Dallas, TX (1888PressRelease)
March 18, 2008 - Legendary oil entrepreneur, conservationist and avid sportsman T. Boone Pickens was presented the Lifetime Sportman's Award at the recent Park Cities Quail Unlimited banquet. The award that Mr. Pickens received was a specially commissioned one-of-a-kind bronze sculpture of three flushing quail by noted sculptor, Walter Matia. Chapter Chairman Joe Crafton said, "I can't think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Mr. Pickens. He has a genuine passion for the outdoors, and has made invaluable and extraordinary contributions to the restoration of quail habitat in West Texas especially in Roberts County."
Pickens first purchased land in Roberts County in 1971, where many of the county's rolling hills, bluffs and creek beds suffered from continuous overgrazing. Since then, he has implemented a progressive and innovative conservation plan to renovate the degraded landscape. His success and influence with other landowners to do similar practices have helped increase the local land values. Mr. Pickens has also been a leader in other environmental issues such as vehicular natural gas, wind energy and the utilization of surplus groundwater in the Texas panhandle.
Over the years, under his guidance, Mesa Vista ranch has grown to 68,000 acres and is considered one of the premier quail hunting properties. Ray Sasser, Dallas Morning News outdoor writer, calls Mesa Vista "the Wild West equivalent of a southern gentleman's hunting plantation, arguably the finest quail-hunting spot in the known universe."
Mr. Pickens said, "Quail hunting is a lifelong passion tracking back to my father who always kept two bird dogs in a pen out back of our home in Holdenville, Oklahoma. That was big, open country--pretty good quail territory. I shot my first quail when I was about 13 years old. Today, I am driven by a desire to conserve and reclaim overgrazed land for quail habitat that will ultimately improve land values through increased recreational opportunities."
An exclusive hunt on Mesa Vista was one of the featured items at the recent Park Cities Chapter's live auction that helped shatter all previous Quail Unlimited chapter fund-raising efforts. In one night, the chapter raised over $650,000. One of the primary projects to be funded by Quail Unlimited as a result of this success will be the Rolling Plains Research Ranch, a 4700 acre West Texas research and demonstration property directed by Dr. Dale Rollins.
The award that Mr. Pickens received was a specially commissioned one-of-a-kind bronze sculpture of three flushing quail by noted sculptor Walter Matia. His work is recognized and exhibited all over the world.
