For many people, Thanksgiving is synonymous with tedious amounts of travel, gargantuan levels of tryptophan and enough calories to make you blush in July. So why do we do it? Why do we fight brutal driving conditions, withstand long waits in countless lines and put up with our younger relatives' lack in discovery of deodorant. After all, we're certainly not clamoring for "Aunt Sue's" dried out turkey or "marshmallow salad" all year long.

My best guess comes in a two part answer. 1.) It's tradition and we all know we're creatures of habit and 2.) It's one of the few times when everyone's schedules allows for families to gather together, take a few extra sips of sparkling cider and truly be grateful for another year stored in the memory banks.

With pheasant season in full swing, many of us within the Pheasants Forever family – yourself included – have much to be grateful for. CRP had a general sign-up for the first time in four years, positive pheasant reports from much of the country have been flooding Pheasants Forever, and thanks in part to hardworking mentors, our youths continue to pick up the sport of hunting.

If you've been lucky enough to chase roosters this fall, thank you for keeping a time honored tradition alive and well. If you were able to introduce a youngster to the joys of the great outdoors, thank you for ensuring our country will be left in good hands. If you joined or continued your membership with Pheasants Forever, thank you for allowing us to work toward benefiting another 5 million acres of habitat within the next 5 years.

Our hunting partners, friends and supporters are truly something to be grateful for. If it wasn't for them, who would listen to our stories, believe in our passions and put up with our dirty dogs? Life would be quite dull without tales that stretched the imagination and missed shots that can't be lived down. So consider this to be my premature, tryptophan fueled "Thank You" for another year's worth of memories with "The Habitat Organization."

Read more from Andrew's Pheasant Blog, HERE.