A group of Kansas City area bird hunters and quail enthusiasts have formed Missouri’s newest chapter of Quail Forever (QF). The new MO-KAN Chapter of Quail Forever plans to focus their efforts on improving habitat for quail and introducing area youngsters to the outdoors. The addition of the new MO-KAN Chapter brings Missouri’s QF count up to 16 chapters and over 2,000 members since the organization formed in 2005, making Missouri the largest QF state in both categories.
“What’s happened in the last four years across Missouri has been very exciting if you care about quail,” reported Elsa Gallagher, QF’s regional wildlife biologist for Missouri. “Missouri is making quail a priority here and the bird hunters have responded by joining Quail Forever. There is a lot of work to be done before quail populations can truly make a comeback, but there is great cause for optimism now.”
The new MO-KAN chapter is led by Ben Gille, a hard-working Grain Valley resident and quail hunter. “I work during the day and am finishing up my degree at DeVry at night. I am also blessed with a beautiful wife and two young children. There are a lot of demands on my time, but being a part of this chapter was important to me,” explained Gille. “I want to make sure my children have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and a Missouri quail hunt when they grow up. Quail Forever’s local model made sense to me in accomplishing that goal.”
QF was formed in 2005 by Pheasants Forever (PF) to help reverse the rapid decline of quail populations across their U.S. range. QF applies the unique and successful Pheasants Forever model of empowering local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100% of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent. To date, 16 chapters of QF have joined the “Show Me State’s” 5 Pheasants Forever chapters. In fact, St. Louis is home to the first Quail Forever chapter ever formed.
Missouri quail hunters harvested 3.9 million birds during the 1969 season. That number was cut in half by 1987 when 1.9 million birds were taken. In 1996, the harvest fell under a million and it dropped to under half a million in 2000. Biologists identify two main habitat issues causing Missouri’s quail decline; the overwhelming presence of exotic grasses like tall-fescue and smooth brome that choke out wildlife, and the conversion of woody shrub cover to large canopy trees.
“With our unique financial model and the enthusiasm of volunteers to start new Quail Forever chapters across Missouri, these habitat issues can be reversed. We can bring back Missouri’s quail and we are seeing it happen in areas where chapters are implementing habitat projects,” added Gallagher.
Joining Gille as MO-KAN chapter officers are David Borgmann of Lees Summit, Sam Decker of Kansas City, and Wesley Carrillo of Odessa. The chapter plans to hold their next organizational meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at Bass Pro Shops in Independence. The meeting will begin at 7PM in the Conservation Room. The media and public are invited to attend. For more information on the new chapter, please contact Gille at (816)547-8570 or via email at MOKANQuailPrez@gmail.com. To learn more about starting a QF chapter in Missouri, please contact Elsa Gallagher at (573)680-7115 or via email at egallagher@quailforever.org.
Contact:
Bob St.Pierre
(866)457-8245
bstpierre@QuailForever.org
