NTWF controversies?

[Marc]

I have heard rumour about NTWF having some ethical issues...  From monies being misappropriated to exaggeration of habitat funding?

I would be curious as to the general thoughts from forum members on the NTWF and whether they are still considered to be a worthwhile charity to give to?

[ScottTaulbee]

The hunt quietly podcast covers it all pretty well.

I would like to support them, but ultimately I feel that they are more interested in funding themselves and recruiting hordes of hunters that we ultimately don't need as well. They have made turkey hunting extremely commercialized and I do not send them my money.


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[Marc]

The hunt quietly podcast covers it all pretty well.

You have a link?  Did they cover the NTWF side as well?

[ScottTaulbee]

The hunt quietly podcast covers it all pretty well.

You have a link?  Did they cover the NTWF side as well?

They got a response on some things from the NWTF. Other things NWTF gave them the run around


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[ScottTaulbee]

The hunt quietly podcast covers it all pretty well.

You have a link?  Did they cover the NTWF side as well?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3qTNbyZO8UbYzrSInu7HW6?si=g5Q8DVT1RDySEaMFK26wGg


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[10th Legionaire]

The hunt quietly podcast covers it all pretty well.

You have a link?  Did they cover the NTWF side as well?

They got a response on some things from the NWTF. Other things NWTF gave them the run around


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They also invited NWTF to participate in the podcast but they declined. I doubt they wanted to send a rep to an interview with three guys who spent a bunch of time researching for chinks in NWTF's armor.

Plus the only other one of their podcasts I have heard they teed off on BHA.

On both podcasts Renella and his associates were very negative on both organizations pushing hunter 3R (recruitment, retention and reinstatement) and trying to drive listeners to their own organization.

I think the podcast was pretty fair in acknowledging that when they presented misreporting by NWTF it was corrected.

I don't believe any of these types of organizations NWTF, BHA, DU, TFT etc are without sin FWIW. I also don't believe that it is out and out maliciousness.

[Greg Massey]

It was an interesting podcast coming from one who had only killed one turkey...

But I did enjoy some of the overall points of the podcast

Regardless we all need to pay attention to the declines of the turkeys especially in some regions ASAP...

[sixbird]

I've seen this same disparagement play out before. I think it's a similar accusation to any organization that's successful.
The NWTF is almost solely responsible for bringing the wild turkey back from an almost endangered species in some areas and the reintroduction into former ranges such as in N.J. where I live.
The cost of these programs is eye popping and the logistics with wildlife agencies in the states is like pushing boulders.
Studies are ongoing to find the causes of turkey population declines and NWTF is pretty much the driver of all of it.
I know people are envious of success and critical of any effort in any arena but the goal is helping the wild turkey. I'm on board with that...


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[bbcoach]

This subject will end up being a  but I'll chime in and will probably take some heat for my thoughts, so here goes. The NWTF and ALL organizations start off with GREAT intentions and initially help do what their Mission is.  Then money and greed set in, and the MISSION takes a Back Seat.  I believe the NWTF and those organizations mentioned above, started off with Great intentions but allowed power, money and greed to turn their organizations upside down.  I checked the financial statements for the past several years and one glaring thing stands out.  Salaries make up over 30% of their overall budget.  30 cents of every dollar they take in is spent on administrative salaries.  This doesn't include additional administrative costs to run the organization or travel expenses (additional overhead if you will).  I believe ALL of these organizations start off with Great intentions and do exceptional work but...  My question is how much of a $50 million budget should donors expect to be going to restoring the turkey population, if their MISSION is TRULY for the Wild Turkey?  Food for thought.

[Dtrkyman]

How much money do they raise with very few or low paid employees?

Not sticking up for them particularly as I have had my own issues with them but they aren't going to function with all volunteers for long!


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[3bailey3]

A guy used to live a few houses from me, never knew what he did and didn't look like a hunter to me. Never saw him leaving his house at 4 ot 4:30 in the spring like I do. They moved and he applied for a job where my wife worked, said he worked for the NWTF as a banquet organizer on his app. said he's pay was 80K

[slicksbeagles1]

You guys are all right I will give you 2 really good examples. One being one of the largest in the world 1) the government 2) NRA. Who funds all of this the people.

[eggshell]

I've seen this same disparagement play out before. I think it's a similar accusation to any organization that's successful.
The NWTF is almost solely responsible for bringing the wild turkey back from an almost endangered species in some areas and the reintroduction into former ranges such as in N.J. where I live.
The cost of these programs is eye popping and the logistics with wildlife agencies in the states is like pushing boulders.
Studies are ongoing to find the causes of turkey population declines and NWTF is pretty much the driver of all of it.
I know people are envious of success and critical of any effort in any arena but the goal is helping the wild turkey. I'm on board with that...


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I have to disagree with this to a large degree. Having worked for a state agency I saw first hand who was doing the work. In my home state turkey re-introductions started in the late 1950s and the 1960s. By 1968 we had a season and the NWTF never even existed until 1973 and by the time they were significant we had a substantial population. I worked with some of the crews trapping and transplanting birds and what I saw mostly was NWTF furnishing boxes and people to take PR photos at releases. I will concede they helped buy a good bit of land in their early days.

Don't disparage the State Agencies, I think a lot of them were well into the game before the NWTF was ever on the floor. I seen some good they done and some bad, in more recent years I believe the NWTF has sailed the ship off to a private Island to bury their booty.

[ScottTaulbee]

I've seen this same disparagement play out before. I think it's a similar accusation to any organization that's successful.
The NWTF is almost solely responsible for bringing the wild turkey back from an almost endangered species in some areas and the reintroduction into former ranges such as in N.J. where I live.
The cost of these programs is eye popping and the logistics with wildlife agencies in the states is like pushing boulders.
Studies are ongoing to find the causes of turkey population declines and NWTF is pretty much the driver of all of it.
I know people are envious of success and critical of any effort in any arena but the goal is helping the wild turkey. I'm on board with that...


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I have turkey hunted for 25 years, not as long as some but "I've been around the block". In that amount of time, I cannot think of anything that I've seen the NWTF do within 100 miles of where I lived or where I grew up for the turkeys other than host banquets that the NWTF chapter board members win the gun raffles to. I did notice a sign at a WMA that I've hunted since I was kid that has the NWTF old logo on it, but the land has looked the same since I was a kid, I'm not sure what they're claimed to have done there. But I can plainly see one thing the NWTF has had a hand in doing at my local hunting areas, and that is the volume of trucks at the gate now. That is a direct result of the R3 that they have pushed. There is no denying that the amount of turkey hunters have skyrocketed in the past 15 to 20 years and the amount of land available to hunt has decreased just as fast.

You're correct in saying that the NWTF helped with turkey restoration, but they are far from being almost solely responsible. George Wright is solely responsible for the turkeys here in KY. But what the NWTF was 50 years ago, and what they are in present tense is a vast difference. It's like comparing 1789 American politics and Today's. I'd be willing to bet that the average turkey addict on this site single handily does more for wild turkeys and the management/habitat in a year than the NWTF as it stands does in 5 as an organization.


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[Swampmonkey]

I live in Edgefield county SC where they are headquartered. I've hunted here my entire life. I can tell you besides a museum to take field trips too and a shooting complex they built a few years ago ain't much too um. They are all about banquets and R3. Turkeys in this area have gone down just like everywhere else and there has been no effort/projects/ management on their part. If they don't do much in their own backyard I find it hard to believe they do anything. And I travel ALOT and I've never seen any evidence to contradict this.