Archive for the ‘Pheasant Fest’ Category
Replicating Georgia Pellegrini’s Stuffed Pheasant
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
In keeping with our post-Pheasant Fest dinner theme this week, my wife and I replicated Georgia Pellegrini’s stuffed pheasant recipe in our humble kitchen. I found it interesting that both Georgia and Hank Shaw employed a meat mallet in both their Fest pheasant recipes, which happens to be a tool I’d never used prior to Monday night. In the end, we found the pounded pheasant meat to be very tender and juicy.
I believe you’ll find this recipe to be tasty, easy and a healthy preparation for any rooster meat you’ve still got in the freezer.
Stuffed Pheasant Breast Ingredients
Serves 4
4 pheasant breasts, deboned
10 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons finely diced shallots
4 celery stalks, peeled of outer strings and finely diced
1 cup white wine
8 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons dried currants
4 cloves garlic, diced
4 tablespoons bread crumbs
8 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan and sweat the shallots and celery over low heat, until translucent.
2. Add the white wine and reduce by half.
3. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, currants, garlic, bread crumbs, parsley,
and thyme.
4. Once the wine is reduced by half, stir the bread crumb mixture and cook until
it thickens and forms a paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set
aside.
5. Pound the pheasant breasts between two shetts of plastic wrap until thin.
6. Lay on a baking dish and distribute a lump of stuffing onto the breast meat and wrap the meat around the stuffing and tie to secure.
7. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the baking dish and place in the oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes, basting the top of the quail with
butter three times during the process.
8. Remove from the oven, and remove the twine and serve immediately.
For more wild game recipes from Georgia, please visit www.GeorgiaPellegrini.com
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
Hank Shaw’s Pheasant Wiener Schnitzel
Tuesday, February 19th, 2013
Hearty pheasant wiener schnitzel. Photo by Bob. St.Pierre / Pheasants Forever
Spending time with Hank Shaw was one of my personal highlights from last weekend’s Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Minneapolis. Hank is a genuinely good guy who cares deeply about turning wild game into phenomenally tasting food, and he’s motivated by converting wannabe chefs like me into masters of the frying pan within our own homes.
During a Friday afternoon television interview, Hank prepared Pheasant Wiener Schnitzel for the viewing audience. Since I’d just completed an interview immediately preceding his cooking demo, I was in a prime spot to taste-test his dish. Not only was it awesome, it was one of those bites that brings one back to a moment. For me, the bite brought me to Iowa’s Amana Colonies where I visited on a trip to see me brother during his PhD years at the University of Iowa. The restaurants of the Amana Colonies focus on hearty family-style dishes with lots of German influence.
Last night, I set out to accomplish Hank’s recipe on my own. What I can tell you is this dish is absolutely as easy as Hank promises. It’s also hearty and tasty to boot. I would reiterate Hank’s own message to make sure to squeeze a little lemon on the finished dish. The lemon’s sweet acidity is a must for unlocking the full flavor of Pheasant Wiener Schnitzel.
Visit Hank Shaw’s website for his full Pheasant Wiener Schnitzel recipe.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
My Pheasant Fest Agenda
Monday, February 11th, 2013
National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic plays to the weaknesses of upland hunters: dogs and shotguns, and not always in that order. PF File Photo
Pheasants Forever will celebrate its 30th anniversary beginning this Friday as part of National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Like most attendees, I’m going into this year’s event with my own personal search agenda complete with dogs, shotguns and friends from the past. Here’s a look at what my eyes will be focused on at the show.
1) L’Escarbot Kennels. With a last name like mine (St.Pierre), I have always been intrigued by the idea of owning a French Brittany (Epagneul Breton). At this year’s Fest, I’m going to make a point of stopping by Booth #1540 to visit with some Minnesotans who have made a name for themselves as America’s leaders in Epagneul Bretons.
2) 28 Gauge Side-by-Side. There must be some connection to growing older and gravitating toward smaller gauged shotguns. The last couple of weeks, I’ve been on an internet and sporting goods store search for my first side-by-side and 28 gauge. I’m looking forward to checking out what Browning (Booth #s 635 & 734), Beretta (Booth #s 447 & 534), Caesar Guerini (Booth #s 1034& 935), Connecticut Shotgun (Booth #1105,1204) and CZ (Booth #s 607, 609, 611, & 613) have on display for me to shoulder.
3) Georgia Pellegrini. One of my favorite books of the last year was Pellegrini’s Girl Hunter. Although, I’ve had the pleasure of talking with Georgia on the phone and during FAN Outdoors radio interviews, I’m looking forward to actually meeting her in person and taking in one of her cooking seminars on Saturday of the Fest (11AM, 1PM & 4PM).
4) Braque Francais. With more than 300 exhibitors, I don’t even know what I may or may not find on the Pheasant Fest show floor. The current Gun Dog magazine’s feature story on the Braque Francais has piqued my interest, so my eyes will be scanning the Bird Dog Parade and kennel booths in search of this rare breed. As a current German shorthair owner, these pups strike a stunning resemblance to my GSPs. #Intrigued!
5) Ruffed Grouse Society. When your mission is conservation, no group can succeed alone. In that spirit, I am excited to visit the RGS booth (#1140 & 1142) and renew my membership with this fine conservation partner. For you elk hunters, also be sure to check out the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s booth #1719 as well.
6) Friends. Without a doubt, the best part of Pheasant Fest is seeing the good people that share in the cause of conservation. From Wild Wings to Hecla’s Dakota Hunting Farms; Focus Outdoors Television to Scott Linden; High Fly’n Kennels to Berg Brothers Setters, Pine Shadows, Casey from Aberdeen and the list goes on; I am fortunate enough to call these folks my friends in conservation. See you all soon!
Now it’s your turn. What’s on your To Do list at this year’s Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic?
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre and listen to Bob and Billy Hildebrand every Saturday morning on FAN Outdoors radio on KFAN FM100.3.
Go-To Gear of the Pheasant Hunting Experts
Friday, February 1st, 2013
In my previous life in professional baseball, I worked with ballplayers who exhibited incredibly strong affinities to particular brands and models of gloves, bats or cleats. Some of those affiliations had to do with sponsorship (some with superstitions), but mostly those loyalties derived from success on the field. As I’ve written before, I continue to be amazed by the correlations between bird hunters and ballplayers. Another one of these parallels exists in pheasant hunters’ brand loyalty and that’s what my focus is today.
In my estimation, pheasant hunters are largely gear junkies and that gear, in priority of importance, revolves around: their favorite breed of bird dog, shotguns, boots, ammunition and hunting vests.
So today’s blog post surveys the nation’s most well-renowned bird hunters to poll their favorites in each of these five categories. My assumption as I send out this survey is that like baseball players, expert pheasant hunters have a wide array of affiliations and there likely won’t be too many common answers. Let’s find out.
To start, here are my favorites:
Bob St.Pierre, Vice President of Marketing at Pheasants Forever and Co-host of FAN Outdoors radio on KFAN
1) Bird Dog Breed: German shorthaired pointer
2) Shotgun: Beretta 686 Onyx 12 gauge over/under with skeet chokes in both barrels
3) Boots: Danner Santiam
4) Ammo: Federal Premium Ammo’s Upland Steel 12 gauge 3” 5 shot
5) Vest: Wing Works Upland Vest
***
Ron Schara, Host of The Flush presented by Pheasants Forever on Outdoor Channel
1) Bird Dog: Raven, the black Lab, whistle trained
2) Shotgun: Benelli Super Black Eagle or Benelli Vinci with Carlson choke tubes
3) Boots: Irish Setter
4) Ammo: Federal Ammo’s Prairie Storm 2-3/4” lead 5 shot
5) Vest: Still looking for a good one; need deep pockets for ammo; easy reach for bird carrying pouch
Bill Sherck, Co-Host of The Flush presented by Pheasants Forever on Outdoor Channel
1) Bird Dog: My love of hunting dogs is pretty basic. I want a dog that can find downed birds, always. That’s A-1 in my book.
2) Shotgun: I have a 1929 LeFever Nitro Special 20 gauge that became a best friend of sorts. It is, by far, my ugliest, most beat up shotgun, but I shoot it well and I love the history. Serious patina.
3) Boots: Irish Setter 894s, Irish Setter 894s, Irish Setter 894s….
4) Ammo: Federal Prairie Storm is over the top! I absolutely love the stuff. No wounded birds, only kills (when I don’t miss!).
5) Vest: I’ve become a fan of mountain tech vests. I have an old Mother’s lightweight I still use a lot. A Buck’s is my next big investment.
Scott Linden, Host of Wingshooting USA Television
1) Bird Dog: German wirehaired pointer . . . is there any other breed?
2) Shotgun: Webley & Scott Model 2000 in 20 gauge
3) Boots: Meindl Perfekt from Cabela’s
4) Ammo: Depends upon the situation: Kent Cartridge Fast Lead or Fiocchi Golden Pheasant
5) Vest: Filson Mesh Vest
Hank Shaw, Author of Hunt, Gather, Cook and speaker at National Pheasant Fest
1) Bird Dog: Pudelpointer
2) Shotgun: Franchi Velochi 20 gauge
3) Boots: Asolo
4) Ammo: Federal Prairie Storm #5s
5) Vest: Filson
Lee & Tiffany Lakosky, Hosts of The Crush on Outdoor Channel
1) Bird Dog: Black Labrador retriever
2) Shotgun: Tiffany shoots a 12 gauge Beretta Silver Pigeon and Lee shoots a 12 gauge Franchi Instinct
3) Boots: Under Armour Ridge Reaper early season & Under Armour HAW’s late season
4) Ammo: Federal Prairie Storm
5) Vest: Badlands Pheasant Pack
Tom Dokken, Professional dog trainer and speaker at National Pheasant Fest
1) Bird Dog: Labrador retriever . . . or any dog that loves to hunt.
2) Shotgun: Browning Citori 20 Gauge
3) Boots: Danner Fowlers
4) Ammo: Federal Prairie Storm 20 gauge 3” 6 shot
5) Vest: J.L. Powell, waxed cotton
Nancy Anisfield, Professional photographer, Pheasants Forever National Board member and PF blogger
1) Bird Dog: German shorthaired pointer
2) Shotgun: Caesar Guerini 28-gauge Magnus Light
3) Boots: Danner Pronghorn
4) Ammo: Polywad Gram Crak-R and Spred-R 28-gauge
5) Vest: Browning Bird ‘n Lite Strap Vest
Billy Hildebrand, Host of FAN Outdoors Radio on KFAN
1) Bird Dog: American Brittany
2) Shotgun: Beretta 686 Onyx Over/Under 12 gauge
3) Boots: Danner Pronghorns
4) Ammo: Federal Upland Steel 3s or 5s
5) Vest: Browning Bird ‘n Lite Jacket
Note 1: Billy also prefers SportDOG Upland 1850, Chevy Z71, Folgers Coffee and “special” sandwiches.
Note 2: Billy’s hunting partners do not like his “special” sandwiches!
Justin Larson, Outdoors Media Specialist for the nation’s pheasant capital, SOUTH DAKOTA
1) Bird Dog: Prefers Labs, but doesn’t own his own at the moment
2) Shotgun: Winchester SX3
3) Boots: Muck Boots
4) Ammo: Federal Prairie Storm
5) Vest: Browning Bird ‘n Lite
Mark Herwig, Editor of Pheasants Forever’s Journal of Upland Conservation
1) Bird Dog: Springer spaniel
2) Shotgun: Beretta 391
3) Boots: Danner Uplander
4) Ammo: Federal 12 gauge 5 shot Pheasants Forever loads
5) Vest: A Pheasants Forever strap vest
Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor
1) Bird Dog: English cocker spaniel . . . and I wouldn’t mind another
2) Shotgun: Remington 870 Wingmaster, in the market for my first O/U
3) Boots: Irish Setter Havoc when it’s dry, Muck Boots when it’s not
4) Ammo: Federal Premium Upland Steel #4s . . . served “chilled”
5) Vest: Browning Bird ‘n Lite Strap Vest
Steve Ries, Owner of Top Gun Kennels
6) Bird Dog: German shorthaired pointers
7) Shotgun: Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon over/under 20 gauge
8) Boots: Irish Setter Upland DSS Gore-Tex hunting boots
9) Ammo: Winchester
10) Vest: Gander Mountain Guide Series Hunting Strap Vest
Chad Hines, Owner of Willow Creek Kennels
1) Bird Dog: German shorthaired pointer
2) Shotgun: Beretta 686 Onyx over/under 20 gauge
3) Boots: Merrill Moab Hiking boots – I use these for almost all hunting.
4) Ammo: Federal’s Black Cloud
5) Vest: Bird ‘n Light Vest
Matt Kucharski, Pheasants Forever National Board Member
1) Bird Dog: A tandem of German Shorthair Pointer and Labrador, trained to honor each other of course!
2) Shotgun: Ruger Red Label 20 gauge early season, 12 gauge late season. Skeet and IC chokes early season, IC and modified chokes late. Sadly, they’re not making them anymore.
3) Boots: Red Wing Irish Setter (short uppers) early season and Meindl Scotland GTX (or similar) late season
4) Ammo: Federal Upland Steel 4 shot. 3 inch in the 20. 2 ¾ in the 12.
5) Vest: Filson mesh strap vest for short walks, Bird ‘n Lite strap vest if I’m in the field all day or carrying Bob’s birds.
Jeff Fuller, host of Sporting Dog Adventures
1) Bird Dog: Labrador Retriever
2) Shotgun: Benelli
3) Boots: Danner Pronghorn
4) Ammo: HEVI-Shot Upland
5) Vest: Browning vest
Now it’s your turn. What are your favorites?
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre and listen to Bob and Billy Hildebrand every Saturday morning on FAN Outdoors radio on KFAN FM100.3.
Saving a Classic Shotgun
Thursday, December 6th, 2012
Should you decide to restore your old trusty firearm or even enhance it, there are options.
Imagine it is 1961, 51 years ago. It is early evening, the dog is still wet and you and your hunting buddies are sitting around the wood stove. You put up your gear, including the guns, to dry off. The stories of the day’s success and good natured ribbing fill the air around you. Then suddenly, the stock on your favorite firearm catches fire!
I’m not sure how my Parker 16 received the burn down the stock, but regardless, my real question is how to fix it? This begs the age old question of whether to restore a classic firearm or leave it in original condition? This same question pertains to classic cars, homes or any antique. In doing the research for this article, I can tell you the question will rage on for years.
Should you decide to restore your old trusty firearm or even enhance it, there are options. Here at Pheasants Forever we have had the pleasure to work with one of the best restorers, Doug Turnbull of Turnbull Manufacturing Co. out of Bloomfield, New York. Doug has specialized in faithful and accurate restoration of vintage firearms, as well as custom work and upgrades, for over 30 years. In those 30 years Turnbull Mfg. has repaired or restored over 25,000 firearms!
The restoration and enhancement of this shotgun was exciting, but what really excited me about this project was how it was going to be accomplished. For one, Turnbull Mfg. uses the same process and techniques used by the original makers to bring these vintage firearms back to original factory condition. All checkering and engraving is done by hand, stocks are carved to exact factory dimensions, case coloring and bluing is deep and lustrous.
When he works, Doug likes to imagine that the original old world craftsmen are smiling down upon him and his crew. “The craftsmen at Turnbull Mfg. are dedicated to continuing the great gun making tradition in this country. We hope the original gun makers would be proud to see the care and attention to detail that we put into every restoration.”
Do It Yourself
One option to hiring a company to restore your firearm is to do it yourself. Start with an Internet search, where there is plenty of information. Many of the supplies you need can be found at your local woodworking store or, better yet, from PF supporters Brownell’s or Midway USA.
I chose to keep my Parker in its original condition. Every time I carry it to the field, I think of a new way that the old burn mark came to be on my gun. Perhaps someday I’ll find the answer.
In the meantime, please be sure to attend National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2013 to see Turnbull’s latest restoration and enhancement of an A.H. Fox 16-gauge.
The Pheasant Fest blog is written by Brad Heidel, Pheasants Forever’s Director of Corporate and Special Event Sales. Look for Brad’s column, “The Gun Shop,” in the Pheasants Forever Journal.
Pheasants Forever, “The Friends with Benefits Organization”
Monday, September 24th, 2012
Membership in Pheasants Forever will introduce you to new people, good people. Some will even become your friends, help you train your dog, and show you a new hunting spot as evidenced by Mark Haslup (left) and Tom Poorker (right).
I was struggling. It was Sunday morning and I was on the second day of a fruitless grouse hunting/scouting excursion intended to produce some new spots. You see, I’ve been hunting my exact same haunts the last five years and “my” aspen stands were starting to age out of their grousey prime. So, I’d set off east and north of my normal destinations in search of new coverts.
I spent Saturday pounding decent looking grouse woods with very little flushes. And the one layup shot presented to me clanked off the backboard with a horribly makeable miss.
Truth be told, I was really struggling with two nagging thoughts in my mind. First, it was my first solo exploring expedition with two dogs, so I was very nervous about losing my 6-month old pup in the woods. Second, I was nervous about getting lost myself. Despite my GPS lock on my truck’s location, I had trouble diving into the grouse woods with abandon. Fortunately, hope was just around the corner.
Around 11AM on Sunday, I rounded the corner of a state forest gravel road and passed two trucks on my right. To my surprise, I recognized the two faces under the blaze orange hats. If you’ve attended Pheasant Fest or Game Fair in the last ten years, then you’d probably have recognized both of them too. They were Tom Poorker and Mark Haslup from Focus Outdoors Television and Midwest GunDog Kennels.
After commenting on the serendipity of their coming out of the woods at the exact moment I drove by, I shared with them my frustration of learning a new grouse woods. That’s when my luck turned around. Although, they’d both been set to finish their hunting for the day with dog training obligations waiting at Midwest GunDog Kennels, they offered to show me a spot in their home woods. They even went so far as to insist on my two pups being the only dogs in the woods as their bird dogs had already completed their work for the morning.
Needless to say, we found grouse and woodcock in the woods where these two veteran hunters aimed our trio. In fact, Mark bagged a nice opening weekend timberdoodle that my young pup was able to deliver to his hand, and Tom brought down a beautiful ruff with a dandy shot. However, I earned the trophy of the morning’s walk with renewed confidence.
After sharing a few laughs over our impromptu hunting trip and thanking them for their generosity, I went north in search of some spots of my own. And I finally started to find what I was looking for in the woods. In fact, in one particular alder/aspen mix, I elected to hunt my 6-month old shorthair solo for the first time and she produced three neatly pointed woodcock, quickly earning me a day’s limit.
Izzy’s first limit of Minnesota timberdoodles
To me, the moral of the story is that membership in Pheasants Forever definitely delivers more habitat on the ground – we’ve got 8.5 million acres of proof of that fact – however, membership in Pheasants Forever also creates friendships. Whether you’re a chapter officer, banquet goer or Pheasant Fest attendee, your involvement in Pheasants Forever will introduce you to new people, good people. Some will even become your friends, help you train your dog, and show you a new hunting spot.
To Mark & Tom: Thanks a bunch for a great experience! It truly meant a lot to me for you to take the time out of your plans to give me a little nudge in the right direction.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
Grapefruit Honey Pheasant: Do Not Try This at Home
Wednesday, September 12th, 2012
The early stages of grapefruit honey pheasant
A Pheasants Forever chapter volunteer from Minnesota recently flattered me complimenting this blog, and in particular, my writing focused on wild game cooking. This gentleman even suggested I consider giving a few presentations on the Cooking Stage at National Pheasant Fest.
Shortly after that compliment, I dug out a plucked pheasant from the basement chest freezer and was inspired to create Grapefruit Honey Pheasant. To my thinking, honey, with its sweetness and caramelizing nature, was a safe bet to start the recipe. And without the natural complimentary ingredient of oranges in our fridge, I grabbed for its citrus cousin, a grapefruit. That’s where I made a “bitter” mistake. While the photos may mislead you to believe I’ve accomplished a new pheasant dining masterpiece, I’ll warn you not to try this recipe at home. The bitter citrus of the grapefruit simply did not marry well with the honey’s sweetness. While Meredith and I were able to finish the meal without a pizza delivery necessary, I wouldn’t recommend replicating this experiment in your own roaster.
Applying the honey
In the end, my Grapefruit Honey Pheasant proved to me, my wife and my bird dogs that my cooking skills are still elementary at best and certainly not ready for stage time exposure. That’s okay. Wild game cooking, er . . . experimenting, is one of my favorite aspects of the hunting cycle. Conservation leads to wildlife habitat, wildlife habitat leads to better hunting, good bird dogs and straight shooting put more meat in the freezer, and a little experimenting in the kitchen leads to good wild game eating . . . most of the time.
So, I know I’m not the only amateur chef to bomb in the kitchen. What’s your own “best” wild game recipe flop?
Looks better than it tastes
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
Game Fair Means Bird Hunting is Around the Corner
Wednesday, August 8th, 2012
Jeff Stalberger and “Ernie” have stopped by the PF booth the last couple of years to renew their membership with Pheasants Forever
The Masters may have coined the slogan, “a tradition unlike any other,” but for bird hunters like me, the slogan also rings true when I think about Game Fair. Born in 1982, just like Pheasants Forever, Game Fair kicks off this Friday morning on the 80-acre Armstrong Ranch Kennels in Ramsey, Minnesota. If you’re a fan of bird hunting, bird dogs, scatterguns and conservation, then it’s a “can’t miss” event. Pheasants Forever will be there in force. Here are some of our featured efforts:
First 300 people to join Pheasants Forever at Game Fair will receive this limited edition blaze orange Minnesota Wild hat. ONLY 300 REMAIN AVAILABLE
Pheasants Forever Membership Drive
Thanks to our partnership with Gander Mountain and the Minnesota Wild, we have 300 limited edition blaze orange hats remaining from last year’s Penguins/Wild battle on October 18, 2011. The first 300 folks that sign up as members of Pheasants Forever at Game Fair will receive one of these special blaze orange Minnesota Wild hats and a Pheasants Forever dog collar. Stop by the Anoka County Chapter of Pheasants Forever booth (just inside the main gates) or the Pheasants Forever National booth (on Pheasants Forever Hill) to take advantage of this special offer LIMITED TO THE FIRST 300 ONLY.
The 2012 Build a Wildlife Area Campaign
Game Fair, Outdoor News and Pheasants Forever got together in 2003 to conceptualize the Build a Wildlife Area concept. Federal Premium Ammunition, Apple Auto Group, Gander Mountain and KFAN radio have also been supporters of the program from its beginnings. Through this unique campaign, all donations are matched at least three times by grants from the Minnesota DNR and/or U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. In other words, every $1 donation automatically turns into $3 and every $1,000 donation turns into $3,000 toward the purchase of a brand new Minnesota wildlife management area open to public hunting. In the campaign’s nine years of existence, it’s led to the creation of 11 new Minnesota WMAs covering 3,345 acres now open to public hunting. To participate in the 2012 campaign, please stop by the Anoka County Chapter of Pheasants Forever’s booth to purchase raffle tickets on a new CZ Wingshooter Deluxe 12 gauge over/under shotgun. Proceeds from the Anoka PF Chapter’s raffle go directly to the campaign. In fact, Anoka PF’s raffle has been the largest single source of Build a Wildlife Area fundraising dollars during the campaign’s run; an amount approaching $100,000 in total. Build a Wildlife Area donations are also accepted at the Pheasants Forever National booth and online.
Supporters of the very first Build a Wildlife Area dedication at the Mud Lake WMA in Morrison County, Minnesota
Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic
We’ll also be distributing 1,500 complimentary daily admission passes to National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic (the coupon is a $10 value!) at the Pheasants Forever National booth during the course of Game Fair. This year’s National Pheasant Fest is being held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on February 15, 16, & 17th in conjunction with the organization’s 30th Anniversary Celebration.
SportDOG eCollar Giveaway
In addition to a great Pheasants Forever membership offer and exclusive Pheasants Forever gear for sale in the booth, we’ll have a register-to-win contest that will award one lucky new member each weekend with a brand new eCollar from our partners at SportDOG.
Donna Schaver and “Rudy” joined Pheasants Forever at Game Fair in 2010
Tree Cookies for Kids
Pheasants Forever volunteers from across the Twin Cities will also be inviting youngsters into the PF National booth to participate in making pheasant necklaces out of tree cookies.
Young and old, male or female, if you’re a bird hunter and/or lover of bird dogs, then Game Fair is a can’t miss event for you the next two weekends:
Dates: August 10, 11, & 12 / 17, 18 & 19.
Hours: 9AM to 6PM on Fridays & Saturdays, 9AM to 5PM on Sundays.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
USDA Secretary Vilsack Targets Improvements to CRP
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012
The USDA's new Highly Erodible Lands CRP Initiative will help prevent dust storms like this one in Kansas
Last Saturday evening before a sold-out crowd at the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic banquet in Kansas City, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in a video message that the USDA will soon be rolling out important news about the Conservation Reserve Program. In addition to the upcoming general CRP signup announced earlier this month, the USDA intends to specifically target very environmentally sensitive and highly erodible lands in an effort to encourage their enrollment as part of the ongoing continuous CRP.
This should be welcome news to bird hunters everywhere as we’ve watched massive declines in CRP acreage, especially throughout the northern Great Plains states. Hopefully, this is the first in several actions desperately needed to shore up a struggling Conservation Reserve Program; the result of record land and commodity prices.
In addition to this latest USDA announcement, Pheasants Forever is calling on the USDA for the following actions:
- Updated and more competitive CRP soil rentals rates.
- Reallocations of wildlife-focused CRP practices like CP-33’s for quail, CP-37’s for waterfowl, and CP-38’s for pheasants and other critters. In other words, reallocations move un-enrolled acres to states that have maxed out their current allotment.
- New pollinator provisions concurrently strengthen CRP’s wildlife and farm economy benefits. Pheasants and quail share a common need for habitat featuring a diverse forb (flowering plant) component with pollinating insects like honey bees, butterflies, beetles, and bats. Following a pheasant or quail nest’s hatch, young chicks survive almost exclusively on a diet of insects. These insects critical to a gamebird’s life cycle are also dependent upon a diverse mix of forbs. Likewise, these flowering plants create fantastic brood cover allowing chicks to move through habitat at ground level, while having protection from avian predators in the sky.
Mother Nature has been helping upland wildlife with a mild winter thus far, but unless we shore up the critical habitat the CRP provides, it will continue to disappear from the landscape and our favorite birds’ futures will continue to look grim indeed.
The D.C. Minute is written by Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Government Relations.
VIDEO: The Bird Dog Parade at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2012
Friday, February 17th, 2012
Video courtesy of the Kansas City Star
Bird Dog Parade at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic in Kansas City
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