Prairie Rockets
Local Illinois Chapter of Quail Forever #3009
Serving Menard and Surrounding Counties
2009 Banquet Meetings
Banquet Planned For January 31st, 2009!
The 2009 Anuual Banquet of the Prairie Rockets Chapter is being planned for Saturday, January 31st. This fun-filled event will again be held at the Hill Prairie Winery in Oakford. The new January 31st date was chosen to allow members who are landowners and/or farmers a chance to attend the banquet without conflicting with the busy Spring agricultural season. Banquet organizational meeting are held at 7 pm at the J&B Sports Bar in Petersburg. (See schedule at left) All chapter members and prospective members are always invited to attend any chapter meetings. In addition to planning our fourth banquet, we will also be organizing our chapter projects concerned with wildlife habitat enhancement and youth hunter outreach and education. You don't have to attend all of the meetings - any level of participation is appreciated, so don't be shy! Download Banquet Flyer (PDF Format)
New 2009 Chapter Officers:
- President – Aaron Kuehl
- Treasurer – Dean Broughton (Assistant Frank Llano)
- Habitat Chair – George Staab
- Banquet Co-Chairs – Kyle Thomas & Aaron Kuehl
- Youth Chair – Scott Hacke
- Recruitment Chair – John Grosboll (Assistant Larry Dale)
- Secretary – Jim Hart
New! Read the Illinois Newsletters for Quail Forever / Pheasants Forever. It's called the "Illinois Team Forever Monthly Newsletter." This newsletter brings you timely news and insights regarding topic of interest to Quail Forever members.
December 2008 Newsletter
November 2008 Newsletter
October 2008 Newsletter
August 2008 Newsletter
Photos from the 2008 Prairie Rockets Banquet (Quail Forever)
Our 2008 Annual Banquet Was Enjoyed By All!
The Third Annual Banquet of the Prairie Rockets Chapter was held on April 5th, 2008 at the Hill Prairie Winery in Oakford, IL. Jeff Canterbury of the Aspen Auction Company was our auctioneer, and Poe's Catering was the caterer for this enjoyable event. Our FFL Firearm Dealer was Rob Warner of Law Outdoor Range & Guns near Chandlerville, Illinois. The chapter committee would like to thank the many people and businesses that supported our 2008 event.
2008 Chapter Sponsors:
R & R Framing (Ron Royer) Chandlerville, IL
Petersburg Vet Clinic (Terry O’Brien) Petersburg, IL
Clary Creek Upland Hunt Club (Dr. Kaufmann) Oakford, IL
Prudential Classic Properties (Jim Pate) Jacksonville, IL
Certified Testing (Val Plunkett) Petersburg, IL
Larry Dale & Associates (Larry Dale) Petersburg, IL
Frank Llano, Petersburg, IL
Jim Hart, Petersburg, IL
2008 Underwriters & Auction Item Donors:
Trading Post Tavern (Oakford,) Two Bears Archery (Springfield,) Dick's Sporting Goods (Springfield,) Petefish Skiles & Co. Bank (Petersburg,) Kent's IGA (Petersburg,) Brown's Barber Shop (Petersburg,) Heubner Tire & Auto (Petersburg,) State Farm (Petersburg,) Riverbank Lodge (Petersburg,) Ken's Auto Repair (Petersburg,) Knous Motor Company (Petersburg,) Dairy Queen (Petersburg,) Family Video (Petersburg,) R&H (Petersburg,) Ace Hardware (Petersburg,) Books Nursery (Petersburg,) Hill Prairie Winery (Oakford,) Sangamon Valley Signs (Petersburg,) O'Reillys (Springfield,) Illinois Outdoor News (Troy,) Dena's Bar & Grill (Ashland,) Coyote Den (Salisbury,) Boar's Nest (Athens,) The Grainery (Pleasant Plains,) Long Branch (Athens,) Dollar General (Petersburg,) and Pizza Hut (Petersburg.)
HABITAT NEWS! Prairie Rockets Chapter Habitat Restoration Project Near Oakford
The Prairie Rockets chapter of Quail Forever is providing assistance in improving the wildlife habitat at the Oakford Conservation Area. The state owned property consists of about 120 acres of land adjacent to the Sangamon River northwest of Oakford, Illinois.
The land had been left idle for the past 15 years. Natural plant succession has resulted in woody plant material taking over much of the area. Left unchecked, the native grasses and forbs would have eventually been replaced with woody brush thickets. Activities are being coordinated with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife biologists to initiate wildlife management practices that will result in improvement of the habitat beneficial to not only quail and pheasants, but also for a wide range of songbirds and small mammals. Planned practices include controlled burning of the native grass areas, mechanical removal of selected brush, establishment of legume strips for natural fire breaks and over seeding of native grass and wildflower seeds.
With matching funds raised at our annual QF banquet, the chapter received a grant from the DNR Habitat Stamp program for the Oakford Conservation Area habitat restoration project. The first phase of the site restoration was a controlled burn held on March 29th, 2007. Additional restoration work is planned for 2008. Learn More About the Oakford Conservation Area Project
EDUCATION NEWS! Prairie Rockets Chapter Supports Youth/Ladies Clinic
The Prairie Rockets Chapter of Quail Forever supported the June 14th, 2008 Youth/Ladies Wingshooting Clinic held by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at nearby JEPC (Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area.) Learn More About The IDNR Wingshooting Clinics
GENERAL CHAPTER INFORMATION
2007 Banquet Wrap-Up
The Second Annual Banquet of the Prairie Rockets Chapter was held on Saturday, April 28th, 2007 at the Hill Prairie Winery in Oakford, IL. Our new caterer (Poe's Catering) provided a delicious meal which was served directly to the tables by the PORTA FFA high school chapter. The committee would like to thank the many people and businesses that supported our 2007 event. View 2007 Banquet Photos
About The Prairie Rockets Chapter:
The Prairie Rockets Chapter was the fourth Quail Forever Chapter formed in Illinois. The Chapter held its First Annual Banquet on Saturday, April 8th, 2006 at the Hill Prairie Winery in Oakford, Illinois. Our priorities are directly tied to local wildlife habitat enhancement, youth hunter outreach & education, etc. Attending a Quail Forever banquet is an excellent way to contribute to a good cause, because your county chapter retains all of the money (exclusive of membership fees) that we raise! The QF emphasis upon local chapter control of funds and spending priorities is unique among local area conservation chapters and their parent organizations. We are located in Menard County in Central Illinois, and our membership is primarily drawn from Menard and the surrounding counties. (Cass, Mason, Logan, and Sangamon)
Please be patient while we develop our web site, and please let us know what additional information you would like to see posted here about our local Quail Forever chapter and its activities. In the meantime, you can also click on the following links to learn about the national Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever organizations, as well as the QF Illinois State Chapter at www.illinoisqf.org.
The local committee of the QF Prairie Rockets Chapter extends a special thanks to the many local Sponsors, Underwriters, and Donors that made our past events so successful. We are looking forward to working with you in 2009!
Questions or Comments? Call Larry Dale at 632-2668
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