CEO Notes – May/June 2025
Listening to gobbles blend into the orchestral sounds of spring, watching the sun slowly rise and give color and shape to the woods, sharing these moments with friends and family — these experiences are what the NWTF flock are all about, and we are working to safeguard them for future generations.
Right now, there is more wild turkey research happening across the country than there ever before. We are honored to play a significant part in the momentum, by allocating nearly $1.6 million in the last three years (over $18 million combined investment with partners) through our national wild turkey research program, by continually funding research through our state chapters, and by establishing the first endowed professorship at the University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. This year, we are continuing the energy around research. We have reopened our national wild turkey research Request for Proposals program to fund additional research that will help guide management practices and decisions. We are also working to establish additional endowed professorships in strategic locations around the country.
Through the RFP program we have made substantial investments, including $362,889 in 2022 for seven projects, $587,324 in 2023 for 10 projects, and $655,447 for nine projects in 2024. These projects are helping us better understand numerous aspects of wild turkey ecology, such as poult and hen nutrition information, how season structures impact breeding, diseases and much more. We encourage you to check out all of the research coverage of these projects on NWTF.org. A formal announcement of projects and funding allocations for 2025 will be forthcoming.
And after turkey seasons end, the work continues. Research, habitat management, education and outreach — our mission delivery continues all year long. The wild turkey is an icon. It is an indicator species. And in our humble opinion, it is one of the most majestic critters that inhabits this continent. We encourage you to join us in supporting the wild turkey year-round, whether that is managing habitat on your property or supporting the NWTF’s nationwide, landscape-scale efforts.
We have a monumental opportunity ahead of us to conserve the wild turkey and help the bird flourish. In addition, we have the great opportunity ahead to welcome new hunters and non-hunters alike, so our hunting heritage is passed on from generation to generation and society at large understands hunters are the leaders in conservation. Together, we can impact the landscape like never before and further poise the NWTF as the leading hunter-based conservation organization.
Whether you are traveling around chasing your Grand Slam this spring or hunting the same “honey hole” you have been for decades, we hope that the sights, sounds and smells of the spring season compel you — as they do us — to work for this beloved bird and the future of our hunting traditions.