Upland Hunts

 

The pheasant, like many Americans, is an immigrant to North America. The first successful introduction of pheasants to this country occurred in 1881 when Judge Owen Nickerson Denny (US consul to China) shipped 30 Chinese ringnecks (26 survived the journey) to his home in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Eleven years later Oregon opened a 75-day season and hunters bagged 50,000 pheasants. They were subsequently released in 40 of the 50 states. The pheasant thrives in a farmland landscape with ample (20%+) undisturbed grassland habitat. Pheasant populations increased and reached all time highs in the mid-1900s before suffering severe population declines.

To better understand why populations declined so rapidly, one must understand the Pheasant life cycle and the habitat requirements of the pheasant, as well as how the landscape was changing throughout that time.

 

Upland Hunt Rates

Pheasants Forever (PF) is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.

Our Model

At the heart of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever is the unique grassroots system of fundraising and project development that allows members to see the direct result of their contributions. PF and QF empower county chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100% 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 are able to see the fruits of their efforts locally, while belonging to a larger national organization with a voice on federal and state conservation policy.

Our Members

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members are a diversified group of hunters, non-hunters, farmers, ranchers, landowners, conservation enthusiasts and wildlife officials. PF and QF are for those who want to make a difference for wildlife by creating habitat, restoring wetlands and protecting prairies.

Our Chapters

There are more than 650 PF chapters across the U.S. and Canada, accounting for 115,000 current members, and more than 100 QF chapters in the U.S. accounting for 5,000 members.

Our Work

Habitat Projects - The system of empowering local chapters and volunteers to make the best decisions for wildlife in their local area has resulted in the average annual completion of over 27,200 projects. Since its inception in 1982, Pheasants Forever's wildlife habitat projects have benefited more than 4 million acres across the continent. In that time, PF has participated in nearly 1,000 different land acquisitions totaling well over 100,000 acres. Those land acquisition projects have been completed in conjunction with local, state and federal natural resource agencies, and all of those projects are today open to public hunting.

Habitat Conservation Advocacy - Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's mission is directly tied to a strong framework of federal conservation programs. Authority for critical conservation programs, such as the Conservation and Wetlands Reserve Program, is granted by the U.S. Congress in the Federal Farm Bill's Conservation Title. In total, federal farm conservation programs allow us to manage nearly 50 million acres for wildlife habitat. Habitat Conservation Education - Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have developed programs and materials that promote education and public awareness, including:

• The Leopold Education Project - An award-winning conservation education curriculum based on Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac.
• Ringnecks and Whistlers - Youth programs that introduce thousands of young people to the outdoors every year.