Youth Programs

Pheasants Forever Education and Youth Programs

All of our efforts today will have little purpose tomorrow if we don't have a constituency that cares about the mission of Pheasants Forever. That's why our education and youth programs are so important!

All of the St. Louis/Carlton County Youth Mentors must complete the MN DNR Mentor program and successfully pass a thorough background check. Learn about all of the ways you can be involved and what we are doing to make sure no child is left indoors!

View our Youth Photo Gallery

No Child Left Indoors

Pheasant Forever and Quail Forever's NO CHILD LEFT INDOORS® Initiative is part of a national movement to reach a generation of young people fixated on electronics and get them outdoors. We want to reverse the trend of inactivity and obesity in today’s youth and actively engage them in outdoor activities and in learning about nature and conservation. We also want to foster tomorrow’s leaders and conservation-minded citizens.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever network:

• 750 grassroots chapters
• 125,000 members
• 1,000 youth events a year reaching 50,000+ youth
• Quarterly youth magazine Upland Tales
• 20,000 youth members
• 15,000 educators trained in the Leopold Education Project
• A National Youth Leadership Council, state youth councils and local student chapters

Our commitment:

• Get kids outside having fun and learning firsthand about our natural resources
• Introduce young people to hunting and teach them to be safe, ethical hunters
• Develop leaders and conservation-minded citizens who are service oriented
• Encourage stewardship and a land ethic through the Leopold Education Project
• Train chapter leaders in how to best organize and deliver youth programs
• Make habitat a priority and let young people get their hands dirty
• Partner with others to spread the word on opportunities and places to enjoy the outdoors

Want to learn more about our youth and education programs?

Contact our Youth Director, David Lood: youthdirector@stlouiscarltoncountypf.org

Pheasants Forever Ringnecks

The mission of the Pheasants Forever Ringnecks is to foster and nurture an enduring interest in shooting sports, wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation in America's young people.

Youth Members: Becoming a Pheasants Forever "Ringneck," or youth member, is a fun and exciting way to get involved with other outdoor enthusiasts who love wildlife and being outdoors. For more information and to become a member, contact our Youth Director, David Lood.

Chapter Youth Programs: Nationally, Pheasants Forever holds more than 500 youth events a year connecting 25,000 plus youth to the outdoors. They reach out in their communities to sponsor youth mentor hunts, outdoor conservation days, shooting sports competitive events, conservation camps, youth fishing tournaments, outdoor expos, hunter education classes, schoolyard habitat projects and much more.

Leopold Education Project: An environmental education program based on the classic writings of the renowned conservationist, Aldo Leopold (A Sand County Almanac).

National Youth Leadership Council: The National Youth Leadership Council is made up of 20 young people from around the country that were nominated by their Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever chapter for their community involvement and conservation interests. They are the spokespersons for their age group on hunting and conservation issues and advise Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever on youth programs.

If you know a young conservation leader who may be interested in joining this elite group of conservation leaders, please contact Youth Director, David Lood: youthdirector@stlouiscarltoncountypf.org

Forever Shooting Sports Program

Pheasants Forever’s “Forever Shooting Sports” program aims to create shooting sports opportunities and serve as a gateway into conservation and outdoor recreation of all types. Since creating the No Child Left Indoors® initiative, Pheasants Forever has been working to create even more dynamic youth programs that engage both kids and their families. We have taken the next step.  By partnering with other local conservation groups, we are able to provide multiple FREE events so young people and their families have additional opportunities to get outdoors.

We believe a shooting sports program can help us fulfill our youth mission of actively engaging them in outdoor activities and in learning about nature and conservation in order to foster tomorrow’s leaders and conservation-minded citizens.

Our commitment:

• Get kids outside having fun and learning firsthand about our natural resources
• Introduce young people to outdoor recreation and teach them to be safe, ethical sportspeople
• Develop leaders and conservation-minded citizens who are service oriented
• Make habitat a priority and let young people get their hands dirty
• Partner with others to spread the word on opportunities and places to enjoy the outdoors
• Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming youth events!

The St. Louis/Carlton County Chapter of Pheasants Forever was honored with a National Pheasants Forever “Young Guns” designation for our dedication to providing FREE outdoor opportunities for area youth.  We have a trailer full of equipment that we can bring to any range or location and host a youth event.

Are you with another organization? Scouts? YMCA? 4H? etc?  We gladly partner with these and other organizations to support both shooting sports and outdoor programming.  Let us bring our equipment, supplies, and experts to your kids – at no charge.

If you are interested in volunteering or setting up a youth event, please contact our Youth Director, David Lood, at: youthdirector@stlouiscarltoncountypf.org or 218-348-8332.