Edgefield, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are co-hosting the 12th National Wild Turkey Symposium June 6 – 10, 2022 at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina.
The symposium brings together wild turkey experts from all arenas, including state, federal and private wild turkey researchers; land managers; and wild turkey enthusiasts, to exchange ideas to ensure the sustainability of wild turkeys and their habitats. The symposium provides an avenue for managers, student researchers and academia to present current and recent research updates.
The first National Wild Turkey Symposium was held in 1959 and has been held about every five years since the second symposium held in 1970. The 12th Symposium was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 12th Symposium will highlight the shifting paradigms and challenges that face turkey hunters, wildlife managers and wild turkeys. Areas of emphasis will include wild turkey habitat selection and movements, harvest dynamics, disease ecology, nesting ecology, population dynamics and human dimensions of turkey hunting.
“The symposia have been integral in the wild turkey restoration story,” said Mark Hatfield, NWTF director of conservation services. “Wild turkey population declines, particularly in the southeast, are increasingly raising many new questions and concerns. The NWTF is proud to sponsor, facilitate, and contribute to this immense body of research to ensure the wild turkey is thriving in all corners of the country.”
Since the NWTF’s inception, wild turkey research has been a foundational element in the organization’s conservation delivery, and it continues to be a driving force in addressing new questions being raised by ecologists. The NWTF will be accepting grant proposals to fund new wild turkey ecology research endeavors in the coming days. Mossy Oak’s recent pledge of $375,000 over five years will help support these crucial wild turkey research projects throughout the country.
As a vital leader and partner in ongoing research in North Carolina, the Wildlife Commission is also a proud sponsor of the 2022 Symposium.
“We are excited to be working with the NWTF to co-host the 12th Symposium here in North Carolina,” said Chris Kreh, the Wildlife Commission’s assistant chief overseeing the Game & Furbear Program. “We are eager to share results of turkey research projects that are ongoing here, as well as interact with colleagues and learn about research that is happening elsewhere.”
Chris Moorman, Ph.D., and professor of Wildlife Biology at N.C. State University is the 2022 Symposium Editor. For more information, contact Moorman at moorman@ncsu.edu.
Register for the 12th Symposium here.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
When the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in 1973, there were about 1.3 million wild turkeys in North America. After decades of collaborative work with wildlife agencies, that number hit a historic high of almost 7 million turkeys. To succeed, the NWTF stood behind science-based conservation and hunters’ rights. Today, the NWTF is focused on the future of hunting and conservation through its Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative. This 10-year initiative, which began in 2012, has already eclipsed goals of conserving or enhancing more than 4 million acres of essential wildlife habitat, recruiting or retaining more than 1.5 million hunters and opening access to more than 500,000 acres for hunting and other recreation opportunities. This critical work will continue to impact wildlife habitat and our great outdoors in the final year of the initiative
About the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Since 1947, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been dedicated to the conservation and sustainability of the state’s fish and wildlife resources through research, scientific management, wise use and public input. The Commission is the state regulatory agency responsible for the enforcement of fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws and provides programs and opportunities for wildlife-related educational, recreational and sporting activities. Purchase or a renew a fishing, trapping and hunting license and renew a vessel registration online at ncwildlife.org.
