NWTF Convention and Sport Show Sets Records in Tennessee

More than 46,000 turkey hunters flocked to Nashville recently for the annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show.

A wave of camouflage and a barrage of turkey calls were seen and heard throughout the weekend as turkey hunters came out in force to celebrate the NWTF’s 40th anniversary and support its mission of wildlife conservation and the preservation of our hunting tradition.

Wayne LaPierre, CEO and vice president of the NRA, attended and spoke to a standing-room-only crowd of 600 to respond to President Obama’s proposals for new restrictions on lawful gun owners.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center received a big boost, filling more than 6,200 rooms — 200 more than the previous year. New NWTF memberships nearly doubled from the past convention.

The sport show featured a record 721 vendors and included the best and newest hunting gear, home decor, Chevy vehicles, boots, turkey calls, artwork and other products.

This was the NWTF’s 37th convention, one of the most heavily attended hunting shows in the country.

The NWTF first visited the Music City in 1986 and has returned 10 times since. The 2014 convention will be Feb. 13 to Feb. 16 at the Gaylord Opryland.

The NWTF, a nonprofit organization and the leader in upland wildlife habitat conservation in North America, is dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage.

Since the NWTF’s founding, the wild turkey population has increased from 1.3 million to almost 7 million with wild turkey now inhabiting 49 states and 99 percent of suitable habitat.

Through vital partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have conserved 17.3 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.

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.