CEO Notes – November/December 2026
As we head into the last few months of 2026, fall leaves have loosened their grip. The woods grow darker earlier. Cold, quiet mornings and evenings in the deer stand test our perseverance. And the incoming joys of holidays with loved ones carry us through our day-to-day.
We hope that your effort afield this fall and winter translates to a table surrounded by loved ones, telling stories of the hunt and enjoying the bounty in the warmth. And as the roast on the table reminds us of the gifts our natural resources provide, we are also reminded to give back in return — we are stewards of His creation, entrusted to conserve our natural resources for future generations.
This time of the year always puts us in a pensive and immensely grateful mood. We are able to look back at almost a year’s worth of volunteers, staff and partners accomplishing so much for the wild turkey and our nation’s broader natural resources. With each passing year, it never ceases to amaze us how truly special the National Wild Turkey Federation is.
From the way our local chapters continue to create innovative fundraisers and events to new national partnerships that are taking our mission delivery to unprecedented heights, we are humbled by what we accomplish together.
A great example of this is the continuation of our Research Grants Program for the fifth consecutive year. Since 2022, the NWTF has provided significant funding to quality wild turkey research projects through the program. We are proud to fund six research projects this year with a $480,207 investment. In the last five years, the NWTF has allocated $2.7 million toward wild turkey research, resulting in more than $25 million with partner support. That is what we call working for the wild turkey.
We are excited to highlight these projects in 2027 and demonstrate how they are elevating wild turkey management and ensuring that the spring gobble endures for future generations. You can read more about our 2026 research investment on pg. 16.
In fiscal year 2026, we saw NWTF’s four landscape-scale conservation initiatives make a huge impact, while the fifth and final landscape – the Western Initiative – is close to being announced. Our Forests and Flocks Initiative in the Northeast conserved or enhanced more than 13,000 acres in year two; the Habitat for the Hatch Initiative in the Southeast conserved or enhanced more than 86,000 acres of nesting and brooding habitat in year three; the Midwest’s Roots to Roost Initiative, in its first year, impacted more than 184,000 acres; and our longest-running initiative, Waterways for Wildlife in the Great Plains, is scheduled to improve nearly 70 linear stream miles, nearly 3,900 riparian habitat acres and over 4,300 adjacent upland acres in its fifth year.
As we write the final pages of an incredible 2026 and open a new chapter in 2027, we welcome you to join us in that story — one that begins with our work for the wild turkey and stretches to enhancing our nation’s landscape as a whole, uniting us through the life-changing power of the outdoors. Going into the holiday season, let us not take for granted the gifts we have in front of us: our family, our community, our traditions and the ground beneath our feet, and let us be reminded that what we do with that ground today is our gift we pass on to the next generation.