Turkey hunting bore the sweet aroma of boiled crawfish Thursday at Fisher Armory in North Little Rock, or was it the sweet aroma of turkey conservation?
It was a bit of both, as turkey hunting and conservation took center stage at the Central Arkansas Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation's fifth annual crawfish boil.
Turkey hunters packed the venue for the federation's signature fundraising event in Arkansas. Its mission was to raise about $56,000 for turkey habitat conservation, but Robert Eason, the chapter's president, said it grossed nearly $70,000.
"The turnout was a little more than we expected," said Eason, who is also vice president for the state chapter.
The chapter bought 1,000 pounds of crawfish, enough for 350 people, but Eason said attendance was between 400 and 500.
"We ran out of crawfish right at the end, but everybody had some," he said.
The central Arkansas chapter has been the NWTF's top fundraising organ in Arkansas for two consecutive years, Eason said.
Twenty percent of the proceeds from events like the crawfish boil go into a state superfund, an additional 5 percent goes to the state NWTF chapter, and 2 percent goes to the local chapter. That money is used to pay for the NWTF's conservation and public outreach programs in the state, Eason said.
This year the group is going to emphasize land acquisitions and opening up new areas for hunting, and for public outreach, Eason said.
The remainder goes to the NWTF's national superfund. Eason said state chapters can apply for grants from the national organization for conservation programs such as the ongoing project at Bearcat Hollow in Newton County. It is a collaborative restoration effort between NWTF, Arkansas Wildlife Federation, National Forest Service and others.
"Ninety-seven cents of every dollar raised goes back on the ground in terms of getting new hunters, land acquisitions and habitat management," Eason said.
In a small state where competition for conservation money is fierce, the NTWF is remarkably successful alongside Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Eason said one reason is timing. The NWTF clusters its fundraisers in the spring, whereas DU holds most of its banquets in the fall.
"We draw a lot of the same individuals, but we feel like we are drawing a few different individuals that they [DU] don't draw," Eason said. "We seem to do OK. This is only our fifth year to have the central Arkansas chapter, and we attribute our success to a very good team of guys that make up our committee."
Having the crawfish boil in late March is ideal. It's a month before turkey season opens in Arkansas, so turkey hunters are excited and motivated. It's also early enough to catch a lot of hunters before they travel out of state to hunt.
EARLY SUCCESS
Grant Westmoreland of Sheridan is one NWTF luminary who has enjoyed some early turkey hunting success. He killed two big Rio Grande turkeys in Texas last week.
Meanwhile, Jackie Rauls and Wayne Richardson, both of Rison, completed the first leg of their annual quest for the North American Grand Slam last week by bagging a pair of Osceola gobblers in Osceola County, Fla.
Rauls killed one Osceola that sported an 11 1/2-inch beard and 1 3/4-inch spurs. It weighed 18 1/2 pounds.
"We always try to get our Osceolas in Osceola County," Rauls said. "That's what makes it so neat. We feel like if we can get the Osceolas first, the others will fall into place."
The North American Grand Slam requires killing an Osceola, eastern, Rio Grande and Merriams turkey in one season. Rauls and Richardson completed grand slams for five consecutive years. They are trying for their sixth.
CALL FOR JUSTICE
John Tanner, a South Carolinian, makes fine turkey calls out of cypress trees that have been buried in the bottoms of Lowcountry rivers for time immemorial. Pat Robertson, former outdoor editor for The State in Columbia, S.C., said some of the wood has been carbon dated at more than 45,000 years old.
One such call will be presented April 16 to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia after Scalia speaks at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. Scalia, who hunts ducks with George Dunklin at 5 Oaks Lodge, is also an avid turkey hunter.
You can see examples of Tanner's work online at johntannercalls.com.
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Sports on 03/29/2015