Ozark Borderlands Home to Newest Missouri Quail Forever Chapter

Fifth QF chapter to form in Missouri this year plans to improve local quail habitat

For Immediate Release

Anthony Hauck (651)209-4972

California, Mo. - May-31 -

Quail enthusiasts in Cole, Moniteau and Cooper Counties have formed Missouri's newest Quail Forever (QF) chapter, known as the Moreau Valley Chapter of QF. The chapter – the fifth QF chapter to form in Missouri this year - will work on local quail habitat restoration and habitat development and youth hunter recruitment in the state's Ozark borderlands region.

"Changes from small to big farms, coinciding with changes in farming practices have reduced the quail population in recent decades, so our mission is to work with farmers and landowners in the three-county area on practices which can reverse that trend," said Ron Lehman, the chapter's newly-elected president from Jefferson City.

Cole, Moniteau and Cooper Counties lie in Missouri's Ozark borderlands – hilly areas that also contain crop land. "It's a good mix of habitat type, which offers plenty of potential in terms of doing projects that benefit quail," said Elsa Gallagher, QF Regional Wildlife Biologist.

One of the measures available to landowners that may benefit quail in the region is federal Conservation Practice 33 (CP-33). Commonly referred to as Bobwhite Buffers, CP-33 is a conservation practice targeted at improving bobwhite quail habitat through the creation of habitat buffers along row crops. These transitional areas provide important habitat for quail, as well as other grassland birds and wildlife.

Recruiting and retaining the next generation of quail hunters and conservationists is also a focus of the Moreau Valley chapter. The chapter plans on holding a youth event later this year in conjunction with the Calamity Covey Chapter of QF, a ladies chapter which formed in April and is based out of Jefferson City.

The Moreau Valley Chapter has also elected James Meili of Russellville as treasurer, Michael Rex of Tipton as vice president and habitat chair, Jason Vaughn of California as youth/education chair and Doug Bensman of California as secretary. The chapter will hold its next meeting in mid-June. The chapter will hold its annual banquet on Thursday, August 23 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in St. Martins. The media and the public are invited to attend these events. Tickets for the annual banquet can be purchased in advance from any committee member. For more information on the chapter and the upcoming events, contact Lehman at (573)761-9939.

For more information on QF in Missouri, to start a chapter or join one of the state's 14 existing chapters, contact Elsa Gallagher at (573)455-2565 or via e-mail at egallagher@quailforever.org.

Pheasants Forever launched Quail Forever in August of 2005 to address the continuing loss of habitat suitable for quail and the subsequent quail population decline. QF chapters promote local, state, and federal conservation programs that help landowners protect environmentally sensitive acres for quail and other wildlife. They also employ the organization's unique model of empowering local chapters with 100 percent control of the chapters' locally-raised funds to complete habitat and youth education projects in the chapters' own communities. Since the organization's inception, 90 QF chapters have formed in 26 different states. The QF mission is accomplished through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, education, and conservation advocacy.

Pheasants Forever is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of quail and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Such efforts benefit landowners and wildlife alike.

© 1982-2006 - Pheasants Forever, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Huntinglife Readers... Please get out there and support this chapter!

Jon Murphy from the Columbia Basin Quail Forever Chapter dropped me the following email while I was in Saskatchewan! This looks like a great raffle and Jon and his team of volunteers has the western most chapter of Quail Forever and they are doing a heck of a job and have a fantastic website. Please go support them as much as you can!

Columbia Basin Quail Forever




CBQF Members,

Just wanted to inform you that the meeting notes from 05/17/07 have been posted on the website, under "Chapter News" for your reading enjoyment !

We currently have started another raffle, for a 12 Gauge Mossberg, all black, Semi Auto. We received alot of feedback from our last raffle, mostly "need a 12 gauge". This is a GREAT looking, GREAT shooting, all everyday, hunting shotgun. As a chapter, we are only going to sell 250 tickets, @ $5 each. We are going t spread the word of the raffle with emails and I'll follow up with a couple phone calls, but I'd like to see this gun being held by a chapter member come hunting season.

Have any questions, feel free to give me a call.

Columbia Basin Chapter of QF
President - Jon Murphy
jmurphy@quailforeverwa.com
www.quailforeverwa.com

Quail Forever in Washington State!

Jon Murphy, President of the Chapter sent me a really great email to share some wonderful news so I stole this press release off of his website!

Go Check Them out right now and show your support for this group.

www.quailforeverwa.com

Quail Enthusiasts Pioneer First QF Chapter in Western United States

Becomes First Quail Forever Chapter to Focus on California and Mountain Quail

Richland, Wash. - March 20th -

Nearly 40 quail enthusiasts from Washington, Idaho and Oregon have formed the first Quail Forever (QF) chapter in the western United States. The chapter, based out of Richland, Wash., will be known as the Columbia Basin Chapter of QF and will focus its efforts on habitat projects in southeast Washington and along the mountainous Washington-Idaho and Washington-Oregon borders in the region. The chapter will be the first QF chapter to spearhead habitat efforts for the California Quail and Mountain Quail.

The chapter's first president, Jon Murphy, comes from a family truly devoted to quail hunting, and when he set out to find like-minded people, he found interest was high. "We have a special passion for quail hunting," Murphy said of the new chapter members, "Quail Forever is a great way for us to get together and work on habitat and education projects which affect something we all love – quail."

Although the area is home to a healthy population of California Quail, Murphy felt enough wasn't being done to maintain and strengthen their population to ensure quail hunting opportunities for future generations. Already, the chapter is raising funds for the purpose of putting 20 quail "condos" on the ground before July 1 of this year. Made of rolled wire, quail "condos" allow grasses to grow up through the structures, giving the birds a safe haven for roosting, feeding and night protection. "Quail 'condos' restore habitat in a way that specializes specifically to quail," Murphy said.

According to Gabe McMasters, QF's Regional Wildlife Biologist, the chapter should also find some project opportunities to aid a declining population of Mountain Quail. Over the past 50 years, there has been a great decline in the Mountain Quail population in the United States, and the greatest threat facing Mountain Quail appears to be habitat destruction. Translocation efforts have occurred in Oregon, but the resurrection of the Mountain Quail population hinges on habitat restoration and creation. "The future of quail in the northwest United States hinges on the habitat work that the Columbia Basin chapter and future Quail Forever chapters in the region are able to accomplish," McMasters said, "The Columbia Basin chapter has an opportunity to play an instrumental role in developing quail efforts in Washington state and beyond."

In addition to Jon Murphy, the Columbia Basin chapter has elected Sean Murphy of Walla Walla,Wash., as vice president, Matt West of Kennewick, Wash., as treasurer, Mark Haggart of Kennewick, Wash., as habitat chair, Kathy Berg of Burbank, Wash., as banquet chair and Chad Berg of Umatilla, Ore., as recruitment chair. The chapter will hold its next meeting at 7 PM on March 22 at the Cathedral of Joy in Richland. The media and the public are encouraged to attend. To learn more about the new chapter, please contact Jon Murphy at (206)276-1030 or via e-mail at quailforeverwa@yahoo.com. To learn more about starting a QF chapter in Washington, contact Gabe McMasters at (208)285-1014 or via e-mail at gabem@pheasantsforever.org.

Pheasants Forever launched Quail Forever in August of 2005 to address the continuing loss of habitat suitable for quail and the subsequent quail population decline. QF chapters promote local, state, and federal conservation programs that help landowners protect environmentally sensitive acres for quail and other wildlife. They also employ the organization's unique model of empowering local chapters with 100 percent control of the chapters' locally-raised funds to complete habitat and youth education projects in the chapters' own communities. Since the organization's inception, more than 80 QF chapters have formed in 25 different states. The QF mission is accomplished through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, education, and conservation advocacy.

Quail Forever is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of quail, pheasants and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. Such efforts benefit landowners and wildlife alike.

© 2005 - Quail Forever. All Rights Reserved

Contact: Anthony Hauck (651)209-4972