National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic

Saturday, Mar 8, 2025 at 10:00am

Kansas City Convention Center
301 West 13th Street

Join us for the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic!!

Schedule of Events:

Public Lands Stage

10:00 am: Essentials for the Traveling DIY Bird Hunter - Nate Akey (PF and QF)
11:00 pm: "Public Access to Habitat" (P.A.T.H.) National Program Launch - John Laux, Kelsi Wehrman, Matt Gottlob (PF and QF) and Ben Brettingen (onX Hunt)
12:00 pm: P.A.T.H. Social - onX Hunt, First Lite
12:30 pm: Panel: MO/KS "State-of-the-State" - Andrew White, Aaron Jeffries, Nate Goodrich, Tyler Rafter, Luke Kramer and Andy Burr
01:30 pm: Panel: How Hunters Can Support Walk-In Hunting Access - Kurt Ratzlaff and Marshal Loftus (BHA), Jeff Hancock (KHA) and Davis Ostermeyer (PF and QF)
02:00 pm: Anatomy of a Public Land Pheasant Hunt (+7 tips for success) - Tom Carpenter (PF)
02:30 pm: onX Hunt 101 Master Class - Jack Hedlund (onX Hunt)
03:30 pm: PF and QF "Public Land Chapters"- Ayden Carey and Chance Steward (PF and QF)
04:00 pm: Planning a DIY in Big Sky - Evan Rodgers (Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks)
04:30 pm: Introducing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Landowner Alliance - Taylor Linder (North American Grouse Partnership)
05:00 pm: Public Land Strategies for Bobwhite Quail - Frank Loncarich and Kyle Hedges (Missouri Dept. of Conservation)

Bird Dog Stage

10:00 am: How to be a Good Leader for Your Dog - Rick Smith
10:30 am: Training Your Dog to Find Shed Antlers - Mike Wieben
11:00 pm: Strategies for the Urban Dog Trainer - Dr. Cartrell Cooper
11:30 pm: Core Bird Dog Behaviors and Mindsets - Ronnie and Susanna Smith
12:00 pm: Fueling Success - Maximizing Nutrition for your Hunting Dog - Dr. RuthAnn Lobos
12:30 pm: Control Tactics - Start to Finish - Tom Dokken
01:00 pm: How to be a Good Leader for Your Dog - Rick Smith
01:30 pm: When Should I Spay or Neuter my Hunting Dog - Dr. Seth Bynum
02:00 pm: Developing a Pointing Dog - Ronnie and Susanna Smith
02:30 pm: Strategies to Keep Your Dog Healthy While Afield - Mike Wieben
03:00 pm: Ask-a-vet - Get your questions answered! - Dr RuthAnn Lobos and Dr. Seth Bynum
03:30 pm: Strategies for the Urban Dog Trainer - Dr. Cartrell Cooper
04:00 pm: The Steady Pointing Dog - Ronnie and Susanna Smith
04:30 pm: Ask the Experts - Over 200 years of Dog Training Experience - Panel

Path to the Uplands Stage

10:00 am: Falconry 101 - Kate Ahnstrom, Virginia Shooting Sports
10:30 am: Learning to Navigate Public Land Bird Hunting - Christy Langston, Spring River Kennel
11:00 pm: Starting A Women on the Wing Chapter - Katy Hulsey, PF and QF Women on the Wing
11:30 pm: Midwest Quail Hunting Culture: Do We Need a Change? - Bill White, Conservation Consultant, Retired MDC
12:00 pm: Bird Dog, Family Dog    Tom Carpenter, PF Editor
12:30 pm: Ideal Puppy Training Timeline - Tina Dokken, Tina Dokken Unleashed
01:00 pm: Capturing the Hunt - Upland Photography - Christy Langston, Spring River Kennel
01:30 pm: A Woman's Guide to Self-Sufficiency in the Field - Dr. Clair Maples, Paradigm Sporting Dog
02:00 pm: Hunting Bobwhite by Reading Habitat - Will Robinson, PF and QF MO Farm Bill Biologist III
02:30 pm: Everything You Need To Know About Cooking With Wild Game Birds - Danielle Prewett, MeatEater
03:30 pm: Finding Mentorship in the Uplands - Douglas E. Spale, PF and QF National Board of Directors
04:00 pm: E-scouting for Public Land Quail - Ben Brettingen, onX Hunt

Habitat Stage

10:00 am: Prescribed Burn Association Panel Discussion, Moderated by Jonathan Eerkes - Cole Fagen, John McGuire, Tanner Swank and Dusty Tacha
11:00 pm: Feral Hogs vs. Game Birds: A Battle for Habitat and Survival - Aaron Sumrall, PhD
11:30 pm: Groceries on the Ground; Increasing Food Availability with Native Habitats - Kyle Lybarger
12:30 pm: Grasslands and Farm Bill Federal Policy Forum - Hosted by Andrew Schmidt and Ariel Wiegard
02:00 pm: Creating Buzz: Enhancing Urban and Suburban Landscapes for Native Pollinators - Dave Hoover
02:30 pm: Tackling Invasive Plants: Missouri's First Invasive Species Cooperative - Valarie Kurre
03:00 pm: Conserving the Covey; Habitat Restoration in the 2C Quail Focus Area - Nate Mechlin and Aaron Porter
03:30 pm: Native Grasses, Regenerative Agriculture and Conservation Ranching - Charlie Besher and Dave Haubein

Quail Classic Stage

10:00 am: Monitoring Quail Populations - Olivia Lappin and Dr. Jess McGuire
10:30 am: Show Me State Quail - Andrew White and Beth Emmerich
11:00 pm: Quail Forever, The Next 20 Years    Andy Edwards and Ron Leathers
11:30 pm: Quail Conservation Priorities in DC - Ariel Wiegard, Andrew Schmidt, and Moderated by Andy Edwards
12:00 pm: Announcing the Arizona Quail Initiative - Jordan Martincich and Scott Poppenberger
12:30 pm: Quail Coast-to-Coast - Levi Day, Tyler Webster, Ben Bretingen and Dallas Ingram
02:00 pm: Quail Myth Busters - Dr. Jess McGuire, Tim Caughran, Frank Loncarich and Kyle Hedges
03:30 pm: The Podcasters - Tyler Webster, Mike Neiduski, Travis Frank, Reid Bryant, Bob St. Pierre and Moderated by Ryan "Cal" Callaghan

Technical Presentations

09:00 am: Why is Upland Game Bird Conservation So Hard Yet So Great? - Dr. James Martin, University of Georgia
09:30 am: Myths, Misunderstandings, and Red Herrings of the Quail World  - Dr. Mark McConnell, Mississippi State University
10:00 am: Tools for Managing Pheasant Habitat Connectivity  - Grant Ravary, Ohio State University
10:30 am: How Much Habitat is Enough? Planning for Pheasant-Friendly Landscapes  - Dr. Scott Taylor, Pheasants Forever
11:00 pm: Welcome- "Passing the Torch"  and Poster Session Kick-off  - Addison Ingram, HS Student  
11:15 am: Poster Session: View posters, discuss with students, and vote! - Vote Now
01:00 pm: Cover Crops and Conservation Cover: Finding Pheasant Nests  - Dr. Adam Janke, Iowa State University
01:30 pm: The Largest-Ever Moment to Conserve Grasslands in the Great Plains  - Dr. Dirac Twidwell, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
02:00 pm: Reclaiming the Range: Locally Led Strategies for Addressing Conifer Expansion - Shea Coons, University of Montana
02:30 pm: Know the Boots You're Wearing: Effective Communication for Conservation - Julia Debes, WLFW Communications Director
03:00 pm: Poster Session: View posters, discuss with students, and vote! - Vote Now  
04:15 pm: Poster Awards Announced

Women on the Wing Lounge

09:00 am: Native Plantings with Heartland Seed of Missouri - Jennifer Eggemeyer (CEO of Heartland Seed of Missouri)
10:00 am: Exploring the Uplands with Kids - Susan Felege and Ashley Langen (PF and QF National Board Members)
11:00 pm: Entrepreneurship in the Outdoor Industry and Bird Dogs - Dr. Clairissa Maples, DVM (Founder of Paradigm Sporting Dog)
12:00 pm: Upland Cooking - Wild + Whole Cookbook Signing - Danielle Prewett (Author of Wild + Whole Cookbook, Contributing editor for MeatEater)
01:00 pm: Ask A Vet - Fueling Your Bird Dog    Dr. RuthAnn Lobos (Senior Veterinarian for Nestle' Purina PetCare)
02:00 pm: Gun Fitting and Readying for Your Hunt - Kate Ahnstrom (Virginia Shooting Sports)
03:00 pm: Women's Best Friend: Training Your Own Hunting Dog - Tina Dokken (Professional Dog Trainer and Shooter)


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