New York NWTF State Chapter Celebrates Hunting Heritage and Honors Lifetime Volunteers

Austin Zweck, NWTF regional director, commended the state on continued success, sharing that in 2025, the state’s total net income was over $600,000, which was an increase of more than $80,000 from 2024.  

Nearly 8,000 acres were positively impacted across the state in 2025, and habitat projects for the new year are already under way.  

Mitchell Blake, NWTF district biologist, highlighted successful conservation and research projects taking place in the Forests and Flocks Initiative. He presented on the NWTF’s Four Shared Values, and explained how the projects the NWTF is a part of is fulfilling those shared values. Blake shared his drone footage from current projects, which allowed members to see exactly how their fundraising efforts are positively impacting the landscape.  

The NWTF director of annual giving, Sean Langevin, announced that the NWTF New York has already raised $480,000 for it’s state dedication, a fundraising opportunity that will honor countless major donors and partners . Plaques for the dedication will be unveiled in late August at the Cabela’s in Buffalo, New York.  

The annual state chapter banquet and awards, an opportunity to recognize and honor exemplary stewards of the NWTF’s mission in the state of New York, welcomed NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff as their keynote speaker. He spoke of the importance of the NWTF’s mission at a time when wild habitats are declining every day. Without the efforts of volunteers in every corner of the country, including New York State, that land would not be protected, and traditions would be lost. 

“One banquet, one volunteer, one hand-rasied,” Dyroff said. “That is not small work, that is legacy work. Everyone here is making a difference in a way that matters.” 

The JAKES member of the year award was presented to Timothy Barnett, a young hunter who has been mentored by the previous NWTF New York State Chapter President, Eric Davis.  

“As a teenager, I got into hunting after my father passed away,” Davis said. “I was lucky to be mentored by a local NWTF chapter president, who I still hunt with almost 18 years later. When I became a local chapter president in 2015, I knew I wanted to find a youth hunter to mentor who did not have a family member to take them.” 

In 2023, Davis helped teach a hunter education course for a local church group, which Barnett and his brother attended. Both were curious about hunting, and they participated in the NWTF Genegantslet Gobblers Chapter’s mentored youth turkey hunt weekend that spring. After the hunt, the brothers asked how they could help the NWTF because of how grateful they were for being able to go hunting.  

The state chapter also awarded Fay Fuerch, New York State environmental conservation officer, with the New York Wildlife Officer of the Year Award. Representing the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Region 8, Fuerch initiated an 18-month long investigation involving an individual with numerous charges related to chronic deer poaching.   

In September 2023, she was called to investigate a complaint of a headless deer in a field that was shot at night with a small caliber firearm. Over the next two years, she acquired the necessary warrants to arrest the defendant on February 27, 2025 with four counts of illegally taking wildlife, two counts of taking big game after legal hours, one count of taking deer out of season, one count of taking deer over the limit, and nine counts of criminal mischief. On July 14, 2025, the defendant pled guilty and paid $6,000 in fines and $750 in court surcharges. The NYSDEC also suspended his hunting license for the next five years. 

The State Chapter also inducted two volunteers, Butch Kortright and Norm Ridley, into the state’s Quaker Boy Hall of Fame for all the years they’ve dedicated to the NWTF. Kortright, NWTF New York State JAKES Coordinator, has tirelessly worked to get young hunters in the field, including Zweck.  

“It is truly an honor to induct Butch and Norm into the New York State Quaker Boy Hall of Fame,” Zweck said. “Their countless years of service and dedication to the mission of the NWTF have not gone unnoticed. Butch and Norm have created a lasting impact on their community and the outdoors. Their commitment to giving back, mentoring and preserving the mission of the NWTF shows how deserving they are of the Hall of Fame recognition. Their legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come.”  

Ridley, NWTF New York State Board member and president of the Hardwood Strutters Chapter, started his chapter’s JAKES Day event over 30 years ago. His family members surprised him at the banquet to be in attendance when his award was announced.  

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 continues to unite a nation through the life-changing power of the outdoors.