The 2023 Convention was one for the books!
The NWTF family flock came out to Nashville in droves to celebrate 50 years of conservation successes and also look to the next 50 years and the great things still to come for the NWTF.
To relive the 2023 convention, make sure to read up on those dedicated volunteers and partners recognized by the NWTF during Convention and Sport Show festivities!
Annie Oakley Award
Best Inaugural Event
C.B. McLeod Award
Steve Williams, Ph.D., Pennsylvania
Corporate Achievement Award
Dick Kirby Award
Educator of the Year
Government Partner Award
Louie Perry, Cornerstone Government Affairs
Innovator Awards
Joe Foster, Idaho
Mark Tisa, MassWildlife
JAKES Volunteer of the Year
Joe Kurz Wildlife Manager of the Year
Land Stewardship Award
The Salt River Project, Arizona
Lynn Boykin Award
Toxey Haas, founder and CEO of Mossy Oak
Making Tracks with the NRCS
Making Tracks with the USDA Forest Service
Collaboration Award: Dena Holmes
Partnership Achievement: Coconino National Forest – Mogollon Rim Ranger District
Habitat Management Program Award: Land Between the Lakes National Forest
Habitat Management Program Award: George Washington and Jefferson National Forest
Membership Achievement Award
Franklin County Longbeards, Virginia
Central Coast Women in the Outdoors, California
Bootheel Boss Gobblers, Missouri
Mentor of the Year
Mosby Award
Duane Diefenback, Ph.D., Pennsylvania
Partnership Achievement Awards
New Jersey WITO Chapter – Adult Mentored Turkey Hunt
Minnesota State Chapter – 2022 Alexandria Youth Activity Day
Texas Chapters – Kaufman Co. Double Beards, Cross Timbers and Cottonwood Creek Chapters
Arizona State Chapter – Marvin Robbins Youth Turkey Hunt
R3 Awards
Henry County Longbeards – Annual JAKES Youth Day Turkey Hunt
Monocacy Valley Chapter – JAKES Day
NWTF Maryland State Chapter – First Shot Mentored Hunt
Arizona State Chapter – Robbins Butte Dove Hunt for Families
Gator Gobblers
Roger Latham Awards
Gerald and Terri Lively, Illinois
Kenneth Moore Jr., North Carolina
Keith Hickman, Tennessee
Ray Eriksen, New Jersey
Save the Habitat Awards
NWTF Alabama State Chapter, Acreage Award
Indiana and Tennessee State Chapters, Partnership Award
Save the Hunt Awards
Michigan State Chapter
Wyoming State Chapter
Tom Kelly Communicator of the Year
Top Contributing Events
Wisconsin State Chapter
Land of Lakes Chapter, Indiana
Wayne Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award
Also, mark your calendars for the 2024 NWTF Convention and Sport Show set for Feb 14 – 18, 2024.
Event Schedule
Plan your Convention and Sport Show experience by viewing the schedule prior to your arrival.
More Info
Book a Room
We recommend staying at the Gaylord Opryland hotel so you have everything you need under one roof.
More Info
Purchase Event Tickets
Get your tickets for award ceremonies, nightly entertainment and auction and raffle events.
Purchase Today
Sport Show Wristbands
Pre-register for the Sport Show and skip the registration lines. Wristbands are free for current members.
Register Now
Exhibitor Info
Promote your business to more than 55,000 individuals who attend the weekend's festivities.
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Calling Competitions
Callers of all ages compete for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes in eight divisions
More Info
Callmaking Competitions
The NWTF's Grand National Call making Competition is the premier competition of its kind in North America.
More Info
Taxidermy Competitions
Gobblers strut, big chests and beards puff out, attracting attention.
More Info
Auctions and Raffles
With thousands of live and silent auction items, you’re sure to find the perfect takeaway.
More Info
Convention and Sport Show Schedule
Plan your Convention and Sport Show experience ahead of time by learning the dates and times of your favorite events, seminar, auctions and more!
Our first convention event starts Wednesday, Feb. 15, and the last event is tentatively set for Sunday, Feb. 19 (worship service). The exhibit hall is open Thursday, Feb. 16 – Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.
Book a Room
The convention is inside the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. We highly recommend staying at Gaylord Opryland hotel so you will have everything you need under one roof. We usually sell out of rooms, so we encourage you to book early.
Our first 2024 convention event starts Wednesday, Feb. 14, and the last event is tentatively set for Sunday, Feb. 18 (worship service). The exhibit hall is open Thursday, Feb. 15 – Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024.
Gaylord Opryland Reservations
The Gaylord Opryland room block is not yet open.
2023 Convention Overflow Hotels
(Daily shuttle transportation will be provided to Gaylord Opryland)
Exhibitor Information
Be one of the companies to showcase your products and services in our 90,000 square feet of exhibiting space during one of the biggest shows in Nashville, TN. Promote your business to more than 55,000 individuals who attend the weekend’s festivities. Our available booth spaces disappear as quickly as those free promotional items you hand out.
Grand National Competitions
Test your calling, callmaking and taxidermy skills against some of the best competitors in the nation right here at the NWTF Convention and Sport Show. Contests are open to entry level and advanced individuals. This is your chance to support the NWTF and gain national recognition by competing in exciting and challenging categories and divisions. Showcase your talents and compete to receive trophies, medallions, ribbons, cash prizes and championship rings.
NWTF Grand National Calling Championships
Callers of all ages compete for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes in eight divisions. Competitions are held in Nashville, Tennessee at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The best callers in the world use natural voices, latex mouth calls, pot and peg friction calls, box calls, owl hooting tubes and more to yelp, cluck, putt, gobble and hoot their way to the top spot on stage.
Register for GNCC Here
GNCC Gobbling Championship
Sponsored by Sportsman’s Warehouse
Winner: Travis Ham 238.5
1st Runner up: Rodney Eckstine 236.5 (call-off 240.5)
2nd Runner up: Kerry Elliot 236.5 (call-off 238.5)
3rd Runner up: Josh Pruitt 236.5 (call-off 236)
4th Runner up: Clinton Phipps 236 (call-off 240)
GNCC Owl Championship
Sponsored by Sportsman’s Warehouse
Winner: Kaleb Peyton 243
1st Runner up: James Harrison 239.5
2nd Runner up: Dustin Fashing 239
3rd Runner up: Scott Ellis 238.5
4th Runner up: Cody Harrison 237.5
GNCC Team Air & Friction Challenge
Sponsored by Sportsman’s Warehouse
Winner: Bo Bartlebaugh and Matt Van Cise 562.5
1st Runner up: Dave Owens and Zach Conaway 556 (563)
2nd Runner up: Andy Duvall and Jimmy Pollard 556 (551)
GNCC Friction Championship
Sponsored by Sportsman’s Warehouse
Winner: Rodney Eckstine, Greencastle, PA (458)
1st Runner up: Dustin Jones, Beaver, OH (457)
2nd Runner up: Zach Conaway, Guyton, GA (456.5) (460.5 call off)
3rd Runner up: Dakota Chamberlain, Claysburg, PA (456.5) (455.5 call off)
4th Runner up: Pat Strawser, Millersburg, PA (454)
GNCC Senior Division Championship
Sponsored by Sportsman’s Warehouse
Winner: Matt Van Cise, Brookville, PA (777.5)
1st Runner up: JR Lanham, Bunker, MO (752.5)
2nd Runner up: Dave Owens, Cedartown, GA (752)
3rd Runner up: Jesse Martin, Mt. Sterling, KY (751.5)
4th Runner up: Mitchell Johnston, Purlear, NC (746)
Youth Grand National Turkey Calling Championships
Sponsored by Mossy Oak
GNCC Poult Division Championship (10 and under)
Winner: Gavin Bryan (371)
1st Runner up: Landon Weeks (369.5)
2nd Runner up: Mason Johnston (363.5)
3rd Runner up: Easton Phillips (361.5)
4th Runner up: Ella Maher (357.5)
GNCC Junior Division Championship (11 to 15)
Winner: Bo Bartlebaugh (381.5)
1st Runner up: Chase Roberts (375)
2nd Runner up: Aden Dively (373.5)
3rd Runner up: Ethan Jones (367.5)
4th Runner up: Lane Cathey (362.5)
GNCC Intermediate Division Championship (16 to 20)
Winner: Bodie Blissitte (369 – 372.5 call off)
1st Runner up: Matthew Presley (369 – 364.5 call off)
2nd Runner up: Isaac Willow (364.5)
3rd Runner up: Gracie Herman (363.5)
4th Runner up: Colby Butler (357.5)
Taxidermy Competition
Gobblers strut, big chests and beards puff out, attracting attention. Spring hens nest hidden in shadow-casting edge cover. Predators attack the wild turkeys we love, engaged in dramatic duels. Walk through the Grand National Wild Turkey and White-Tailed Deer Taxidermy Competition display at the NWTF’s annual Convention and Sport Show, and you’ll experience unrivaled artistic renditions, crafty design elements and supreme efforts to re-create moments from times afield like you’ve never seen before. After all, wildlife taxidermy aims at putting a memory on the wall you can return to whenever you want, just by looking up there. – Steve Hickoff, “Mounting Talent,” Turkey Call
This annual taxidermy competition held at the NWTF Convention and Sport Show is sponsored by HuntStand
Enter the Taxidermy Competition
Wild Turkey Master of Masters Division
Winner: Ryan Scearce
Wild Turkey Masters Division
Best of Show: Seth French
Best Standing: Seth French
Best Strutting: Jake Phillips
Wild Turkey Professional Division
Best of Show: Taylor Harmon
Best Strutting: Taylor Harmon
Best Standing: Shane Faulkner
Wild Turkey Commercial Division
1st Place: Aaron Hedgepath
Wild Turkey Youth and Amateur Division
Amateur: Natalie Coble
Youth (17 and under): Piper Faulkner
White-tailed Deer Master of Masters Division
Winner: Butch Irwin
White-tailed Deer Masters Division
Best of Show: Tommy Rogers
Best Open Mouth Deer: Tommy Rogers
Best Closed Mouth Deer: Terry Driver
White-tailed Deer Professional Division
Best of Show: Daniel Spell
Best Open Mouth Deer: Jacob Helbing
Best Closed Mouth Deer: Daniel Spell
White-tailed Deer Commercial Division
First Place: Jordan Poutre
Second Place: Aaron Hedgepath
White-tailed Deer Amateur and Youth Division
Youth (17 and under): Allison Eaton
Callmaking Competition
The NWTF’s Grand National Call making Competition is the premier competition of its kind in North America. A panel of experts in the fields of call making, calling and hunting evaluate entries and present more than 80 awards. A weekend filled with perpetuating the fine tradition of this folk art is celebrated by a competition, live auction and silent auction.
The Custom Call are available at customcalls.nwtf.org.
Auctions and Raffles
Convention is the best way to find one-of-a-kind NWTF merchandise, firearms, hunts, vacations and more! Begin bidding today to find those items you can’t live without, while supporting the mission of the NWTF!
Bidding is now open for online Convention Auctions!
- Golden Feathers Soirée (Ladies Auction) – Silent Auction
- Golden Feathers Soirée (Ladies Auction) – Live Auction
- Golden Gun & Hunt Extravaganza (Hunt Auction) – Silent Auction
- Golden Gun & Hunt Extravaganza (Hunt Auction) – Live Auction
- Grand National – Silent Auction
- Grand National – Live Auction
Can’t make it to Nashville for the convention? You can get in on the action through other online auctions and raffles running during the Convention Dates.
- Online National Live Auctions
- National Convention Virtual Auction – Bidding Currently Open
- Grand National Live Auction – Bidding Opens Sat., Feb. 18 at 7:15 p.m. (CST)
- #1 50th Anniversary Browning Citori Raffle
2023 Convention Sponsors
Your Support Makes a Difference.