What is the NWTF?

With the NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation) Banquet coming up, I thought I would share a little with you about what the NWTF is all about. My brother, who is the President of our chapter here, as well as my Dad and many other men and women from our community do a lot to support this organization. I will let the rest of my writing speak for itself. Enjoy!

Benjamin Franklin once brought forth the idea of crowning something other than the bald eagle as our nation’s national bird. This bird has a long neck and legs, a blue head, and breast and back feathers of a subdued though iridescent beauty. This bird, when hatched in May, will at the end of the first summer weigh ten pounds. This bird, when grown to a weigh of twenty pounds, can fly at speeds up to fifty miles per hour, through trees. This bird is commonly known as the wild turkey. The wild turkey has become the most pursued game bird on the North American continent. Each year many newcomers begin their quest in pursuit of that coveted, hard earned gobbler. This opportunity has not always been an attainable goal for those citizens who were not fortunate enough to live in a state in which this patriarchal bird called home, but thanks to an organization called the National Wild Turkey Federation pursuable populations of the wild turkey inhabit 49 of the 50 states in our country.    

            The National Wild Turkey Federation, or NWTF, has done more for sportsman and wildlife than any other in North America. The NWTF has grown into North America’s leading conservation and sportsman oriented organization. It’s funded totally by private donations and local fundraisers, and it returns over 85% of these collections to the local chapters for use in local projects. It also provides involvement opportunities for men, women, and youth. The NWTF is dedicated to improving habitat, to re-introducing turkeys into areas where they have previously been non-existent, and to involve young people in all aspects of the organization.

            First of all, they assist local chapters and state officials by providing funds for prescribed burns, planting food plots, and promoting hardwood regeneration regimes to return wild turkey habitat to its natural state. This all links to providing wildlife, especially turkeys, with a habitat that will support them and other species.

  Secondly, many areas of the United States were once turkey deserts with turkeys having been hunted almost to extinction there. The NWTF has led the way in reintroducing turkeys into these areas of the U.S. as well as into Canada.  Presently, there are huntable populations of turkeys in 49 of the 50 states. Alaska is the only state without a huntable population.

             Third, just as the young turkeys learn by example from their elders, the NWTF uses its adult members to lead, to guide, and to train involved youth members in areas of practicing good conservation as well as hunters safety. They are also involved in hands-on operations such as: wild turkey releases, field days, and special events hosted for other youth to help introduce them to the NWTF and to the outdoors.
            Finally, the NWTF has done much to aid to the restoration of the wild turkey in the United States as well as promoting hunting for a varied group of people through its members tireless efforts. An American icon will be here for our future generations to enjoy. As a Native American Proverb said, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we simply borrow it from our children.”