Generation by Generation

Earlier this spring, Gwen did what she has done for decades during the spring: lace up her boots, tote her 12-gauge Remington Model 11-87 to the blind and call for a longbeard. What separated her hunt this year from her previous hunts, however, was an accomplishment that all turkey hunters should hope to achieve.

It wasn’t a Grand Slam. It wasn’t a U.S. Super Slam. It wasn’t killing a turkey in every state only shooting left-handed or anything like that. Rather, it was turkey hunting with her son, Granville Stickler; her grandsons, Grayson and Andy Stickler; and her great-grandson, Elliot Stickler, who — on a side note — harvested his first turkey earlier in the spring season at the ripe age of 7 years old.

While some of the common accomplishments in turkey hunting are no doubt worthy of recognition, cultivating a lineage of hunting heritage among four generations and sharing turkey camp together is an accomplishment we should all strive for. It doesn’t happen overnight or over a few spring seasons, though; it is an accomplishment forged from decades of tradition, community involvement and love.

The family’s hunt this year took place in the steep, grassy rolling hills of Wetzel County, West Virginia. The camp is scenic and is a place the Stickler family has been chasing longbeards for years. Granville described the building as under construction, but it had all the amenities one would need — a sink, a bedroom and a big table to sit and tell stories.

Before Gwen, Granville, Grayson, Andy and Elliot went separate ways chasing gobbles among ridgetops, hollers, woods and grassy openings at their family camp, what got everybody excited for the day was looking at a photo of young Elliot’s first turkey from earlier this spring. But it caused more than excitement. The photo got everyone thinking about how four generations of turkey hunters came to be.

Gwen’s (or as Elliot would say, GiGi’s) passion for hunting can be traced back to her late husband George’s love for the outdoors.

“It started in 1952,” Gwen said. “He cut our honeymoon short one day to come back with his friend and to go duck hunting. And we were discussing it that evening, and I said, ‘Well, I’m not going to do anything tomorrow; I’m going to go with you.’ And that’s how it started.”

While Gwen would share the love of the outdoors with George chasing various game species over the years, it wasn’t until the mid- 80s that Gwen harvested her first turkey.

“It looked like they were having so much fun ... so that’s when, in 1985, I decided that I’m just going to stay quiet and take my 20-gauge and go hunting for turkey,” she said.

Gwen harvested her first turkey in Tyler County, West Virginia, four decades before her great grandson shot his first turkey. As Gwen’s passion for turkey hunting was beginning, her and George’s local NWTF Lewis Wetzel Chapter was starting to form.

In an effort to boost local turkey populations and preserve North America’s hunting heritage, local sportsmen from northern West Virginia founded the Lewis Wetzel Chapter in the late 1980s. Some of the founding members include Lind Adams, Terry Adams, George Heinzman, Bert Noland, John Barcus, Ed Watson and Terry Heinzman, among others. Terry Heinzman is currently president of the Lewis Wetzel Chapter and has fond memories of the chapter’s early years. He recounted Gwen and George’s passion in those early days, as they would help sell tickets, fundraise and never miss a banquet.

Today, with over three decades under its belt, the NWTF Lewis Wetzel Chapter has become a staple in the community, hosting JAKES events, providing scholarships and overall being a cornerstone in the Wetzel County area where folks gather to make a difference in their community.

Both Gwen’s grandsons Grayson and Andy currently serve on the chapter committee, over 30 years after her and George attended those first banquets to help the chapter take flight. To honor George’s legacy, Gwen recently established the George Stickler Memorial Scholarship through the Lewis Wetzel Chapter. The scholarship provides critical financial support to local students pursuing higher education and reflects Gwen’s desire to inspire others. Knowing what the outdoors has done for her family and for her community, Gwen hopes to inspire others to experience the lifechanging power of the outdoors.

“I hope that ... when someone reads or sees this, they will take their youth to the woods and experience what God has put out there for us,” she said.

While cold rain coupled with some hard-headed, late-season turkeys likely prevented Gwen and her family from harvesting a bird during their shared camp, it wasn’t really about shooting a turkey. It was about spending time together. It was about telling stories. It was about love and sharing it with each other. It was about preserving our hunting traditions, generation by generation.

The George Stickler Memorial Scholarship

In honor of her late husband, Gwen Stickler founded the George Stickler Memorial Scholarship that is administered by the NWTF Lewis Wetzel Chapter. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be current NWTF members, involved in school activities (such as Future Farmers of America, student council, etc.) and meet additional criteria.

The evening after their family-centered turkey hunt, the four generations went out to dinner at an establishment where the most recent George Stickler Memorial Scholarship winner was serving. That night, Gwen not only got to experience the impact of cultivating generations of turkey hunters but also the impact of a being a close-knit community.