National Deer Alliance Joins Quail Forever in Grassroots Grassland Efforts
By Tom Carpenter
It happens every fall. All over quail country.
You, your hunting partners and your dogs are working. Out goes a whitetail! It passes a couple shotgun lengths away, skedaddling low to the ground and motoring for parts unknown.
Or a partner jumps a buck and it almost runs you over! It just happened to me this season.
My Brittany Rascal even pointed a doe once. The little dog rolled her eyes at me sort of sheepishly as I walked in for the flush. I soon found out why.
GOOD FOR QUAIL, GOOD FOR DEER
The point is, what’s good for quail is also good for deer – of both the white-tailed and big-eared muley varieties. One deer organization – the emerging but effective National Deer Alliance (NDA) -- gets it. So much so that they are partnering with Quail Forever in the push for more Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands in the upcoming 2018 Farm Bill.
In partnership with Quail Forever, as well as other key conservation partners that make up the CRP Works Coalition, the NDA is urging deer hunters across the country to contact their federal lawmakers and express their support of the 2018 Farm Bill.
The 2018 Farm Bill notably includes and expands the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which deer hunters and quail hunters alike associate with excellent habitat and hunting. Additionally, the Bill increases support for voluntary public access to private lands for outdoor recreation like hunting and fishing.
TEAM UP AND ACT NOW FOR CRP
You can learn more about the NDA
here, but “the organization’s mission is clear, and simple,” says Pinizzotto. “We provide a unified voice for deer hunters of every type, everywhere. NDA serves as the guardian for wild deer conservation and our collective deer hunting heritage.”
Deer hunters – 11 million strong -- are a good group to have on uplanders’ side. Quail Forever members need to be doing our part too.
NDA is urging deer hunters to contact their state Representatives and Senators and let them know they support a strong CRP element in the 2018 Farm Bill. Quail hunters should be doing the same. And if you hunt both deer and quail – and many of us do – all the more reason to act now. Also, please sign the petition on the
CRP Works website.
Find and Contact Your U.S. House Representative
Find and Contact Your U.S. Senators
Sign Petition on CRP Works Website
Photo Credits: Deer -Can Stock / Schlag; Quail - Shutterstock / Eastham