Dreaming of a 2014 Quail Hunting Season in Minnesota

The new Metro Twin Cities Chapter of Quail Forever hopes to see more bobwhite quail like this guy in the coming years.

I am an admitted bird hunting addict. Each autumn, I crisscross the country with my shorthair pup in search of pheasants, Huns, all forms of grouse, and even a duck here and there. And when the hunting seasons close, I dream about next year. A few years back, I acquired a new autumn addiction in Nebraska; bobwhite quail. Turns out, there are other Minnesotans that suffer from the same affliction and travel all over the country's quail range in search of covey rises. In fact, a group of Minnesota quail addicts have formed the new Metro Twin Cities Chapter of Quail Forever. These fine fellows have the lofty goal of creating enough quality quail habitat in the state's southeast corner (Houston and Fillmore counties) to increase quail numbers to a huntable population by 2014. Hey, it's worked for the prairie chicken lottery hunt in western Minnesota, so why can't it work for quail? While they have a long ways to go with the state's bobwhite population somewhere in the 3,000 range, you've gotta love the story of this group of underdogs. If you share my quail addiction or would simply like to be a part of this optimistic group of quail enthusiasts and bird dog lovers, please join us for this new chapter's first ever banquet. Here are the details: Thursday, February 11, 2010 Jax Cafe 1928 University Ave N.E. Minneapolis, MN 55418 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For Tickets, please contact Jonathan W. Lueck at 952-484-3417 or lueckj@yahoo.com. Tickets are $55 and include dinner, entry into the door prize gun raffle, and Quail Forever annual membership (includes a year's magazine subscription, vehicle decal, and membership card). There will be lots of raffles, games, auctions, and prizes. Oh and by the way, I'm going to be the emcee for this fun event. So if you have some good bird hunting, dog, or quail jokes . . . send them my way at bstpierre@quailforever.org.