Smoky Mountain Quail Forever Chapter 3139

06/16/2026

Our 2026 Annual Fundraising Banquet Registration is live! Please join us Saturday, August 8 at the Airport Hilton to help raise money for quail conservation efforts here in Tennessee!

Tickets are limited so please register using the link below as soon as possible. Please share to spread the word!

Join us at our annual Quail Forever chapter banquet on August 8th at the Airport Hilton! Please purchase your tickets online and as early as possible because seats are limited.

05/21/2026

Our annual fundraising banquet is coming up August 8th. We will have live and silent auction items as well as our usual games of chance. Come join us and support Quail restoration in Tennessee!contact Bill Priddy for mor [email protected]

05/15/2026

Be one of the FIRST Tennesseans to sport a Tennessee Quail Forever Specialty License Plate!!This specialty plate will not only showcase a bird we all know and love, but it will help to raise funds to continue our mission of conserving quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public acc...

05/07/2026

Congrats guys!

🌿CHAPTERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE🌿

The Smoky Mountain Chapter of Quail Forever was honored as the recipient of the 2026 Wally Childress Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) R3 (Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation) Outstanding Leadership Award.

The Wally Childress TWRA R3 Award is named in honor of the former commissioner who received the inaugural award last year for his efforts to introduce children and provide opportunities for many others to enjoy the outdoors.

The Smoky Mountain Chapter embodies those values through consistent, impactful outreach, youth involvement, and substantial investments in conservation and quail habitat research.

"The Smoky Mountain Chapter of Quail Forever demonstrates intentional, consistent, and deeply impactful outreach across Tennessee’s upland community," said Rhonda Moody, TFWC Vice Chair, who nominated the organization for the honor. "Their dedication doesn’t end with youth programs; this chapter invests significantly in conservation, internships, research, and habitat development for the quail we all care so deeply about. This group truly reflects the heart of the Wally Childress R3 Award through their mentorship, their commitment, and their work to ensure the hunting tradition endures for generations to come."

Many of the chapter's field activities, including youth hunts, take place at the McGhee Carson Unit of the Tellico Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA).

The chapter funds the Quail Forever Intern Program in partnership with the University of Tennessee for students in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries. These interns work alongside TWRA to provide "boots on the ground" for habitat projects across more than 15,000 acres of management areas. Additionally, the chapter organizes events such as field tours and workshops to teach local landowners about native grass restoration and habitat improvements that benefit both wildlife and livestock grazing.

The information displayed in this post is an exerpt from a press release published by TWRA. Read the release here: https://www.tn.gov/twra/news/2026/4/17/fish-and-wildlife-commission-set-2026-27-hunting-and-trapping-seasons-at-april-meeting.htm

04/30/2026

A friendly spring reminder: if you see a fawn on its own, it's best to leave it alone. Mother deer often leave their fawns hidden in the brush while they're off feeding nearby.

Most of the time, the best way to help wildlife is simply to give them space.

📷 Cheryl Harris

04/30/2026

04/24/2026

04/24/2026

We were honored to receive the R3 Wally Childress Outstanding Leadership Award from The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission at the last commission meeting. Our partnership with TWRA has grown strong over the past 20+ and they continue to provide volunteers and resources for our efforts to support quail hunting in Tennessee. Thank you to Jason Maxedon,Executive Director of TWRA , the TWRA employees who work along with us ,the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission and Commissioner Rhonda Moody for nominating our chapter. The future looks bright for quail restoration and hunting in Tennessee!
Thank you!

04/10/2026

Upland hunters have raised valid concerns about vague language written into the current Farm Bill proposal that would have impacts on the training of bird dogs and hunting dogs.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are working with legislators on both sides of the aisle to ensure that clarifying language will uphold America’s hunting heritage, while contributing to a strong Farm Bill that is good for farmers, wildlife, rural economies and hunters.

Click the link below to read the following article from Farm Progress Daily on what’s being done to get the language changed and the role of The Habitat Organization in this process: https://bit.ly/4cBVCSn