ST. PAUL  — Montevideo has been selected to host the 2016 Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Opener.

The announcement was made Friday night during the community celebration of this year’s Governor’s Pheasant Opener in Mankato.

Montevideo was the site of the first Governor’s Pheasant Opener, in 2011. In a statement, Gov. Mark Dayton thanked “our pheasant hunting friends in Montevideo for their willingness to host us again.”

Montevideo was selected through an application process that considered hunting land in the area, event facilities and community support. The western Minnesota city is near the 33,000-acre Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area, and actively promotes hunting and outdoor recreation.

Next year will be Dayton’s sixth annual pheasant opener. Previous host communities have been Marshall, Madelia and Worthington.