Chapter News Update - January 2025

Presidents Report

Well, the year is now over, and I hope you all had a great pheasant hunting fall. We are in spring banquet season planning and we hope to see you attend the upcoming banquet March 22, 2025, being held again at the Sleepy Eye Event Center. Let me recap a few of key events from last year which Brown County Pheasants Forever (BCPF) has been a part of.

This year has brought to Brown County several new acquisitions of property which are or will soon be open to the public. We acquired three (3) new properties for a total of nearly 230 acres. Some of the details on each will be highlighted more below or on the BCPF website.

We hosted three Adopt-a-WMA habitat days last summer and added numerous new parking areas to the WMAs in Brown County for all to use and enjoy. New parking areas were added to: Rosenau-Lambrecht; Wood Lake; Verona; Meadowlark; Coal Mine Creek; etc. We replaced or added over 250 yellow WMA signs, cleaned up trash or debris, removed fencing, removed noxious trees, etc. We want to thank all the participants and hope you enjoy the fruits of our labors.

We planted over 40 acres of food plots on WMAs and provided seed for an additional 200+ acres of food plot seed to private landowners. We ended our winter seed program in lieu of these efforts which we believe will pay better dividends to wildlife in the long run.

The 2024 MN Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener (GPHO) took place this year out of Sleepy Eye. We participated at the bequest of the Sleepy Eye Chamber of Commerce as well as the MN Department of Natural Resource (DNR) to support Sleepy Eye in this event as it relates to hunting on opening day of MN pheasant hunting. Below are more details surrounding this event and our activities.

Last year’s Nicollet Conservation Club (NCC) Youth Day, which was held on July 20th, had well over 200 future hunters and conservationists attend. This is by far one of the best regional events in our area. If you have not been to one, we encourage all kids to come out and attend next year.

Again, mark your calendars for the 2025 BCPF Annual Banquet to be held March 22, 2025, at the Sleepy Eye Event Center. More to come as the event gets planned later in the year.

Nestled between the Minnesota and Cottonwood rivers, the Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA is home to 568 acres of prairie and wetlands in Brown County. The latest two acquisitions, totaling 140 acres, were led by Brown County Pheasants Forever which started in 2023.

Since the first acquisition in 1972, “Spider Slough” was later named Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA in 1973, in recognition of two local farmers who provided instrumental support in the project. Acquisition and habitat work has continued over the years, with efforts from Brown County Pheasants Forever, the New Ulm chapter of the Izaak Walton League, the Lost Dog and Fox Hunters Club, and other community support. The most recent additions would not have been possible without support from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund.

The site of the land dedication celebration is about 40 acres and is open and ready for use by the public. More than 25 volunteers from Brown County Pheasants Forever, along with members of the local high school trap shooting team, assisted the Department of Natural Resources in preparing the parcel for public use.

Restoration of the 100-acre parcel will begin this fall and continue into the spring of 2025 by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. This parcel should be open to the public by the fall of 2025.

The addition of 140 new acres have now been added to the Rosenau-Lambrect WMA for a total of 748 acres for habitat wildlife and will be open to public for hunting and enjoyment by all.

Parcel 1: Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA East Unit. The new addition includes 40 acres to the east of the main parcels of the Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA. This parcel consists mainly of native plant species including Showy Tick Trefoil, Wild Bergamot, Yellow Coneflower, and many species of grasses. This unit offers good opportunities to observe prairie songbirds, and hunt multiple game species including deer, pheasants, and other small game. This parcel is open now to the public.

Location: Take U.S. Hwy 14 east approximately 8.5 miles from the east edge of Sleepy Eye. Turn north on 185th Avenue. Go approximately one-half mile, crossing the railroad tracks. The parking lot is on the west side on the road.

Parcel 2: Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA Main Unit. This new 100-acre addition to the north of the main parcels of the Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA will be restored to a prairie wetland complex. Restoration will begin in the fall of 2024 and continue into the spring of 2025. This unit will offer opportunities to observe prairie songbirds, as well as hunt multiple game species including deer, pheasants, and other small game. This parcel is not yet open to the public.

Location: Take U.S. Hwy 14 east approximately 6.2 miles from the east edge of Sleepy Eye. Turn north on 250th Avenue. Go approximately 1.1 miles. The WMA is on the east side of the road.

We recently designed and placed a new sign for the recent “Land Dedication” ceremony. Attached is the sign we got approved from the DNR. It is known as a “Recognition Sign”. Getting approval for this style of sign has been quite a process, but we've received wonderful feedback so far from management within the DNR as well as the general public.

This sign does several things we like:

Name of WMA parcel.
Land description and game species present.
Size in acres the WMA land parcel.
Map which shows area and private property boundaries and parking area.
Partners for recognition.

This sign is made of aluminum by the same folks who make the MN Dept. of Transportation signs. They are guaranteed for 8 years.

Brown County Pheasants Forever has set its sights in 2025 to add at least 5-7 new signs like these at other WMAs.

Sleepy Eye hosted the MN Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener (GPHO) on October 11-12. The town of Sleepy Eye was in the spotlight for two days. Several folks (including the Governor; LT. Governor; MN DNR Commissioner and President/CEO of Pheasants Forever, along with other local and state politicians) attended from all around the state. We at Pheasants Forever were asked to take an active role in certain parts of this two-day event.

Friday, October 11: Many activities were planned in the town and surrounding area. Some of the activities Pheasants Forever supported were:

Brown County Pheasants Forever hosted a land dedication ceremony at one of the recently acquired parcels of land. We dedicated two parcels of land to the Rosenau-Lambrecht WMA complex. A total of 140 new acres were added. This dedication was led by: Emcee - Tim Kraskey, Brown County Pheasants Forever President; Joe Stangel, Acting Regional Wildlife Manager MN Department of Natural Resources; Marilyn Vetter, President & CEO Pheasants Forever; Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director, Explore Minnesota; Sarah Strommen, Commissioner, MN Department of Natural Resources; Peggy Flanagan, Lt. Governor of the State of Minnesota; and
Amy Klobuchar MN United States Senator.
After the land dedication, the Sleepy Eye Brewing Co. and BCPF held a small fundraiser for habitat at the brewery. We raised a few thousand dollars and all monies raised was donated to BCPF. We thank Sleepy Eye Brewing Co. for their support.

Saturday, October 12: Was opening day for MN pheasant hunting. Some of the activities Pheasants Forever supported were:

We had several BCPF members participating as “Hunter Hosts” for the actual hunt.
After the hunt, everyone was invited back to the Sleepy Eye Sportsman’s Club for lunch and bird cleaning. BCPF led the bird cleaning efforts.

Landowners there are several active programs you should be aware of:

Milkweed in the Classroom Program

Brown County Pheasants Forever chapter has sponsored a Milkweed in the Classroom Program for St. Raphael Catholic school in Springfield. Milkweed in the Classroom is a habitat education program. The Program includes a Kit containing: lights; seeds; soil; and everything else needed to successfully grow the milkweed in the classroom. The kit also comes with curriculum plan and is geared to students in grades K-12.

This Outreach program provides hands on opportunities in and out of the classroom. They will grow a native plant species from start to finish. Students will learn the benefits of pollinators and providing them with quality forage and nesting habitat. The students will also get the opportunity to get outside and gain an appreciation of wildlife and conservation.

New RIM Restoration Program

The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) has received funding Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) easements established prior to 2014. There is current funding available to diversify and or enhance these easements. Landowner will need work with the SWCD to complete the BWSR application for it. This is a ranked application and landowners that provide a cash, or in-kind match will receive a higher ranking. The funds will be available until they are spent. There is only 2 million dollars so the program is highly competitive.

Applications are being accepted for these programs. Contact the local Brown County SWCD office or Reva to learn more.

CRP (Conservation Reserve Program)

This program is currently at a standstill until a Farm Bill gets approved or gets extended.

For “General CRP” sign-ups, you should contact your local FSA representative to get the timing of current signups and the current programs.

For more information, including a list of acceptable practices, contact your USDA Service Center at visit fsa.usda.gov/crp or Reva can be reached at (507) 794-4491 or at recker@pheasantsforever.org . Brock can be reached at (309) 824-2553 or at bfitzgerald@pheasantsforever.org .

Adopt-a-WMA Program

This year’s efforts focused mainly on improving current WMA's for the fall season. We added nearly 10 new parking areas on Brown County WMAs. Some of these are located at the following WMAs: Wood Lake; Meadowlark; Verona; Rosenau-Lambrecht; Coal Mine Creek; Terri; Bashaw; Rieck’s Slough and Vogel. We hope you find these convenient for you and your hunting party.

Additionally, we cleaned up a number of WMAs; removed miles of wire; improved the habitat by planting over 40 acres of food plots on WMAs and removing noxious weeds/trees.

The 2025 BCPF banquet will be held on Saturday March 22, 2025, at the Sleepy Eye Event Center.

Tickets for the event will be live in the next week or two at: Pheasants Forever Events . Just "Search" Brown County and you will find the March 22, 2025 Banquet & Family Fun Night event.

Many games and activities will be like past events, but we are hoping to add some new ones as well. Some of these are:

Shot-shell game
Women's game
Schell's banner raffle
Ford truck raffle
Gun board raffle
Live auction
Silent auction
Shot-n-Sizzle raffle
General raffle
Cooler full of pork raffle
Kids raffle
Hunters Dream raffle
... and more

This year's Hunters Dream raffle is a bit different. Instead of winner take all, we will be drawing three (3) winners. Each winning ticket (in order of draw) will be allowed to choose one of the three prizes. The first, drawn winner will have the first choice of prize numbers 1 through 3. The second, drawn winner gets next choice and third, drawn winner gets the last prize.

Prize Number 1:

(1) Browning Citron O/U 12 ga. Shotgun

Prize Number 2:

(1) Weatherby Orion O/U 20 ga. Shotgun and

(1) Weatherby Model 307 6.5 CM Meat Eater Addition Rifle

Prize Number 3:

(1) Banks Stump 2 Phantom Deer Blind 

Costs: $20 per ticket and approximately 700 tickets will be sold. 

The gun prizes will require FFL background checks and may be substituted for Scheel's gift cards for the value BCPF paid for the items. The Bank Blind does not qualify for the Gift Card option.

Drawing will be Held: March 22, 2025, 8:30-9:00 PM at the Sleepy Eye Event Center. The drawing will be held during the 2025 Brown County Annual PF Banquet and is open to the public. See "Events Page" to purchase tickets to the 2025 Banquet & Family Fun Night". 

Note: Brown County PF Chapter reserves the right to change any item for this raffle if it is not available. Any substitutions will be at a similar value and item.

At this year's banquet, we will be making several changes to comply with MN Gambling Commission requirements. Some of these are as follows:

We will not be allowed to have Rooster Bucks in any ticket packages.
No one under 18 can play the raffles or games. We will have a separate set of youth activities and prizes.
Guns will not be allowed to be taken home the night of the event. The ATF is making it difficult to complete any FFL type transfer at these types of events. All guns won will be transferred at the place of the FFL location.
Winners of some of the guns, that are won from Scheel’s will be allowed to take the equivalent cash value we paid for in a Scheel’s gift card instead of the gun. However, some of the guns are specialized purchases by BCPF and will not be allowed to be exchanged. These will be clearly marked as such at the banquet.
We have had a nearly 95% online ticket sales last year. We will still be mailing out postage announcement for tickets, but in a couple of years we hope all tickets will be purchased online prior to the event.

We hope that these changes, which are beyond our control, will not impact your decision to attend our event and support the mission. We want to thank you in advance for everyone’s participation in this event.

Tim Kraskey – (612) 298-0909 or tim@kraskey.com
Dan Braulick - (507) 227-2349 or danbraulick@gmail.com
Steve Eckstein – (651) 238-8440 or drsteveeckstein@gmail.com
Dave Huhn – (507) 276-8785 or dhhuhn@hotmail.com
Brandon Kral – (507) 217-0214 or kralerlee@gmail.com
Ben Cunningham - (507) 382-4226 or benjcunningham@hotmail.com
Reva Ecker – BCPF Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist (507) 794-7997 Ext. 110 or mailto:recker@pheasantsforever.org
Brock Fitzgerald - PF Grazing Specialist (309) 824-2553 or mailto:bfitzgerald@pheasantsforever.org

The monies we receive through donations, fund raising, and membership are critical to us enhancing or purchasing lands for all the public to enjoy. We encourage everyone to renew their membership to Pheasants Forever or upgrade to a Lifetime membership.

Pheasants Forever is the only national organization with a model of chapters keeping 100% of the funds they raise. While belonging to a larger national organization that has a voice on federal and state conservation policies, chapters are tasked with finding projects for their funds. Minnesota takes full advantage of this model using funds raised for projects locally as well as other areas in the state of Minnesota.

Go to Why Participate? And, Join or Renew your Membership to help us grow!

BROWN COUNTY PHEASANT’S FOREVER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
FOUNDED 37 YEARS AGO and SPENT OVER $4 MILLION in Brown County for HABITAT.
OVER 500 HABITAT PROJECTS benefiting OVER 5,000 ACRES on PRIVATE land.
PRESERVED OVER 3,000 ACRES for PUBLIC ENJOYMENT & HUNTING. Brown County has NEARLY 40 WMA/WPAs encompassing OVER 5,000 ACRES.
PARTICIPATED in OVER 3,300 ACRES in Brown County land ACQUISITIONS that are now WMA/WPAs.
BROWN COUNTY HAS OVER 24,000 acres in HABITAT.
HOSTS AND PARTICIPATES IN ANNUAL MENTORED YOUTH HUNTS with more than 200 KIDS PARTICIPATING
SUPPORT our LOCAL TRAP SHOOTING TEAMS.
PARTICIPATE in MN DNR Adopt-a-WMA program. Planting food plots, replacing signs, removing trash & barb wire, creating parking areas, and more.