NWTF Withdraws from Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show
National Wild Turkey Federation 01.22.13
The National Wild Turkey Federation has withdrawn from the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pa., due to the decision to ban the display of modern sporting rifles.
As a leading advocate for the preservation of our hunting heritage, the NWTF believes it is an important time to take a clear stance on its support of sportsmen and the Second Amendment and the clear link between the two.
The NWTF has canceled its booth space and will be rescheduling the NWTF sanctioned calling contest that was slated to take place at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show once a suitable venue is determined.
“We feel strongly about the importance of the Second Amendment in pursuit of our mission of preserving our hunting heritage,” said Skip Motts, President of the NWTF Pennsylvania State Chapter. “We reached out to our chapters from across the state and received overwhelming support for taking this stand.”
The NWTF works to pass on the right to hunt to future generations, including reducing legal barriers to creating new hunters and introducing almost 100,000 people to outdoor sports annually. The right to bear arms is another pillar of the hunting tradition that the NWTF fully supports. The efforts to preserve our hunting heritage can be undone if new barriers to hunting are created by limiting the tools that the vast majority of sportsmen depend on to hunt.
The NWTF will host its National Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tenn., from Feb. 15 to 17. The NWTF welcomes any attendees or exhibitors to consider coming to the NWTF Convention and Sport Show. The NWTF is working to add booths to the already sold out show in an attempt to accommodate companies that have decided to change plans about exhibiting at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show. Contact April Flowers at aflowers@nwtf.net for information on reserving a booth.
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.
