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We are Brown County Minnesota Pheasants Forever Chapter #166 (BCPF), a nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1987 dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasants and other upland bird populations in North America.
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OVERVIEW & PRESIDENTS REPORT
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Hello everyone! I hope you have had an opportunity to enjoy the fall weather outdoors recently! We’ve been getting good reports from area hunters who are chasing pheasants and deer. I’ve personally seen our area public lands being used consistently as I drive by local WMA’s which is a testament to the benefits of the work our chapter and partners have done creating these public opportunities.
We have begun planning for our 2026 Banquet. As we do this, we are actively looking for help sponsoring this event as well as creating general fundraising for our chapter. We are looking for sponsors for specific games and raffles or for specific fundraising efforts. Corporate and personal donations and sponsorships help us ensure a successful event and help us provide more opportunities to adhere to the mission statement of the Pheasants Forever organization as a whole. Corporate sponsorships will be recognized for their efforts with advertising at our banquet, on social media, in our newsletter, and more. Please contact any of our board members if you are interested in becoming a sponsor.
Our 2026 version of the ‘Hunters Dream Raffle’ is now live. Like last year, there will again be 3 winners picked in the raffle. The prizes include:
1. Benelli Ethos Supersport 12 ga Shotgun.
2. Christensen Arms Ridgeline 6.5 PRC Rifle.
3. Banks Stump 2 Phantom Deer Blind.
Ticket cost is $20 per ticket. Please contact any of our board members if you’d like tickets.
Upcoming Meeting: Thursday December 11 at the Tavern 507 in New Ulm. We are always looking for more active members to help run the banquet, fundraise, sell raffle tickets, and run youth events. Attendance at these meetings is open to all and a great way to meet us and get your foot in the door with the chapter!
Thanks again for the support!
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Thanks, Steve Eckstein,
President Brown County Pheasants
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Prescribed Fire Workshop
On Wednesday, January 7th from 3:30-4:30 at the New Ulm DNR Headquarters (21371 MN Highway 14, New Ulm MN). Pheasants Forever Prescribed Fire Coordinator Jason Anderson will be Presenting an Overview on the benefits of getting fire on native prairie landscapes, as well as a brief overview on how to do a prescribed fire yourself and or how to hire a crew to do it.
There will be snacks provided.
As well as we ask those that are wanting to attend to Please RSVP to me Reva Ecker the Brown County Farm Bill Biologist at my email: recker@pheasantsforever.org or by calling her at: (507) 794-4491 ext.110
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BCPF Seed Program
Mathiowetz Construction has stepped up to be the sponsor for the BCPF Food Plot Seed Program. We want to thank them for assisting the local area in habitat for wildlife to help make it through tough winter months.
Mathiowetz Construction is sponsoring this effort in Memory of Brown County’s biggest conservationist Richard J Mathiowetz who passed his legacy of stewardship to his family 26 years ago at his passing.
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To help pheasants and planting a food plot of at least 2-5 acres. It should as well, be somewhat close to pheasant wintering cover like cattails or willow patches. The wintering cover should ideally be more than 5 acres. You don’t want the birds to travel too far. Additionally, plant food that can help in providing cover and not get blown in and buried by snow. Such as sorghums and milo or blends for food plots like the "Signature Series or Food Plot Seeds". See https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/store/items/FP/ for more details.
In supporting these efforts BCPF will help supply food plot seed to Members who are interested in participating.
The following is the criteria we set for receiving food plot seed.
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Must be an active member of Pheasants Forever
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Must be a food plot in Brown County
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Food plot seed is what the chapter can supply
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We may share seed bags with others is a full bag cannot be used
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Must agree to seed contracts from suppliers and cannot resell or harvest the seed
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BCPF reserves the right to inspect the food plot
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Supply BCPF the number of acres to be planted and what type of seed.
This year we have access to a variety of seed types. These will include:
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Roundup ready corn or soybeans.
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Blizzard Buster (Sorghum mix)
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- Rooster Booster (Sorghum, corn, buckwheat, millet mix)
- Winter Shield (Sorghum and millet mix)
- And more…
How can you get your hands on seed for a food plot next spring? Reach out to Brandon Kral at kralerlee@gmail.com or at (507) 217-0214. Seed order deadline is January 20, 2026.
Landowners with RIM Easements
In 2023, BWSR received $2 million for the purpose of enhancing existing RIM easements to promote vegetation biodiversity, improve wildlife habitat and pollinator resources, among other positive benefits for the landscape. Enhancement funds will prioritize projects where the landowner is willing to purchase a custom seed mix(es), did not receive any portion of the original easement payment, and are willing to provide an elected cost match (cash or in-kind).
Projects best suited for enhancement will be on sites that are surrounded by existing habitat, were enrolled prior to 2014, have low diversity, and/or are threatened with noxious weed pressure. If approved by BWSR, projects are reimbursable at up to $1200 an acre to complete enhancement work. Work activities can include: tree removal, prescribed burning, chemical application, tillage, seed mix, seed installation. Seed installation must be completed as part of the work plan!
Applications will be reviewed at the end of every month. Funding is available until spent or June 30, 2029, whichever comes first.
Please contact your local SWCD office at (507) 794-2553 or Teddy Giefer at teddy.giefer@brownswcdmn.org for more information to see if you would be eligible.
Easement Enhancement Guidance Document - https://bwsr.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2024-11/Easement%20Enhancement%20Program%20Guidance.pdf
BWSR Resources - https://bwsr.state.mn.us/node/11841
General CRP
Currently, more than 25.8 million acres are enrolled in CRP, with nearly 9.7 million acres in Grassland CRP. On May 12, FSA opened General and Continuous CRP enrollment for 2025. FSA is currently reviewing submitted offers and will announce accepted offers at a later date. Due to the 27-million-acre statutory cap, only 1.8 million acres are available for all CRP enrollment this fiscal year. Stay tuned this may change in the near future.
Continuous CRP
Unlike General CRP, Continuous CRP offers are not subject to a competitive bid process. To ensure enrolled acres do not exceed the current statutory cap of 27 million acres, FSA is awaiting further enhancements to this program as part of the US Farm Bill renewal.
Continuous CRP participants voluntarily offer environmentally sensitive lands, typically smaller parcels than offered through General CRP including wetlands, riparian buffers, and varying wildlife habitats. In return, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.
Continuous CRP enrollment options:
- State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative: Restores vital habitat to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals.
- Highly Erodible Land Initiative: Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or equal to 20.
- Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative: Prioritizes water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations.
- CLEAR30 (a component of the CLEAR Initiative): Offers additional incentives for water quality practice adoption and can be accessed in 30-year contracts.
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP): Addresses high priority conservation objectives of states and Tribal governments on agricultural lands in specific geographic areas.
For more information on CRP participant and land eligibility, approved conservation practices and detailed program fact sheets, visit FSA’s office or reach out to Reva – Brown County Pheasants Forever Land Biologist at (507) 794-4491 Ext. 110 or at recker@pheasantsforever.org.
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We will by fall hunting season have installed a few new parking areas on Brown County WMAs. Look for better parking and signage on our WMAs.
We hope you will be able to join us in one of our future habitat days.
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BCPF has acquired a few new parcels over the last couple of years. One parcel being 80 acres which is part of the expanding Bashaw complex. During our habitat day we posted and removed most but not all the barb wire fencing so this parcel will be open to the public.
Additionally, we had donated to us a 40-acre parcel which will be posted and added we hope open to the public this fall. Another 80+ acre parcel was acquired in March and again we hope will open to the public this fall. Stay posted for updates on these two parcels.
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Key Dates to Mark Your Calendar
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November 29, 2025 - MN Deer Muzzleloader Season Opener
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Other Conservation Organizations News
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Nothing to report this month.
Hope you can support other organization with similar missions to ours as well as Pheasants Forever.
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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.
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Again, we want to thank all our members and volunteers who do so much to help in the Brown County Pheasants Forever (PF) mission.
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BROWN COUNTY PHEASANT’S FOREVER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- FOUNDED 38 YEARS AGO and SPENT OVER $6 MILLION in Brown County for HABITAT.
- OVER 500 HABITAT PROJECTS benefiting OVER 5,000 ACRES on PRIVATE land.
- PRESERVED OVER 3,500 ACRES for PUBLIC ENJOYMENT & HUNTING. Brown County has NEARLY 40 WMA/WPAs encompassing OVER 5,000 ACRES.
- 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.
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Brown County Pheasants Forever
1783 Buerkle Circle
St. Paul, MN 55110
United States
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