EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Outdoor photography offers hunters and conservationists a way to stay connected to the field long after hunting seasons close. The NWTF celebrates that passion through the annual NWTF Photo Contest, which, for the 2025 contest, saw an overwhelming response to its exciting, multi-category format. More than 250 photographers submitted more than 2,000 photos for consideration. Entries captured everything from strutting toms and rutting deer to soaring eagles, snow-capped peaks, hardwood bottoms and open prairies — all showcasing the excitement and life-changing power of the outdoors.

The Grand Prize, titled “Forest Stage,” was awarded to Zack McQueen, for his exceptional entry that captures an Eastern wild turkey strutting in the leaf litter of the forest as the sun peers through the hardwoods. As a part of the Grand Prize, McQueen will receive a $1,000 cash prize, publication in a special multi-spread feature in an issue of Turkey Call magazine, be showcased at the 2026 NWTF Convention and Sport Show Waterin’ Hole and be highlighted in the NWTF’s online winners’ gallery.

“Being the grand prize winner for the NWTF Photo Contest has been a dream since I picked up a camera five years ago and saw the amazing images on the cover of Turkey Call magazine,”

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The NWTF's Jesse Warner continues conversations about wildlife photography by sitting down with Zack McQueen. You may have seen McQueen's work in the NWTF's photo contest, Wyoming Wildlife's Calendar or across social on his channels. 

They talk Mcqueen's start in photography, his choice of camera equipment, specific shots McQueen worked hard to capture — like the one where you can see a turkey's gobble thanks to the steam in its breath — and much more! 

To check out comse of McQueen's photography work, visit https://www.instagram.com/z.mcqueen_photography/.

Turkey Call All Access is a digital campfire where the hosts and guests discuss the NWTF’s mission to conserve the wild turkey and preserve our hunting heritage, as well as topics of the day, conservation and wild turkey research, tips and techniques to better your experiences afield and our member’s stories.

Turkey Call All Access is the Official Podcast of the Nation Wild Turkey Federation.

Check out other episodes here.

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From major investments in wild turkey research to expanding large-scale habitat initiatives nationwide, 2025 marked another exceptional year of conservation success for the NWTF. Through the dedication of volunteers, staff and partners, the NWTF continued leading the charge to create healthy habitats, resilient forests and lasting recreational opportunities for current and future generations.

Here’s a look at some of the organization’s conservation milestones from 2025.

$503,618 Investment in Wild Turkey Research

Solidifying its role as the national leader in wild turkey conservation, the National Wild Turkey Federation directed significant funding to cutting-edge wild turkey research in 2025, building on a powerful investment strategy helping guide the sustainability of the wild turkey.

This year’s funding has brought the NWTF’s investment in wild turkey ecology research — in just over three years — to $2,101,439 through its National Wild Turkey Request for Proposals (RFP) Program. This year’s investment builds on significant prior allocations through the RFP program, including $362,889 in 2022 for seven projects; $587,324 in 2023 for 10 projects; and $655,447 in 2024 for nine projects. Since 2022, the NWTF and its partners have provided more than $22 million to wild turkey research projects.

Thanks to support from dedicated partners, such as the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Mossy Oak and NWTF state chapters, the RFP program remains an aggressive, annual effort to fund critical wild turkey research projects nationwide.

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Texas Veterans Helping Veterans is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that helps those in need. In the past we have given food, clothing, furniture, medical equipment, provided shelter, held community events, visiting Veterans at the VA Hospital, helping the homeless, held Barbeques, made hundreds of donation boxes to support those in need. Providing so many with information on how to apply for benefits, emergency shelter locations, government schooling and so much more. With your help we are able to help get veterans back on their feet.

By investing donations and revenues we are able to provide to provide support to Veterans and their families through programs, projects, and education. Offering free assistance and resources to obtaining benefits and services earned through military service. By investing donations and revenues we are able to provide to provide support to Veterans and their families through programs, projects, and education. Offering free assistance and resources to obtaining benefits and services earned through military service.

Texas is one of the most veteran friendly states in America and offers many great veteran benefits in Texas.

Texas offers many special benefits for its military Service members and Veterans including property tax exemptions, state retirement benefits, Veterans Land Board loan program, Texas National Guard Tuition Scholarship Program, Veterans’ employment preference, vehicle license plates, as well as hunting and fishing license benefits. Eligibility for some benefits may depend on residency, military component and Veteran disability status.

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Congratulations to our NWTF Texas State Chapter Academic Scholarship winner Ivan Vega-Everitt!

He intends to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University and is an active advocate for responsible harvesting and conversation initiatives designed to respect and protect our beautiful land for many years and will continue to be for generations to come.

Ivan will continue to respect the environment, and our laws and limits; passing these values on to future generations as we continue to enjoy the sport.

Eligibility Requirements

Students should be graduating seniors with a minimum of a 3.0 on 4.0 scale or equivalent grade point average. (If transcript indicates a scale other than 4.0, student should have at least a 3.75 on a 5.0 scale, 4.5/6.0 scale, 5.25/7.0 scale, 6.0/8.0 scale, 6.75/9.0 scale or a 7.5/10.0 scale). Students must upload copies of transcripts for review. Finalist GPA and transcripts will be verified.

Students must be pursuing a degree at an accredited institution of higher education (i.e. Junior College, Community College, Technical College, College or University).

Students must actively participate in hunting, support the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage. A copy of current hunting license is required.

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UPSHUR COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - A group of 19 active and inactive military members gathered over the weekend for a free deer hunting and fishing trip in East Texas, organized by the nonprofit Combat Warriors.

The veterans, all with combat experience, came from across the country for the multi-day event that included hunting, fishing and meals together. Richard Miranda, a 25-year Army veteran from Nashville, Tennessee, was among those invited.

“It’s not like the end of a war, like hey, it’s victory in Europe day. And everyone comes back and you get a big parade. And it’s like, oh hey, my sacrifice was well worth it. It kind of just trickles to an end and guys piecemeal back home,” Miranda said.

Miranda said the transition from Special Forces to civilian life created a difficult adjustment period.

Law enforcement escort welcomes veterans

The final group of veterans received a full law enforcement escort from East Texas Regional Airport to a ranch in Harrison County near Diana. Upshur County Precinct 1 Constable Tim Barnette organized the procession.

“Longview P.D. does a phenomenal job of just helping us get through their city,” Barnette said.

Students at Judson Middle School in Longview lined Judson Road with flags to greet the veterans as they passed.

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EDGEFIELD, S.C. — State and federal biologists, academic researchers, land managers and NWTF conservation leaders gathered Monday for the opening day of the 13th National Wild Turkey Symposium, setting a collaborative tone for a pivotal week focused on the science, data and partnerships shaping the future of wild turkey conservation.

The day opened with remarks from NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff, who reminded the room that the wild turkey’s future will be shaped not by isolated efforts but by collective ones.

“This room represents decades of commitment, millions of acres of restoration and countless hours in the field, the lab and the woods,” Dyroff said. “It is a privilege to stand among you as a colleague and friend.”

His call to “listen deeply, collaborate fully and think boldly” framed the rest of the day’s discussions, which included past conservation efforts, today’s challenges and opportunities for the future.

Remarks also followed from leaders with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, grounding the symposium in the realities of the Midwest, which is home to historic wild turkey restoration successes.

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The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Education & Outreach Programs recognize the valuable contributions of its chapters and volunteers. It is our pleasure to congratulate you on the 2025 Best Partnership Award for Houston Chapter's H2O Youth Outdoor Adventures.

We invite the NWTF Houston Chapter to join us at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s 50th Annual Convention and Sport Show, February 12-14, 2026, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

The chapter will be honored on Friday, February 13, during the Education & Outreach breakfast in the Delta Ballroom.

Congratulations to the Houston Chapter for winning this award in recognition of all the good work you do in helping kids appreciate the great outdoors here in the great state of Texas.

Ensuring the Outdoor Lifestyle Endures

The NWTF’s education and outreach programs are designed to preserve our hunting heritage and ensure Healthy Habitats and Healthy Harvests.

These programs began with the creation of the JAKES, Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin’ Sportsmen programs, and outreach efforts continue to evolve today.

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EDGEFIELD, S.C. — A new research project in Texas, funded in part through the NWTF’s 2025 investment in wild turkey research, seeks to investigate the season-specific survival rates of female Rio Grande wild turkeys, giving biologists a clearer picture of how to keep these iconic birds thriving on the landscape.

The research project is both collecting new data and utilizing data collected over the past decade on Rio Grande wild turkeys across diverse ecoregions in Texas.

Between 2016 and 2025, more than 700 female Rio Grande wild turkeys were captured and fitted with leg bands and GPS-VHF backpack transmitters using drop-nets and walk-in traps. Currently, there are over 20 birds with active transmitters on the landscape, and project investigators plan to deploy more solar transmitter units this year to collect new data.

“A very cool aspect of this project is that this is one of the longest-running wild turkey data sets in Texas,” said Nicholas Bakner, Ph.D., project lead and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware. “The data was collected from over 775 female wild turkeys by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and was only used for a few master’s projects looking at smaller-scale things like precipitation and survival. Looking at resource selection, like what we’re looking to do, has not yet been scratched.”

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EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation, in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, recently completed a 500-acre prickly pear cactus treatment on Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Mason County, Texas. This collaborative effort aims to restore balance to native grasslands, enhance habitat for wild turkeys and a variety of other wildlife and promote the long-term health of the region’s ecosystem.

For generations, wild turkeys have inhabited the Mason Mountain WMA. They roam the rugged ridges and open grasslands year-round, and in recent years, the WMA even opened to public turkey hunting for the spring season. But like so many places across Texas, Mason Mountain WMA has faced the slow-but-steady spread of invasive and drought-tolerant plants that outcompete native species and degrade habitat quality.

Over time, dense stands of prickly pear cactus have expanded across portions of Mason Mountain WMA, particularly in the granite hills and gravelly, sandy soils where drought conditions give the succulent a competitive edge. While prickly pear provides cover for some species, excessive growth can crowd out native forbs and grasses that are vital for nesting, brood-rearing and foraging for turkeys and other wildlife.

To address this challenge, TPWD utilized aerial application of herbicide across 500 acres to reduce overabundant prickly pear. The treatment has already begun opening the ground layer and allowing sunlight to reach the soil — conditions that encourage a resurgence of native grasses and wildflowers.

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Help put an end to a $7 billion project that uses eminent domain to seize 200,000 acres of private property to build an outdated, inefficient reservoir.

This is a fight for all Texans who want to preserve natural wildlife habitat, private property rights and conserve our state's most precious natural resources - water, land and the livelihood of Texas families.

A reservoir is a 1950’s solution to a 21st century problem.

In a recent study, “Researchers have found that the amount of water evaporating from lakes is significantly more than previously thought, and that reservoirs may play an outsized role in the process according to a new NASA-funded study…” Reservoirs are drought and evaporation prone and are simply not a sustainable long-term solution. There are more than 120 reservoirs currently in the state of Texas yet problems maintaining a consistent and reliable water supply continue to persist. One more reservoir will do more harm in Northeast Texas than good, and we must say NO.

Does Dallas-Fort Worth need more water?

The Marvin Nichols Reservoir would be built to provide the DFW Metroplex with additional water resources. Yet rather than look to conservation and resources in their own community to meet growing water needs, the region has decided the solution is to take 200,000 acres of private land in Northeast Texas to build a reservoir, with the water pumped to the DFW Metroplex.

But do they need more water? The short answer is no.

It's time to stop the Marvin Nichols Reservoir

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The Texas State Chapter Board wrapped up its latest meeting last weekend with a round of sporting clays at Clays N More Gun Club in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

The sun was bright and our aim was true.

A big thank you and shout out to Shawn Roberts, our gracious host and owner of Clays N More Gun Club. Thanks Shawn for the use of your meeting room and treating us to an awesome dinner!

To say that Shawn has a love for the outdoors may be an understatement. His passion for guns and hunting has grown over the years and he is honored to be able to share this with the community.

Welcome to Clays N More Gun Club website. The club features a 7, 15 & 25 yard pistol range with, 50, 100 & 200 yard rifle range, as well as 2 skeet fields a trap/wobble trap field and 5 stand for special occasions.

Since Clays N More Gun Club was established in 2006, it has surpassed 500+ members and is growing daily.

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Story courtesy of Texas Fish and Game magazine.

As the Texas sun beats down in mid-summer, serious hunters know this is the time to start getting ready for fall hunting season. Whether you’re chasing whitetail deer in the Hill Country, doves in South Texas, or feral hogs across East Texas, the key to a successful season is groundwork laid months in advance. Here’s a practical, Texas-focused guide to getting ready.

Inspect and Repair Hunting Blinds

The brutal Texas summer can take a toll on even the sturdiest hunting blinds. July and August are the perfect time to get out to your lease or land and do a full inspection.

Start by checking structural integrity—look for cracked wood, rusted hinges, and wasp nests. Patch holes, reseal edges, and repaint if needed, especially if your blind is exposed to the elements. Replace worn-out chairs or shooting rests and make sure windows still open quietly.

If you use pop-up or mobile blinds, air them out and check for tears or broken poles. Mice and mold are common problems if gear has been stored since last season.

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Researchers at Texas A&M University are conducting first-of-its-kind wild turkey research, looking at the exposure of different turkey populations to neonicotinoid pesticides. Neonicotinoids are the most commonly used insecticides in the world, with near ubiquitous application to crop seeds in North America. Using funding provided from the NWTF’s National Request for Proposals Program, this past spring turkey season marked the team’s first year of collecting blood and tissues samples to test for the presence of neonicotinoids.

“We are trying to understand if wild turkeys are exposed to neonicotinoids as a starting point to see if additional work is needed to determine the consequences of these exposures,” said Sarah Hamer, Ph.D, principal investigator and director of the Schubot Center for Avian Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M. “We are building upon our prior work that shows broad patterns of wild bird exposure.”

Neonicotinoids are a major driver of insect biodiversity loss, killing many non-target insects and indirectly affecting birds through this loss of prey. Based on research done with other species in controlled laboratory settings, there's reason to believe that these exposures can have health consequences that decrease avian fitness or survival.

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The Texas NWTF State Chapter met earlier this year in Marble Falls to review Hunting Heritage Super Fund project proposals for the 2025 fiscal year funding awards. After the reviewing and ranking process, proposals were approved by the Texas NWTF State Chapter Board of Directors. The board budgeted $77,225 for conservation projects and $77,841 for hunting heritage projects. NWTF conservation project award funding will be matched with over $954,000 in partner or grant funds for the approved projects, equating to over $1 million in NWTF mission-related projects in 2025.

“I commend our Texas NWTF State Chapter and local Texas NWTF chapter members for working so hard to raise these funds to further our mission in Texas,” said Annie Farrell, NWTF district biologist. “From wild turkey research to habitat enhancements across the state, our dedicated volunteers make it a priority to put their hard-earned dollars toward critical projects that greatly impact the wild turkey and our hunting heritage in the Lone Star State.”

The NWTF’s Hunting Heritage Super Fund is a decades-long funding program well-known throughout the country as a conservation powerhouse. Created in the NWTF’s formative years, the Super Fund is a volunteer-driven program.

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On a warm spring weekend near Mathis, Texas, the rolling landscape of McGloin Ranch set the stage for an unforgettable experience hosted by the Texas Wildlife Association and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

As part of the Adult Learn-to-Hunt Program, five new hunters were given the opportunity to pursue their first wild turkey alongside dedicated mentors and volunteers.

The program, designed to teach hunting skills to adult newcomers, brought together passionate conservationists like Matt Hughes from TWA and Mike Shouse of NWTF. Before the hunters ever set foot in the field, they received hands-on instruction in turkey calling from veteran caller Bob Linder — laying the foundation for a thoughtful, ethical hunt.

Josh Rodriguez, one of the mentees, was partnered with me for the weekend. Our first sit on Friday brought promise, with a lone hen investigating our decoys. A tom gobbled across the river behind us but never crossed, despite our best efforts. Saturday morning proved quieter, and even a location change for the evening hunt only offered a distant glimpse of jakes and toms 600 yards out — too far to pursue effectively.

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The Cayuga High School Bass Fishing Team had an amazing 24-25 season.

This was our eighth year of high school fishing through the Texas High School Bass Association. Coached by Erika Goolsby, the team had 40 young men and women fishing this year - making up 20 teams. We had eight teams placed in the Top 40% of the Central Division to advance to Regionals on Lake Palestine in April.

Out of the eight teams two placed in the Top 30% to advance to the State Tournament that was held May 31-June 1 on Lake Conroe. The two teams were Hayden Goolsby and Landon Reed (boat captain Shane Goolsby) along with Gus Beckendorf and Cason Mills (boat captain Cooper Harris).

Hayden Goolsby and Landon Reed, placed 10th out of 182 teams at the State Tournament.

Hayden and Landon also earned the Angler of the Year team in the Central Division.

We had 12 seniors graduate this year and earned over $10,000 in fishing related scholarships.

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The purpose of the article, entitled, ‘Getting the Word Out’ , was to share our experiences engaging with the communities to successfully establish new local chapters and host successful events that optimize membership growth and fundraising for NWTF here in Texas.

The direction of the article are somewhat different from most of the content in Turkey Call, as it focuses on volunteer activities rather than on harvesting and conservation. It helps the NWTF Regional Directors by inspiring and motivating volunteers to start new local chapters. Once volunteers have read the article they have a better understanding on how to successfully start a new chapter.

Turkey Call is the ideal communications vehicle to share this worthwhile subject.

We Texans believe local volunteers are NWTF's most valuable asset, and if we can motivate them to start chapters and host events, we can grow our membership across the country. Increased membership, in turn, gives NWTF greater brand leverage in the marketplace.

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Congratulations to our NWTF Texas State Chapter Academic Scholarship winner Miss Audri Poage!

She was also the recipient of the Highland Lakes local scholarship.

She intends to pursue a degree in agriculture business at Texas A&M University with hopes to one day become an agricultural lobbyist.

Also, Audri plan to continue to help see that the turkeys in Texas thrive!

Pictured with Audri is Highland Lakes Chapter President and State Board Member Lance Gray.

The purpose of the NWTF Dr. James Earl Kennamer Academic Scholarship Program is to recognize and reward an NWTF member, who is currently a senior in high school, for their outstanding academic achievement, community involvement and leadership roles. The National Scholarship Winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship sponsored by Mossy Oak.

Visit https://your.nwtf.org/scholarships/ for more information.

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