New Quail Forever Chapter Homesteads in Oklahoma’s Beaver & Texas Counties
Quail Forever 06.13.14
New group will utilize Quail Forever’s unique model to raise funds and support for upland conservation
Avid quail hunters from Oklahoma’s Texas and Beaver Counties have formed the newest Quail Forever chapter in the state. Named the Homesteader Quail Forever chapter – honoring one of the last areas in Oklahoma to be homesteaded – the group will work to improve upland habitat for bobwhite and scaled quail in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Oklahoma has long been considered one of the premier quail states in the country; however, in recent years, mainly due to upland habitat loss and drought, Oklahoma’s quail population has fallen significantly. This is reflected in the quail harvest totals: quail harvest dropped from more than 1 million a decade ago to 109,000 in 2011, and hunter numbers have declined in correlation with the quail population, from 120,000 a quarter century ago to just 17,000 today.
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. Quail Forever chapters promote local, state, and federal conservation programs which help landowners protect environmentally sensitive acres for quail and other wildlife. Quail Forever also employs Pheasants Forever’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.
“As Quail Forever continues to grow in our great state, and people see the results our local chapter model has, I look forward to the positive momentum it will generate for preserving our upland tradition,” notes Laura McIver, Quail Forever’s Regional Representative in the state, “With a wealth of conservation and bobwhite quail knowledge, this chapter is going to hit the ground running.”
Homesteader Quail Forever chapter
• The chapter has elected Billy Nichols of Forgan as president, Kraig Ritterbush of Forgan as vice president, Andrea King of Forgan as treasurer and Weston Storer of Forgan as habitat chair.
• The chapter’s next meeting is Wednesday, July 16th at Dos Castillo’s Kitchen in Beaver. The meeting is open to the public, and those with an interest in joining the chapter are encouraged to attend.
• The chapter is slated to hold its first fundraising banquet on November 7, 2014 – the day before Oklahoma’s quail hunting season opener.
• The Homesteader Quail Forever chapter is actively looking for volunteers. For more information about the chapter, please contact Billy Nichols at (580) 528-1222 or via email.
Oklahoma is home to three Quail Forever chapters. For more information regarding Quail Forever’s conservation efforts in Oklahoma, or to inquire about starting a chapter in your area, please contact Laura McIver at (907) 750-2600 or via email.
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.
