PF Members Featured on Hunting Regulations Handbook

Four Pheasants Forever members are featured on the cover of the new Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook. They are Chad, Hunter and Mason Malwitz of Wells and Sandi Heibult of St. James.

“We wanted to feature hunters using our new Walk-In Access (WIA) program,” according to Scott Roemhildt, DNR information officer – Southern Region. “I knew we would get the best photos if we used real pheasant hunters in the shots instead of models posing as pheasant hunters.”

Minnesota’s WIA is a program that provides public access to private land and compensates landowners for providing that access. More than 15,000 acres across 21 counties in southwest Minnesota are currently enrolled in the program.

A WIA parcel just south of Truman was selected for the photo shoot. Roemhildt contacted area members from the Watonwan County Pheasants Forever and Heartland Pheasants Forever chapters to get involved.

“We selected six hunters to take part in the photo shoot,” Roemhildt said. “Then we spent most of a day taking photos. We combined different hunters different doing things in every possible combination. We wanted to get a wide variety of photos to choose from.”

Once the photo shoot was complete, Roemhildt and Deb Rose, DNR Photographer, evaluated hundreds of photos, looking for those that might work on a cover shot. A group of six photos was submitted to a committee for the final selection.

“We’re very happy with the way the cover turned out and are grateful for the help we got from our local PF members,” Roemhildt said.

Chad Malwitz is a charter member of the Heartland PF chapter and currently serves as the group’s president. He is an avid bird and bow hunter who loves spending time in the field with his boys, Hunter, 12, and Mason, 11.

“The boys have been coming along hunting with me since they were 5 or 6,” Malwitz said. “I’ve always stressed enjoying the outdoors and hunting safely and responsibly.”

Both boys harvested their first deer when they were just 10 years old and look forward to the upcoming fall hunting season. They are both Pheasants Forever Ringneck youth members.

Sandi Heibult is a member of Watonwan County PF who enjoys hunting, fishing and horseback riding. “I absolutely love spending time outdoors,” Heibult said. “I’m never as relaxed and peaceful as when I’m outside. Heibult has a passion for getting youth active in the outdoors and has helped with her chapter’s award-winning youth program.

Field Notes are compiled by Anthony Hauck Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor. Email Anthony at AHauck@pheasantsforever.org and follow him on Twitter @AnthonyHauckPF.

Tags: Heartland Pheasants Forever, Minnesota Hunting Regulations Handbook, pheasants forever, Watonwan County Pheasants Forever

This entry was posted on Monday, August 20th, 2012 and is filed under Hunting, Pheasants Forever. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.