Clayton County Pheasants Forever banquet set

The Clayton County chapter of Pheasants Forever will host its annual fund-raising banquet Feb. 12 at Johnson's Reception Hall in Elkader, with doors opening at 4 p.m.

A single ticket for the banquet, which includes a Pheasants Forever membership, is $50 The cost for two family members including a membership is $65 and the Ringneck (youth) cost is $15 including a Ringneck membership.

“The banquet is our biggest fund-raising event,” chapter president Gerry Ommen said. “The money we make from the banquet's auctions and games helps us continue conservation efforts in the county. Since we formed 23 years ago, the chapter has put back more than $500,000 into Clayton County.''

Last year the chapter helped landowners plant more than 275 Conservation Reserve Program acres with its new 10 foot no-till drill and helped landowners plant approximately 7,000 trees with the chapter's tree planter. It also provided food plot seed to members and area landowners that totaled nearly 200 food plots for approximately 450 acres.

“This year there will be a lot of CRP acres, more than 6,000, going into Clayton County,” Ommen said. “We will be involved with supplying native grass seeds at very competitive prices for a lot of those acres.”

The chapter also provides funds to send youngsters to outdoor conservation camps and supports the Build-A-Wildlife Area Program, which helps to fund land acquisitions and legislative actions that protect public hunting areas. It also gives two $500 scholarships to students pursuing outdoor or conservation related careers.

The chapter has about 175 adult members and 60 youth members.