Are you a member of the NWTF?

[CASH]

Not anymore. Never again. Keeping my reasons to myself.

[Jbird22]

Nope!

[theghost_03]

I've been a member since I was 12 years old, now 29. I wasn't really involved until I was 18 and since then have done more and more through our chapter. As with most groups like this, of course it is money driven but you want to see some productivity. I'll be right there with some of you that in my area I have seen nothing done as far as helping improve habitat. MN has now gone to youth being able to hunt the entire season through our DNR.  However the NWTF has year after year had a "drawing" to help introduce kids to turkey hunting.  They have reached out to Chapters to take kids hunting. Now don't get me wrong I have been taking someone new every year since I was 18. I went through years where they rejected kids tags through the NWTF when they could still just buy a tag through our DNR. All of this was done to allow a certain number of kids to receive a few treats from the NWTF. To this day after going a few years of that fiasco I have gone back to getting a group of guys to just introduce kids on our own whenever they want over am entire season and not have to jump through their hoops. I hope some year soon things take a turn and isn't so driven to appease the uppers with money.

[WildTigerTrout]

I was a member years back but let my membership lapse. Just to be fair I also let my Trout Unlimited membership lapse. IMO both of these organizations are overated.

[Ruger M77]

I'm a member but just got their latest magazine and in it you'll see a classic non-profit mistake. Building a new taj mahal. Read the spin. Somehow it will save the habitat and save the hunt.  I'm sorry...are you kidding me?  A new building?  So that will be my last dues check. Building an expensive edifice and then insulting my intelligence with the spin. Classic. Projects like that have a way of being an organization's undoing. Seen it many times

I agree I don't see the need for the the new building but as you said it comes with the territory. But for that matter have you ever seen the NRA building? It's a regular sky scraper and ain't none of us complainin about that it's just the way it is. But I believe we as hunters should stick up for these organizations that stick up for us

[ads1]

Yes I am a member. Remember that any organization that is a lobbyist for the good of the hunter and strives to acquire and create habitat for wild game species can't be all that bad. As with all of the other big name conservation organizations, there is always going to be some politics involved. I just think the good that they do overshadows the bad that exists.

x2 I agree there may be some bad but I'd definatley say there's more good

X3. I am also involved with our local chapter. We will host a Jakes Day for our youth and take some youth turkey hunting on private land one week before the regular season starts. I can understand why some have been turned off by NWTF, but I want to be a part of giving back to a sport that gives me so much pleasure. 

[Kylongspur88]

Yes. We have a good chapter here that is involved in the community. Can't speak for other chapters, but the one I'm part of is a good group of folks.

[rempumpman]

YES I am a member and I will be until the day the Good Lord takes me home; why? I am envolved in anything that promotes hunting and especially hunting Turkeys; is the NWTF perfect? in no way but neither am I; is the NRA perfect? no, but they get my vote AND money as well; the Good points of the NWTF far out weighs the Bad ones; does it need improvements? YES SIR but the only way it will improve is to be a part of it;

I am PROUD to be a member of the NWTF and am very thankful for what they have done and are doing for what I truly love, The Wild Turkey and Turkey Hunting.

[VaGobbler]

Yes, I am.  Been a regular attendee since 1994 of local banquets, am a charter member of my local chapter created in 2001, and am an immediate past president of the local.

Our NWTF has a new mission, and has a great purpose behind it.  At our level, we are hell bent on educating our youth on the awesome resources we had known and had for years.  We are in the schools teaching, at local fairs and schools introducing kids to shooting and archery activities, and promoting all sorts of things that most sub-urbanites may have never had access to.

As for the new Hunting Heritage Center being built in Edgefield, most, if not all of the funding is coming from private donations, versus dipping in to membership dollars, etc...  That is because a lot of these corporations see that the NWTF's mission is one that is achievable and real.  They want to be a part of the NWTF's next success story.

[datrip]

YES I am a member and I will be until the day the Good Lord takes me home; why? I am envolved in anything that promotes hunting and especially hunting Turkeys; is the NWTF perfect? in no way but neither am I; is the NRA perfect? no, but they get my vote AND money as well; the Good points of the NWTF far out weighs the Bad ones; does it need improvements? YES SIR but the only way it will improve is to be a part of it;

I am PROUD to be a member of the NWTF and am very thankful for what they have done and are doing for what I truly love, The Wild Turkey and Turkey Hunting.

What he said^^^^^

[eman375]

I was for a long time, a long time ago.  Also, the Mule Deer Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and a lot of the others, but sooner or later they pull some bone headed move that pisses me off so I dump them.  But only for a while.  I usually come back around because I get invited to a banquet and the cycle starts all over again... 

[nsselle]

Well this is a good topic....Currently im 31 years old and co president of our small chapter (really just the two of us, people come and go as they please)  with a good friend of mine about my fathers age.  I participate as much as possible but it always seems like the NWTF takes takes takes.  Im located in the heart of the chicago suburbs where turkey hunting is not the latest and greatest topic.  Our whole mission (Just speaking for my friend and I) is to give children a chance in our area to experience the outdoors.  They will never have a chance with their parents, so we want to try to at least give them the opportunity and the decision is really up to them if they like it or not.  I attend the convention and spend anywhere from 2K to 3K for "donations" every year for the last 3 years. I'm  a huge collector of turkey calls, so thats where they get most of my money. Whether it be at their auctions or my own NWTF banquet.  We asked for $300 dollars last year to put on our own archery clinic for children and were denied.  So where did the 6K profit from our banquet and all our hard work go?  I hear about the big projects and I guess I just have to assume because I never see the benifit personally, whick is ok, as long as it is going to the cause.  I will still support but sometimes ask myself why.  Everything I do with the NWTF cost me pocket money. I can only hope that we are doing good for the children and environment.  Why did you have the bring this topic up!!!! 

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Yes, I am.  Been a regular attendee since 1994 of local banquets, am a charter member of my local chapter created in 2001, and am an immediate past president of the local.

Our NWTF has a new mission, and has a great purpose behind it.  At our level, we are hell bent on educating our youth on the awesome resources we had known and had for years.  We are in the schools teaching, at local fairs and schools introducing kids to shooting and archery activities, and promoting all sorts of things that most sub-urbanites may have never had access to.

As for the new Hunting Heritage Center being built in Edgefield, most, if not all of the funding is coming from private donations, versus dipping in to membership dollars, etc...  That is because a lot of these corporations see that the NWTF's mission is one that is achievable and real.  They want to be a part of the NWTF's next success story.

Keep drinking the koolaid.

The path of the NWTF as we know it is far from a "success story."

[stone road turkey calls]

           

[headbanger]

No