Banquets

2024 33nd Banquet, Membership Drive and Family Fun Night

Brown County 2024 Banquet, Membership Drive and Family Fun Night will be held March 23, 2024. The event will be held at the Sleepy Eye Event Center. Our emcee will be Bob St. Pierre, Pheasants Forever Chief Marketing Officer. Nearly 350 people came to last years banquet and had some fun in support of your local Pheasants Forever chapter. Many raffles and games will be played. Your contributions matter to habitat and all monies raised stays in Brown County.

Tickets

2023 32nd Banquet Summary

Greetings from the Banquet Committee.  

On March 18th, 2023, the Brown County Chapter of Pheasants Forever (BCPF) held its 32nd Membership Banquet at the Sleepy Eye Event Center, Sleepy Eye, MN.  Attended by around 350+ people this year, our Banquet is our primary fundraising tool.  100% of the funds raised stay with the Brown County Chapter and will be invested in Brown County.  Our banquet has been wildly successful and has resulted in Pheasants Forever, Inc., investing over $4 million in Brown County since our founding over two decades ago.  Of course, we owe the success of our organization to our donors, volunteers, and most importantly, members like you.   

BCPF was founded June 16, 1987, by Lannie Zarn, Dale Trebesch and Jim Bertrand. The first banquet was held the following year in 1988 at the Orchid Inn, Sleepy Eye. The first emcee was Joe Le Tendre at this banquet. Was held at the Orchid Inn where it held 30 banquets until the Orchid Inn met its demise. The national director of Pheasants Forever at that time was Robert Brengman. 

We’d like to take this opportunity to briefly describe what your investment in our Chapter of Pheasants Forever means to Brown County.  Your donations, the benefits extend beyond our favorite game bird (pheasants) to other wildlife, soil and water conservation, and the quality of life in Brown County, too.  BCPF has contributed to the completion of over 300 habitat projects on over 3,000 acres of private land in Brown County.  These projects benefit not only pheasants, but all wildlife, and help reduce soil erosion and protect our waters. 

Brown County Pheasants Forever has participated in the acquisition totaling over 2500 acres of land that all varieties of game and non-game wildlife call home, and which are now open to the public for multiple uses, particularly hunting, as part of the state Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) or Wildlife Production Area (WPA) programs. Brown County currently has over 34 WMA/WPAs with over 4600 acres for you the public to enjoy. Your contributions made these projects happen.  Every $1 you contribute we can get nearly 30 times more dollars for leverage in grant funding for projects right here at home. 

During the past couple of years, we leveraged local money with grant money to make permanent improvements on WMAs.  The BCPF chapter has joined the DNRs Adopt-a-Wildlife Program. We spent quite a bit of time improving or local public lands. We look for further habitat projects.

We continue to improve and expand our youth and hunter recruitment programs.  In the past 5+ years, we have supported youth & high school shooting programs in Sleepy Eye, New Ulm and Springfield. Hosted and participated in annual mentored youth hunts. Joining the Adopt-a-WMA program we will work to better or public lands and encourage youth habitat programs on them. We continue to provide food plot seed when requested to help winter feeding of pheasants and more so, encourage food and winter thermal cover plantings as a permanent solution to our winter weather.  As you can see, your investment in Brown County Pheasants Forever has a large and lasting impact.  

We hope you are pleased with what you’ve accomplished as a member of Brown County Pheasants Forever.  It is important to remember our goals and what we are really working for when we attend the banquet.  We do our best to assure that you had a good time while at the same time raising money to accomplish these objectives.  This year there were over 30 guns and prizes with values over $40,000.00.  Although we are confident you had a good time, please let us know what we can do to improve the experience for you in the future.  Better yet, plan on attending our meetings held quarterly.  Meetings begin at 7:00 pm to accommodate travel for members from all over the county and are posted to the website: http://www.browncountypf.org.

2022 Brown County Banquet Summary

Greetings from the Banquet Committee.  

On March 19th, 2022, the Brown County Chapter of Pheasants Forever (BCPF) will be held its 31st Membership Banquet at the New Ulm Event Center, New Ulm, MN.  Attended by around 330+ people this year, our Banquet is our primary fundraising tool.  100% of the funds raised stay with the Brown County Chapter and will be invested in Brown County.  Our banquet has been wildly successful and has resulted in Pheasants Forever, Inc., investing over $4 million in Brown County since our founding over two decades ago.  Of course, we owe the success of our organization to our donors, volunteers, and most importantly, members like you.   

We’d like to take this opportunity to briefly describe what your investment in our Chapter of Pheasants Forever means to Brown County.  Although our name implies that a gaudy game bird is the primary benefactor of your donation, the benefits extend beyond our favorite game bird to other wildlife, soil and water conservation, and the quality of life in Brown County, too.  Brown County Pheasants Forever has contributed to the completion of 300 habitat projects on over 3,000 acres of private land in Brown County.  These projects benefit not only pheasants, but all wildlife, and help reduce soil erosion and protect our waters.

Although private projects are an integral part of our mission, our major focus has been on the acquisition of public land.  Brown County Pheasants Forever has participated in the acquisition totaling over 2500 acres of land that all varieties of game and non-game wildlife call home, and which are now open to the public for multiple uses, particularly hunting, as part of the state Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) or Wildlife Production Area (WPA) programs. Brown County currently has over 28 WMA/WPAs with over 4600 acres for you the public to enjoy. Your contributions made these projects happen.  With your continued support, that $10 or $20 you spent on a raffle can by leveraged by Pheasants Forever to create $100 or $200 in grant funding for projects right here at home.

During the past couple of years, we leveraged local money with grant money to make permanent improvements on WMAs.  The BCPF chapter has joined the DNRs Adopt-a-Wildlife Program. The capstone of our year was the addition of over 300 acres to the Strom Lake, Verona and Vogel WMAs purchased by the Minnesota DNR in part with BCPF.  As always, we look for further habitat projects.

We continue to improve and expand our youth and hunter recruitment programs.  In the past 5 years, we have supported youth & high school shooting programs in Sleepy Eye, New Ulm and Springfield. Hosted and participated in annual mentored youth hunts. Joining the Adopt-a-WMA program we will work to better or public lands and encourage youth habitat programs on them. We continue to provide corn to feed pheasants and more so, encourage food and winter thermal cover plantings as a permanent solution to our winter weather.  As you can see, your investment in Brown County Pheasants Forever has a large and lasting impact.  

We hope you are pleased with what you’ve accomplished as a member of Brown County Pheasants Forever.  It is important to remember our goals and what we are really working for when we attend the banquet.  We do our best to assure that you had a good time while at the same time raising money to accomplish these objectives.  This year there were over 25 guns and prizes with a retail value more than $40,000.00.  Although we are confident you had a good time, please let us know what we can do to improve the experience for you in the future.  Better yet, plan on attending our meetings held quarterly in Sleepy Eye.  Meetings begin at 8 to accommodate travel for members from all over the county and are posted to the website: http://www.browncountypf.org.

2017 Brown County Banquet Summary

Thanks to our sponsors, donors, volunteers, committee members, and of course the generosity of our members, the 30th Annual Banquet was a success.  With over 400 people in attendance, nearly every seat was accounted for as well as over 35 guns were given away.

Brown County Pheasants Forever raised over $25,000.00 at the 30^th Annual Banquet. That’s $25,000 to support youth outdoor endeavors, acquire habitat, and most importantly, improve the lot for pheasants and other wildlife in Brown County, Minnesota.  After all, that’s really what it’s all about. 

Thank you and see you in March 2018 for our next event.

2017 Brown County Banquet Book

We are only a month away from the 2017 Brown County PF Banquet. If you are interested in helping please contact any member of the PF Board. 

We will be having similar fund raising activities like: The Hunters Dream Raffle; The Home Defence Raffle; and the Ballards for Birds Raffle. Typical Banquet event has at least 30 guns auctioned or raffled off. As well, a Live Acution will take place for a number of selected items.

As well for the sixth consecutive year will be auctioning off a Lifetime Youth License to one lucky winner. 

This year the event will be catered by North Star BBQ. This is a new change to the food line up. For those who have not tried this, are in for a treat. 

Ticket price will be the same as last year and will be posted in the next month.

For sponsors we have a few options for your greatly apprecaiated contributions:

• $225.00 Silver Level you will recieve (2) ticket to the banquet and (1) annual membership to Pheasants Forever.
• $275.00 Gold Level you will will all the benefits of the Silver Level plus, your choice of the Print of the Year (Unframed) or $65.00 gift card.
• $400.00 Platinum Level you will recieve all the benefits of both Silver and Gold levels and the Print of the Year will be framed. 

See you at the event March 18th, 2017 at the Orchid Inn, Sleepy Eye, MN.

2017 Banquet Book