Pheasants Forever volunteer chapters throughout America are being honored this week for their mission-driven accomplishments over the past year in the categories of habitat work, membership, education and outreach, and conservation advocacy. These attributes are what propel the organization’s conservation accomplishments from year-to-year, now accounting for more than 22 million acres since 1982.
2021 saw continued challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but local chapters persevered through difficult conditions to ensure the success of Pheasants Forever’s mission. Each category below represents a pillar of Pheasants Forever, and each chapter recognized has gone above and beyond to strengthen the core mission of The Habitat Organization.
National Chapter of the Year - Habitat Award
Central Montana Chapter of Pheasants Forever (Montana)
For more than two decades, the Central Montana Chapter of Pheasants Forever has been a pioneer in land acquisitions. Their volunteer effort led the way for the 1,000-acre Wolf Creek and 800-acre Coffee Creek land acquisitions, and they continue to manage both properties today. In 2021, chapter volunteers reported 92 projects and 660-acres improved in their local region. Some of their habitat accomplishments since purchasing Wolf Creek and Coffee Creek include:
- - Enhancement program: The chapter enrolled in Montana Fish, Wildlife and Park’s Game Bird Habitat Enhancement Program. Through this initiative, landowners reap the rewards of cost-share when they improve their land and make it more inviting for upland game birds. Central Montana Pheasants Forever has taken part in five contracts through the program, which has amounted to a $58,000 investment in these public properties.
- - Shelterbelt plantings: The chapter has planted over 38 acres of shelterbelt habitat, in addition to 45 acres of food plots.
- - CRP renovation: The chapter has renovated 40-foot-wide strips throughout the CRP fields on the properties by adding alfalfa and yellow sweet clover to their seed mix for nesting and brood-rearing outcomes.
National Chapter of the Year – Membership Award
Dubuqueland Chapter of Pheasants Forever (Iowa)
The Dubuqueland chapter of Pheasants forever paved the way for pandemic fundraising in 2020 by hosting the first ever drive-through banquet. The event drew over 300 Pheasants Forever members, and the effort was so successful the chapter held a second drive-through banquet later that year. The overwhelming success of these banquets helped Dubuqueland focus on their number one priority: land acquisition for public hunting. They’ve been incredibly successful with this goal in 2021. Here are a few of the chapter’s land acquisition highlights from this year.
- - Hale Wildlife Area: One of their recent successes is an addition to the Hale Wildlife Area in Jones County, Iowa. The chapter was able to acquire 160 acres adjacent to the existing 260-acre property, bringing the total size of Hale Wildlife Area to nearly 500 total acres.
- - McAndrews Wildlife Area: Dubuqueland Pheasants Forever was also able to grow McAndrews Wildlife Area in Jackson County, Iowa, to over 600 total acres and Oxford Junction Wildlife Area in Jones County, Iowa, to more than 500 acres. All of this was accomplished through partnership with like-minded organizations and a strong coalition of Pheasants Forever chapters. In a state that’s over 97 percent privately owned, chapters like Dubuqueland are leading the way to ensure residents have as many outdoor opportunities as possible.
National Chapter of the Year – Education & Outreach Award
Mercer County Chapter of Pheasants Forever (Ohio)
The Mercer County Chapter of Pheasants Forever continues to set a high bar by providing their local area with numerous interactive events. They’ve helped foster a love of the natural world for dozens of young hunters, as well as adult hunters, while teaching the pillars of Pheasants Forever’s conservation mission. Their work is critical to the nation’s R3 (Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) movement of hunters and infinitely valuable to conservation.
- - Learn to Hunt events: The Mercer County Chapter hosts a youth hunt, a veterans hunt, and a women’s hunt each year. Over 60 hunters attend both the youth and veterans hunts, while 10 women take part in the women’s only hunt each year.
- - Additional youth events: The chapter also hosts numerous other youth events throughout the course of the year. These include an eight-week youth archery hunt with over 200 participants and Ringnecks Day, where 30 children ages 12 and under spend an afternoon learning about the natural world, shooting bb guns, and watching bird dogs in action.
- - Milkweed party and pollinator projects: The Mercer County Chapter works in partnership with their local soil and water district to host a milkweed party for area schools. Each class collects as much milkweed as they can, and the chapter throws a pizza party for the class that collects the most. They also partner with the soil and water district to put on a coloring contest for Earth Day each year, as well as hosting two youth pollinator projects.
National Chapter of the Year – Advocacy Award
Plymouth County Chapter of Pheasants Forever (Iowa)
Plymouth County Pheasants Forever has approximately 25 active board members and draws an average of over 450 people to their annual banquet each March. The chapter accounts for 225 banquet sponsors each year and utilizes sponsor funding for mission-driven projects. This year, the Plymouth County Chapter finalized the purchase of a 160-acre property in their local region; a project six years in the making that was opened to public hunting in the fall of 2021. Other chapter highlights include:
- - Youth events: Plymouth County hosted youth hunts and the annual youth Phunfest, where 150-200 young hunters take part in outdoor-themed games, shoot BB guns and archery equipment, and learn the principles of conservation.
- - Off-season events: The chapter held an ice fishing tournament last winter, as well as a summertime golf tournament in partnership with their local Ducks Unlimited chapter. Over 20 teams participated in the gold tournament last June, which helped introduce local residents to both organizations.
- - Hole in the Wall Summit: The chapter helps organize the annual event, which gives Pheasants Forever members to hear from various wildlife organizations about the future of conservation and habitat.
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
Casey Sill
csill@pheasantsforever.org
(402)-657-4143