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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Pike County Quail & Upland Management Association will hold their annual fund raising banquet March 10, 2012, at the former JDL Building, Highway 54 North, Pittsfield, Illinois, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with a social hour and viewing of the many auction and raffle items.

          All monies raised will be kept in Pike County and directed towards the conservation, preservation, management, and habitat development relating to quail and upland birds.  It is also recognized that contributing to the welfare of upland bird populations and their habitat provides benefits for many other forms of wildlife. 

          Dinner will be provided by Catering and More at 7:00 p.m. and will be followed by the auction and raffles at 8:00 p.m.   Auction items will include an oak table with quail mount, clocks, original artwork, collector’s prints, hunting trips,  and other collectible items.

       Inside raffle items will include even more guns, shells, collector prints, hunts, gift certificates, hunting clothes, gun cases, duck calls and other merchandise.

The outside raffle ticket includes five guns – winner takes ALL!!  Guns are a Remington 887 12 ga. 3 ½ camo; Remington 770 stainless camo 300 win mag. With scope; CVA Elkhorn Pro 50 cal. Camo; Henry .22 cal. Lever Action; and a Ruger Mark III .22 cal, 5 ½ bull barrel.   Tickets are $10 each or 6 for $50.  A second outside raffle will include a Mission by Mathews 2012 Riot Compound Bow, a 3 D Archery Deer Target and Gorilla Portable Deer Stand.  Tickets for the Archery package are $5 each or 6 for $20.

          A special raffle for the youth has been expanded to include 5 youth guns, several hunts and hunting gear for every youth attending.  All youth attending will be eligible for a free pheasant hunt at Heartland Lodge in April.

          Tickets are $25.00 for a membership and dinner.  Student tickets (18 and under) are $15.00 and a couple ticket is available for only $40 which includes one membership and two dinners.  Children 5 and under are free.  Tickets need to be purchased by Feb. 25th to be eligible for the Early Bird Drawing.  Tickets are available by calling 285-2464, from any Pike County QUMA director, The Archery Shop, Pittsfield, IL, or Thiele’s Garage in Perry. 

This past year we used the funds raised from last year’s banquet to fund:

·         A grant program for landowners to increase habitat.  This program provided incentive payments to landowners participating in USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) of $25/acre for planting native grass and forbs or for changing fescue cover to wildlife friendly cover and a $10/acre payment for completing light strip disking on CRP and $25/acre for disking non-CRP idle areas.  Landowners not in the CRP program could receive a $40/acre payment for changing fescue cover to wildlife friendly cover.  A $12/acre strip spraying payment on CRP and $30/acre payment for non CRP areas to set-back plant succession was also available.  Five landowners with projects totaling $3285.00 participated in the program.

·         We made our equipment, a Brillion seeder and trailer, and John Deere no till drill and tractor available to any landowner to plant food plots or establish wildlife habitat. 

·         Seed and chemicals for habitat plantings were provided.

·         We sponsored free youth hunts.

·         We helped sponsor the Access Food project which encouraged hunters to take a doe and covered all processing costs to have the meat donated to local food pantries.

·         We provided a conservation mowing video to all FFA Chapters, 4-H clubs and similar organizations for education on how to mow to promote quail habitat.

·         We funded a Habitat Coordinator position and supplied equipment, seed and chemicals to increase habitat opportunities.

·         We added wild land fire suppression equipment for performing controlled burns to improve habitat.  This equipment will also be loaned to any Pike County fire department for use in fighting grass fires.

Funding from this year’s banquet will continue these projects and provide more habitat development, youth and QUMA Member activities. 

     We hope everyone can come and support the local Pike County Quail & Upland Management Association.

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