A Letter from Rob Keck, CEO of the NWTF
 |
CEO of the NWTF |
For 35 years, the NWTF has stood for the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of the hunting tradition.
This Web site is a testament of the work that the National Wild Turkey Federation has done since its inception in 1973. Everywhere you look, you'll see the NWTF's commitment to conservation and hunting.
Not everyone understands the link between conservation and hunting, but the NWTF gets it. In fact, we built our mission statement on it.
The NWTF believes that hunting is an honorable pursuit that brings families and friends together and links our past and future.
Hunters were the first conservationists. Their work and support is responsible for the comeback of the wild turkey and other species of wildlife. This country's sportsmen and women have done more for wildlife and their habitat than any other outdoor group.
While the NWTF are leaders in conservation and hunting, we also believe there's a place for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. Our outreach programs, JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship), Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin' Sportsmen, have allowed us to share our hunting traditions with an ever-growing audience.
The NWTF continues to grow. Currently, we have more than 500,000 men, women, children and people with disabilities who are part of Team NWTF.
With 2,350 chapters, NWTF members and volunteers have spent more than $258 million NWTF and cooperator dollars on projects benefiting wild turkeys and other wildlife throughout North America.
Progress defines the NWTF. Our partnerships have resulted in huge strides in wildlife management on public, private and corporate land, and the NWTF, along with its corporate sponsors and wildlife agency partners, will continue to make a difference for wildlife habitat management.
In 1973, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys in this country. Today, 35 years later, there are more than 7 million.
As great as these success stories are, our work is far from over. Wild turkey restoration continues in the West, Canada, Mexico and some parts of the eastern United States. There are also threats to the future of hunting and an ever-increasing loss of habitat that demand our attention.
I hope your visit to this site makes you want to join our members in giving something back to this heritage we all love. Become a part of Team NWTF and help make sure that hunting and conservation continue as a tradition in this great country.
Rob Keck, CEO of the National Wild Turkey Federation
