Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant
Fest Coming to Madison, Wisconsin
2009 Fest to mark event's foray in the Badger State
Native
Dog Food Pro Staffer Steve Ries and his German Shorthair pup
Henry were on hand at the National Pheasant Fest 2009 announcement
to talk about one of the show's biggest attractions, the Bird
Dog Bonanza.
Madison, Wis. - March 20 -
At
a press conference this morning, Pheasants Forever (PF) President
and CEO Howard Vincent announced that Madison,
Wisconsin is the destination for PF's National Pheasant Fest
2009. Slated for February 6, 7 & 8, 2009, at Exhibition
Hall at the Alliant Energy Center, it will mark the first
time Wisconsin hosts the national conservation organization's
main event.
National Pheasant Fest 2009 will be Pheasants
Forever's fifth such event. Nearly 30,000 people attended
the fourth-ever Fest this past January
in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the event has
grown into the nation's largest event for upland hunters, farmers,
sport dog owners and wildlife habitat conservationists. National
Pheasant Fest is a unique family event that offers a wide variety
of exhibits, seminars, dog training events and youth attractions. "National
Pheasant Fest is a must-see event for outdoor sportsmen and
women, and Wisconsin can boast having hundreds of thousands
of them," Vincent said, "It's the perfect match."
Wisconsin
is home to 30 PF chapters and over 7,000 dedicated PF members.
Since the organization's inception in 1982, those
chapter members have completed over 15,800 habitat projects
which are benefitting over 113,000 acres for Wisconsin wildlife. "Pheasants
Forever has a strong presence in the state of Wisconsin, which
is why we're extremely excited to bring our signature event
here," Vincent said.
Matt Frank, Secretary of the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources, says the 2009 Fest will be
a "tremendous opportunity" for
Wisconsin's outdoor sporting enthusiasts of all ages, as well
as for the Badger State and its capital city. "Wisconsin
has a long and storied tradition of pheasant hunting. The success
of our pheasant program would not be possible without the cooperation
and collaboration of Pheasants Forever," Frank said. "We
at the DNR stand ready to assist Pheasants Forever and the
Greater Madison Convention and Visitors
Bureau to make sure the 2009 event is a success on every front."
The
City of Madison, which rests in Dane County, is looking forward
to hosting the big event. "Dane County citizens
love our beautiful woods and fields and work hard to protect
our great outdoors," said Dane County Executive Kathleen
Falk, "It’s such an honor to have Pheasants Forever,
a group that devotes so much effort and attention nationally
to these values, coming to Dane County."
National Pheasant
Fest 2009 will combine a national consumer show, habitat seminar
series, and family event complete with
puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art. Special attractions will
include the Bird Dog Bonanza and Bird Dog Alley, the Artisan’s
Fair, Habitat Hall, the Landowner Habitat Help Room, and the
Youth Village. Previous Fests have been held in Bloomington,
Minnesota (2003); Omaha, Nebraska (2005); Des Moines, Iowa
(2007); and Saint Paul, Minnesota (2008). The event is open
to the public, and you do not need to be a PF member to attend.
For more information and updates on National Pheasant Fest
2009, log onto www.PheasantFest.org.
Pheasants Forever and Quail
Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated
to the protection and enhancement of
pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North
America through habitat improvement, land management, public
awareness,
and education. PF/QF has more than 120,000 members in 700
local chapters across the continent.
Anthony Hauck (651)209-4972
/ (320)226-5784
