Pheasants Forever Creates New Hunting Opportunity with Support from onX Hunt
Pheasant Forever, with funding from onX Hunt, has launched its new Public Access to Habitat (PATH) program, expanding habitat and hunting access in South Dakota by 10,000 acres. PATH is part of the state’s impressive walk-in program, where 1.4 million acres of private land are conserved for habitat and accessible to hunters every season.
According to onX’s latest report, walk-in programs account for nearly 30% of South Dakota’s huntable acreage, adding over 1.4 million acres of habitat. With 17.8 huntable acres per licensed resident hunter, and some of the finest pheasant hunting in the country, South Dakota is a leader when it comes to developing unique partnerships between private and public entities with the goal of conservation and hunting access. PATH was created to help accelerate that model.
“Traditional state and federal funding aren’t always competitive enough to entice landowners to enroll in long-term conservation programs,” said Pheasants Forever Development Director, Jake Hanson. “PATH provides additional incentives via an up-front payment of $25 an acre, providing a compelling option for first-time enrolling landowners. This additional incentive was a direct result from the unique collaboration between onX Hunt, Pheasants Forever, and South Dakota Game Fish and Parks.”
South Dakota has a rich history of creating community-based conservation programs like PATH. It’s part of what makes the state one of the premier pheasant hunting destinations. Not only do producers and landowners receive financial support for their conservation initiatives, the resulting improvement to bird habitat attracts hunters, providing a boon to local economies. This multi-layered impact inspired onX Hunt to make PATH the largest-ever single project investment of its Access and Stewardship program.
“Pressure on public hunting land is increasing, and quality bird habitat is on the decline,” said onX Hunt General Manager Clifford Cancelosi. “We believe that the PATH program will create a profound impact to help reverse this trend. We’re proud to support Pheasants Forever and South Dakota Game Fish and Parks in preserving the sporting tradition and some of the most productive upland habitats in the country.”
About onX
Founded in 2009, onX is a pioneer in digital outdoor navigation, developing software that helps inform, inspire, and empower outdoor recreationists. onX Hunt, onX Offroad, and onX Backcountry make up the company’s suite of apps which are built by explorers for explorers. Because off-the-beaten path experiences are at the heart of what onX does, the company also leads initiatives to protect and expand access to public land and promote stewardship opportunities. Learn more at www.onxmaps.com/about.