The National Wild Turkey Federation and its partners have announced a land purchase in south central Tennessee as part of its More Places to Hunt initiative.
The NWTF and its Tennessee state chapter contributed $110,000 towards the purchase of the property, which is comprised of the Estelle Fork tract in Franklin County, and contains 874 acres of woodlands.
The property adjoins the 15,000-acre Bear Hollow Mountain Wildlife Management Area and will enhance hunting opportunities for sportsmen and women in the Volunteer State and beyond. Upon completion of the purchase, ownership of the land will be granted to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), and the acreage will be added to Tennessee’s public lands for all to enjoy.
Through the More Places to Hunt initiative, the NWTF is working to increase access to hunting lands via land purchases, conservation easements, agency hunter access programs, legislative action and working with partners. To date, the Federation has spent more than $9 million and obtained more than 400,000 acres for hunting.
“Some of the best wild turkey hunting anywhere can be found in Tennessee,” said NWTF Tennessee State Chapter president Mark Warmath. “The NWTF’s Tennessee State Chapter is proud to help provide more places to hunt so that families and friends can enjoy the outdoors together. We will continue to work to leave a lasting conservation legacy for future generations in Tennessee.”
The Federation’s partners in the purchase include the TWRA, the Nature Conservancy, the Lyndhurst Foundation and the Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund.
“Everyone worked together to pull this off, and it’s great to see that sportsmen and women, and all people who enjoy the outdoors, will benefit from this purchase,” said Dowd Bruton, NWTF regional biologist. “The Federation is always working for wildlife and for hunters, and I’m looking forward to more good news like this not only from Tennessee, but across North America.”
