CEO Notes – January/February 2025
A new year is upon us, and the spring opener is that much closer (thank goodness!). As we await Mother Nature’s bloom and gobble-filled landscapes this spring, we appreciate all that winter has to offer, spending the holidays with loved ones and filling our freezers with bounties from the woods and water. We hope that you are embracing the power of the outdoors too.
2025 is poised to be another exceptional year for the NWTF, but we would be remiss to not reflect on the success of 2024 before we officially put a close on the year.
Nearly a year ago, we announced a new 10-year strategy for the NWTF and the new goals we will achieve through it. We have already reached some of these milestones in 2024, including our heightened investment in wild turkey research, the establishment of the first NWTF wild turkey professorship, new conservation initiatives and more.
Looking ahead to the next nine years of this plan, we are working to double the size of our membership and chapters, develop regionally based conservation initiatives, build national support for our hunting heritage, grow our investment in research and create additional endowed professorships and dedicated funding streams for wild turkey programs in academia. And while we grow our mission impact each year, we know it is not just about the number of acres we affect, but also ensuring we are impacting the right acres, at the right time and at the right scale.
2024 also saw us announce the NWTF’s vision: “A nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.”
As we move the organization forward, our mission — the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage — remains concrete, and our vision helps us establish a common bond that welcomes and unifies diverse audiences, keeps the wild turkey at the center of all we do, and engages our base of dedicated members; our mission is the how, and our vision is the why.
The coming year is all about our mission and the vision behind it — and then sharing it nationwide.
As we look forward to 2025, we are rolling up our sleeves to ensure the future of the NWTF. We will be establishing new conservation initiatives, expanding our support for wild turkey research and welcoming others into this great organization by sharing the life-changing power of the outdoors. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, partners, staff and members, 2025 and the foreseeable future are brighter than ever.
There is much to come in the next 12 months, so stay tuned to Turkey Call’s 2025 issues and NWTF.org to learn how we are working for the wild turkey and enhancing natural resources and ecosystems across this great country.
On behalf of the entire NWTF staff, you are invited to the biggest family reunion of the year, our 49th Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. 12-16. We have continually broken our record for convention attendees year after year, and we expect this year to be no different. We hope to see you there! You have our unending thanks for your continued support of the NWTF mission, and we look forward to moving the mission needle forward, together.
10-year Strategy Components
- Double the size of the organization in both membership and chapters while also focusing on attracting and retaining quality talent.
- Strategically build out additional large-scale, NWTF-led initiatives covering the remaining balance of the country. Through these initiatives, we will identify the greatest needs and highest priorities for these landscapes bringing laser focus to our work and ensuring that we are having the greatest impact.
- Continue to promote the national campaign, Hunt for Good, which is working to educate and improve the public perceptions of hunting.
- Discussions with select universities to explore ways in which the NWTF can create endowed professorships and dedicated funding streams for wild turkey programs in academia, ensuring that there will always be educational pathways creating the next wild turkey biologist, professional, or even professor.