Milestone Episode of “Get in the Game” on Pursuit Channel

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — A special episode of the NWTF’s “Get in the Game” featuring the 200,000th wild turkey trap and transfer will air Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 9:30 p.m. EST on the Pursuit Channel.

“The comeback of the wild turkey, from about 30,000 birds in North America a century ago to more than 7 million wild turkeys today, is one of the greatest wildlife conservation success stories ever told,” said NWTF Editorial Director Burt Carey. “It did not happen by chance or by mistake. The National Wild Turkey Federation played a critical role in the effort by forging agreements between state wildlife agencies to trap and transfer wild turkeys until each state had enough of their own to make in-state transfers possible.”

This special episode of “Get in the Game” tells how 200,000 wild turkeys have become 7 million, and how those birds now provide hunting opportunities to more than 3 million people throughout North America.

The concept of “Get in the Game” is to teach land managers how to stretch their dollars using cost-effective, wildlife habitat management strategies for a wide variety of game and non-game species. It’s also where NWTF experts offer professional assistance to NWTF members and showcase the NWTFs outreach efforts among women, children and people with disabilities.

“Hunting and conservation have gone hand-in-hand for more than a century in the United States. The North American wildlife conservation model is the envy of the world,” said Carey. “Now we have an outlet in the Pursuit Channel that is unabashedly airing and celebrating the successful principles used by conservationists and modern wildlife management professionals. That is why the Pursuit Channel is the place to be for outdoor television programming, and the National Wild Turkey Federation is proud to be a part of it.”

Airtimes for “Get in the Game” are Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. EST, Fridays at 10 p.m. EST, Sundays at 8 p.m. EST and Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. EST.

National Wild Turkey Federation

The National Wild Turkey Federation is the leader in upland wildlife habitat conservation in North America. The NWTF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations throughout North America, spending more than $331 million to conserve nearly 16 million acres of habitat. Wild turkeys and hundreds of other species of upland wildlife, including quail, deer, grouse, pheasant and songbirds, benefit from this improved habitat.

The NWTF also brings new conservationists and hunters into the fold through outdoor education events and its Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin' Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES youth outreach programs. Our dedicated NWTF volunteers introduce about 100,000 people to the outdoors through these programs every year.

Founded in 1973, the NWTF is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C., and has local chapters in every state and Canada. According to many state and federal agencies, the restoration of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America's wildlife history.