About Pheasants Forever Ottertail County - 10
A Local Minnesota Chapter
Welcome. We are the Otter Tail County of Pheasants Forever (PF), a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasants and other upland bird populations in North America.
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. The Otter Tail County Chapter takes full advantage of this model using funds raised for projects locally as well as other areas in the state of Minnesota.
Our Chapter Mission
Protect, restore, and enhance wildlife habitat by establishing and maintaining local projects.
- Create, improve, and preserve upland bird habitat
- Foster youth hunting and outdoor activities.
- Develop, distribute and foster conservation education.
- Introduce and advance prudent management of conservation policies.
Pheasants Forever is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education.
Chapter Featured in PF Journal
The Otter Tail County Chapter of Pheasants Forever was recently featured in the 2010 Fall Preview Issue of Pheasants Forever's Journal of Upland Conservation. To read the full article follow the link. Journal Article
About Otter Tail County Pheasants Forever
Our local chapter in Minnesota was founded amongst those upland hunters and sportsmen and women in your community. Our goal is to provide those avid outdoormen and women an opportunity to assist in the protection and enhancement of pheasants and other upland bird populations around the local area.
Pheasants Forever was co-founded in 1982 by co-workers at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch, outdoor editor Dennis Anderson and national advertising director Jeff Finden. Both recognized a need for habitat restoration and preservation to ensure the future of pheasants and other wildlife.
PF's first publication entitled "Rooster Tales," published in February 1983. This became the forerunner of today's Pheasants Forever Journal of Upland Conservation. The fledgling PF held its first banquet on April 15, 1983, drawing 800 people at the inaugural banquet. In February 2017, PF's National Pheasant Fest in Minneapolis, MN became the largest event in PF history, drawing over 30,400 attendees over a three-day span.
Twenty-five years after its inception, Pheasants Forever has become a grassroots, nationwide upland conservation movement - a national conservation powerhouse. The organization has grown to 110,000 members with over 600 chapters across the U.S. and Canada. Nationwide, Pheasants Forever has spent $260 million on program expenditures, which have helped fund 347,000 habitat projects affecting 4.4 million acres across North America. Along the way, PF has continued to employ the same unique organizational model of empowering local chapters to determine how 100 percent of their locally-raised conservation funds are spent. This local control allows chapters to see the fruits of their chapter efforts in their own communities.
Our Local Habitat Projects
We actively partner with other chapters and Minnesota organization of natural resources on many habitat projects.
- Habitat field days are conducted when opportunities arise.
- We involve young people through activities such as youth hunts and habitat projects.
- Habitat projects and efforts to restore and preserve public lands.
- Contribute to funding purchasing and restoration of local land throughout our community.
Our Fundraising
- Our annual fundraising banquet, which is attended by more than 240 people, generates thousands of dollars. The banquet is held in early April each year.
OTC Chapter Featured in PF's Rooster Road Trip
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Pheasants Forever’s Director of Marketing & Public Relations. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
When I’m in my 70s, I want to be just like Louis Kamrowski. From the instant I met Louis, he reminded me of Wayne Terwilliger, the Minnesota Twins first base coach during their Worlds Series seasons of 1987 and 1991. I had the pleasure of working with “Twig” during my time at the Saint Paul Saints Baseball Team and was always amazed at how spry Twig was into his 70s. Louis was the exact same way as he charged into cattails, willow thickets and big bluestem with more exuberance than men a quarter his age. And with Louis, smiles are free and he doles them out liberally to everyone he greets, which is pretty much anyone from the greater Fergus Falls area.
“You can’t take Louis anywhere if you’re in a hurry. Everyone knows Louis because he’s involved in everything; Pheasants Forever, VFW, Minnesota Deer Hunters; the list goes on,” explained Steve Pletta, fellow chapter officer with Kamrowski in the Otter Tail County Chapter of Pheasants Forever. “Louis is busier these days as a retired guy than he ever was while working as a state patrolman.”
Louis Kamrowski and Steve Pletta show off a pair of morning roosters bagged on a WMA that their Otter Tail County Pheasants Forever Chapter helped create for public access.
It’s guys like Louis and Steve who have volunteered their time, enthusiasm and heart to Pheasants Forever over the organization’s 30 years that has made Pheasants Forever the most effective and efficient non-profit upland conservation group on the planet. The Otter Tail County Chapter epitomizes this success as a diverse group of people with a common habitat interest. Dozens of public Wildlife Management and Waterfowl Production Areas covering more than 4,000 acres open to hunters now polka-dot the county’s map along rivers and around wetlands as the chapter works diligently to acquire lands in connected corridors to provide the greatest impact for pheasants, prairie chickens, deer, turkeys and migrating waterfowl.
On this, our final day of the 2012 Rooster Road Trip, we hunted two of the chapter’s projects south of Fergus Falls with Louis, Steve and their pair of turbo-charged bird dogs. Louis runs a fantastic 9-year old named Cocoa, a German wirehair and chocolate Lab mix, and Steve’s retrieving machine is named Coal, a black Labrador and golden retriever mix.
As dark clouds gathered in preparation for the area’s first predicted winter storm of the season, we pushed into the heaviest cover of the trip; a mix of cattails and willows. According to Andrew’s Garmin Fenix watch, it took exactly 12 minutes and 51 seconds for Louis to swing on a rooster and drop it with his true second shot as we stood chest high in the middle of a cattail slough. A half hour later, Andrew’s yellow Lab, Beau, led Louis on a 200 yard sprint before Louis filled his daily limit with another true “bang” from his semi-auto.
Like I said, when I’m 70, I want to be just like Louis Kamrowski; happy, in great shape, still hunting roosters and working as hard as ever to make a difference for the future of wildlife habitat. In a nutshell . . . men and women like Louis are making Pheasants FOREVER a reality for all of us. Thanks Louis!
Who Is Pheasants Forever?
A national organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of habitat for upland game and wildlife throughout the nation.
- Over 145,000 grassroots members and volunteers who have developed more than 10 million acres of pheasant and other wildlife habitat since inception.
- 600 chapters completing over 35,000 projects annually.
What Can You Do To Help?
Please explore our website and discover more about the Ottertail County Chapter. You'll find detailed information on all our activities and upcoming events. Let us know what you think; we appreciate your feedback. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact us. We welcome people interested in the Pheasants Forever mission to attend our monthly meetings, listed on our events page.
- Become a Pheasants Forever member or sponsor
- Volunteer your time or resources to our chapter
