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.

In 2025, the NWTF further strengthened its long-term commitment to science-based conservation by creating a new leadership position — National Director of Wild Turkey Research — to guide the organization’s scientific strategy and research priorities nationwide. This role will oversee and administer the NWTF’s RFP program moving forward, while also helping identify emerging research needs, strengthening collaborations with state agencies and universities and ensuring that research findings are translated into actionable conservation and management outcomes.

Learn more about how the NWTF is the foremost wild turkey research organization.

WildturkeyDNA

Launched earlier this spring, a new, large-scale, collaborative research endeavor of wild turkey genetics — wildturkeyDNA — is designed to better understand the wild turkey’s genetic makeup through hunter-harvested wild turkey DNA samples.

WildturkeyDNA is spearheaded by the Wild Turkey Lab, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Ducks Unlimited (DU), University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) and the Lowcountry Game Bird Foundation.

Co-hosted 13th National Wild Turkey Symposium

Recognizing the urgency of advancing wild turkey science, the NWTF and its partners fast-tracked the next National Wild Turkey Symposium, hosting the event in 2025 just three years after the previous symposium in 2022.

The NWTF, Missouri Department of Conservation and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks co-hosted the 13th National Wild Turkey Symposium Dec. 8–11 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The 13th Symposium brought together wild turkey experts from all arenas, including state, federal and private entities; wild turkey researchers from universities and agencies; land managers; and wild turkey enthusiasts, to exchange ideas to ensure the sustainability of wild turkeys and their habitats. The symposium provides an avenue for managers, student researchers and academia to present recent research updates.

The first National Wild Turkey Symposium was held in 1959 and has been held about every five years since the second Symposium was held in 1970.

Read full story here.

Check out the 2025 National Wild Turkey Federation Year-End Mission Delivery Wrap-Up

WildturkeyDNA

Co-hosted 13th National Wild Turkey Symposium