EDGEFIELD, S.C. — NWTF biologists, state company wild turkey biologists and wild turkey researchers just lately gathered in Blacksburg, Virginia, for the Southeastern Affiliation of Fish and Wildlife Businesses’ annual Wild Turkey Working Group. The collective collaborated and showcased wild turkey analysis and wild turkey administration updates from throughout the Southeast. The NWTF offered an replace to the consortium on the NWTF’s analysis, habitat enhancement, coverage and schooling and outreach efforts throughout the area, together with the NWTF’s Habitat for the Hatch Initiative and the brand new NWTF Distinguished Professor place on the College of Georgia’s Warnell Faculty of Forestry and Pure Sources.
“Virginia was more than happy to host the assembly this yr, particularly as we celebrated the fiftieth annual gathering of this group,” mentioned Mike Dye, Virginia Division of Wildlife Sources ruffed grouse and turkey program biologist. “It is rather inspiring to see the passion and keenness for enhancing the administration of untamed turkeys. This assembly supplies a terrific avenue for sharing our collective experiences in analysis and administration.”
Along with offering an outlet for collaboration, the Wild Turkey Working Group was established to help the SEAFWA’s Wildlife Sources Technical Committee in fulfilling its mission and the general goal of the SEAFWA. Particularly, the Wild Turkey Working Group assists with native and regional points pertaining to wild turkeys, resembling figuring out necessary regional points and science-based administration options; figuring out collaborative, management-driven analysis wants and priorities; and creating suggestions for wildlife useful resource coverage.
“It was nice to see all of the distinctive work occurring throughout the Southeast for the wild turkey,” mentioned Doug Little, NWTF director of conservation operations for the East. “Virginia Division of Wildlife Sources was an incredible host and is an incredible associate of the NWTF. The Wild Turkey Working Group supplies an important platform for state company representatives and researchers to share data, be taught from one another’s successes and challenges and collaborate on a deeper stage, all for the conservation of the wild turkey. We’re proud to be part of this necessary gathering.”
NWTF District Biologist Cully McCurdy helped kick off day one of many gathering by showcasing the cooperative administration efforts on the George Washington-Jefferson Nationwide Forests in Virginia. McCurdy offered an outline on the Nationwide Forest Stamp program in Virginia and the way these funds are earmarked for habitat work on the nationwide forest. The NWTF is in yr 13 of an settlement with the Virginia Division of Wildlife Sources to manage a good portion of these funds. The work has resulted in $2.7 million in undertaking supply that has impacted 17,000 acres.
McCurdy’s presentation was adopted by days of discussing updates on varied wild turkey analysis and administration initiatives, from hunter-harvest impacts, evaluating inhabitants developments, fertility, illness ecology and extra.
Little gave a complete replace of the NWTF’s work inside the Southeast on final day of the gathering. A robust piece of knowledge that Little shared was that the NWTF’s state chapters inside the Southeast, collectively, allotted over $2 million to conservation and outreach initiatives in fiscal yr 2024 alone, with an anticipated impression of over 313,000 acres this yr.
Little’s report additionally included habitat initiatives occurring in each southeastern state, personal land work being achieved by the NWTF’s Nationwide Forestry Initiative and the NWTF’s over $1.2 million invested in wild turkey analysis within the final two years.
“We commend SEAFWA for offering such a productive discussion board for wild turkey discourse and permitting the NWTF to be part of this necessary gathering,” Little mentioned. “It’s not on a regular basis that we get to satisfy with so a lot of our companions in a single place and collaborate and share data.”
Most of the state company turkey biologists on the SEAFWA’s Wild Turkey Working Group function pivotal members of the NWTF’s Nationwide Wild Turkey Technical Committee, a gaggle comprised of untamed turkey biologists from almost each state pure useful resource company who act as liaisons between the NWTF and state pure assets businesses to successfully handle wild turkey populations and ship conservation that advantages turkeys in a specific state.
“Contemplating the complicated challenges going through turkeys and turkey managers, communication and collaboration at varied ranges are key for conservation,” mentioned Zak Danks, Kentucky Division of Fish and Wildlife Sources turkey-grouse program coordinator and NWTF Technical Committee co-chair. “The NWTF Technical Committee fosters dialogue and collaboration amongst biologists on national-level coverage and science issues. In flip, the Southeast Wild Turkey Working Group assembly lets us hone in on regional points, and the identical is true for with the Northeast, Midwest and Western regional conferences. The upshot is an ongoing circulate of debate and collective motion at each ranges – nationwide and state – the purpose of which is to make issues higher for turkeys and turkey hunters in every state. The possibility to be taught from and collaborate with such devoted, gifted and passionate professionals is humbling and provoking.”
In regards to the Nationwide Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the Nationwide Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion {dollars} into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 23 million acres of essential wildlife habitat. The NWTF has additionally invested over $9 million into wild turkey analysis to information the administration of the wild turkey inhabitants and to make sure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The group continues to ship its mission by working throughout boundaries on a panorama scale via its 4 Shared Values: clear and plentiful water, wholesome forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities and sturdy leisure alternatives. With the assistance of its devoted members, companions and employees, the NWTF continues its work to supply Wholesome Habitats. and Wholesome Harvests. for future generations.
