NWTF Collegiate Chapter Celebrates Hunting Heritage, Breaks Records

Dominic Tristani, a senior at Penn State studying agribusiness management with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation, is currently serving as the Penn State Spur Collectors Chapter president. He started hunting with his family when he was young, but didn’t get involved with the NWTF until recently, when his friends asked him to help plan the chapter’s banquet last year.

“The banquet consumed our life, but I think it definitely gave us some valuable experiences,” Tristani said. “The NWTF is one of the largest conservation organizations in the country, and I really believe in the success of the chapter. It offers a camaraderie that you don’t find anywhere else, because everybody is working towards the same common goal of conservation, and I think that’s really special.”

Between classes, exams and other campus activities, the students planned and hosted a record-breaking banquet with over 100 attendees. The chapter was able to double the amount of money raised at last year’s banquet. This year, the banquet raised $15,375 through ticket sales, raffles and live and silent auctions, qualifying the chapter for the Golden Gobbler Elite status.

Established in 2012, the Penn State Spur Collectors Chapter was the first NWTF collegiate chapter founded in Pennsylvania. Over the years, the chapter has been an enriching outlet for student members who have had the opportunity to take unique field trips, including elk watching and helping host youth pheasant hunts with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and more. The chapter continued its legacy by winning the National L.A. Dixon Memorial Award at the NWTF National Convention and Sport Show in February.

The students who were able to attend convention to accept the award, including Tristani and Brandon Shrodo, chapter vice president, also had the opportunity to connect with mentors, sponsors and industry professionals at the NWTF annual convention and sport show. There, they secured donations for their upcoming banquet and learned more about professional opportunities they can pursue after college.

“But everything really came together in February when we were in Nashville," Shrodo said. "Folks took us under their wing and connected us with companies, and we got a lot more donations.”

Shrodo is an environmental resource management major who grew up hunting and is passionate about getting his peers involved with the NWTF’s mission. He thinks back to the minutes before the banquet when everybody was preparing for the doors to open.

“I just stood there in the middle of the room and looked around, and I was like, ‘Yeah, this is way better than we could have ever expected,’” Shrodo said. “And then doors open, and I was just immediately stress-free, and I had a feeling that it was going to be a good banquet.”

Shrodo became involved with the Penn State Spur Collector Chapter as a freshman wanting to meet like-minded people on campus. He just recently stepped into his leadership role, determined to leave the chapter better than he found it. Shrodo is driven by his excitement for the wild turkey and conservation. Some of his earliest memories are turkey hunting with his uncle. He feels like there is something uniquely special about turkey hunting, and he works hard to share that with new chapter members.

“This is about more than an event; it’s about the next generation carrying the mission forward,” he said.

NWTF collegiate chapters serve as an opportunity to educate more young professionals about natural resources conservation. The Penn State Spur Collectors have members who have never hunted turkeys, but being a part of the chapter offers them the opportunity to try new things.

“If we get students involved now, they’ll be more likely to go to their local chapters after college and be productive members,” Shrodo said. “But our hope for the underclassmen is that they can pick up where we leave off and get our chapter even more involved.”

The chapter’s campus advisor told Shrodo that in the last few years, there have been several students who have graduated and became heavily involved with their local chapters. A recent Penn State alumna who now lives in Arkansas started her own local chapter, with the intent of building a community of people that have the same interests.

“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of the Penn State committee members,” said Jackson Mabon, NWTF Northeast collegiate ambassador. “From long nights emailing potential vendor partners, to racking up over 15,000 steps on the showroom floor at Convention, they put in the work and exemplified what we hope to achieve at the collegiate level. Dom and Brandon have laid the groundwork for future members of this chapter, creating a lasting impact and equipping the next group of leaders for success. I would also like to recognize the exceptional support of Bear Davidson, a member of the NWTF National Board of Directors, who played a key role in putting the chapter members in positions to succeed. We are deeply appreciative of everyone’s support in our collegiate chapters as the future of the NWTF and our mission.”

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.