National Wild Turkey Federation facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | NWTF |
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| Formation | 1973 |
| Type | Wildlife Conservation |
| Headquarters | Edgefield, South Carolina, United States |
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Region
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North America |
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Membership
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More than 250,000 |
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Key people
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Jason Burckhalter, co-CEO Kurt Dyroff, co-CEO |
| Website | https://www.nwtf.org/ |
The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is a group that works to protect wild turkeys and keep hunting traditions alive. It is an international organization that does not aim to make a profit. The NWTF has over 250,000 members in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and 14 other countries.
Contents
About the NWTF
The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is a private organization that focuses on protecting nature and teaching people about wildlife. It was started in 1973. Its main goals are to help wild turkeys and make sure hunting traditions continue.
The NWTF has more than 250,000 members and volunteers. They work with wildlife agencies and companies to help wild turkeys. Thanks to their efforts, there are now over 7 million wild turkeys in North America. The NWTF and its partners have also helped improve over 17 million acres (about 68,800 square kilometers) of land for wildlife. This includes public, private, and company-owned lands. They have spent a lot of money on protecting habitats and teaching programs.
Through its programs, the NWTF has helped many women, children, and people with disabilities. They learn outdoor skills like hunting and fishing. The NWTF supports programs such as JAKES, Women in the Outdoors, and Wheelin' Sportsmen. These programs help people enjoy nature and understand why it is important to manage wildlife. They also teach that hunting can be a respectful activity.
Helping Wild Turkeys and Their Homes
The NWTF supports scientific ways to manage wildlife on different types of land. When the NWTF was founded, they created a special committee. This committee includes experts who study wild turkeys from different wildlife agencies. These experts give advice on research, management, and education programs.
The NWTF works with many partners through special agreements. These agreements help improve millions of acres of land for wildlife. NWTF wildlife experts share information to help partners use the best ways to manage forests and open lands.
Bringing Turkeys Back: Making Tracks
Making Tracks is a program where the NWTF works with state and federal wildlife agencies. Their goal is to bring wild turkeys back to all suitable areas in North America. The NWTF helps agencies move wild turkeys from one place to another. Since 1990, the number of wild turkeys has more than doubled.
In areas where there are many turkeys, they are carefully caught using nets. These caught birds are then placed in special boxes. They are then released in areas that have good homes for them but few or no wild turkeys. The NWTF often provides the equipment needed to catch and move the turkeys. They also help organize these transfers between different states and countries.
Since the 1950s, wildlife agencies have moved over 192,000 wild turkeys. The NWTF, which started in 1973, helped speed up these efforts. They provided equipment, boxes, money, and volunteers. Today, there are more than 7 million wild turkeys across North America.
The NWTF also works with partners on projects called Hunting Heritage Super Fund projects. These projects include creating hunting areas, planting food for wildlife, and developing water sources. They also involve controlled burns to improve habitats. The NWTF's 2,350 local groups across the country also host outdoor learning events. These events are for women, children, and people with disabilities. They also support bringing back the Gould's wild turkey in Arizona.
North American Wild Turkey Management Plan
The North American Wild Turkey Management Plan helps find good homes for wild turkeys across North America. It uses special computer mapping technology called GIS (geographic information systems). This plan has helped establish wild turkey groups on about 2 million acres (about 8,100 square kilometers) in North America. In the future, the plan will focus on finding important habitat projects for wild turkeys in each state.
Go for the Gould's
Since 2003, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the NWTF have moved 320 Gould's wild turkeys. These turkeys came from Mexico and Arizona. They were moved to several mountain ranges in southern Arizona. This area was once home to Gould's turkeys, but they had disappeared. Since 2000, the NWTF has spent over $428,000 to bring back the Gould's wild turkey. You can watch a video of a Gould's Turkey Release.
Project HELP
Project HELP (Habitat Enhancement Land Program) is an NWTF program that helps landowners improve their land. It gives them advice and offers seeds and young trees at good prices. Since 1992, this program has led to over 3 million pounds of seed and 2.5 million young trees being planted. This means about 161,000 acres (about 650 square kilometers) have been planted for wild turkeys and other wildlife.
Regional Habitat Programs
The NWTF has Regional Habitat Programs that provide seeds, tree seedlings, and other products. These products help improve habitats for NWTF groups and private landowners across North America. There are eight main programs:
- Operation Appleseed (Northeast)
- Operation Oak (Southeast)
- Operation Heartland (Midwest)
- Operation SOS (Upper Midwest and Ontario, Canada)
- Operation Big Sky (Great Plains)
- Guzzlers for Gobblers (West)
- Southern Great Plains Riparian Initiative
- Northern Plains Riparian Restoration Initiative
Since 1997, the NWTF has planted 1.5 million young trees. They have also completed 856 water projects and provided 300 tons of oat hay. They have left 2,500 acres (about 10 square kilometers) of standing grain to help landowners with large groups of wild turkeys in winter. Through the Guzzlers program alone, the NWTF and its partners have spent over $3.5 million on habitat improvement projects in the West. Overall, these regional programs have improved over 5.7 million acres (about 23,000 square kilometers) for wildlife.
Outdoor Learning Programs
Families Afield
The NWTF is working to create more hunting chances for young people through the Families Afield Initiative. They are joined by other groups like the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. This program helps remove difficulties for new and young hunters across the country. So far, changes made by Families Afield have helped over 87,000 new hunters get started.
JAKES and Xtreme JAKES
The NWTF's JAKES program started in 1981. JAKES stands for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship. This program teaches about wildlife management and safe, responsible hunting. It also includes other outdoor activities like fishing and hiking. This program is for children up to age 12.
The NWTF's Xtreme JAKES program started in 2002. It is for teenagers aged 13 to 18. This program offers more advanced outdoor challenges that fit older teens' skills and experiences.
NWTF Academic Scholarship Program
Each year, the NWTF gives a $10,000 national scholarship to a student going to college. They also give several $1,000 state or provincial scholarships and many $250 local scholarships. The NWTF also works with the FFA to provide a $5,000 scholarship. This scholarship is for a student studying wildlife management or agriculture. Each year, nearly $500,000 in scholarships are available to JAKES and Xtreme JAKES members. So far, the NWTF has given out over $2.2 million through its scholarship program.
Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF
Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF helps people with disabilities enjoy the outdoors. Local groups across the country host events like hunting, fishing, and shooting. Through this program, people with disabilities can take part in outdoor activities.
Women in the Outdoors
Women in the Outdoors focuses on teaching women outdoor skills. They hold outdoor learning events across the United States and Canada. These events allow women to try activities from hunting to hiking.
More Places to Hunt
More Places to Hunt is an NWTF program that aims to provide more land for hunters. This includes both public and private land. Since 1987, the NWTF has spent nearly $10 million and gained over 400,000 acres (about 1,600 square kilometers) of land for hunters.
Many hunters find it hard to find places to hunt because of new buildings and changes in land ownership. Also, state and federal budgets for wildlife areas have become tighter. Studies show that a main reason hunters stop is that they cannot find places to hunt. When fewer people hunt, state agencies lose money that helps support wildlife habitats. The NWTF is working to change this by buying land, making conservation agreements, and working with others.
NWTF Media
The NWTF produces television shows and magazines to share information.
Television Shows
The NWTF produces two television shows that can be seen on the Pursuit Channel:
- "Turkey Call" is a fast-paced show about America's most popular game bird, the wild turkey.
- "Get in the Game" gives viewers tips on how to manage land and attract wildlife to their property.
- "Primos Truth about Hunting"
Magazines
- Turkey Country is the main magazine of the NWTF. It has articles about turkey hunting, research, and new products for hunters and conservationists.
- JAKES magazine has news and information for young people.
- Xtreme JAKES is an online magazine just for teens who enjoy the outdoors and hunting.
Online Media
- www.nwtf.org is the NWTF's main website. It has the latest NWTF news, turkey hunting tips, and information about events. It also has audio clips of turkey sounds and facts about wild turkeys. The website links to NWTF programs, message boards, and an online store called the Turkey Shoppe.
- MyoutdoorTV.com has videos of classic NWTF TV shows available to watch anytime.
See also
