I was just wondering if any of you guys were Pheasants Forever members. I joined last fall and got my first magazine this week. They have a great show on the outdoor channel, too. Any memebers on here?
Count me Jimmy, I've been a member since the organization was born in 1982.
I was a member for several years, then greed took over at Pheasants Forever and they started into the Quail program which they knew nothing about. Strictly after the money and I dropped out but retained membership in Quail Unlimited. I continue to watch them and see that greed still runs rampant there so I'll continue to not support them.
PF money raised locally is spent locally. This has been a successful model for creating and protecting habitat. Extending this approach to work on quail habitat seems practical to me if doing so can produce similar results. Has QU's approach built a similarly active membership with comparable habitat results?
National org and lobbying might be different, but from what I can see they get results from my money.
"Has QU's approach built a similarly active membership with comparable habitat results?"
No............! They care only of there celebrity hunts and field trials!
PF has one of the highest ratios of money raised to money into the habitat of any of the conservation organizations.
I'm not quite sure what 28 Bore means either, unless it concerns a specific chapter. In PF, everything a chapter raises remains with the chapter and is spent on local, grass roots habitat work. The only money National gets comes from dues or their own fundraising. They don't rely on local chapters to support a bloated, top heavy organization. They've got over 100 chapters in Iowa alone (more chapters than there are counties!)
One of the best comments I ever heard about PF came on a local radio station that was doing a call-in program on bird watching. Two Audubon guys were answering questions. A caller asked about Audubon's stand on hunting, to which one of the guys responded that although Audubon Society doesn't take an official position, and although he was not a hunter himself, he was on the banquet committee of the local PF chapter. The host of the show, a bit taken aback, asked the Audubon member why he belonged to a hunting organization if he wasn't a hunter himself. "Because they do the best local habitat work of any of the conservation groups, bar none," he replied.
I don't know that much about either Quail Unlimited or PF's new offshoot, Quail Forever. However, I do know that a lot of quail hunters have been disappointed with QU's work, and quite a few QF chapters seem to be springing up. And I've also known QF's lead biologist, Jim Wooley, for close to 30 years--and I know that he's very dedicated to wildlife and habitat work.
Larry, unfortunately not everything remains with the chapter - a goodly chunk? Yes. But all? No. PF chapters keep a the majority of their "take" but they have to kick back to National every year.
Larry, you should also know the the founder of the long-established Duck Unlimited chapter here on campus was not a hunter either, but he was an Audubon member. Jim Dinsmore did more for hunting than 99.9% of the folks who actually hunt. That would include me as well. I'm sure you have been a number of the banquets he organized with hunting and non-hunting students every year. That tradition still continues, although Jim has retired to Florida.
Brent
Although I'm not a PF member, a very good friend and hunting partner for 30 some years is! He owns a small 10 acre plot in what was once some of the best pheasant country in South Idaho, and does his best to provide good cover and food plots on his ground. According to him, the local PF chapter has been extremely helpful in helping to cost share his seed purchases, and invaluable with their consultation on the best mix of cover and food types.
I originally started watching the show on one of the outdoor channels after I got my DIRECTV. Then on another show I watch called Whitewater Trail, which was a local show, closeby in Southeast Indiana, (and has now become a major show on one of the outdoor channels)I noticed they had a PF chapter right here in my county. So I joined. They have never notified me for any help with kids or habitat work since. But I just got my first magazine a few days ago. We don't have any hunting grounds here in my county except for one preserve. But I noticed in the PF magazine that here in Butler County, Ohio, we are 30th on the list of spending with $77,707. Boy was I surprised! I have never even been to my local chapter. Guess maybe I should look them up. Being retired I wanted to get envolved with something like that. I did notice in PF (page 119) that there was a couple in Jackson County, Iowa, named Bill and Marlys Brown and I wondered if it was any relation, Larry........ I also noticed all of the counties in Minnesota that spend so much money. No wonder Tom Knapp talks so much about pheasant hunting there.
I've been a member since about 1989. It's an excellent organization that not only provides habitat dollars, but also expertise to those establishing nesting cover, woody cover etc. The magazine is good too, it was expanded a few years ago and has excellent feature articles, plus some gun and dog stuff. EVERYONE SHOULD JOIN.
PF has a very effective lobbyist in Washington too, especially with farm bill issues. That is as important for upland game birds as local work. QF will hopefully succeed. QU will benefit from the competition too.
I'm a lonely Life Member of Pheasants Forever here in Flagstaff, AZ. No wild birds here but the state has a couple of hunting preserves with released birds. I've not seen either of them yet. Ironically, my neighbor has a rooster and hen in a small pen. They are several years old and she usually hatches a brood of chicks that for some reason never survive very long.
I recently joined Rocky Mountain Roosters in Colorado and had a great trip with friends in early November. Great club, great hunting and only 11 hours by car away. I'll keep that membership and use it instead of driving the extra days to South Dakota.
Joe
Brent, far as I know, the only thing that goes to National is dues. Expect there's also some revenue involved in items they provide to chapters for banquet raffles, auctions, etc. But otherwise, unless there's been a very recent change, banquet profits--after dues money is sent to National--stays with the chapter. I'm very active in Iowa's only Ruffed Grouse Society chapter, and in our case, everything goes to National--although we've done pretty well getting money back for habitat projects. I've never been involved with DU.