The fourth generation of our wild turkey conservation stamp continues- like many things- as not a new tradition, but a revived old tradition. Every spring, slowly but surely, more individual states continue to do the same and bring back decades old turkey stamp programs to raise funds to impact the wild turkey.
That’s the importance of the “community” of turkey hunters. This kind of care is contagious, and people who’ve bought this stamp and shared with their friends are directly responsible for helping these states pick back up where they left off. The grand total of turkey hunters who call themselves Gamekeepers continues to grow, and thousands of dollars for wild turkeys turn into millions as these stamp programs are revived.
Money from these stamps continues to support important work in the world of turkey conservation. Like most things, work we’ve supported is years and years in the making. So this stamp continues to support Lymphoproliferative Disease (LPDV) research through the University of Georgia. This work has benefits and insights for every state’s turkey population.
This brood rearing season, there is new work helping further understand hens and poults during their most vulnerable stages. We’ll have more photos, videos and words on this one later.
Last spring, we released The Colonel and the Fox, our first feature length documentary and a once in a lifetime project for us. If you’re reading this, you probably have already seen it, but if not, we’d love for you to watch this season.
The Colonel and the Fox is not just about my dad and Col. Tom Kelly; it’s a tribute and a memorial to their entire generation. It’s a token of appreciation for the common man with an uncommon attitude. Turkeys didn’t survive just because the government stepped in. Some things helped, but without the obsessed turkey hunters who stepped up in different pockets of the country, nothing would’ve changed. Turkey hunters saved the wild turkey, and they did it at a time when not very many people called themselves turkey hunters.
In the era of technology, AI, shortcuts and gimmicks, we’re proud to have a community of folks who cherish the time-honored traditions of the sport. History, tradition, woodsmanship and conservation all matter more than ever, and this community grows stronger every spring.
Thank you for keeping the old school spirit alive. Thank you for honoring the wild turkey by your efforts and actions. And thank you for being a Gamekeeper.
Good luck in the woods this spring.
Roost High,
Toxey Haas
