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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This federal excise tax has provided billions of dollars to state wildlife agencies for habitat improvement, game conservation and enhancement, range development and hunter education programs.

So how does it work? States receive the funds collected from federal excise taxes paid by manufacturers, producers and importers:

• 11% on sporting rifles, shotguns, ammunition, and archery equipment

• 10% tax on handguns

This applies to all commercial sales, whether for hunting, sport shooting or even home defense. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service then distributes this money to states based on land area and the number of hunting licenses sold. The funds allow TPWD to offer services including:

• Technical guidance to private landowners (who control most Texas wildlife habitat)

• Surveys and research for development of hunting regulations

• Wildlife management area operations

• Hunter education course instruction

• Wildlife population and habitat management

• Shooting range construction and management

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Members of the NWTF Texas State Chapter partnered with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Dallas Safari Club STX, PakMule, Frame Coffee Co., Duck Camp, Zero Tech Optics, OtoPro Technologies, and Yeti to support the Texas Wildlife Association in hosting a successful Adult Learn to Hunt Program mentored hunt at the McGloin Ranch in Mathis, Texas from March 15-17, 2024.

Our own Tim Webster, Norm Wade, Bob Linder, and Mike Shouse all participated as mentors introducing new hunters to our passion. A big thanks to y’all!

Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) is the nation’s leading organization in providing both adults and youth the opportunity to learn how to hunt. Our Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP) has successfully run over 3,300 hunts taking in excess of 50,000 youth hunters and parents on safe, legal, ethical and educational. With this history as a basis, we have expanded our programming to meet a vital need in our adult population as well. With our Adult Learn to Hunt Program, we focus our mission on novice hunters with an interest in forging a connection between conservation hunting and sustainable eating. As land stewards, we know the many challenges of participating in traditional outdoor activities and aim to break down those barriers for our fellow Texans.

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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission have approved hunting regulations for the 2024-25 season with the following modifications and clarifications to 2024-25 Statewide Hunting and Migratory Game Bird proclamations:

• Eliminate the Light Goose Conservation Order from both eastern and western zones due to continuous declines of wintering light geese in Texas.

• Extend the regular goose season for light geese by 19 days in the Eastern Zone to provide more hunting opportunity during the regular season.

• Reduce the daily bag limit of light geese in both eastern and western zones from 10 to five.

• Standardize possession limit for light geese to three times the daily bag limit for regulatory consistency.

• Change greater white-fronted goose daily bag limit restrictions from two in the aggregate to a simplified dark goose daily bag limit of five in the western zone.

• Change the Special White-winged Dove Days season structure due to calendar progression.

• Change the season structure of the second segment for dove in the north zone to allow later dove hunting during the holiday season.

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NWTF Chapters in Texas received national recognition for their hard work at the 45th Annual NWTF Convention and Sports Show, February 14-18, 2024, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN. Awards were given to the following Chapters for their achievements:

LA Dixon Best First Banquet - 2rd Place - Golden Crescent of Texas Chapter, Victoria

LA Dixon Outstanding Chapter, 2,500-4,999 Members - 1st Place - Texas State Chapter

LA Dixon World Slam Club - April AWOL Chapter, Nacogdoches

LA Dixon Grand Slam Club - Houston Chapter, Houston

LA Dixon Grand Slam Club - Highland Lakes Chapter, Marble Falls

LA Dixon Grand Slam Club - East Texas Chapter, Marble Falls

LA Dixon Grand Slam Club - Golden Crescent of Texas Chapter, Victoria

NWTF Partnership Award - Kauffman County Double Beards Chapter, Terrell | Cross Timbers Chapter, Decatur | Cottonwood Creek Chapter, McKinney

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A great time was had by all who attended the 2023 NWTF TX Awards Night and Volunteer Appreciation Banquet, held at the Stein Room in Houston on January 27, 2024.

Many thanks and a huge shout out to the Houston Chapter for hosting this event. The Casino Night was awesome!

Thanks for coming out to show your support for the National Wild Turkey Federation in Texas and all the good work this organization does across the country in promoting responsible hunting and championing the conservation of our nation’s precious natural resources.

Our banquet would not be a success without the support of our members, sponsorship partners and donors.

Thank you for helping us and the NWTF promoting healthy habitats and healthy harvests in Texas for generations to come.

We appreciate you!

Visit our website at https://www.txnwtf.org/ for the latest news about the NWTF in Texas.

Visit the Houston Chapter website at https://www.nwtfhouston.org/ for all the their latest news.

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I’m incredibly proud of the partnership between Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and the National Wild Turkey Federation Texas State Chapter!

The opportunities this joint venture gives to our JAKES and adults alike is critical to the NWTF Mission of conserving the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage here in the Great State of Texas!

With Texas being less than 97% private, access to land for introducing new hunters, creating outdoor families, and ensuring we are preserving our Hunting Heritage is harder and harder to do.

Thank you to everyone who supports, likes and shares on social media, and volunteers for these vital partnership hunts!

You are our Mission in Action and we simply could not do it without you!

Amanda Lilly

Texas Regional Director

National Wild Turkey Federation

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The NWTF April AWOL Chapter in the Nacogdoches, Texas area recently made a $20,000 donation to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the Northeast Texas Conservation Delivery Network’s Habitat Incentive Program.

This increased funding will provide critical habitat enhancements in priority areas in northeast Texas, such as where the Eastern wild turkey has been reintroduced into Texas as part of TPWD’s Super Stocking Program.

Once prevalent in east Texas, the Eastern wild turkey was reduced to an estimated 100 birds in the mid-1900s. Since 2014, the TPWD’s Super Stocking Program, the process of releasing 70-plus birds at a time, has provided east Texas with excellent results and a bright future for the subspecies in the region.

However, TPWD only releases birds on quality habitat where the translocated turkeys will have a higher chance of survival and reproduction. This includes at least 10,000 acres of contiguous land and the essential habitat features that turkeys need to flourish. Habitat is scored and approved before translocation efforts can begin.

Quality habitat is where the April AWOL’s contribution will be allocated.

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