Money for the birds!!

[Golden Hour]

I've mentioned this a few times on here, but once again wanted to spread the word. As a business, we chose to design a product with the intention of every dollar in profit that was made in selling that product go to pheasant habitat. As you can see, a little over $25,000 has been donated so far. I tried to convince Pheasants Forever to share this model of fundraising for pheasant habitat on their Facebook page, but they refused as they didn't want to promote a pheasant organization that wasn't them. Which is their prerogative, but so disappointing that they would be so pretentious as to not share an idea because they didn't come up with it.

 

[hyresmack]

Cool idea,. Looks like it works too. PF might be big & they might do good things now & again. But sometimes they really seem not to care about anybody but their corporate leaders and Minnesota in general and can suck my left one.

 

[remy3424]

GH, I still don't really understand what you want from PF or what you want them to do, that is upsetting you. Is it that you want them to market products that a percentage of the sales are donated to pheasant programs? If so, isn't that kind of happening already with some PF branding on some shot shells and garments, among other things? I think you are butt hurt over a little of nothing. It is nice you have multiple pheasant/habitat groups locally to team-up to improve public access and habitat out there, it is hard (expensive) for any single group to increase public access, it is usually a lot of conservation/habitat groups that pool resources to make the bigger projects happen...it takes a village.
HySmack, If you don't think PF is doing much for habitat, go to their website and see what they have been doing lately.

 

[Goosemaster]

Cool idea,. Looks like it works too. PF might be big & they might do good things now & again. But sometimes they really seem not to care about anybody but their corporate leaders and Minnesota in general and can suck my left one.

Yeah they get the bogus vibe.They have done a few projects near Lewistown that don't have many birds because they get pounded by hunters. You might see a turkey vulture,or a coyote.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

GH, I still don't really understand what you want from PF or what you want them to do, that is upsetting you....it is hard (expensive) for any single group to increase public access, it is usually a lot of conservation/habitat groups that pool resources to make the bigger projects happen...it takes a village.

Remy, I think you answered your own question. He's suggested partnering with PF. He's simply asked PF to share the idea on Facebook. Probably other things too. They've refused 100%, when their involvement could've made a big difference for pheasants & pheasant hunting in a partnership with another local organization, or even just by spreading the word to their own local chapters. My take on it is that he'd like PF to recognize that other villagers have good ideas & that as the top dog, they (& pheasants) would benefit if they worked along side other organizations, rather than treating them like competitors.

 

[Golden Hour]

Uff da, Remy, let me try to explain this again. Lew's Fireworks is a private business, not a habitat organization. Out of a desire for habitat, we selected one product off our shelves that would be sold exclusively as a fundraiser. I thought, "hey, this is a good idea. Imagine if 1% of the thousands of businesses throughout pheasant country did something similar." So, I contacted PF and they told me to piss off and that they would not share the idea, simply because it had Pro Pheasants on the product's packaging.

 

[gimruis]

So, I contacted PF and they told me to piss off and that they would not share the idea, simply because it had Pro Pheasants on the product's packaging.

That is pretty raw. I would find that downright offensive from the so-called leader in upland conservation.

 

[SDinWI]

Uff da, Remy, let me try to explain this again. Lew's Fireworks is a private business, not a habitat organization. Out of a desire for habitat, we selected one product off our shelves that would be sold exclusively as a fundraiser. I thought, "hey, this is a good idea. Imagine if 1% of the thousands of businesses throughout pheasant country did something similar." So, I contacted PF and they told me to piss off and that they would not share the idea, simply because it had Pro Pheasants on the product's packaging.

Care to share their response here? Curious to see what exactly they had to say

 

[Golden Hour]

Care to share their response here? Curious to see what exactly they had to say

Here you go:

PF: Hi Lucas,Thanks for the note and your efforts. At this time we will decline to participate because of the link to stocking birds - with 30+ years of research on stocking issues, we know that pen-raised birds aren't capable of producing a self-sustaining population of pheasants. We'd rather see finances go solely towards habitat management efforts where we get the biggest bang for the buck in terms of pheasant production. Good luck with the campaign and thanks for supporting habitat efforts in your local area, it's a great idea and kudos to you as a local business for pitching in.

Me: The finances from this campaign are going solely for habitat. I completely agree that stocking birds is a pointless endeavor (while the so called "hunting" of stocked birds violates the principle of fair chase). What I want to communicate is that local business can use a single product off their shelves and raise thousands of dollars. On a large scale, that can have an impact on local pheasant populations.

PF: Lucas, Totally understand. Just keep in mind that if we were to post and someone clicked on their website, the perception is that it could be used for stocking, which we can't support.

Me: Again, I'm not asking you to support stocking birds. The whole thing we are doing has nothing to do with stocking birds and everything to do with raising money for habitat. But since PF is so adamantly opposed to stocking birds, I find it ironic that you guys do in fact stock birds for your youth and veteran hunts.

Cue the crickets.

 

[SDinWI]

So, the issue is that they're saying they don't want to include a link to the post because they don't want to support #3 springtime nesting hen releases it seems.

I can get behind support for fundraising efforts for habitat projects but can definitely see them not wanting their name on the post due to the bird releases. Yeah, it's hypocritical with the stocking for young and veteran hunts, but that's for hunting purposes. Springtime releases are not. They could take the idea and make a post of their own about the idea, though.

 

[Golden Hour]

So, the issue is that they're saying they don't want to include a link to the post because they don't want to support #3 springtime nesting hen releases it seems.

I can get behind support for fundraising efforts for habitat projects but can definitely see them not wanting their name on the post due to the bird releases. Yeah, it's hypocritical with the stocking for young and veteran hunts, but that's for hunting purposes. Springtime releases are not. They could take the idea and make a post of their own about the idea, though.
View attachment 8474

Releasing pheasants is releasing pheasants. It's pointless and while releasing hens doesn't work, it isn't nearly as disgusting as releasing a domesticated animal and then killing it for fun. Likewise, trapping/predator control isn't going to do anything for pheasants either.

Regardless, the whole thing has nothing to do with spring time releases, releases for clients or trapping. It's about raising money for habitat. And they didn't have to post the title of the firework or which organization was doing it. So why wouldn't the premier pheasant organization promote raising money for pheasant habitat?

 

[SDinWI]

Regardless, the whole thing has nothing to do with spring time releases. It's about raising money for habitat. And they didn't have to post the title of the firework or which organization was doing it. So why wouldn't the premier pheasant organization promote raising money for pheasant habitat?

Very true, I'm with you there. They could've taken the idea and ran with it

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

Here you go:

PF: Hi Lucas,Thanks for the note and your efforts. At this time we will decline to participate because of the link to stocking birds - with 30+ years of research on stocking issues, we know that pen-raised birds aren't capable of producing a self-sustaining population of pheasants. We'd rather see finances go solely towards habitat management efforts where we get the biggest bang for the buck in terms of pheasant production. Good luck with the campaign and thanks for supporting habitat efforts in your local area, it's a great idea and kudos to you as a local business for pitching in.

Me: The finances from this campaign are going solely for habitat. I completely agree that stocking birds is a pointless endeavor (while the so called "hunting" of stocked birds violates the principle of fair chase). What I want to communicate is that local business can use a single product off their shelves and raise thousands of dollars. On a large scale, that can have an impact on local pheasant populations.

PF: Lucas, Totally understand. Just keep in mind that if we were to post and someone clicked on their website, the perception is that it could be used for stocking, which we can't support.

Me: Again, I'm not asking you to support stocking birds. The whole thing we are doing has nothing to do with stocking birds and everything to do with raising money for habitat. But since PF is so adamantly opposed to stocking birds, I find it ironic that you guys do in fact stock birds for your youth and veteran hunts.

Cue the crickets.

 

[carptom1]

That’s awesome….

Unfortunately organizations often become trapped by their own success. It seems a

Here you go:

PF: Hi Lucas,Thanks for the note and your efforts. At this time we will decline to participate because of the link to stocking birds - with 30+ years of research on stocking issues, we know that pen-raised birds aren't capable of producing a self-sustaining population of pheasants. We'd rather see finances go solely towards habitat management efforts where we get the biggest bang for the buck in terms of pheasant production. Good luck with the campaign and thanks for supporting habitat efforts in your local area, it's a great idea and kudos to you as a local business for pitching in.

Me: The finances from this campaign are going solely for habitat. I completely agree that stocking birds is a pointless endeavor (while the so called "hunting" of stocked birds violates the principle of fair chase). What I want to communicate is that local business can use a single product off their shelves and raise thousands of dollars. On a large scale, that can have an impact on local pheasant populations.

PF: Lucas, Totally understand. Just keep in mind that if we were to post and someone clicked on their website, the perception is that it could be used for stocking, which we can't support.

Me: Again, I'm not asking you to support stocking birds. The whole thing we are doing has nothing to do with stocking birds and everything to do with raising money for habitat. But since PF is so adamantly opposed to stocking birds, I find it ironic that you guys do in fact stock birds for your youth and veteran hunts.

Cue the crickets.

unfortunately as organizations become large their thinking becomes narrow minded. They become more focused with fundraising and money to feed the beast than the end result of the efforts that they were created for. It’s a natural progression. If you would have told them that the proceeds would be donated to them to dispense as they see fit, the tone more than likely would have been different. I worked in not for profit organizations for a time. Once they became successful they almost always became consumed by their own bureaucracy.

 

[hyresmack]

I been following this some & its funny how pf always manages to prove at there core its more concerned about appearances & feeding bureaucracy. At the corporate level anyways. Golden hour do you have any clue? how many flare nared hens the Coddington County group lets go? I bet they don't waste much money on that part of their efforts?.

 

[remy3424]

If this is the golden ticket to fund raising that you believe it to be, promote it far and wide. PF will be coming to you when they need partners to expand hunting areas with land acquistions and then you can tell them to f off and you can make those land acquisitions with just your own group... now wouldn't that make you feel better after them brusing your ego a bit? Honestly, just put your money and efforts where you personally feel the most differences/improvements to what you see as being most important, can be made. Everywhere the greatest need is different. The end game is similar with most of these types of organizations, but, how they get there might be using different paths. With that, are you aware there are only 78 days until the Iowa opener?

 

[Bob Peters]

Golden Hour, what an awesome idea to help out the wildlife in your area. I'm glad you shared it, you never know, someone might see your experience and do something similar to improve the habitat in their area. You put the ball in PF's court and they bowed out. The only thing I would have done different in correspondence to the habitat organization, when they brought up release birds is this.

PF: Lucas, Totally understand. Just keep in mind that if we were to post and someone clicked on their website, the perception is that it could be used for stocking, which we can't support.

My reply, "I understand you can't support stocking. A question for you, why do you release calendars with flare nares flying over a game farm, and all the pics of pen-raised pussyfooting roosters in many of your magazines? Isn't a commitment to wild birds in wild habitat a full fledge committal? Or should the members of PF only do what you say and not what you do?

 

[remy3424]

Yah, they should vet the photographers they buy photos from a little better. Maybe hire a person to do that to make a few happy and add to their administrative costs so others could complain of that expense.

 

[A5 Sweet 16]

Yah, they should vet the photographers they buy photos from a little better. Maybe hire a person to do that to make a few happy and add to their administrative costs so others could complain of that expense.

Yes! I agree!

 

[Golden Hour]

If this is the golden ticket to fund raising that you believe it to be, promote it far and wide. PF will be coming to you when they need partners to expand hunting areas with land acquistions and then you can tell them to f off and you can make those land acquisitions with just your own group... now wouldn't that make you feel better after them brusing your ego a bit? Honestly, just put your money and efforts where you personally feel the most differences/improvements to what you see as being most important, can be made. Everywhere the greatest need is different. The end game is similar with most of these types of organizations, but, how they get there might be using different paths. With that, are you aware there are only 78 days until the Iowa opener?

I'm shocked you chimed in on this, remy

It is not the golden ticket. That would be a Farm Bill that pays well and demands enrollment of 100 million acres of land to be converted into CRP here in the upper Midwest. But the idea is one effort that is geared 100% in raising money to put toward pheasant habitat. As I said the very first time it was mentioned and I'll say it again, I think it is very sad that PF wouldn't promote an idea that honestly has nothing to do with Pro Pheasants or South Dakota or Codington County, but is instead one that is exclusively toward pheasant habitat. But PF wouldn't share an idea because it wasn't them. Funny, when we did a fundraising item for cystic fibrosis, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was happy to share the notion. They didn't refuse because the money wasn't theirs, nor was the packaging on the label not representative of them. It would be pretty petty if they did, don't you think?