NWTF Convention disappointment

[sixbird]

I was part of an NWTF chapter for a while and finally realized that I really didn't agree with what was happening. I think the organization was beneficial to the wild turkey at one time, but I have never seen their presence or evidence of their presence anywhere that I personally hunt or have hunted, and populations seem to be falling everywhere. Where are they doing anything to help a single turkey?

I will go as far as to say that the NWTF's promotion of the sport for monetary gain is doing our precious turkeys more harm than good.


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If you have hunted turkeys, are able to have guns, seen more abundant wildlife, you have definitely seen the presence of the nwtf, whether you knew it or not.

And, the nwtf id helping fund and provide personnel to several states to study the decline in turkeys.

If you think that anyone promoting hunting is hurting the sport, when hunter numbers are falling drastically on a national level, you are selfish or ignorant.



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Well I guess I struck a nerve. They must sign your check.
I can agree with your first paragraph. Although I was not aware they have helped us maintain our 2nd amendment in anyway.

Where are the hunter numbers dramatically falling? I've heard this before but have never seen proof, but I have not looked for it. I don't think they falling one bit. Definitely not in the SE. I believe they are more turkey hunters in the woods now than ever before. I would like to see the numbers. We are all selfish to some existent when it comes to turkey hunting. Ignorant nah I don't believe so. That's all I have to say about this topic.


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Don't know about other states but here in N.J, hunter numbers have declined dramatically.
I recall, as a young man, most kids wanted to hunt and a good number of them did.
Now hunters are fairly uncommon. Kids are plugged in and have little interest in hunting.
Gun laws and loss of habitat have contributed even more to the decline.
I can envision a time in the not too distant future when, here in N.J., hunters will have such a diminished presence that they will be politically extinguished.
We need all the organizations that are pro hunter/pro gun rights that we can get.


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[tal]

 Do I believe the NWTF could be better stewards of their funds? Yes I do. I'm just a regular joe who hunts some small private lands and public land where the birds could not be pressured any harder. But as long as I can go to the convention and run into the likes of Clay Townsend, Matt McClain, and Richard Hudson, there will always be a place for me there.

[dzsmith]

On a local level our chapter does some great things. Spring turkey clinic for youth and interested non hunters, women in the outdoors activities, buying trees for some of the local public lands, college scholarships, youth hunts for doves, ducks and turkeys.

I will say I get tired of them whoring out Kansas as a mecca when numbers have dropped precipitously. I contacted the biologist several years and they kept saying they would come back. Now that they havent guys are hitting the panic button. I hadnt been to a banquet in a couple years. Amazing how few people go anymore, and how little stuff goes for at the auction.

Thats great. How are they helping the birds again? As far as trees , our state gives them out freely to anyone who will plant them. Pines that is. Instead of focusing on clinics and hunts for everyone , how about spending some on getting rid of nest predators , protecting hardwood forest , re stocking and just wild turkey habitat in general. When they started , populations exploded and expanded. Fast forward and turkey populations have been dwindling  wide as a whole. Just my opinion.

would be nice to get some legislation to make foresters keep some limited amount of hardwoods on timber company land. nothing necessarily excessive or anything that would cripple loggers but dagnam a little more timber on the creeks wouldn't hurt them at all and would vastly help wildlife.

Many timber company's have adopted a SMZ (stream management zone), but I'm 100% in agreement with you that it should be mandated by the state.  I've always said there should be a 100' buffer along upland drains and a 300' buffer along creeks/bayous. 

But I'm from AR and anything that could slow down logging is like spitting in mammas face.

we have smz here to....its only a suggested action...they don't technically have to leave 50ft....and typically if its not a flowing creek they don't. but 50 ft is nothing, its an insult at best. 16 yards of trees on creek bank. I think it should be a 50 yard minimum personally. that would be awesome. and the timber people love to argue about it...."we plant more trees than we cut" yeah you do because you harvest them at younger ages than you ever have so we are planting trees faster so we can cut them faster. The timber on a lease im in gets gut before the canopy thickens up enough for the woods to be open enough for a turkey to even use.

[nativeks]

On a local level our chapter does some great things. Spring turkey clinic for youth and interested non hunters, women in the outdoors activities, buying trees for some of the local public lands, college scholarships, youth hunts for doves, ducks and turkeys.

I will say I get tired of them whoring out Kansas as a mecca when numbers have dropped precipitously. I contacted the biologist several years and they kept saying they would come back. Now that they havent guys are hitting the panic button. I hadnt been to a banquet in a couple years. Amazing how few people go anymore, and how little stuff goes for at the auction.

Thats great. How are they helping the birds again? As far as trees , our state gives them out freely to anyone who will plant them. Pines that is. Instead of focusing on clinics and hunts for everyone , how about spending some on getting rid of nest predators , protecting hardwood forest , re stocking and just wild turkey habitat in general. When they started , populations exploded and expanded. Fast forward and turkey populations have been dwindling  wide as a whole. Just my opinion.

Hardwood forests are not natural here. We did have a native grass drill people could use. Ive used it. Also used to donate to prescribed fire on a local public lands.

Turkey numbers exploded like you see when a new species comes in. Much like zebra mussels the population exploded, plateaus, and then declines to a new baseline as predators and such learn to utilize it as food. You can transplant all you want but if the habitat isnt there it does no good. There are more creeks and fencerows being pushed out in the name of production right now than you can shake a stick at. Fescue invasion is taking over pastures as is the eastern red cedar. We have conservation programs available already that producers dont want to utilize, so getting the nwtf into the game when this state is 97% private is moot.

[paboxcall]

That type of land use change isn't going to happen for the turkey. It didn't happen for the ringneck pheasant. Exactly right, without habitat, then trap/transfer, etc. is useless.

For example, it took a significantly impaired Chesapeake Bay and its low dissolved O2 and elevated N2 levels, and the resulting decline in economic and recreation value, to have some measurable success making such changes in the huge, multi-state watershed. And the path forward to restore the bay to water quality / biodiversity health its still not easy as it costs money and requires changes in land use habits.

The NWTF isn't fixing that problem.