St. Paul,
Minn. – July 18, 2005
– The Outdoor Life Network (OLN) recently slotted
Pheasants Forever Television
to air on Sundays at 11:30AM CST / 12:30 PM EST. The season’s
first episode will air on Sunday, July 31st. There
will be 13 original shows with 26 total airings. Each show will
be rebroadcast on Tuesdays at 12 PM CST / 1 PM EST. This is
Pheasants Forever’s (PF) first-ever television series.
The show’s
first episode will feature the first of a two-part series with
Scott Barton, a teenager from New York fighting cancer. The
segment explores the human side of hunting and what hunting
means to this young boy and his father as they chase roosters in
South Dakota with show host, Ron Schara.
The first
episode also highlights the Dickinson County, Iowa PF Chapter
and founding president, Don Lamb. Shortly after PF was founded
in 1982, Don Lamb mobilized the conservation-minded residents of
Dickinson County to address the dwindling pheasant populations
there. Twenty years later, Dickinson County is a shining
example of the effect grassroots conservation can have on the
landscape, wildlife populations, and a community.
“Pheasants
Forever Television is a variety show where the
pheasant is the star, along with the people who help to expand
wildlife habitat,” explained Ron Schara, the show’s producer and
host. Schara is also a PF life member and five-time Emmy
winner, best known for his NBC-affiliated program
Minnesota Bound and
OLN’s Backroads with Ron &
Raven. “This is a show I am incredibly excited to
bring to the air. Pheasants Forever members around the country
will be proud to see what their conservation family is
accomplishing for pheasants and a variety of other wildlife.”
“Our hope is
that this show will spread the Pheasants Forever mission of
local grassroots conservation and pay homage to the volunteer
spirit of the hunting community,” reported Howard Vincent, PF’s
president and CEO. “In up-coming episodes you’ll meet a bishop
that never misses a South Dakota pheasant opener, you’ll see how
PF chapter habitat projects are helping Lake Erie’s walleye
populations, you’ll learn how these beautiful birds came to the
U.S., and you’ll see how the Big Brothers Big Sisters
organization has teamed with Pheasants Forever to pass along our
hunting heritage. The show is filled with wonderful stories
about hunting, habitat, and humanity.”
The show’s
major sponsors include some long-time PF friends – Purina,
Browning, and Gander Mountain; as well as some new PF partners –
U.S. Bank, Safari Club International, and Ear Inc.
Pheasants
Forever is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to
the protection and enhancement of pheasant and other wildlife
populations in North America through habitat improvement, land
management, public awareness, and education. Such efforts
benefit landowners and wildlife alike. Pheasants Forever has
more than 110,000 members in over 600 local chapters across the
continent.
