A wild tom turkey spreads his tail and puffs out his feathers as he approaches a hen in a field in Zelienople, Pa. on Saturday, May 2, 2015, the first day of Pennsylvania’s Spring Gobbler hunting season. The season last through May 30 and only birds with beards are permitted to be harvested.(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)The restoration of the wild turkey is possibly the greatest success story in wildlife conservation history.
Its populations were decimated by habitat loss and overhunting, and by the early 1900s, wild turkeys were scarce or nonexistent in many parts of the country. The resurrection of our greatest game bird was due to the dedication and hard work of our state fish and game agencies, our dedicated sportsmen who have always paid their way in conservation efforts and the National Wild Turkey Federation.
According to its website (nwtf.org), when the NWTF was founded in 1973, there were about 1.5 million wild turkeys in North America. After decades of dedicated work, that number hit a historic high of almost seven million turkeys. The NWTF will tell you the foundation of its success is standing behind science-based conservation and hunters’ rights.
Thanks to the tremendous work of the NWTF’s dedicated volunteers, professional staff and committed partners, the federation has had many successes that advanced its mission. Together with the NWTF, they have facilitated the investment of $488 million in wildlife conservation and the preservation of North America’s hunting heritage. The NWTF’s accomplishments include improving more than 17 million acres of wildlife habitat and introducing 100,000 people to the outdoors each year.
I would not like to think where we would be with our turkey populations around the country had it not been for the NWTF.
Just in time for spring turkey season, NOMAD Performance Apparel and the federation have teamed up to bring hunters high-tech turkey gear featuring the NWTF logo and the new NWTF Mossy Oak Obsession camouflage pattern. Items will also be available in the Bottomland pattern (one of my favorites).
From tri-blend T-shirts that are cooling and extremely comfortable to outer shirts, pants, gloves and hoods that can provide sun protection and breathability, hunters can shop for products for head to toe from NOMAD and help the NWTF mission simultaneously.
No matter where NOMAD turkey hunting products are purchased, hunter conservationists across the United States will be positively impacting the NWTF’s “Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt” initiative. A portion of the purchase price for each item will come back to the NWTF, ensuring gobbler pursuit for years to come.
“We are thrilled to enter the turkey hunting apparel market with seasoned partners Mossy Oak and the National Wild Turkey Federation,” said Jason Hart, vice president of business development for NOMAD. “Being longtime turkey hunters, we at NOMAD knew that when Mossy Oak and the NWTF joined forces in the name of conservation, we wanted to be a part of this special partnership.”
Other outdoors brands also have made a commitment to support “Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt,” which is a charge that mobilizes science, fundraising and devoted volunteers to raise $1.2 billion to conserve and enhance more than four million acres of essential wildlife habitat, recruit at least 1.5 million hunters and open access to 500,000 acres for hunting.
The NWTF has built a solid reputation since its start in 1973 because it has been instrumental in saving the wild turkey from what could have been near extinction.
If you are a turkey hunter, you definitely need to be a member of the NWTF. If you are hunter of any kind, consider yourself a conservationist, enjoy wildlife, or even if you are a bird watcher, take a close look at what the NWTF does – spend a few minutes on its website and check out some of the federation’s projects. The NWTF benefits a lot more than just turkeys.
But thanks to the NWTF and partners like NOMAD and Mossy Oak, we should have wily old gobblers to chase for generations to come.
“The Trail Less Traveled” is written by Larry Case, who lives in Fayette County, W.Va. You can write to him at larryocase3@gmail.com.