This weekend I will be attending the Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener in Austin. This will be the ninth year for the Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener. The annual event has done a great job promoting the sport of pheasant hunting.
As you may recall, Luverne was the host city last year for the event, and by all accounts Luverne set the bar so high that Austin will have to pull out all the stops to top last year’s event.
While the Governor’s Opener has helped put the spotlight on pheasant hunting, the growth in popularity would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Minnesota Pheasants Forever. There are 71 local chapters across the state, and Rock County Pheasants Forever is one of them.
The annual Rock County Pheasants Forever banquet Friday, Oct. 25, will kick off the first-ever Ringneck Reunion celebration. The banquet begins with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 at Take 16. To purchase tickets to the banquet, you may stop down at the Star Herald office.
Through the efforts of the Rock County Pheasants Forever, nearly 1,600 acres of land have been set aside for public hunting access in Rock County.
Of course, it takes people power. So if you’re not sure if joining Pheasants Forever is right for you, I would like you to ask yourself a few questions and then maybe you’ll realize you should get involved.
Have you ever been on a walk and a flock of geese flies overhead or maybe you flush a pheasant along a country road, and when that happens, you pull up an imaginary over-under and click off a round or two? You should join Pheasants Forever.
Do you own a hunting dog? You should join Pheasants Forever.
If blaze orange is your favorite color, you should join Pheasants Forever.
If your spouse hunts pheasants but has never invited you to go along, you should join Pheasants Forever.
If you know the difference between a 12, 16, 20, or 28 gauge, you should join Pheasants Forever. If you don’t, you should join Pheasants Forever and we’ll teach you.
If you don’t own a hunting dog, a shotgun, or have any blaze orange apparel but enjoy the outdoors, you should join Pheasants Forever.
If you have enjoyed hunting on a WMA or walk-in land, you should join Pheasants Forever.
So now all you have to do is ask yourself, “Why haven’t I joined Pheasants Forever?”
If you’re interested in joining Rock County Pheasants Forever, give me a call at 507-283-2333 or send me an email at rick@star-herald.com.