By Park Cites Quail
At their 12th Annual Dinner & Auction on March 8, Park Cities Quail awarded its 2018 “T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award” to the consummate quail hunter, Rick Snipes, at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Snipes was presented a specially designed sculpture of three flushing bobwhite quail created by award-winning sculptor Walter Matia.
Snipes was on hand to accept the award and in his acceptance speech discussed bird dogs and his passion for quail hunting with his friends from his home state of South Carolina. Over 40 of Snipes’ personal friends were in attendance to watch him receive the award, which has quickly become one of the most prestigious awards in the world of quail conservation. The Snipes Ranch, in Aspermont, TX, has been referred to by many as “the Augusta National of quail hunting”, and those who have received an invitation to hunt there would endorse that designation.
Snipes has given his life to quail hunting by making his ranch his life’s work, and by serving as Chairman of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation (RPQRF) from 2006 thru 2017. RPQRF has been instrumental in leading the way in seeking out factors that cause quail population declines across their range. Research funded by RPQRF, along with Park Cities Quail funding, has recently discovered a parasitic eyeworm, oxyspirura petrowi, which is believed to be a culprit in mortality of bobwhite quail.
Following the award presentation, PCQ held their Live Auction, which featured several hunts, excursions, and experiences. An armada of ships including a 164 ft Westport yacht for 6 couples in the Bahamas was auctioned off for a record $400,000, and then the fleet’s owner, Carl Allen, donated a second identical trip for another $400,000. Also, the group auctioned off a pheasant hunt to Paul Nelson Farm in South Dakota with legendary newscaster, Tom Brokaw, for $200,000. The winning bidder will be accompanied by Brokaw, Silver Star Recipient John Wayne Walding, and Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Michael Thornton. 100% of the proceeds from this auction item will be donated to organizations specializing in rehabilitating veterans thru involving them in outdoor hunting and fishing activities.
“The combined auction prices shattered all-time records, and almost every item sold for above their retail price,” said Dinner Chair Clay Huffstutter. 
The 12th Annual Dinner & Auction was attended by nearly 1,100 quail supporters. The net total raised from the event won’t be determined until all results are calculated, but total gross proceeds cleared over $2.2 million, and the Live Auction alone grossed $1,710,000, according to Huffstutter. “We would like to thank Mr. Pickens, Mr. Snipes, our volunteer committee, our donors, and our sponsors for making this an amazing night for quail.
Park Cities Quail was founded in 2006 when a group of Dallas quail hunters concerned about quail decline formed the nonprofit organization to preserve, restore and maintain upland game, educate youth, and improve hunting opportunities for area sportsmen.
PCQ’s efforts are centered on this one night of fundraising each March, which features a seated dinner, raffle, silent, and live auction and culminates in the presentation of the Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award. Dubbed by sporting industry writers as ‘Conservation’s Greatest Night,’ over the past 11 years, the Park Cities Quail Dinner and Auction has resulted in over $6.9 million in direct donations to scientific research and educational efforts.
To view the videos from the 2018 Dinner & Auction and for more information about Park Cities Quail, its efforts, and beneficiaries: www.parkcitiesquail.org.
