Prairie Rockets
Local Illinois Chapter of Quail Forever #3009
Serving Menard and Surrounding Counties
PRAIRIE ROCKET 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 the future.
Learn More About the Oakford Conservation Area Project
Read additional habitat news on The Prairie Rockets Home Page, including the GERI project with the Menard Soil & Water Conservation District, and our support for the planting of JEPC wildlife food plots.
PRAIRIE ROCKET EDUCATION NEWS: Prairie Rockets Again Support Youth/Ladies Shooting Clinic
The Prairie Rockets Chapter of Quail Forever supported the June 12th, 2010 Youth/Ladies Wingshooting Clinic held by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at nearby JEPC (Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area.)
Participants of various skill levels teamed up with instructors for the day-long clinic, which consisted of classroom instruction in the morning and practical wingshooting experience in the afternoon. Volunteer instructors for this program have been certified through the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF.) The chapter provided financial support for the clinics, which are offered free of charge to the participating students.
Youth participants ranged from ages 10-15, and ladies of all age groups were accepted. Most students were either beginners or had novice level shotgun shooting ability. The primary objective of the clinic was to teach students the fundamentals of hitting a moving target with a shotgun with reasonable reliability. An equally important objective was to work with each student to ensure the fundamentals of safe shotgun handling are practiced in the field.
Learn More About The IDNR Wingshooting Clinics, including the Hunter Clinics designed to teach shooting techniques applicable to real-life upland and waterfowl hunting scenarios using a "sporting clays" type of shotgun shooting course.
PRAIRIE ROCKET FUNDING NEWS: Federal Economic Stimulus Package includes conservation funding. Learn More
Remember: The Prairie Rockets chapter offers cost share and other incentives to area farmers and other local landowners who are creating wildlife habitat on their property. If you need assistance regarding a wildlife habitat project on your land, talk to one of our committee members or ask about our habitat support program at the local SWCD (Soil & Water Conservation District) Office in Petersburg, IL 62675
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