The ability to manage land in difficult times, through extended dry periods and economic downturns, is the hallmark of a good land steward. This year’s recipients of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Lone Star Land Steward Awards are prime examples.

This week Benelli On Assignment (BOA) host, Joe Coogan and Benelli USA VP of Marketing and Communications, Stephen McKelvain travel to South Texas to take on the challenge of finding big Rio Grande "long beards" in the South Texas brush county of Sarco Creek Ranch, near the historic town of Goliad.

Every four years, the U.S. fields an Olympic shooting team known worldwide for achieving success in a most un-contemporary way-a rich and distinctly American background in traditional field sports.

The 621 Pheasants Forever chapters, 103 Quail Forever chapters and 125,000 members of "The Habitat Organization" nationwide completed over 22,000 wildlife habitat projects in 2009, benefitting over 500,000 acres for pheasants, quail and other wildlife. This includes over 8,300 acres of land acquired and then opened to public hunting and recreation as state-managed wildlife areas or federal Waterfowl Production Areas.

Upcoming public hunts on the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area set for January 8-10, 2010, will be limited to doves only due to drought impacts on quail populations.