2022 Minnesota NWTF President's Report

Hello everyone!

Well, here we are ready to start a new year again. And what a year it’s going to be! We will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Wild Turkey federation. From humble beginnings in 1973 to a nationwide organization boasting more than 250,000 members the NWTF is a force to be reckoned with.

While our focus, the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage, remains the cornerstone of our organization we are exploring new ways of delivering on those promises. We had very ambitious goals in the Save the Habitat Save the Hunt initiative and we exceeded them two years ahead of schedule! Our new initiative Healthy Habitats Healthy Harvests seeks to bring together our four shared values which are all interconnected: Clean water, Healthy Forests and Wildlife Habitat, Resilient Communities, and Robust Recreational Opportunities. We will accomplish our new goals by creating partnerships with like minded outdoor organizations and working hand in hand with them to slow the loss of habitat and improve habitat diversity, improve water quality, open areas to recreational opportunities (especially hunting), and recruit and reactivate new hunters.

We should celebrate all we have accomplished in the last 50 years. In 1973 there were virtually NO turkeys in Minnesota and today there are numerous newspaper articles talking about how the turkeys are a “nuisance”! I am proud to have been one of the “turkey trappers” who worked with the DNR and NWTF to trap and transplant wild turkeys in Minnesota. I will be able to look back and say “I did that!” I helped make a difference in the outdoor experience my children and grandchildren will get to enjoy, along with all other Minnesotans.

The habitat work the NWTF has done and partnered with others on not only benefits turkeys, but almost all other wild things that share the landscape. Our work truly benefits a diverse variety of plants, insects, birds, and animals that fill our world with wonder and beauty. And this can be enjoyed by everyone! We are making a difference for so many people and some don’t even know who we are or what we do! This is OUR year to shout it out loud and let everyone know about all the good things the NWTF does.

We are going to start that off with our annual convention in Alexandria on the 6th and 7th of Januarywhere we will celebrate our volunteers and partners and say “Thank you!” to many. Then, coming up in July, 22nd, in the wild turkey capitol of Minnesota, Caledonia, We are going to have the party to end all parties celebrating the NWTF and all we have accomplished! We will have many guest speakers, a grand reception, and a memorial “cairn” dedicated to the names of significant NWTF volunteers and leaders along with a number of other activities. It’s a party you won’t want to miss!!

I can’t be done with this report without saying a heartfelt ‘THANK YOU!” to all the volunteers we have statewide. None of this is possible without your efforts. I am humbled and grateful to be a state leader in this organization. And I get to “lead” a very special group, the state board. Their commitment and energy never cease to amaze me. I am proud to call them my friends! Thank you for all you do.

See you in Alexandria and then in Caledonia!