News

Feathers, Fields & Updates – July News from South Metro PF

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Hunting Forecast for Southeast Colorado

Holy smokes folks, the cover and birds are INCREDIBLE!!!!! John H., Mike H., and I accompanied Steve Osa (SMPF Habitat Chair) on a day-long June 26th tour of Baca and Prowers Counties. Trey McDowell, PF Private Lands Conservationist, was our tour co-host along with Jonathan Reitz with CPW. There were also several other CPW folks and a couple of private photographers rounding out the group.

We toured many of their habitat projects and covered a lot of ground over the day. Everywhere we went there was fantastic cover. These areas are open to public hunting. Cactus and rattlesnakes are not issues. However, everywhere we went we heard bobwhites whistling and saw many birds just “hanging around” on the roads or sitting on fence posts. Reports on recent whistle survey counts confirm big numbers. Our hosts advised that pheasants are also present in large numbers in each of the parcels we toured. I managed to catch sight of a rooster “hot footing it” across the road.

Check out some of the photos I managed to capture! There’s a close-up of a Lark Bunting nest with blue eggs, and some pictures of the cover. Several of our chapter members will be spending our opening weekend down south. I know I plan to be there.

Barr Lake Projects with Occidental (OXY) and PF Volunteers

July 17 SMPF hosted 30 OXY volunteers at Barr Lake State Park for a half-day habitat work day. We split into 2 groups. One group constructed a split-rail fence to complete the fence around an educational pollinator plot. The other group planted 130 sumac shrubs and spruce trees (all native to Colorado) to form a shelter belt area near the park nature center. OXY has corporately donated to several of our BARR Lake projects over the years. We had a box lunch in the nature enter and a slide presentation by Trey McDowell, who drove up from Lamar to show OXY employees how OXY has also helped with PF and CPW efforts to save the lesser prairie chickens in the Southeast part of the State. We are down to only about 200 of these birds statewide.

Below are some photos of the OXY crew in action. I want to thank Carlos and John H. from the chapter who helped. Also, SMPF outreach chair Mike H. and Charley Schoenherr, PF Development Officer for Co., UT., N.M. and Wy., both graced us with their attendance and help.

COMING UP:

August 5, 2025 – 6:30pm – Chapter Meeting

Our next chapter meeting will be at Cabella’s Lone Tree. If you can make it, we would love to have you attend. If there is some area that you can contribute some time to that interests you I am sure we can work that out.

August – Social Media Work/Study Meeting

Sometime in August there will be a work/study meeting to discuss how to make better use of social media. If you have ideas or experience in this area, call me please: 303 9814642, Dean.

August Planning Meeting for Wing Shooting Adventure

Also in August, we will be making arrangements for Front Range Community College Wildlife Biology students to attend a September 13 Wing Shooting Adventure at Valhalla Bijou. Please mark your calendars for this event. We need a dozen or more volunteers for the morning event. We will be reaching out to CU students to participate in a Wing Shooting Adventure that same afternoon. So this will be an all day affair for PF volunteers.

Sunday, September 14, 2025 – SAVE THE DATE!

The day after the Winshooting Adventures, SMPF will be hosting a fun shoot. Stay tuned for details.

If you have any questions on anything or can volunteer, please let me know at dlt2737@aol.com or, better yet, give me a call at 303 981 4642.

Feathers, Fields & Updates – June News from South Metro PF

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Housekeeping note: Our Tuesday, July 1 chapter meeting has been rescheduled to the following week, now on Wednesday, July 9. Same time, 6:30 p.m., and still at Cabelas Lone Tree. The switch was made to avoid conflicts with the July 4 holiday week.

The June 5 Pint Night at Brother’s Bar & Grill was a great success. We had 42 supporters, signed up 12 new members and enjoyed a video presentation shot by our own Mike Higbee. His video featured the Lesser Prairie Chicken and our recent chapter efforts to help preserve this specie in Colorado. To top it off, a 15 year old young man won our drawing and selected a new Baretta semi auto shotgun! The event was also successful as a fund raiser for chapter projects. Thanks to all who supported and came to the event.

COMING UP

July 17 from 9-12 at Barr Lake State Park is a habitat project. SMPF is partnering with Occidental Petroleum to build a “living fence”( 200 feet) and also to install a 270 foot windbreak consisting of 4 rows of Rocky Mt. Junipers and Three Leaf Sumac. We may have up to 50 Oxy volunteers and all PF volunteers who can make the event will round out the work force. SMPF will also make a brief presentation about the Lesser Prairie Chicken project in the nature center. OXY has provided grants to PF for this project. If you can help, please give Dean T. a call at 303 981 4642 or call Steve Osa (Habitat Chair) at 720 301 6985.

CLICK HERE to download a very informative report from our PF biologists. It details their significant accomplishments and is worth your review. Let me share a bit more information regarding our biologists. First, they specialize in certain areas. As an example, some are Private Lands Conservationists whose main mission is to work with ranchers and farmers. They can help ranchers and farmers be more profitable and at the same time preserve more habitat for wildlife. Using a Precision Farming strategy, they analyze all of the input costs of planting a crop against the likelihood of making a profit on certain acres of ground which are actually marginal for crops. So, there might 5 or 10 acres where the soil, drainage or other natural factors might only result in a profit once every five years. If the acreage wasn’t farmed at all then the farmer is net more profitable over time. Then, the higher use of that ground would be to restore it to wildlife habitat. Of course, then our Conservationist can make recommendations and offer assistance to make that wildlife habitat happen.

Have a great July 4th holiday!

Dean Titterington, President

Proposition 127 – Initiative to Prohibit Hunting of Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and Lynx

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The South Metro Chapter of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever wants to pass along a development regarding Proposition 127 on the forthcoming Colorado ballot that would ban hunting of mountain lions and bobcats. National PF&QF has recently joined dozens of other hunting and conservation organizations in opposing this ballot initiative. 

The letter, being shepherded by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, can be read here:

« READ THE LETTER »

Novice Hunter Clinic – August 31, 2024

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South Metro Pheasants Forever President Dean Titterington tells novice wingshooters about Pheasants Forever habitat and hunting programs during first novice hunter clinic held at Cherry Creek State Park, which was organized by SMPF Outreach Chair and CCSP Chief Michelle Suebert.

Chapter members provided shooting lessons to nearly 20 students at the state park’s Family Shooting Center trap range.

Colorado Life Members Honored

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John Hyde and SMPF President Dean Titterington helped to host an event for all the Colorado Life Members. It was held at the ORVIS store in Cherry Creek North. Several folks from the Pheasant’s Forever national office and our regional reps were present. John was very popular as he could mix some awesome drinks.

The event was a thank you for the Life Member’s support and an opportunity for them to lean into other initiatives that were presented. Discussions were lively and informative.

SMPF outreach with Cherry Creek Clay

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SMPF leaders Mike Higbee, John Hyde and president Dean Titterington attended the Cherry Creek Clay banquet as guests and shared information about the chapter, including about our May 17, 2025 Banquet and Wingshooting clinics. CCC is a group of avid clay busters at the Family Shooting Center at Cherry Creek State Park, managed by SMPF Outreach Chair Michelle Seubert.

It was especially productive in that two CCC members indicated they will buy tables at our banquet and novice hunters were invited to our two Wingshooting clinics.  Several expressed interest and signed up.

Chapter Officers Plan & Shoot

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Chapter officers and board members met on the grounds of the DT Ranch for a planning session. It was only appropriate to include a bit of fun with the work. So we enjoyed shooting skeet in the morning before a barbeque lunch and before getting down to business. It was immediately clear that keeping score would only have been embarrassing so no scores were kept.

Habitat Project Tour

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On March 16, 2024, South Metro Pheasants Forever Habitat Chairman Dean Titterington attended a habitat project tour sponsored by the Morgan County Chapter. A focus was on corners that were planted with specific grass and other plant species that provide food and nesting cover. Dean’s German Shorthair Pointer, Powder, tagged along with him for the trip. Some youngsters, pictured here, got a big kick out of Powder actually going on a strong point from the roadside! A nervous rooster then flushed to provide a “perfect point” to what these conservation efforts are all about! 

Thanks for attending the Bird Dog Health & Colorado Upland Hunting Presentation

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We had a great turnout at the event on Thursday. Special thanks to Michelle and Cherry Creek State Park for allowing us to use the lakehouse for our event – it was a great space!

We had 29 people attend in person, with five new memberships purchased. We had a total of 35 people sign up, but not everyone could make it – we appreciate their support though!

Our dog health presenters, Elizabeth & Tara, provided really good and extensive information on dog health, nutrition, and field injuries/what to do. We will reach out to them to see if they can share their slides or a summary of their notes for attendees.

It was very nice having Sarah and Peyton from the PF biologist team there to talk about what they are doing and seeing in the field. We’d like to regularly include them in future events. 

Everyone learned a lot from the presenters!

The event was held Thursday, November 9, 2023, at the Pelican Bay Lake House @ Cherry Creek State Park. Light bites & drinks were provided.

Attendees got to meet and listen to PF biologists report on their current projects as well as an upland hunting forecast! Attendees also heard fellow upland hunter and veterinarian technician, Tara Clingman CVT, make a presentation and demo on how to keep your bird dog safe and healthy this season. Tara covered relevant topics such as snake bites, other animal bites, cuts and wire injuries in the field, broken nails and paw injuries, dehydration, and overheating. She also demonstrated wound dressing and injury assessment.

Cherry Creek State Park waived the park entrance fee for those who attended this event. We also gave out prizes donated by top dog brands as well as Pheasants Forever!

Any questions? Please feel free to contact our Outreach & Events Coordinator and Banquet Chairwoman: Kylie Alstrup,  kyliemalstrup19@gmail.com 

South Metro Pheasants Forever wishes you and your bird dog a happy & healthy hunting season!

Sept. 17-18, 2023 – South Metro Pheasants Forever/Minority Outdoor Alliance Hunting Clinic

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We jointly hosted the two-day event at Valhalla Bijou Hunt Club near Bennett, CO. Our ten participants were all either beginning shooters or hunters with no upland hunting experience. We had a very demographically diverse group all eager to explore a new sport.  

On Saturday morning, we began with basic classroom instruction about firearms and safety. Safety instruction was reinforced outside in Safety Trail exercises which practiced safe walking on rough ground, safe fields of fire while hunting in line, safe shots when dogs are used and how to pivot in line as a group.  In the afternoon, we gave instruction on pheasant hunting tactics with and without dogs. There was also instruction on dog breeds. The afternoon ended on the range with individual instruction for each shooter.  Every participant did break clays before we finished. That evening was spent in the clubhouse with a fantastic meal of elk and beef roasts being featured.  Everyone then adjourned to a nearby hotel for a good night sleep before the Sunday morning hunts. 

Early Sunday the groups were split into two groups of five hunters each.  Each hunter was assigned to a PF volunteer Field Safety Officer who carried their ammunition and ensured safe gun handling at all times. Each group was able to hunt two markedly different types of terrain. One was a milo and CRP field. The other was a river bottom with Cottonwood trees, willows and heavy vegetation.  Each hunter had several opportunities to harvest chukars and several hunters even scored on multiple birds. After lunch there was a bird cleaning demonstration by our “celebrity” co-host Durrell Smith from the Minority Outdoor Alliance in Atlanta. 

This was our second annual event and was sponsored by Pheasants Forever, the Theodore Roosevelt Foundation and the Minority Outdoor Alliance. It is sizing up to become an ongoing outreach based on the success of our first two years! We are providing a Path to the Uplands for sure.