EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The South Mountain Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, based in Maryland, recently hosted its first Family Field Day event to promote outdoor education, conservation awareness and family engagement in hunting. The event was proudly sponsored by L.L.Bean, whose generous support made it possible to offer this free educational opportunity to the local community.
“Nothing makes me happier than seeing kids outside,” said Taylor Brigham, NWTF South Mountain Chapter secretary. “Especially my one-year-old daughter playing in a goose blind at Family Field Day. The smiles on so many kids’ faces during the different activities made my day, and it was awesome seeing adults jump in and give things a try, too. That’s what community and hunting heritage are all about.”
The Family Field Day emphasized the power of community and brought together families, volunteers and outdoor enthusiasts for a full day of hands-on learning, demonstrations and fun. Volunteers from the NWTF Gunpowder Gobblers Chapter, Maryland’s newest NWTF chapter, attended the event with an impressive goose decoy spread, which gave participants the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of decoy placement and hear stories from the blind.
The Glenn family presented a hands-on trapping demonstration that gave young attendees the opportunity to build 3D trap replicas and learn fur identification and responsible trapping practices.
Tuscarora Archers offered a youth archery station, Quax & Rax handed out custom outdoor-themed stickers, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources hosted an interactive outdoor safety station where kids learned the importance of safe and responsible recreation.
The event also featured BB gun and shotgun shooting stations, educational exhibits and crafts designed to inspire outdoor involvement and family connection. The Hunt for Good campaign — a national initiative raising awareness about the benefits of hunting — was promoted at the event to help educate attendees who were new to the hunting community.
Braden Anderson with Aerial Pursuit demonstrated drone recovery operations and shared live footage of deer, giving participants an up-close look at how technology is used in outdoor recreation.
Volunteer Garrett Martin led a deer processing demonstration, walking participants through each step from harvest to meal preparation. Bobby Dutrow led an educational turkey hunting station for youth, inspiring the next generation to get outdoors.
“We look forward to continuing to grow this event and strengthening our mission of connecting families with the outdoors,” Brigham said.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats and Healthy Harvests for future generations.
