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Mid-Season Reflections with Quail to Kickstart My 2025

By Marilyn Vetter, President & CEO

I have the midseason blues. Winter has set in and the nicest days for Midwest upland hunting are behind me. The days ahead will be filled with short walks in gnarly cover, cattails snapping me in the face with their notorious fuzz sticking to absolutely everything. I must remind myself that December and January pheasant hunts are productive ways to fill the freezer with far fewer hunters to compete with on publicly accessible land.

It's a bit ironic that I’m lamenting the beginning of winter after experiencing some of the hottest days I’ve spent in the field. Our ten days in Montana were crazy hot but CRAZY GOOD! I have grown to love the state’s rugged expanses of sage, steep hills and brilliant skies…and of course, it’s spectacular array of wild birds. There’s nothing like approaching your dog on point and not knowing what species of bird will erupt. On very lucky days, you get a mixed bag right in front of your eyes. And for this neophyte sage grouse hunter, the powerful lift off of North America’s largest grouse, was awe inspiring. Luckily, I got my bearings and connected with my first sage hen, a first for my bird dogs too.

My friends know I’m not a believer in spending time chasing perfection. But for one day in Montana, perfection chased me. A four-hour walk produced multiple coveys of sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge, more than a few sage grouse, spectacular weather and flawless dog work. We expect a lot from our German shorthaired pointers so it’s rare when I say they are perfect. But this one day will forever be in my memory as the single best day I’ve had in the field. I’ll admit that I shed a few tears when I left the field knowing that I might have just witnessed the absolute peak with our two nine-year old GSP girls.

October and November included a couple short trips of chasing roosters, most often behind other peoples’ dogs. It was like having my own bird dog parade with Brittanys, Labradors, setters, pointers, and cockers.

Fall is a balance of time spent in the field hunting and time spent meeting members, policy makers, partners and donors. We can’t have one without the other. Without people who care enough to volunteer, donate, and educate a wider audience to the need for habitat, our beloved prairies would disappear. While I love my time afield with my bird dogs, I also treasure my time spent doing “the work” for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever whether it’s time with our team, policy makers, chapters, or potential sponsors and donors. My fall travels extended from The Red Hills region of Georgia and Florida to the Black Belt region of Alabama, and back to the Upper Midwest to meet with dozens of dedicated conservationists. I’ve never felt more resolute about our ability to make a difference for upland birds.

Thankfully, my season is just past the half-way mark. Desert quail are calling me back to test my shooting and my legs for another trip of chasing Montezuma, scaled and Gambel’s quail in Arizona. If I’m really lucky, I might get to sneak in a detour on the way to reconnect with bobwhite quail, which have eluded me the past few years.

But until then, roosters will hold my fascination with a trip home to North Dakota for the holidays. There are some benefits to being raised in North Dakota. One of them is the ability to tolerate nasty weather! Bundle up and get out there. The uplands are calling and your bird dogs are ready!

Be safe and take someone new with you!

Marilyn Vetter
President & CEO