Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever has appointed David Gutierrez, a dedicated upland hunter and outdoor enthusiast, to serve as the organization’s Western Regional Representative. In this role, Gutierrez will provide support for volunteers and partners in Arizona, California, Nevada and New Mexico – currently home to five Pheasants Forever chapters, 10 Quail Forever chapters and more than 2,600 members – as they focus on public and private lands habitat conservation efforts for pheasants, quail and other wildlife.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever empower county and local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent - the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. As a result, chapter volunteers can see the fruits of their efforts locally, while belonging to a larger national organization with a voice on federal and state conservation policy. Gutierrez will help guide local chapters to achieve the organization’s mission, while also fostering stronger partnerships with state agencies, corporate supporters, donors, and upland hunters.
“Opportunities abound in upland landscapes of the West for largescale habitat conservation projects, local chapter starts, increased membership and bigger, more meaningful partnerships,” stated Tom Fuller, Field Service Director for Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever. “I’m confident that David will tackle all of these exciting opportunities while bringing us in new and exciting directions. Additionally, the organization is lucky to be able to employ this former servicemember whose talents will help PF/QF reach new audiences.”
Gutierrez was born and raised in Pella, Iowa, where he gained an early appreciation for the outdoors while fishing farm ponds and local lakes. After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Spanish from Hope College in 2004, Gutierrez enlisted in the military, where he served for more than a decade as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets). Following his military career, Gutierrez worked as a Department of Defense contractor, and most recently earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan.
Gutierrez was introduced to hunting in 2016, by way of his childhood best friend. He spent that first fall chasing whitetail deer on farmland near his hometown. In 2017, Gutierrez bought his first bird dog—a Vizsla name Murphy— and has been chasing upland game birds ever since.
“Upland hunting has become an important part of my post-military life—it’s given me a sense of community,” said Gutierrez. “I’m honored by the opportunity to work alongside and serve the Quail Forever chapters in the Southwest United States, and to both continue and expand the local and regional Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever conservation initiatives.”
In addition to upland hunting, Gutierrez spends his free time reading, writing, camping, and pursuing the elusive one-arm handstand. He will work from his home office near Phoenix, Arizona, where he lives with his dog. For more information about Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever in western locales, contact David Gutierrez at (910) 884-6616 /
DGutierrez@PheasantsForever.Org.
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 138,000 members and 760 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent over $900 million on 550,000 habitat projects benefiting 19 million acres nationwide. In fact, more than 200,000 of those acres are now permanently protected as public lands.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org