Calling All Bird Dogs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Bird Dog Classic for Habitat 2012
Pheasants Forever 09.19.12
Calling all bird dogs and their owners! Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) are hosting the National Bird Dog Classic for Habitat on Saturday, October 13th at Timber Hills Lake Ranch in Mapleton, Kansas. All proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s habitat mission and youth shooting sports in Kansas and Missouri.
“Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever do more for upland conservation than any other organization, and I am thrilled to lead an event that combines my love of bird dogs with the organization’s habitat efforts,” says Ed Holland, former Pheasants Forever national board member and event organizer, “Last year’s inaugural event was an incredible success and raised a significant amount for the organization’s mission. With this year’s new divisions additions, we will be able to further provide for Kansas and Missouri’s wildlife and the states’ shooting sports traditions.”
The Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Bird Dog Classic for Habitat is a Bird Hunters United sanctioned event and will include Pointing Hunter, Flushing Hunter, Pointing Open, Flushing Open, Pointing Doubles, Flushing Youth, Pointing Youth, Flushing Women’s, Pointing Women’s, Pointing Amateur, and Flushing Amateur.
Each dog and their handler will have a chance to test their skills in the Bird Hunters United trialing format; a timed course in which a 3 bird set, consisting of pheasants, are placed prior to the competitors entering the field. Once released, the dog and its handler compete against the other competitors’ times. Trials will begin promptly at 8am. Following the day’s trial will be a fundraising banquet and awards ceremony that is included in the cost of the entry fee. Shotguns will be awarded to winners in each division with the exception of Doubles.
New to this year’s event are women’s pointing and flushing divisions, where women handlers are able to compete against one another for title and prizes. In addition, there is a new retrieving component to the day’s event. For $10 per bumper throw in either water or land, the fastest retriever will be crowned the National Champion Retriever at the night’s award banquet. Participants of the retriever competition can enter as many times as he/she would like. The wobble trap competition, sponsored by CZ-USA Shotguns, will be expanded as well; more prizes, more fun and something all day for the entire family.
Included in the application fee is an annual membership to “The Habitat Organization.” Application forms for this year’s event can be found HERE. Entry fees need to be received by October 5th. It is highly recommended to submit entries ASAP as the trial is expected to be filled by the end of September. Don’t wait!
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. Bobwhite population losses over the last 25 years range from 60 to 90 percent across the country. The reason for the quail population plunge is simple - massive losses of habitat suitable for quail. There are five major factors leading to the losses of quail habitat; intensified farming and forestry practices, succession of grassland ecosystems to forests, overwhelming presence of exotic grasses like fescue that choke out wildlife, and urban sprawl.
