MOUNT VERNON — On Saturday, the Kokosing River Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will host its 14th Annual Hunting Heritage Banquet at the Dan Emment House on Howard Street in Mount Vernon.
“Our banquet raises money for state, local and national needs,” said NWTF chapter president Keith Ryan, “and it’s really our only big fundraiser. It’s a great banquet, and it’s not only for turkey hunters. Anywhere from 130 to 170 people show up for it. Guns are raffled off, one of which is valued at over $1,000, and there will be a live auction of more than 30 sculptures, prints and chess sets. There are games for the kids. The National Wild Turkey Federation is really one of just a few family-oriented national organizations.”
Among the family-oriented enterprises belonging to the 500,000 member NWTF are the Women in the Outdoors program and the Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Skills organization for children under 18 years old.
“We have a lot of great activities for our JAKES,” said Jeff Moseley, six-year NWTF member and chairman of the Kokosing River Chapter Banquet. “We host a net, trap and release event, as well as closely supervised skeet shooting. Last year, on JAKES day, we had a World War II reenactment, and one year we brought in a chopper for the kids to see.”
“We get about half boys and half girls in JAKES,” added Ryan. “We organize trap-shooting with a .22 rifle, archery and fishing. It’s an opportunity for the kids to see if they enjoy these outdoor activities, and the parents don’t necessarily participate. Every chapter has a JAKES program. If you wanted to travel through Ohio, you could visit a different chapter’s event just about every weekend. There’s also a scholarship program that provides from $500 to $1,000 from the state chapter to high school students. If you have a 3.0 grade point average and are pursuing an outdoor related field, there’s a chance to win a larger scholarship.”
The Kokosing River Chapter has also participated in a charity-minded NWTF project — Turkey Hunters That Care.
“It’s up to the individual chapters to incorporate the Turkey Hunters That Care program,” said Ryan, “and this is our first year for that. We donate turkeys to less fortunate people in the local area. We participated in the Danville Christmas banquet, which fed 150 or 160 families. Toys and food were supplied for a real holiday meal for everyone who attended, and our contribution was to supply 75 percent of the turkeys.
“In terms of money loans and land programs throughout the state,” Ryan continued, “the Turkey Federation has a great relationship with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The trap and release efforts of the NWTF deserve a lot of credit for the spread of wild turkey throughout the country. Turkeys are adaptable birds, and, in coordination with the Division of Wildlife, the NWTF traps the birds in winter and introduces them to new regions around the state.”
“The NWTF is interested in the conservation of wildlife,” said Moseley. “The Heritage Banquet is primarily a membership drive, and Superfund uses the money for a lot of different things.”
Tickets for Saturday’s banquet are only available in advance by contacting Ryan at 392-1224.
