McKernan Earns National Conservation Award

“I was surprised,” McKernan said about winning this award. “I've been with NWTF for over 20 years now, and I started my own chapter after getting bit by the turkey bug. A big thanks to the NWTF for getting me involved and giving me experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I don’t know if I've ever been as passionate about anything else.”

McKernan caught that bug in 1999 when he was asked by a friend to go on a memorial turkey hunt. He had never been turkey hunting but was willing to try, so in mid-April in western South Dakota, the gentlemen went out to turkey camp. Despite freezing rain and early mornings, McKernan was hooked.

“It was something about being out in the morning, hearing them gobbling,” McKernan recalled. “When I got home from that hunt, I spent $500 on gear, and the next year I drew a tag, learned how to hunt. It was a blast calling, being outside seeing everything. There was also frustration and challenge, but I had never had so much fun.”

McKernan has now been a dedicated NWTF member for over 26 years. He is a member of the NWTF Whetstone Gobblers Chapter, serving as chapter president, banquet chairman and oversees the chapter’s financials. McKernan was elected to the NWTF South Dakota State Board where he has served as president, vice president and director of the board. While he was on the state board, he was deeply involved in rewriting the NWTF South Dakota State Constitution. McKernan also served on the NWTF National Board of Directors. He remains one of the state chapter’s leaders in organizing, hosting and volunteering at R3 events.

In 2013, the NWTF South Dakota State Board inducted him into the state hall of fame.

McKernan volunteers as an NWTF instructor at the Wildlife Federation Youth Camp in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where he helps educate the young attendees on the wild turkey and turkey ecology.

McKernan plays a major role in planning the South Dakota NWTF State Wheelin’ Sportsmen pheasant hunt, volunteering at the event as an EMS worker and a walker who busts up birds for participating hunters to shoot. He also cleans harvested birds and helps the caterer with feeding everyone.

“Mike lives the NWTF mission,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “We were lucky to have him serve on our National Board, and we are grateful to have his dedication to the mission through his efforts in introducing the next generation to conservation and turkey hunting. He is a linchpin for the NWTF, and we are proud to commend his efforts with a Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Award.”

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 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.3 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $22 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to deliver healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF is committed to creating a nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.