NC NWTF Partnership Provides More Hunters Access, Improved Wildlife Habitat and Hunter Recruitment

Author: NCWRC blogger/Tuesday, December 10, 2019/Categories: Blog, Conservation, Education, Game Lands, Hunting, Wildlife Management

NC NWTF Partnership Provides More Hunters Access, Improved Wildlife Habitat and Hunter Recruitment

Guest Blogger: NC NWT Federation District Biologist Chris Coxen

The North Carolina chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation has had a long and successful partnership with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Since 2016, we have been able to deepen this already great partnership through the fundraising support of our members throughout the state. Our relationships with Commission staff across the state have allowed us to make huge strides toward our state goals under our “Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt Initiative”. The three legs of this initiative fit hand in glove with the Commission’s own mission in North Carolina: create more hunter access, improve wildlife habitat, and recruit new hunters. We are also deeply interested in supporting wild turkey research in the state, and are proud of our support of Chris Kreh’s efforts to broaden our understanding of wild turkey biology in North Carolina.   

Here are a few recent examples of how, together, the Commission and NWTF are benefitting wildlife and outdoorsmen and women in North Carolina.

In July, NWTF and NC WRC entered a $117,761, 3-year funding commitment toward a NCSU PhD Wild Turkey research project that will begin in 2020.

  • $58,880.50 committed by National NWTF
  • $58,880.5 committed by NC NWTF

2019 was the 4th year of the NC WRC Gobbling Chronology Research Project. The final results will be presented soon.

  • $ 51,429.12 contributed by NC NWTF over the life of the project

2,463-acre Alcoa Game Land Acquisition, which closed on Sept. 19, 2019. 45 miles of riverfront on the Yadkin and South Yadkin Rivers.

  • NC NWTF contributed $100,000 and was the first conservation NGO to commit funding towards this project

The support of NC NWTF helps WRC staff improve wildlife habitat through prescribed fire, plant wildlife fields, and mechanically treat vegetation on game lands throughout the state with the purchase of heavy equipment and funding for contract crews.

Our support also helps acquire land to secure permanent game land access and install parking areas on game lands without safe access.

Finally, our support helps the Commission with its hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts like the Getting Started Outdoors program and Turkey Hunting 101 classes. We are proud of our Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt access, habitat, and hunter numbers, but we would not be able to accomplish most of those acres without this partnership.

Chris Coxen
District Biologist, North Carolina
National Wild Turkey Federation

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