Talk’n Turkeys with the NWTF

Headquartered in Edgefield, South Carolina, the National Wild Turkey Federation—better known as the NWTF—isn’t unlike many of the conservation organizations hunters and anglers are familiar with, like Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, or the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The NWTF’s mission, as stated on their website (www.nwtf.org), is “the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage.” But, as with DU or RMEF, it’s about more than just one species or one tradition.

Thanks to the efforts of dedicated NWTF volunteers, even non-hunters—especially young people—are introduced to the outdoors through mentoring programs, field days, and hands-on workshops. NWTF members proudly serve as educators, lobbyists, advocates, wildlife managers, researchers, and more. So yes, while the wild turkey may hold center stage, the organization’s more than 10,000 volunteers—who collectively donate over 100,000 service hours each year—work tirelessly for all wildlife, game and non-game alike, and the people who enjoy them.

Meet the Mann

Born in Seattle and now living in Selah, Washington, Richard Mann—66—graduated from Washington State University in 1980 with a degree in wildlife habitat and range management. “My work history has always been fish and wildlife,” he said. “I was lucky enough to get a summer job at the old South Tacoma Game Farm outside of Lakewood back in ’75, raising upland game birds and releasing them on hunting sites.”

In 1982, Mann became a wildlife conservation officer with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Three years later, he returned to Washington, working under what was then the Department of Game. He started as a field officer and eventually moved into a headquarters role as a training officer before relocating to the Yakima area to serve as captain for Region 3. He formally retired in 2016.

Mann’s turkey hunting journey began in 1983 while serving as a CO in Utah. “We got a call from headquarters saying, ‘Hey, we’re sending you some turkeys—you need to go release them,’” he said. “That was really my first exposure to wild turkeys.” He hunted Utah birds for a couple of years, learning the ropes—mostly through trial and error.

After returning to Washington, Mann began working with WDFW on turkey transplants in 1987, helping release Eastern birds into western Washington—turkeys purchased from the Midwest. “I was involved with the trap and transplant program here from ’87 into the mid-’90s,” he said. “I even went down to Texas around 1990 to trap Rio Grandes and bring them back.”

Mann officially joined the NWTF in 1994, getting involved with a chapter based in Olympia. “I knew everyone on the banquet committee,” he said. “That’s how I got my foot in the door.” He joined the state board of directors in 2000 and has served in various capacities ever since—most recently stepping into the role of state chapter president in the summer of 2024. Along the way, he’s earned several honors, including Wildlife Officer of the Year (2001) and NWTF’s national Mentor of the Year (2021).

During our conversation, I asked Mann what his “First Priority” was as state chapter president. “Washington really blew up during the 1990s and early 2000s in terms of NWTF chapters,” he said. “Back then, the state was moving birds around, and there was a lot of hands-on work to be done. Volunteers loved that. But when the state stopped relocating and planting birds, interest dropped off. We went from nearly 24 chapters into a slow downhill slide.”

According to Mann, the decline was due in part to the repayment of the $600-per-bird cost for Eastern turkeys brought in from the Midwest, along with the end of WDFW’s trap and transfer program. “People simply age out,” he said. “And a lot of the younger folks haven’t come along—or haven’t been brought along. But now, we’re starting to see a resurgence here in Washington. There’s renewed interest among younger hunters and in the work NWTF is doing.”

So, I asked him, if someone was on the fence about joining the NWTF or volunteering, what would he say to them?

“While the NWTF is focused on turkeys,” he said, “the work we do benefits a whole lot of other species, too. Honestly, all conservation organizations are like that. You’re doing habitat work that impacts far more than just one animal. Our efforts aren’t only about improving habitat—they’re about passing the tradition along, making sure folks have something to hunt in the future. That our hunting heritage stays intact.”