Meeker County Pheasants Forever - Youth Page

Minnesota's Next Pheasant Hunters

Welcome to the next generation in conservation and pheasant hunting enthusiasts. In efforts to help our younger generation play a larger role in our efforts to conserve and provide habitat for upland game, our chapter provides today's youth with opportunities to learn about what Pheasants Forever is truly about. Minnesota provides conservation educational materials, safety of firearms and mentor youth hunts for those kids who may not have the same opportunities as most. Take a moment and read about our youth events or find out how you can become a key component of helping future Pheasants Forever Members.

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Greenleaf Pollinator Plot

In May 2018, 2019, and 2021, Meeker PF and the Litchfield 5th grade class seeded two acres each year for a total of six acres of the Greenleaf Waterfowl Production Area into a very diverse pollinator seed mix.  Each year the kids planted over 600 live plants on the two acres.

The kids also spent 20 minutes at each of the following stations:

• Rusch Farms taught the kids about honey bees and the important role they play in our food supply.
• Monarch Joint Venture taught the kids about other forms of pollinators that one would not normally think of like bats and moths.
• FWS taught the kids the importance of habitat.  The first group flushed a hen mallard off her nest and revealed about 8 eggs in the nest.  This was a great learning opportunity for the kids to learn about habitat first hand.  
• The CROW River organization of Waters and MN DNR taught the kids about aquatic invasive species.
• Volunteers with Meeker Pheasants Forever helped the kids broadcast the flower seed.
• Meeker Soil and Water Conservation District staff helped the kids plant the seedlings and corms.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service staff taught the kids about soil health.
• Thank you again for supporting this event.  Over the past three years we now have over 300 Litchfield youth with bright orange PF shirts.  

Eden Valley Watkins High School Trap Team

Each year the chapter makes a cash contribution to the Eden Valley-Watkings Youth High School Clay Target Team to help puchase shells, targets, and transportation for their events.  This is a great sport that gets kids outside and excited about firearm safety and the sport of shooting.  In return, the youth come to the banquet to help run a fundraising game and tell their story of shooting.

Litchfield Clay Target Team

The Minnesota High School Clay Target League started in 2009 with Litchfield and Eden Valley forming their first teams in the spring of 2013.  The two teams combined have around 30 shooters per year.  The league lasts 8 weeks which consists of 2 practice weeks, 1 reserve week (scores shot this week are used in case of inclement weather), and 5 competition weeks.  A shooter will shoot 2 rounds of trap each week for a total of 10 scores used for competition scoring.  A state championship is held in early June in Alexandria where every shooter across the state is eligible to participate.  They are expecting more than 7,000 shooters over 8 days in 2016.  The top teams and individual shooters from the state championship qualify for the MSHSL sanctioned tournament held the following week at the Minneapolis Gun Club in Prior Lake.   

Team members and coaches for the Litchfield team in the picture:

Back (L-R): Coach Tom Pollock, Coach Derek Penk, Coach Chuck Schoolmeesters, Jennah Anderson, Logan Forsberg, Coach Brett Asleben, and Coach Matt Foley

Middle (L-R): Ethan Stubson, Bryce Penk, Taylor Kargas, Cale Asleben, Hunter Doty, and David Panning

Front (L-R): Zach Dorn, Logan Peterson, Connor Hoff