Hunting & Heritage  |  02/02/2023

A 2023 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic Primer


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7 things to do and discover at the world’s largest upland hunting and conservation show

By Tom Carpenter

There is nothing else like it in the world:

A showfloor the size of “I don’t even know how many” footballs fields, filled with vendors, booths, displays, seminars … all centered on upland habitat and conservation, the pheasants and quail (and other upland birds) that live there, getting into and getting better at upland bird hunting, public lands and access, places to hunt, bird dogs, shotguns and shooting, gear of all descriptions … and, yes, more.

If you’re coming, here are a few must-see-and-do ideas. Find more here. If you’re on the fence, hop over and we’ll see you there.

Answer the Call of the Uplands» merely with your support and presence. Our 5-year Call of the Uplands campaign has made, and will continue to make, landscape-level changes for upland gamebirds and wildlife, and they need your support. If you hunt upland birds, you will be investing in the birds … and yourself. Join us in the habitat mission.

Take in a Seminar» at any one of the show’s 5 stages – Public Lands, Habitat, Bird Dogs, Path to the Uplands and the Main Stage. Find your own topics of interest (guaranteed to be some!)

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There will be 5 seminar stages jam-packed with topics for all!

See the much-anticipated Bird Dog Parade» that kicks off the show every year! (Starts at 11am near the show entrance). See a cornucopia of bird dog breeds. It’s Big Fun!

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Featuring over 100 dogs and 40 breeds, the Bird Dog Parade is a must-see!

Entertain the Kids» for awhile at the Youth Village with all its activities, and (maybe more than one) walk down “Bird Dog Row” (near the Bird Dog Stage) where kennels and breeders have, yes, bird dogs and puppies.

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The Youth Village helps connect kids to nature through a variety of hands-on activities and learning stations.

Come to the Elite Member Booth» right at the front entrance and sign up for that Life Membership you have been thinking about. The show is THE place to do it — you get a great Yeti soft-sided cooler as a special gift, and a 1-in-10 chance at a $500 showfloor gift certificate.

Visit the Habitat Help Desk» and get all you your upland and pollinator habitat questions answered. Sit down with a PF & QF biologist and get a plan for your land, or land you might manage. Don’t be fooled though: EVERYRBODY is invited! Every yard can be a pollinator paradise that make a difference for bees, butterflies and songbirds … and our biologists love to talk that topic! (Hint: Also visit the special Pollinator Pathway area of the show.)

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Our habitat experts are ready to discuss conservation options with you!

Make New Friends and Find Good Fellowship» Smiles and laughs are rampant at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic. How could happiness not be the order of every hour? Like-minded people with the in-common ties of upland habitat and gamebird, hunting, bird dogs and conservation in a world that needs more of it all. Wander the aisles, start up a conversation.

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Get ready for a fun-filled weekend at the National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic!

I’ll leave you with this thought. I’ve never heard a person who attended the show say they regretted it. In fact, to a person, they say (more or less, in one way or another) … “Wow!”

We’ll see you there.

The 2023 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis on February 17-19. Tickets and more information can be found at: PheasantFest.org.


Tom Carpenter is editor at Pheasants Forever and an even longer-time fan of Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic.