I first came across Michael Waddell when he joined up with Realtree Outdoors. My impression of him is someone who loves the outdoors and who loves to hunt. He takes it very very seriously and has excelled in all aspects of it. It is good to hear that he has been named spokesman for the NWTF.

By: Rick Kratzke

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Michael Waddell, the outdoor industry’s charismatic television show host, has agreed to become the official spokesman for the National Wild Turkey Federation.

In this new role, Waddell will represent the NWTF as host of its television series, “Turkey Call,” which airs on Outdoor Channel. In addition, Waddell will assume emcee duties at the organization’s national convention, which will be held Feb. 19 to 22, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn. Members also will be treated to personal appearances by Waddell at many other NWTF events.

“I love the folks that make up this organization. NWTF is the grassroots of the hunting and conservation culture, period,” said Waddell. “And the national convention is my old stomping grounds with the calling contests and meeting all the great people who make up the NWTF and the hunting industry. No other organization celebrates the outdoors like NWTF. These people really understand the value of conservation and hunting as well.”

Waddell joined the Realtree staff in 1994 as a cameraman and producer. He moved in front of the camera hunting for Realtree before becoming host of his own show, “Realtree Road Trips,” a funny, fast-paced, award-winning hunting show that airs on Outdoor Channel. Waddell also is the official celebrity spokesperson for Outdoor Channel and was elected to serve as chair of the National Hunting and Fishing Day 2008.

Waddell grew up hunting and fishing with his father. After graduating from high school, he started competing, and winning, turkey calling contests. He gained recognition as one of the nation’s top callers, and in 1993 he won the Realtree Grand America Turkey Calling Contest. Though Waddell is a skilled hunter and caller, it was his humble, country charm that won over America’s hunters, anglers and shooters.

“Michael is truly one of us. He’s an avid sportsman with a passion for wild turkey hunting,” said NWTF CEO George Thornton. “He embodies the spirit of the NWTF as a family man, a conservationist and a person who appreciates his blessings.”

Viewers can expect to see Waddell’s energy, hunting know-how and terrific sense of humor take “Turkey Call” television to the next level. As emcee of the NWTF’s national convention, he’ll make sure attendees get a brand new show in their favorite place, Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

Waddell, who originally hails from Booger Bottom, Ga., still makes his home in Georgia. He loves to hunt and spend time with his family, wife Ashley, his three boys, Mason (8), Meyer (4) and Macoy (1) and daddy’s little girl, Addie (1).

Press Release from: The National Wild Turkey Federation

I feel that anything that helps youths and adults new to hunting get started is a very good thing. It is rapidly growing across the states and we should all show are support as most of us already do.

By: Rick Kratzke

Click image for print quality version

With Governor Paterson signing New York’s Junior Hunting bill July 23, the total number of states adopting legislation to reduce barriers to new hunters has climbed to 27 since the Families Afield program began in 2004. New data shows that across the United States, this program has opened doors to more than 131,000 youth and adults new to hunting.

New York state’s Assembly Bill 11033 is expected to do the same as it lowers the age for mentored big game hunting to 14. Before this legislation was passed, New Yorkers had to be 16 years old, which was the oldest minimum age for big game hunting in the nation.

New laws such as this are the result of the Families Afield initiative, which was launched to help turn the tide against waning youth and new adult hunter recruitment and license sales — a key source of revenue for state wildlife agencies. The program is spearheaded by the National Wild Turkey Federation and its partners, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, who work with the National Rifle Association, local sportsmen’s organizations, wildlife agency personnel and legislators to pass bills that remove barriers for new hunters.

The cornerstone of Families Afield is establishing an apprentice hunting license, which allows new hunters to try hunting with experienced adult mentors before completing a hunter education course. Research has shown that mentored hunters are the safest in the woods. At the same time, states that allow apprentice hunting experience better recruiting rates. Obtaining hunter safety certification is still required for new hunters to become fully licensed.

“There can be no doubt that this program is making a difference by empowering parents to pass on their hunting heritage to the next generation of hunters,” said Bud Pidgeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. “This track record of success should compel sportsmen in the remaining states to ask their elected leaders to take similar steps to ensure the future of hunting.”
As barriers to hunting are struck down in state capitals nationwide, a new generation is discovering America’s time-honored hunting tradition.

“Volunteers, staff members, our partners and legislators who made this possible have a great deal to be proud of,” said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. “Their dedication to the future of hunting in America is apparent, and their commitment has cleared a path to help ensure future generations have the opportunity to experience hunting.”

New research from Mile Creek Communications shows that many states that have introduced apprentice license programs have shown sharp increases in youth license sales, from 10 percent to 111 percent.

“Families Afield is meeting a critical need across America for apprentice hunting licenses,” said Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “The program is restoring the natural path to making new hunters, with adult mentors sharing the excitement of the hunt and teaching safety and ethics to youngsters.”

info courtesy of The NWTF:

Not only is this in my home state but Woodstock Connecticut is only 30 minutes from my house. It is nice to read about activity like this happening so close to home.

By: Rick Kratzke

WOODSTOCK, Conn. — Members and volunteers from the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Connecticut State Chapter recently helped complete a wildlife habitat restoration project in the Nipmuck State Forest.

White pine trees had almost completely taken over a 10-acre area of the forest, significantly reducing feeding and nesting areas for wild turkeys and other wildlife, including many songbirds.

NWTF members and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CDEP) cleared the overgrowth with tractors, chainsaws and other power equipment while JAKES and Boy Scout Cub members from Local Pack 29 in North Grosvenordale, Conn., used pruners to take down limbs and brush.

“Teaming up with the NWTF was part of a service project that these Scouts are completing to obtain a special Conservation Patch,” said Pack Leader Maureen Marcoux. “It was great to be out here on a sunny Saturday morning showing these Scouts first-hand why conservation is important. This will stay with them longer than just learning about wild turkeys from a book in a classroom.”

According to NWTF Regional Biologist Doug Little, giving bushes, shrubs and other low-growing plants a place to thrive will provide plenty of insects and berries for wild turkeys to feed on, especially hens raising poults.

CDEP Biologist Mike Gregonis agreed with Little, and noted that, “improving brood habitat, particularly here in eastern Connecticut, is a priority as we work to make New England an even better region for wild turkeys.”

NWTF Connecticut State Chapter President Rich Lockery thanked everyone involved in the project, and said he looks forward to more successful projects like this in the future.

“Hunters and wildlife watchers alike, as well as wild turkeys, songbirds and other wildlife will benefit from today’s work,” said Lockery. “It was great to get the youth involved, and it just goes to show that here in Connecticut, the NWTF has some of the most enthusiastic members and volunteers of anywhere in the country.”

press release courtesy of the NWTF:

I happen to stumble across this and Mr. Orville “Orv” Robertson has quite the past time or hobby if you want to call it that. He makes wishbone turkey calls.

By: Rick Kratzke

River Falls resident Orv Robertson shows off his custom-made turkey call, which he crafts from the three bones found in a turkey’s wings. Look for his video demonstration online at www.riverfallsjournal.com. Debbie Griffin photo

Resident and local sportsman Orville “Orv” Robertson likes to hunt turkey. He uses every bit of the bird, right down to its wing bones. He even uses them to make custom turkey calls.

“It’s a total of three (wing) bones,” said Robertson.

He learned the practice from friend and fellow sportsman Wayne Bailey, author of “Wayne’s Turkey World.”

He met Bailey at a gun show. The two found they had much in common, including a love of turkey hunting.

“It’s his calls I’m trying to imitate,” Robertson said.

He scrapes, boils and disinfects the three wing bones, cuts off the knuckles and hollows out the insides a bit. He sands the bones until they’re smooth then connects them with epoxy, fitting one bone just inside the other.

Robertson uses a copper band to attach a lanyard.

He said hunters, especially those using bow and arrow, like being able to hang the call around their necks because it leaves their hands free. And in turkey hunting, Robertson said it’s important to remain still.

He says the birds have excellent vision. Hunters must camouflage themselves all over, including their face, and usually line themselves up with a tree.

“You want to hide your silhouette,” Robertson explained.

He started making the calls about a year and a half ago and says he’s made about 15 of them since then. Always on the lookout for turkey bones, friends often give him ones from the birds they’ve killed.

Robertson smiles, saying, “Sometimes I reward them with a call.”

He said the custom call makes a different sound than the ones people buy in stores.

Read more of Talkin Turkey:

View demo video:

Story By: River Falls Journal

It seems North Dakota is expecting a record breaking amount of turkey’s this year and is already preparing for the fall turkey season. The amount of available license as risen considerably since last year.

By: Rick Kratzke

From North Dakota Game and Fish Department

– North Dakota’s fall turkey season is set and prospective hunters can apply online, or print out an application to mail, at the state Game and Fish Department’s website by going to www.gf.nd.gov.

The fall wild turkey season is open from Oct. 11 through Jan. 11, 2009. A total of 8,700 wild turkey licenses are available, an increase of 675 from last year. In addition, up to 1,300 licenses may be used in specific hunting units if turkey reproduction is exceptionally good this spring.

“At this point it is too early to tell what the numbers of young birds will look like,” said Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor. “If reproduction is good, these licenses in reserve will be available on a first come, first served basis after the lottery and before Oct. 1.”

An experimental turkey hunting season is established within the city of Bismarck to help control a growing population of birds in residential areas. A maximum of 25 licenses will be distributed on a first come, first served basis to individuals who are licensed to bow hunt deer within the city. These licenses will be available at the Game and Fish Department in Bismarck once a person has a valid city archery permit.

Hunting units 21 (Hettinger and Adams counties) and 53 (Divide and Williams counties) will remain closed to fall turkey hunting in 2008 because of a decline in turkey numbers.

Lottery applications will be available by June 16 from Game and Fish Department offices, county auditors and license vendors. Gratis applications are available only at Game and Fish and county auditor offices.

Applications are also accepted at the department’s toll-free licensing line, 800-406-6409. A service fee is added for license applications made over the phone.

Applications for the fall season must be postmarked no later than July 2. Only North Dakota residents are eligible to apply in the first lottery. Nonresidents can apply for fall turkey licenses that are still available following the first lottery.

Notice courtesy of: Buckmasters

It is always nice to see and hear about our youth getting out and starting their new found activities. They are our future and I just would like to mention and remind everyone that we should all try to encourage them and help them along so our traditions will go on for them to enjoy more later.

By: Rick Kratzke

Reading youth shares a special moment with a close friend by bagging his dream turkey

Though he never dreamed he’d be in the turkey hunters’ record book for Michigan, Christopher Sackett of Reading achieved what he always wanted to do — get the tom turkey that everyone wanted.

His dream was made possible by friends helping him achieve his goal. Just over a week ago, Sackett, an Abbott Manor resident who works at Key Opportunities in Hillsdale, shocked himself and his friends by bagging his first-ever turkey. “I don’t know who was more proud, my husband or him,” said Tina Jenkins, who owns Archery Spot along with her husband, Jon.

The couple sponsored Sackett’s turkey expedition by outfitting him in a new camouflage suit, complete with all the necessary gear one needs to accomplish a prized turkey. “We’ve known Christopher for about five years,” Tina Jenkins said. “I’m his case manager through Recovery Technology. When I have someone who has a dream or desire, we try to make it happen.” And since hunting has been a passion since childhood, the Jenkinses wanted to make sure Sackett’s dream came true. Owning a store with all the equipment helped, too.

“I hunted with my Dad and Grandpa when I was a little kid,” Sackett said. “I haven’t had the opportunity to do it until this.”

The first thing Christopher had to do to accomplish his dream was apply for a permit after taking the Hunter Safety class. “The class was to teach us to properly handle a firearm and to know what could happen out there,” Sackett said. “It’s a requirement.” With this knowledge in tow and the gear ready, Sackett was quickly beset with “turkey affliction,” better known as a frame of mind that makes hunters unable to think about anything else.

“I couldn’t sleep the night before,” Sackett said of the anticipation. “I put all my stuff out the night before, just like I do with my fishing gear before I go salmon fishing.”
Though he’d been out hunting several times with Jon Jenkins and had no luck, he knew his day was near.

Indeed it was and shortly after 6 a.m. May 30, Tina Jenkins got a phone call from her husband and Sackett about the exciting news. “It’s a turkey for the record books,” Tina Jenkins said. “With a 10 and 1/2- inch beard and 3/4-inch spurs, it’s a real winner.” Both characteristics denote the maturity of the bird. The tail fan, described as “huge,” was a descriptive feature of the bird as well.

Upon hearing other hunters who come into her store, Jenkins said she knows what the feeling entails since she herself has been there. “When hearing the guys tell their stories, it’s not until you’re able to accomplish the hunt and tell your own story that you can relate to them,” she said. She and her husband both have prized turkeys and a realm of other wildlife mounted on their walls. Helping someone they cared about achieve that feeling was special, she said.

“Sometimes people with disabilities get left behind,” she said. “Since Christopher can’t own a gun due to his disability, he used mine.” For Sackett, the fit was perfect. “It was so light, I couldn’t tell I was holding a gun,” Sackett said. And the shear delight of accomplishing the goal led to exhilaration. “It felt good,” he added. “I hugged them and was teary eyed.”

Since only one tom (male bird) is allowed per season, Sackett is anticipating the upcoming fall season. He’ll apply for a permit and will shoot for a “grand slam,” meaning he hopes to eventually bag all five Eastern subspecies: Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceola, Gould’s and Ocellated. He’d like to venture into coon hunting and deer hunting as well. Wednesday the outdoorsman was recognized at the National Wildlife Turkey Federation banquet at Savarino’s Next Door in Hillsdale. There, he received a year’s membership with the federation, made possible by the Hillsdale Chapter, Jenkins said.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without the help I got,” Sackett said. “It’s been a huge dream of mine since I was a child.”

I have heard about turkey’s flying into and being hit by cars but flying through a plate glass window into a house is a new one to me.

By: Rick Kratzke

Wild bird flies through window in Livingston

Star-Ledger Staff

Lena Rosenblum and her family woke up yesterday morning to a loud crash at their Livingston home.

“I thought it was a tree that went through the roof,” said Rosenblum, who lives with her husband, David, and their four children, ages 8 through 17. “We ran out of our rooms and downstairs, and my husband said, “‘There is a turkey in the living room.’”

A wild female turkey flew through the large picture window of their Westmount Drive home and shattered the glass around 7 a.m. The turkey remained in the house for 15 to 20 minutes while the family waited for police to arrive, she said.

The turkey, standing roughly 2 feet tall, was likely being chased by a predator, Livingston police Lt. Ed Zielke said yesterday.

No one was injured in the incident, authorities said.

Rosenblum said the turkey remained still while in the house, with a cracked egg lying near it. Her two older children went back to bed after seeing what happened, and her two younger children stayed with her and husband — and watched the turkey.

“It’s not every day you see a turkey flying through a double-paned window,” Rosenblum said. “The turkey wasn’t even injured.”

The turkey lifted its neck when police arrived at the front of the home, and when it heard a beep from the walkie-talkie of a police officer, it flew out the window and back into the woods, Rosenblum said.

Rosenblum, who has lived in the home for 10 years, said she often sees deer and wild turkeys around her property after it rains, but the animals usually flee when they see people.

The family’s home is near the South Mountain Reservation. A female turkey like the one that startled the Rosenblums would weigh between 12 and 14 pounds, while a male turkey can weigh up to 20 pounds.

Zielke said wild turkeys have been part of the Livingston community for years. “They like it here,” he said.

Agribusiness leader, George C. Thornton, was named chief executive officer for the National Wild Turkey Federation June 2, 2008 and will begin his duties immediately.

Thornton is well known throughout the agribusiness community most recently as president and chief executive officer of Agriliance, LLC, a leading agricultural input distributor in North America providing retailers and producers with crop nutrients, crop protection products, seed and equipment. Thornton, who retired from Agriliance in August 2007, also served in various sales, financial and management positions with American Cyanamid, ICI Americas, ICI Australia PLC, Griffin/Dupont, LLC and AgWeb.com. He is a past director of the Minnesota Zoo, and has served on many civic, industry and company boards including chair of the Chemical Producers and Distributors Association, Crop Life America, The Fertilizer Institute, local Boy Scout councils and church groups. In 2006, George was named Agribusiness leader of the year by the National Agricultural Marketing Association.

The NWTF’s Board of Directors welcomes new NWTF CEO George Thornton to the Wild Turkey Center (pictured left to right) NWTF Chairman Jere Peak, George & Beth Thornton, NWTF President Peggy Anne Vallery

“We are thrilled to have George leading this organization,” said Jere Peak, NWTF chairman of the board. “His background heading up Agriliance, which became the largest Agricultural products distributor in North America under his leadership, and his commitment to the same conservation principles and hunting heritage values that the NWTF family holds dear, makes him a perfect fit to take us to the next level.”

A lifelong hunter with a passion for restoring and maintaining wildlife habitat, Thornton is looking forward to leading one of the nation’s largest single species conservation organizations to even greater success.

“As a conservationist and hunter, the NWTF’s mission really resonates with me, and I’m committed to working with this team of staff, volunteers and partners to fulfill the organization’s goals,” said Thornton. “The track record of the NWTF is very impressive. We can build from this foundation of success to find new and exciting ways to enrich the experience of our membership.”

The NWTF is a private, nonprofit conservation and education organization founded in 1973 with a mission dedicated to conserving wild turkeys and preserving hunting traditions.

The NWTF, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, has more than 500,000 members and volunteers in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and 14 other foreign countries. Along with its wildlife agency and corporate partners, NWTF’s staff and volunteers have helped restore and manage North America’s current population of more than 7 million wild turkeys. In addition, the NWTF has helped acquire or improve habitat on more than 13 million acres of public, private and corporate lands.

Through its outreach programs, the NWTF family has helped thousands of children, women, and people with disabilities across North America learn new outdoor skills. The NWTF’s JAKES, Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin’ Sportsmen programs have helped people learn to better enjoy the outdoors as well as understand the importance of wildlife management and appreciate hunting as an honorable pursuit.

Thornton brings 36 years of agribusiness experience in a variety of positions and organizations. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. A Georgia native, he has lived in five states, four countries in addition to visiting more than 50 other countries. He currently resides with his wife, Beth at Creekside Farm, Elberton, Ga. with plans to relocate to Edgefield, S.C.

Seeing as now I have a new/added interest of turkey hunting I decided to add a new category. Naturally it is about turkey hunting but it will include news, how-to’s, hunting tips, etc. Whitetail deer hunting still is and always will be my passion/obsession and a major part of the blog but I wanted to add tidbits about turkey hunting as I go along and learn myself.

I will be focusing on a couple of different sites where I will be getting some of my information from which has helped me so far. These sites are “Turkey and Turkey Hunting” and “National Wild Turkey Federation”.

This picture was taken by a friend Andy Swatik of “CThunting n shooting.com”. He had already tagged out for the season and took the time to go out and do some calling for me.

I didn’t tag one this year even though I came pretty close quite a few times but I in a few words had a blast and look forward to learning more and look forward to next spring. This is an added bonus because it enables me to do a little scouting for deer at the same time. I know every day I went out turkey hunting I had watched deer. Let me say it was a bit different for me to be out there with a shotgun and just sit and watch them without shooting.

So this new added interest has already paid off as far as scouting for deer. I hope you enjoy this added category.

Your comments are appreciated………..