Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting NWTF - renew?

Anyone here a member of the nwtf?

Have you noticed the magazine got more slick, but less worthy content?


I renewed again, but it was a debate for me.

Whats you thoughts people?

I was given a Silver Life membership years ago or I would likely not be a member.

The only real thing the NWTF can claim responsibility for is creating more hunters.

I was a member for several years, but got fed up with all the requests for money. Same thing with the NRA. They both were after as much money from you as you would give them. I finally quit both organizations, and even quit going to the local NWTF banquets.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for doing things that will help the sport, and in the case of the NWTF, help out our wild turkey population and introduce new hunters to turkey hunting. But, I decided to do things on my own land that will help the turkeys and other wildlife, instead of giving money to an organization that spent that money elsewhere.

You are dead wrong about the NRA....if it wasn't for the NRA we might be shooting flint locks.

I have been a member of the NWTF, but don't think I will renew. Our local chapter shut down and you had to renew to get into the banquet.

IMO, the NRA lost it's way, and become more of a cash cow for the people who ran the organization. At one time, it was very much the standard bearer for our SA rights. Now days, I'm not so sure.

I was an IL and WI hunter safety instructor for a long time and joined NWTF when they donated all kinds of "stuff" to those programs. Computers, 870 youth shotguns, other training aids... lots of good stuff. But then, after a while, it seemed to me that different people got in charge and the organization changed. Just my opinion, but that's what it felt like to me. So I let my membership expire and haven't renewed since. Like others have said, I put my dollars into my own land to improve habitat for wildlife. Also, givers have to watch how much they give, because the takers don't! So, to answer your question, I haven't renewed.

I'm a firm believer that the NRA is the only voice sportman and gun owners have....if you are not a member of the NRA you should join.

The NWTF has always been nothing but a cash cow.

States game and fish commisions did all the work trapping and transferring turkeys in every state....all the NWTF did was supply the free card board transport boxes with the NWTF logo printed all over them....the boxes were donated by a paper company....which is ironic because paper companies are the enemies of wild life.

Largest false advertising scam ever pulled on sportsmen.

The NWTF never trapped or transferred the first turkey in any state....yet a lot of people think they did.

The NRA has it problems, but no doubt you are right....At one time they were feared in Washington..40 % of the homes in America have a firearm....15 million hunting licenses sold...And the gun owners voted pro gun..Yet NRA membership is only 5 million..However, part of the problem is a portion of the gun owners today have gone over to the other side....

Owning a firearm today no longer equates to being pro-gun...And the NRA can't be blamed for that.

You are right about the NRA and other org’s Soliciting donations constantly. And, internal or staff problems aside, its not all the NRA’s fault. What garners attention and support in D.C is big-money, special-interest groups and their lobbyists with tubs full of money. And money equals power.

No real national problems get fixed and will not get fixed because “we the people” are no longer represented — behind every apparent national calamity, there are special interests perpetuating it for their gain. It’s never been more evident than it is today.

Well said George.

I'm an NRA member and will remain one because it's our best and only shot (short of all out war) at defeating the gun grabbing liberals.

I've never donated a dime out side of my NRA membership.

I like the NWTF, and buy a Sponsor ticket for a local Chapter or two, when they have events. I know a couple of the biologists that are involved in the state level events and leadership, so I'm pretty confident that the money is going where they say it is.

The magazine is mildly interesting once in a while, but not my first reach for reading material - yeah, it's ads, reviews, and very little hunter content.

It appears to me that membership in such organizations results in much better hunting opportunities...for those who are high up in the organization. For the rest of us, not so much.

Kinda overshot its goal and then went to fundraising for profit. When Rob Keck was getting $3 million per year we knew it was over. Now they put on a pretense for fundraising. If you've seen any of their projects...good grief.


https://turkeysfortomorrow.org/ is an option but I haven't heard much about them.

Why do we need a club ?

Agreed. I left the NRA 3 years ago. I'd renew again tomorrow if Wayne and his elite cabinet were gone.

I'm a life NRA member and I don't get calls or even mail

OP here...

I quit going to Ducks unlimited banquets because I felt they were going to grab me by the ankles and hold me upside down and shake the money out of my pockets.

I have yet to go to a turkey banquet. I know some of the same volunteers do advanced hunter clinic training so I can support them.

I was a committee member and officer of a NWTF chapter for several years. Like any other organization, there is good and bad. Here's my take:

Local chapter - I support local NWTF events because I know at the end of the day there are chapter volunteers that work extremely hard for the causes they support. It takes a lot of dedication. Volunteers aren't held to performance standards and people come with all types of personalities and competencies (or lack there of). Like any other volunteer group there are a handful of participants that are behind a majority of the work and success. This isn't unique to the NWTF, just par for any volunteer organization. We did a lot of fundraising for local sporting groups, youth hunter education and firearms training, fundraising for WMA land acquisitions, etc. The people behind these efforts get nothing in return. I'm happy to support these fine folks by going to their banquets and other events.

National NWTF - My chief complaint of the NWTF as a whole was that there was a huge disconnect between the national organization and the local chapter. All the things we did as noted above got virtually no support from the national organization. We were expected to put a ton of work into raising money which was sent up the chain with no return. From a political standpoint, I didn't agree with the push for liberalized hunting rule changes here in Minnesota, which was pushed through with the help of the NWTF. The elimination of the lottery system with limited season lengths at a minimum puts the population at risk when there is a natural decline cycle, if not directly hurting the population.

Personally, I don't send money or pursue an annual membership online or through the mail. I sign up when I attend a local chapter banquet, and give plenty to them when I attend.

I don't think I have posted here before, I have been reading adn trying to learn something. I am retired and just very recently got into hunting. I know have a very steep learning curve. I have a deer rifle and a bow and that is about it. Like I said, I have never hunted much but I have have been hiking and camping and fishing all the time over the years. I don't expect you guys could tell me how, just point me in the right direction to find a thread that is very informative. I thought the NWTF would be a great place to start, now I am not so sure.

They want turkey hunting done their way and everyone else be damned.. I despise those bastards.

The NWTF is more about promoting the sport and conservation then education.

You could joing the local chapter and meet up with people to get education. The organization & publication dont do much from a national level.

Your state DNR may have training seminars and clubs may put on stuff.

Old gobbler forum may be good.

Good luck.

If you have turkeys to hunt you can find a mentor to help. That's the shortest path. Turkeys are
not complicated. They're difficult. Hunting with an experienced killer will save you from heading down false paths.

But, again, the critical piece of the puzzle for you is having plenty of unpressured gobblers to hunt.

I'd sign my entire bank account over to the NWTF before I will give a dime to the NRA.

Going to a local NWTF banquet is a good way to meet other hunters, make hunting connections, and get into the turkey hunting community.

You may find a mentor, or a hunting partner - it's all about networking and making friends that are willing to help - but you have to pay the annual membership to get in the door.

What other organization do you support that is fighting for our gun rights? ......Hb

Yeah i was a member of the NWTF for a few years till i figured them out, I found that they are not much more than a collection agency, I got weary of their constant requests for donations and dropped my membership......Hb

I'd prefer those fighting for my gun rights not actively fight against them...i.e., bumpstocks.

As for who I support, that's my business. My money goes where I feel it will actually be used to do something other than buy designer suits and throw parties.


I will say the rescinding a life membership with the NRA is harder than it should be.



As for the NWTF, I have seen a considerable amount of boots on the ground work. Habitat improvement, landowner assistance, etc. They have been instrumental, at least around here, in changes to turkey bag limits in an effort to benefit the overall flock. Without the NWTF, the state would likely never have gone to a one time state, and gotten rid of fall rifle hunting...both things that should have happened years ago.

I purchased a lifetime membership in the NRA a long time ago, way before the crap that's happening now started. I'll leave the membership be, but they get nothing more from me until they get their house in order. Something I tell them every chance I get. The NWTF, on a national level, to me, is pretty useless. But I support the local chapter by me, as well as the local chapter of Pheasants Forever, as much as I can. Bunch of great people in those 2 groups.

Yeah not a bad thing to support either organization as they both probly do some good...there are certainly much worse things to put your money in....Hb

If you want to help turkey numbers, look into Turkeys For Tomorrow

Awe....."Turkeys for Tomorrow".

That sounds so sweet

No one needed a barrel burning "bump stock"....it was a design that should have never slipped under the radar.

I agree the NWTF has been "instrumental"...instrumental in sticking their noses where they don't belong and getting bag limits reduced instead of finding the real cause of the turkey population tilt.

"Rifles for turkey hunting"....I've never hunted turkeys with a rifle but it was a long time tradition and would present a challenge in the woods.

For the modern day decoy toting blind sitter that thinks he's a turkey hunter to want rifles outlawed is understandable.

I think enclosed blinds and turkey decoys should be outlawed....

That would help the turkey population more than a reduction in bag limit or getting a type of firearm outlawed.

Ps...you lost me on "Without the NWTF, the state would likely never have gone to a one time state"

What is a one time state ?

Yeah i was wondering what a "one time State " was Myself .....or maybe that's "his business" 😁.Hb

Rifles are the only sporting way for turkey. No matter how you hunt. Killing a gobbler with a shotgun is nothing to be proud of. I have done it both ways. Lots of times.

There are Rios and Merriam turkeys then there are Eastern Wild Turkeys.

Head East with your shotgun and you'll either become "proud" or humbled.



My money is on humbled

Yeah My turkey hunting grounds consists of steep densely wooded mountains and I hunted with a Remington Model Seven .222 for several years but I found that the rifle actually cost me several turkeys that would have been easy kills with a shotgun so I went back to My 12ga shotgun years ago, it is a much better Turkey slayer for dense woods and I like to eat turkey breast too much 😁......Hb

Why outlaw decoys and blinds?

My state gives me one week to hunt and I will sit in a blind in a thunderstorm if needed.

Now we don't have the huge population of birds like some southern states and its one tom in the spring and either in the fall.

Because they tip the scale too far....hunting at one time was supposed to have some degree of difficulty.

Enclosed blinds and decoys defeat a gobblers only means of defense.

No holds barred approach to hunting has something to do with the everyone deserves a trophy mentality.

Totally agree... I could kill one every day with decoys.

And what is your season and limits structured like?

And what is your season and limits structured like?

I renewed the last few years so I could get into the show in Nashville, but not sure i'll renew this year since I don't plan on attending.

I have no problems with decoys, but if you use them on public land some yahoo may shoot at one. As far as blinds, I use a pop up portable blind, not an enclosed blind. When they come off their roosts and start moving to the left to the next ravine instead of towards you despite responding to every call you make, you gotta move quick. Enclosed blinds make that impossible.

My membership expires in March------I'm on the fence. Maybe if they have that $25 gift card incentive.

I suspect people that hunt in the south where there is a high population of turkeys with long season and multiple bird limits get to the point of thinking they should limit hunting methods. Their state DNR might want them to shoot more birds and DON"T want to limit methods. It is population control ultimately.

I have zero problems with using blinds and decoys in MN where we have a one week season and one tom in the spring limit. Hunter successes rate around 25% so these winter tough birds must not be push overs.. or desperate either.

We also don't allow deer baiting and have l1 deer limits. the winter really keeps the population in check on critters... and retired people living here too. :-)

Here's good read for those frigid Minnesota winters ...."The Old Pro Turkey Hunter" you should be able to find a reasonably priced copy.

I believe a lot of the stories in the book were written as intentional fiction to explain a point....

Turn to page 121 chapter 11 and read "The Turkey Hunters score by degree of difficulty" and see where you rate.

I'm sure I rank low and really low in your opinion based on how your posts LFC. Just an observation reading your posts in the forum.

People use different use methods either driven by law, region, traditions, and spend their time and money differently than you and that won't change.

But I appreciate your input and will look for that book.

Thanks.

I don't rank or judge you or anyone for anything....sorry if I came across like that.