The Mower County chapter of Pheasants Forever hopes to keep the ball rolling with more projects for 2011.

Mower Pheasants Forever holds its 11th annual banquet Saturday night at the Austin Holiday Inn. The banquet provides nearly all of its funding for the year.

Sue Olson, Mower Pheasants Forever president for nearly five years, said they usually pull in anywhere from $17,000 to $22,000 each year at the banquet. That money will go toward land conservation efforts for wildlife and area hunters to share.

Pheasants Forever will then take its earnings and search for matching state and federal grants to work on more expensive projects. The organization has also been working with the National Turkey Federation, MN Deer Hunters Association and Izaak Walton League to advance its goals.

“I’d like to see us hit $20,000 this year because we have a couple of land projects,” Olson said.

The top priority is to acquire 31 acres near LeRoy to extend the Schwerin Creek Wildlife Management Area. Another potential project may be the acquisition of land for a Ramsey Mill pond Wildlife Management Area.

The banquet begins with a social hour at 5 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Although the banquet has reached capacity for people, 40 more tickets will be available at the door before the event begins.

There will be 15 raffles, 22 items on live auction, roughly 70 silent auctions and 26 guns given away.

The event program is viewable at mowercounty.pheasantsforever.org.