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According to Chris Traver, there’s a simple reason why the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of Pheasants Forever has seen its membership increase by 40 percent over the last two years.

“We’re getting people engaged,” said Traver, who is the fundraising committee chairman for the chapter.

During the recent Pheasants Forever state meeting in State College, the chapter received the Rising Star award for its significant membership hike. At the meeting, Traver was told by Pheasants Forever officers that a membership increase of that proportion is unheard of for a chapter that has only been in existence for 10 years. The chapter serves Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming counties and prides itself of putting the money it raises back into habitat work in the area.

But that’s not all the chapter does, and that’s why Traver said new members continue to come aboard.

“I attribute it to the outreach we do. We have the Conservation Mixer, youth hunt, a shoot in July, and all those efforts combined have exposed us to more people,” he said. “Those events are all new in the last few years, and it gives people a firsthand experience of what we do.”

The chapter is approaching the 300-member mark, and Traver said the chapter is planning new events to keep the membership growing and get its message out.

They recently participated in a youth outdoors day hosted by the North Mountain Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association, and are considering holding a similar event of their own.

Youth outreach has become a major focus of the chapter, Traver said, but therein lies the challenge all hunting organizations face.

“There’s a lot of people that still think Pheasants Forever is a hunting club. We’re more about habitat improvement, because without habitat you don’t have birds and you won’t have hunting,” Traver said. “But it’s hard to keep kids engaged in habitat, and we need to figure that out.”

Still, with more members, the chapter has seen greater turnouts at all of its events. The mixer – which is an open house for all conservation groups in the area, has attracted a packed crowd every year. And the youth hunt, which is held by the Frances Walter Dam in Bear Creek, is always filled.

This year’s cap of 40 kids has already been met and names are being added to a waiting list. In past years, the hunt, which is held on a Saturday but is also extended by chapter members willing to take kids out during the week, has attracted up to 120 youth hunters.

The end result, said Traver, is more money at the national level which allows Pheasants Forever to put more biologists in the field; and more funds for habitat improvement projects locally.

So how does the chapter build on its success and keep signing up new members?

“I’m hoping to get another award at the next state meeting for increasing life memberships,” Traver said. “We want to get people to step up and make the ultimate commitment for conservation.”

From the left are John Piccotti, president of Northeast Pennsylvania Pheasants Forever, fundraising chairman Chris Traver and Charlie Payne, regional wildlife biologist accepting the Rising Star award for its increasing membership at the state meeting.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_PF-Award.jpg.optimal.jpgFrom the left are John Piccotti, president of Northeast Pennsylvania Pheasants Forever, fundraising chairman Chris Traver and Charlie Payne, regional wildlife biologist accepting the Rising Star award for its increasing membership at the state meeting.

By Tom Venesky

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MORE INFO

For additional information on the Northeast Pennsylvania Chapter of Pheasants Forever, visit nepapf.org or check out their Facebook Page Pheasants Forever Chapter 803.

Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky