneath. Pollinators and other insects can fly ahead of the fire or into tree canopies. In the southeast, the gopher tortoise plays a key role in helping small animals escape fire. Their burrows provide sanctuaries where animals can escape heat and flames. #quailforever #quail #quailfactfriday #prescribedfire
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For the first time since being extirpated from their natural range in the mid-2000s, wild bobwhite quail were reintroduced in Pennsylvania this week. Roughly 100 wild quail, captured from multiple locations across the eastern U.S., were released at the Letterkenny Army Depot in Franklin County. The release is part of a years long effort to improve bobwhite habitat at the Letterkenny Depot and bring back the iconic bird — which once flourished in The Keystone State. Quail habitat restoration began at The Letterkenny Army Depot in 2017. Since then, roughly 2,600 acres have been restored or improved. Quail Forever Habitat Specialists were responsible for much of the on-the-ground restoration work over the past several years, along with help from Letterkenny staff, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and countless volunteers. Donations to the project were made possible in part by the Cumberland Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever, including the purchase of a 12-foot offset disc used in establishing early-successional habitat. To learn more about the wild northern bobwhite reintroduction in Pennsylvania head to the link in our bio. #quailforever #quail #bobwhite #bobwhitequail

This year, for the first time, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever recognized a national “Volunteer of the Year.” The award celebrates the very best the organization has to offer — the members and volunteers who optimize the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever mission, who seek to protect and grow our wildlife habitat, and who help ensure our heritage continues for generations to come. During National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic on March 1-3, Nobles County standout Scott Rall became the first ever Pheasants Forever National Volunteer of the Year. Rall is in his 39th year with the Habitat Organization. His initiation into the uplands began with Pheasants Forever and has grown into a lifelong passion. A voracious pheasant hunter, Rall also generously lends his time and expertise to others looking to get involved. Over the years, Rall has helped spearhead over 45 public land acquisitions across Minnesota, adding thousands of acres for hunters new and old to roam. Rall is bold and outspoken. When he walks in a room you know he’s there — and what better person to have speaking on behalf of conservation. His life seems inundated by the uplands, from the way he dresses to the wall packed with habitat awards at his office. The weekend of Pheasant Fest was filled with handshakes and congratulations, but rather than seeing this award as the capstone of four decades of hard work, Rall talked about the future — what he wants his chapter to accomplish in the years to come and how to make an even bigger impact. And just to double down on his forward-thinking mentality, Rall capped off the weekend by proposing to his longtime girlfriend Joan Holles. Learn more about Scott and his incredible work as a volunteer at the link below. https://www.pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Pheasants-Forever-National-Volunteer-of-the-Year.aspx
This year, for the first time, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever recognized a national “Volunteer of the Year.” The award celebrates the very best the organization has to offer — the members and volunteers who optimize the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever mission, who seek to protect and grow our wildlife habitat, and who help ensure our heritage continues for generations to come. During National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic on March 1-3, Maryland native Eddie Beck became the first ever Quail Forever National Volunteer of the Year. In Beck’s tenure of less than three years, The Chesapeake Bay Chapter of Quail Forever has grown exponentially, as has banquet attendance and the amount of money raised for local habitat. The chapter is contributing to two Farm Bill biologist positions (MD & DE) and were recently able to provide $20,000 in native seed to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for the establishment of a new Wildlife Management Area in the quail focus region. Eddie’s love for the outdoors and his incredible success in bringing people together for a common goal, making him the ideal candidate for this award. Read more about Eddies outstanding work as a volunteer at the link below. https://quailforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Quail-Forever/Quail-Forever-National-Volunteer-of-the-Year.aspx
“In the world of quail, bird dogs and horses there are few, if any, that can match the prestige and celebrity of Delmar Smith. Generations of trainers, bird dogs and enthusiasts from across the globe have attended his legendary seminars. Delmar’s legacy has been well-documented by renowned journalists, photographers and novelists alike. It is my belief that Delmar is the greatest dogman ever to walk this earth. He is my hero. While the proverbial saying warns us to never meet our heroes, it is indisputable that Delmar is the exception. My time with Delmar has been filled with lessons on raising a bird dog, but also full of fun. Delmar speaks in a version of Oklahoma Sanskrit: a way of distilling problems into simple folksy messages. For instance, he will say, “You ready, got your tail up, waiting on go?” … which is his way of asking me if I am excited for the day ahead of us. At 97 and in good health, he wakes up ready to take on the adventures of every new day with a positive attitude and stories to tell. I hope life gives me plenty more chances to turn dogs loose with Delmar, to watch and listen to his sage advice, and learn the ways of a dogman. Delmar is my hero.” To read the entire story “It’s Okay to Meet Your Heros” by PF & QF National Board Member Douglas Spale, head to the link below. https://quailforever.org/delmarsmith
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