Public land doesn’t have to start with thousands of acres. Sometimes it starts with one property, one partnership, and one group of volunteers willing to keep building.

PF & QF’s Casey Sill joins On the Wing to talk about “Brick by Brick,” a new film documenting the impact Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Build a Wildlife Area program has had on communities across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. The conversation explores how permanently protected habitat can create more than pheasant hunting opportunities. It can improve water quality, strengthen local communities, support rural economies, and connect fragmented parcels into larger, more useful public land complexes for a wide array of wildlife species.

Sill breaks down his first upland hunting experience in Iowa, the dramatic habitat transformation around the Spirit Lake area, and why Build a Wildlife properties demonstrate the value of building public access one parcel at a time.

For hunters who grew up without public access, Sill explains how discovering public land fundamentally changed the way he spends time outdoors and shaped where he ultimately chose to build a life.

Follow the show for weekly conversations about hunting, conservation, bird dogs, and upland birds.

Show notes

• This year’s Build a Wildlife Area week is being sponsored by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund in partnership with our friends at The Flush. Learn more about PF & QF’s Build a Wildlife Area program.
• Check out PF & QF’s newest film, Brick by Brick presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Chief Upland, and SportDOG Brand.

On the Wing Podcast is proudly fueled by Purina Pro Plan.