Madison will be the nation's pheasant capital this weekend

Tim Eisele
Correspondent for The Capital Times  —  2/05/2009 3:15 pm

Just two weeks ago, leaders of this country were enjoying a meal of pheasant from Wisconsin.

The luncheon, which served to some 400 people following the inauguration of President Barack Obama, included "Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing" in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The pheasant was ordered from MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc. in Janesville.

Wisconsin doesn't have the same reputation for pheasant hunting that the Dakotas do, but the state's profile has been raised in the past few months, and only a little by the White House meal. Friday through Sunday, Madison will become the pheasant capital of the nation when Pheasants Forever holds its 2009 National Pheasant Fest here, presented by outdoors retailer Cabela's.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 conservationists, hunting dog aficionados, landowners and hunters will converge on the Alliant Energy Center for wildlife habitat discussions, a bird dog bonanza, youth outdoor education, virtual reality hunting and fishing activities, displays and seminars.

Ted Ballweg, Alliant Energy Center sales and marketing director, said attendance should be similar to the ESPN Great Outdoor Games or Wisconsin Deer and Turkey Expo. It will be a top 10 event in terms of space utilized, though the three-day event will probably not bring in the 70,000 people that attend the five-day World Dairy Expo.

The event begins at 1 p.m. Friday, preceded by a dog parade featuring 34 breed, from field spaniel and Brittany to Llewellin setter, Deutsch Wachtelhund and Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever. Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk will be the parade's grand marshal.

While the festival will have a wide range of activities, the primary work of the nonprofit Pheasants Forever is the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvement, public awareness and land management programs.

The 125,000-member organization, with 643 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, has 7,300 members and 30 chapters in Wisconsin.

Jeff Gaska, Pheasants Forever regional wildlife biologist in Beaver Dam, said Wisconsin chapters are responsible for purchasing more than 4,000 acres where wildlife habitat has been improved and turned over to the Department of Natural Resources for management and public hunting. The largest of these is the 2,700-acre Jefferson Marsh near Jefferson.

Since Pheasants Forever was founded in 1982, Wisconsin chapters have been responsible for spending $5.5 million on habitat improvement, some of that working to help private landowners.

One of the unique features of Pheasants Forever is that local chapters raise money at local fundraisers, apply for grants and then spend that money locally.

"Most of the money is spent on new plantings, which is focused on grassland restoration, basically native prairie," Gaska said. "Besides pheasants, this is also very beneficial to neo-tropical birds,  which rely on these grasslands. We are also finding more turkeys nesting in grasslands, as well as waterfowl. Grasslands are also beneficial to reptiles and amphibians and many insects."

Pheasants Forever also has teams of habitat specialists who work on private lands and do controlled burns, planting of grasses and shrubs, and invasive species management.

Gaska emphasized that Wisconsin's native pheasant population largely depends on habitat, which has generally been increasing, though not in the past year, probably due to severe winter weather.

"Where we differ from the Dakotas, which have large populations, is the size of the blocks of cover here," Gaska said. "Our farms and fields are smaller and the blocks of cover we can plant are often 5- or 20-acre blocks rather than 200-acre blocks. That seems to have a significant impact on pheasant reproduction. I believe that is what is really holding back our pheasant populations."

Pheasant populations are also hurt by some farming practices, such as early harvesting of alfalfa in May during peak nesting time that destroys nests. Increased predator populations are a problem, too.

The biggest boon to pheasant populations, in Wisconsin and nationally, has been the Conservation Reserve Program in the U.S. Farm Bill. The bill is intended to preserve grasslands that hold the soil and reduce erosion, keeping surface water clear, but it has also provided habitat for pheasants.

Gaska estimates that with high corn prices and interest in ethanol, Wisconsin has probably lost 25 percent of what it had in CRP land.

"CRP is still there, but it has changed and now is targeted to more environmentally sensitive lands," Gaska said. "It will have more impact on water quality and erosion, but without large acreages probably less impact for pheasants. Although there is no general signup for CRP, some landowners can enroll if they are in targeted areas with the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement or Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program."

Private landowners who would like advice should stop in the unique Landowner's Habitat Help Room at the National Pheasant Fest, where they can learn if their land qualifies for the Conservation Reserve Program and what the rental rate is.

For habitat assistance by Pheasants Forever habitat specialists, contact Gaska at (920) 927-3579.

Pheasant Fest info

What: 2009 National Pheasant Fest and Convention presented by Cabela's

Seminars: Bird dog bonanza with dog training, nutrition and health topics; renewable energy and wildlife habitat forum; conservation on your land; youth education; hunting talks, and more.

Where: Alliant Energy Center, Exposition Hall, Madison (between John Nolen Drive and the West Beltline, off Rimrock Road)

When: Friday, Feb. 6, 1-9 p.m; Saturday, Feb. 7, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 8, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Who: The public is invited, not just Pheasants Forever members

Cost: Single day tickets are $10. For the special price of $30, advance ticket package includes admission all three days, one-year membership in Pheasants Forever (a $30 value), special Pheasants Forever hat, and chance to win a $500 Cabela's gift card.

More Information:

Pheasant Fest info

What: 2009 National Pheasant Fest and Convention presented by Cabela's

Seminars: Bird dog bonanza with dog training, nutrition and health topics; renewable energy and wildlife habitat forum; conservation on your land; youth education; hunting talks, and more.

Where: Alliant Energy Center, Exposition Hall, Madison (between John Nolen Drive and the West Beltline, off Rimrock Road)

When: Friday, Feb. 6, 1-9 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 7, 9 a.m. ndsh 6 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 8, 10 a.m. ndsh 5 p.m.

Who: The public is invited, not just Pheasants Forever members

Cost: Single day tickets are $10. For the special price of $30, advance ticket package includes admission all three days, 1-year membership in Pheasants Forever (a $30 value), special Pheasants Forever hat, and chance to win a $500 Cabela's gift card.

More Information: www.pfstore.org or www.pheasantfest.org or call (877) 773-2070.

Miscellaneous: Previous National Pheasant Fests have been held in Omaha, Neb., Bloomington, Minn., Des Moines, Iowa and St. Paul, Minn. The attendance last February in St. Paul was 29,802.

Local Chapter: The Dane County Chapter of Pheasants Forever will hold its 2009 fundraising banquet on Feb. 22 in Middleton. For tickets, contact Paul Hellenbrand at 831-6626.

Inaugural Pheasant Recipe

According to the Web site for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the recipe for "Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing" by Design Cuisine of Arlington, Va., for the second course at the 2009 inaugural luncheon was:

Ingredients:

10 pheasant breasts, boneless, remove tenders and reserve for stuffing, cut small pocket in side of each breast for stuffing

1/2 cup olive oil with chopped rosemary, thyme and sage

1 lb. wild rice, long grain

2 quarts chicken stock or canned chicken broth

2 carrots, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 cup dried apricot, small diced

1 tablespoon salt and pepper mix

2 tablespoons garlic, roasted

Directions:

1. Boil the rice with the chicken stock, cook until soft and most of the liquid is gone.

2. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and apricot. Cook until the vegetables are soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate rice mixture until cold.

3. In a food processor, puree pheasant tenders to a paste consistency to use as a binder for the rice mix.

4. When rice is cool, add the pheasant puree to the rice until well mixed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until ready to stuff.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

6. Make 10 small football-shaped patties of the rice mix, stuff inside each pheasant, being careful not to overstuff. Rub herb-oil mixture on top and bottom of the pheasant, season with salt and pepper. Place the pheasant on a heavy gauge roasting pan and then in a preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve over sauted spinach.

Yield: 10 portions