Pheasant hunters and conservationists in South Dakota have formed the newest chapter of Pheasants Forever in the country. Officially named the Fort Randall Chapter of Pheasants Forever, the volunteer committee has plans to positively influence wildlife habitat in Douglas County while providing valuable outdoor educational experiences for area youth.
“We’re very excited to establish a new volunteer chapter in the heart of South Dakota’s pheasant country,” said Kendall Strand, treasurer of the Fort Randall Chapter of Pheasants Forever. “Douglas County has a long-standing tradition of upland hunting and a wide variety of landscapes which are conducive to growing ring-necked pheasants. We look forward to hosting a successful membership fundraiser this fall which will enable our chapter to preserve wildlife habitat, as well as these important traditions for future generations.”
Widely known as the world’s premier hunting destination for pheasants, establishment of the Fort Randall Chapter of Pheasants Forever follows positive news of mild weather conditions for the state’s ring-necked population throughout the 2014-2015 winter seasons. South Dakota had a “very mild winter,” according to Travis Runia, lead pheasant biologist for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Most of the state’s primary pheasant range, he said, received less than 20 inches of snow through mid-March, and seasonal spring rains have added moisture to a drought-stricken landscape – good news for nesting hen pheasants.
“Pheasants Forever chapters can play a pivotal role for the protection and prosperity of South Dakota, a fact that is not lost on volunteers of the Fort Randall chapter,” said Mike Stephenson, Pheasants Forever’s regional representative in South Dakota. “The Fort Randall Chapter of Pheasants Forever is an assembly of business owners and upland hunters who recognize the importance of pheasant hunting in their local communities. I look forward to working with these individuals to contribute lasting positive impacts in Douglas County.”
Pheasants Forever and state officials have taken steps in recent months to safeguard South Dakota’s world-class pheasant population. Following recommendations of the
Pheasant Habitat Work Group, the South Dakota Conservation Fund was established as a funding mechanism for habitat improvements throughout the state’s pheasant range. In addition, Pheasants Forever is now offering landowners in South Dakota a new conservation program – the
Honey Bee and Monarch Butterfly Partnership– designed specifically to create native wildflower and grassland plots that positively influence upland bird, bee and butterfly populations.
Fort Randall Chapter of Pheasants Forever
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The Fort Randall Chapter of Pheasants Forever has elected Tracy Hinckley of Armour as president, Kevin Leonard of Armour as habitat chair, Larry Wold of Armour as banquet chair, Chris Gerber of Armour as youth/education chair, and Kendall Strand of Armour as treasurer.
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For more information about the chapter or to become involved, please contact chapter president, Tracy Hinckley, at (605) 724-2888 /
email.
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The chapter will hold its next meeting on Monday, June 15, at 7:00 p.m. at Blue Moon Bar & Grill (708 2nd Street - Armour, SD 57313). Hunters and conservationists interested in joining the chapter as volunteers are encouraged to attend.
South Dakota’s 35 Pheasants Forever chapters account for over 6,000 members statewide. Those chapters have spent $4.9 million to complete 25,163 habitat projects since the first South Dakota chapter formed in Minnehaha County in 1985. Those projects have improved 380,000 acres for wildlife. For more information regarding Pheasants Forever in the state or to start a local chapter, contact Mike Stephenson, regional representative for Pheasants Forever at (605) 651-2716 /
email.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 140,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $508 million on 475,000 habitat projects benefiting 10 million acres nationwide.
Photo Credit: Roger Hill
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org