Lovett Receives National Recognition as Top Communicator

“I'm beyond thrilled and humbled to have been selected as the NWTF's 2025 Tom Kelly Communicator of the Year,” Lovett said. “It's without question the greatest honor I've received in 30-plus years of writing about wild turkeys and wildlife conservation. The fact that this award comes from an organization for which I have so much respect and admiration makes it even more special. I look forward to many more years of working with the NWTF to help preserve and protect our great natural resources and promote turkey hunting's rich heritage.”

Lovett has been an editor for hunting content and the lead hunting and turkey call freelance contributor for Turkey Call magazine and JAKES Country magazine for more than a decade. Starting in 2014, he has always remained a firm conservation advocate, belonging to the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl and other groups alike. Additionally, Lovett has given dozens of hunting seminars and appeared in numerous turkey hunting videos. 

As a freelance outdoors communicator, he has shared the message of turkey hunting and conservation not only with the NWTF’s readership but with media outlets such as Field and Stream, Outdoor Life and Realtree.com. Writing freelance articles for Deer & Deer Hunting is where his outdoor writing career began, and he later went to work for Krause Publications, as the editor of Wisconsin Outdoor Journal and Turkey & Turkey Hunting, which introduced him to the national turkey hunting scene.

During Lovett’s 32 years of hunting turkeys, he has been fortunate enough to travel to 20 different states and Mexico, taking several Grand Slams and a Royal Slam. For the past six years, he has been serving as co-chair for the NWTF’s Grand National Calling Championships, and he is also a voting member on the NWTF’s GNCC Hall of Fame committee. 

“Brian has an immense history engaging turkey hunters with the important issues facing the bird we all cherish,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burkhalter said. “Not to mention, his articles have covered an array of tips and tactics that have aided new and emerging turkey hunters in their outdoor pursuits. Brian is as talented of a communicator as he is prolific.”

About the National Wild Turkey Federation

Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.