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Teaming Up for Turkey Conservation

With new initiatives from the National Wild Turkey Federation and strong support from Federal Premium Ammunition, the work has already begun to ensure the future for turkeys is bright.

By Turkey & Turkey Hunting Senior Editor Chris Berens

“Sometimes turkeys want to talk. Sometimes they don’t. They’re just turkeys being turkeys.” Bob Fulcher, our host and turkey callmaker extraordinaire, made that statement just as matter of factly as the previously vocal group of hens and two gobblers abruptly went silent and walked off over the opposite hill and into the woods. We waited them out for a couple of hours, with nary a soft yelp or glimpse of them in the timber, despite Bob’s championship calling skills.

We were hunting in the hill country of southeast Ohio late in April last season with Bob and J.J. Reich, Senior Media Relations Manager at Federal Premium, and Pete Muller, Communications Director for the National Wild Turkey Federation. The hunt had actually started out with a bang, literally. Bob and J.J. worked a couple gobblers with hens the first morning, and J.J. tagged the first gobbler on an old woods road as it strutted around the curve of the hill the guys were set up on.

Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

But it’s no secret that during the last several years, turkey hunters and researchers alike have become increasingly concerned about fewer talkative turkeys — and fewer turkeys overall — in many states, including several traditional powerhouse wild turkey stronghold states. The National Wild Turkey Federation and Federal Premium Ammunition have decided to do something about it. That’s what brought our group to the beautiful hills and valleys of southeastern Ohio — well, yes, we were there to hunt turkeys, too.

The hill country of Ohio was the perfect setting to learn about the work that the NWTF and Federal have accomplished and continue to pursue, all in the name of wild turkeys, including several habitat restoration projects nearby. Despite the region’s ideal landscape and prime turkey habitat in the form of oak-covered hillsides, lush valleys full of pastures, creeks and crops, the Buckeye State is dealing with its own reduced turkey populations. In fact, the 2022 spring season saw a harvest limit of just one bearded turkey statewide. Previously, it had been two birds per hunter.

Turkey Work

The National Wild Turkey Federation, first chartered in Fredericksburg, Va., on March 28, 1973, has had a vital impact on the successful restoration of turkey populations around the country, and the growth of the turkey hunting culture.

During the last five years in Ohio alone, NWTF chapters have conserved or enhanced 12,903 acres of wildlife habitat and influenced 13,786 acres of wildlife habitat through six completed and six active conservation projects. On top of all of that, 7,559 active NWTF members in the state have helped to recruit 17,487 new hunters. Impressive numbers, indeed, and a huge reason why the Buckeye state has become so well known for its outstanding turkey hunting over the years.

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the NWTF is doubling down on its mission in the face of concerning lower turkey populations and harvests in many states. Citing a number of reasons for the dropping numbers, including poor habitat management, continued urban and suburban development, decreasing public support of hunting, and reduced funding and resources, the organization has rolled up its sleeves and is ready to dig in and fight these trends.

Courtesy of National Wild Turkey Federation

That’s where the Help the Yelp Campaign comes into play. This new NWTF initiative is a fresh call to action for all turkey hunters and conservationists to step up to the plate for a collaborative effort to ensure the continued health of wild turkeys, and turkey hunting, for future generations.

Four main objectives are the anchors of this work:

1: Increase national awareness of the risk to the wild turkey and other interrelated game and nongame species.
2: Recruit 250,000 turkey hunters into the NWTF as active participants in the mission.
3: Recruit 200 small businesses to participate in the project by providing awareness and localized, grassroots support, where possible.
4: Recruit 20 large businesses to participate in the project by providing awareness.

The specific goals of all of this, when successful, will add up to more wild turkey research projects around the country, increased and improved turkey habitat, improved habitat connectivity, enhanced health of turkey populations overall, and boosting the public support and acceptance of hunting in general. The most direct and effective ways to help accomplish these goals are to join and/or donate to the NWTF (86 cents of every dollar raised supports its conservation mission), recruit and engage with new turkey hunters, and volunteer to assist with fundraising events, habitat work and research projects. With five decades of wild turkey conservation work under its belt, the NWTF is just getting started.

A Partner in Federal

Federal Premium Ammunition has never shied away from conservation, all the way back to the company’s founder and president, Charles Thorn, who was a strong supporter of the trailblazing Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act — also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act. Since those early days there have been untold numbers of conservation donations, efforts and partnerships.

A portion of the profit from every sale of Federal turkey ammo with the NWTF logo on it goes directly to turkey conservation efforts. Photo credit Chris Berens

Federal officially began sponsoring the NWTF in 1982, a collaboration that has continued to grow since. The most visible way the ammo maker accomplishes this is by offering a royalty program on its Grand Slam, 3rd Degree and HEAVYWEIGHT TSS turkey loads. Each box of shotshells features the NWTF logo on it, and a portion of the purchase of each box goes directly to the turkey conservation organization, providing essential funding for habitat work and research projects. Since the program began, turkey hunters have bought more than 5 million rounds in support of wild turkey conservation, with no signs of slowing down.

Turkey Talk

Just as Bob mentioned on that first morning of our Ohio hunt, “Sometimes turkeys want to talk. Sometimes they don’t.” They sure didn’t the last three days of our hunt. Bob is no slouch with that call, either. I learned more in a few mornings following and listening to him through the hills than I have in a few years of chasing turkeys on my own. It was like watching a conductor at work with a hand-crafted longbox wand, magically conducting an operatic dialogue of turkey melody with each calling sequence.

Champion turkey call craftsman and caller, Bob Fulcher, of Shadetree Callers Custom Turkey Calls, talks turkey in the hills of southern Ohio. Photo credit Chris Berens

We contacted a few on the roost in the mornings. Much beyond sunrise, though, the birds were tight-lipped and wary outside of a random yelp or two. Our group saw a good amount of birds but just couldn’t get them to commit. And that noon closing didn’t offer us much time to chase up and down those ridges and hollers to find willing participants. Toss in some rain and frosty temps in addition to shy birds, and it could be easy to paint a bleak picture of the status of the local turkey numbers. The one-bird limit hung like a dark cloud over the conversations at camp.

Turkeys are turkeys no matter where they are, and a myriad of conditions can always impact a short hunt. The number of hens and jakes we watched throughout the week reassured our camp that the hunting would be just fine for the foreseeable future.

The Future Looks Bright

Ensuring the future of wild turkeys in North America is not going to be easy, but with a team of forward-thinking organizations like the NWTF and Federal Premium — all hunters and conservationists at heart — and turkey hunters in every state, this lofty goal is within reach.

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Federal Premium HEAVYWEIGHT TSS
Kill gobblers at longer distances than ever before with HEAVYWEIGHT® TSS. Its payloads of HEAVYWEIGHT Tungsten Super Shot provide the highest pellet counts possible.

A single round of 12-gauge Federal HEAVYWEIGHT TSS #9 anchored the author’s Wisconsin longbeard last season. Photo credit Chris Berens

The tungsten-alloy material’s 18 gm/cc density is 22% higher than standard tungsten and 56% more than lead. The result is the most energy and highest velocities at extreme range. Its rear-braking FLITECONTROL FLEX® wad performs flawlessly through ported and standard turkey chokes for the most consistent, deadly patterns possible.

• HEAVYWEIGHT TSS payload with advanced buffering material
• Roll crimp and clear card wad keeps buffering material in place
• Full-length wads prevent direct contact of the extra-hard pellets and the bore, protecting the barrel
• 5-count pack
• A portion of the proceeds from every box is donated to the National Wild Turkey Federation for turkey research, habitat restoration and hunter recruitment
• Available in: .410-bore, #9 shot
20-gauge, 3-in., #7, #9, #7 and #9 combo, or #8 and #10 combo
20-gauge, 2-3/4-in. #9 reduced recoil
12-gauge 3-in. #7, #9, #7 and #9 combo
12-gauge, 3-1/2-in. #7, #9, #7 and #9 combo
Info: www.federalpremium.com

National Wild Turkey Federation
The NWTF has been the leader in wild turkey restoration and research since 1973. To learn more about joining the organization, visit www.nwtf.org.
Membership includes:
• Events such as auctions and banquets
• Discounts on outdoor gear and everyday goods and services
• NWTF Hunt Club Insurance for hunting lease liability
• Honor Your Harvest in the Wild Turkey Records Program
• Six issues of Turkey Call Magazine
• NWTF online membership credentials for official website and social media communities
• Free general admission to the NWTF Convention and Sport Show

Shadetree Callers Custom Turkey Calls
Bob Fulcher at Shadetree Callers strives to build the most accurate-sounding turkey calls possible. He has been making turkey calls since he harvested his first gobbler many years ago, and has been hooked by the turkey hunting bug ever since. He began by creating wingbone calls from that first turkey. As time passed, he began collecting callers and found that many of the good ones were just too far out of reach for his budget. He eventually made the decision to build his own, so that he could carry a custom call in the woods.

Photo courtesy Shadetree Callers Custom Turkey Calls

Bob primarily builds longbox callers because he prefers the full-range of sounds that they make. With encouragement from callmaking friends and the legendary Dick Kirby, he began building his own line of turkey calls. Nowadays, Bob produces a limited number of custom calls for hunters and collectors alike. Each call is handmade, as they are ordered and built specifically for each customer. He uses a very limited amount of power tools to create a great-sounding turkey call. His specialties are a shortbox and longbox in his Grand National Championship award-winning Stepside design. In the past he has built long-box paddle callers in the style of the late, great Mr. Neil Cost, and fencepost callers in the Eminence, Mo., style. He also builds Scratchbox Calls and Trough Calls that have won many first-place callmaking awards. In addition, he creates custom wingbone calls for hunters built from their harvested turkeys’ bones, for a special way to memorialize a successful hunt.
Info: shadetreecallers.webs.com

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