Pheasants Forever

BRAND NEW POSITION: Vice President of Information Technology- Remote We are seeking a forward-thinking Vice President of Information and Technology (VP of IT) to lead the evolution of our organization's information technology landscape. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of assessing and enhancing IT systems necessary to support the needs of a rapidly growing organization while simultaneously leading the evolution.    The VP of IT at Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever will be responsible for leading the strategic vision and direction of our information technology (IT) function. The VP of IT will oversee the planning, implementation, and management of IT systems and services that support the organization’s mission delivery with an emphasis on operations, innovation, growth, efficiency, and effectiveness. She/He will be responsible for championing the use of information and technology in the design of the overall business strategy. Communications and relations management with internal stakeholders will be critical to designing and implementing an enterprise-wide strategy.  The VP of IT will also ensure the security, reliability, and performance of our IT infrastructure and data.    As a member of the leadership team, the VP of IT will serve as a key resource and advisor to the senior leadership team on the IT function. See the full position description at https://lnkd.in/gedjn6zY

New Officers Instated for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Board of Directors Entering a new fiscal year, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Board of Directors officially voted to instate new officers at the beginning of July including passionate conservationists and avid upland hunters Jerrod Burke (chairman), Dan Forster (vice chair), Brett Reber (treasurer), and Keith Schopp (secretary). The foursome brings a combined 23 years of PF & QF National Board experience to their new roles, helping guide a 16-member council which meets quarterly and oversees the operations of The Habitat Organization. “We are thrilled to have a new slate of dedicated officers helping guide the operations of the nation’s largest and most trusted upland conservation group,” said Marilyn Vetter, president and CEO of Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever. “Jerrod, Dan, Brett, and Keith embody the strengths of PF & QF and our volunteers throughout the pheasant and quail ranges. Their backgrounds as landowners, farmers, biologists, and most of all, downright advocates for our habitat conservation mission, ensure the success of The Habitat Organization.” Vetter also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to former chairman of the board, Matt Kucharski, whose term of service spanning 12 years (and serving the organization in numerous capacities since 2003) expired at the end of June. “Matt was the heart and soul of this organization for more than a decade, helping Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever navigate a pandemic, a national campaign for the uplands, the creation of Quail Forever’s brand, and becoming the nation’s leader for upland birds,” she added. “Thank you, Matt, from all of our team members and volunteers.” Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gq98V7VF

PODCAST EP. 274: CHEF YIA VANG ON WILD GAME COOKING AND OUTDOOR CHANNEL’S “FERAL” Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Yia Vang, a Hmong American chef, restaurant owner, and host of Outdoor Channel’s television show “Feral.” Vang talks about growing up as a small game hunter, going on his first pheasant hunt in Wisconsin, and his perspective on the Hmong “balanced” approach to food.  Listen at https://lnkd.in/gaHHqmgM

BLUEY AND THE FARM BILL By Andrew Schmidt, director of government affairs The Australian animated series about the six-year-old blue heeler puppy offers much to adult viewers – it is funny, poignant, thoughtful and silly. What you might be surprised to hear though, is it may also have something to teach us about farm bill politics. Join us now for something completely different, as we compare an episode of Bluey (yes, Bluey!) to the current situation surrounding the federal farm bill. We’re at a critical juncture—the year is more than halfway over and big elections are coming in the fall, but every moment that goes by before a new farm bill is passed means less possible money for conservation. We cannot afford to keep waiting, and neither can our favorite upland birds. Visit our blog below to read more https://lnkd.in/dHn46GwQ by Andrew Schmidt

The Birds and Bucks on-line auction is back and bigger than ever, but time is of the essence if you're hoping to claim the prize of your dreams. Auction runs now through July 31st. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have secured some amazing hunts and experiences and they could be yours. Chances to win a nonresident Iowa deer tag or a new Polaris Sportsman 570 don't come around very often and your time to act is limited! Head to the link below to place your bid now and win big for conservation https://lnkd.in/g9R9RaAR

Looking for a new gig! We've got your dream career in conservation. Check out our openings at https://lnkd.in/gVAb3hrB

ASK A VET EP. 11: HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH HEAT STRESS IN A HUNTING DOG? By Seth Bynum, DVM Canine athletes are incredibly efficient metabolic machines that can create tremendous amounts of heat while burning energy. It’s a physiological trait that helps them achieve impressive feats of athleticism, but in hot ambient temperatures it can also become a liability. Because of this tendency, the canine body has to get creative in how it manages overheating. While we share many biological processes with dogs, methods of heat mitigation are certainly not among them. WATCH https://lnkd.in/dQzEuHWM

ON THE WING PODCAST EP. 273: BOOKS EVERY UPLAND BIRD HUNTER SHOULD READ Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by Pheasants Forever Journal Editor Tom Carpenter and Quail Forever Journal Editor Ryan Sparks for the first-ever meeting of the Upland Bird Hunters’ Book Club. The conversation starts with a discussion about Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It and how that book, and subsequent movie, changed the general public’s perception of fly fishing. St.Pierre poses the question, “has the upland bird hunting version of that classic narrative been written yet?” Listen at https://lnkd.in/gsudAk-c

THE GREATEST EFFORT TO SAVE BOBWHITE QUAIL IN AMERICAN HISTORY By Ryan Sparks   You read the title correctly. It might be a mouthful, but the recently announced Working Lands For Wildlife, Northern Bobwhite Pilot Project is the biggest endeavor for bobwhite quail in American history. Announced at the 2024 Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic by USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie, the project marks the largest concerted effort to restore bobwhite quail populations across 18 states. This is the first time national funds will be sent to states explicitly for bobwhite quail habitat. Specifically, this project earmarks $13 million for bobwhite habitat in 2024. This project is one part of a larger, 5-year effort to improve 7-million acres of bobwhite habitat. One historical obstacle with bobwhite conservation is that most bobwhite habitat occurs on private land. The Working Lands For Wildlife, Northern Bobwhite Pilot Project seeks to address that obstacle by incentivizing private landowners to participate in voluntary conservation practices that will benefit bobwhite quail. Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gVuSbMQv

NEW QUAIL FOREVER CHAPTER TAKES FLIGHT IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO Quail Forever is proud to announce a local chapter start in New Mexico. The Southern New Mexico Chapter of Quail Forever is based in Las Cruces, the seat of Doña Ana County in the state’s far south-central region. A group of local volunteers will work together to generate quality wildlife habitat near the country’s southern border. Unique among national conservation organizations, chapters of Quail Forever retain 100 percent decision-making control over fundraising dollars, allowing volunteers to support impactful wildlife habitat projects, public access initiatives, and conservation education programs throughout the upland bird range. Quail Forever’s regional representative for New Mexico, Lauren Stamm, will work closely with the new chapter to support the organization’s vision to sustain abundant populations of wild quail and other desert wildlife. “The members of this new chapter have deep ties to New Mexico and have lived in the state for over 30 years,” said regional representative Lauren Stamm. “They are a group of passionate outdoorsmen and women, who are excited to impact their local upland habitat and community.” Located less than 50 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, Las Cruces sits on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert. The area boasts not only northern bobwhite quail, but scaled, Gambel’s and Montezuma quail as well. The new chapter is excited to get to work protecting their local habitat and celebrating the wide variety of upland species that call the Chihuahuan Desert home. Volunteers will host their first meeting before the start of the hunting season and plan to have a community gathering this fall — with a banquet to follow in early spring 2025. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/dTWTQmXf