Hunters can easily be described as more than outdoor enthusiasts, Tyler Kirby explained Saturday.
They are also some of the most effective preservationists around in part because the proceeds from gun and ammunition sales and licenses for hunting and fishing go directly to wildlife preservation programs.
Kirby, regional director of the National Wild Turkey Federation, spoke Saturday at NWTF’s First Upland Pioneer Chapter annual banquet.
The event drew scores of sportsmen (and sportswomen) to the Iola American Legion post.
The event serves as the First Upland Pioneers’ largest fundraiser of the year.
Kirby noted the Pittman-Robertson Act — established in 1937 — assesses federal taxes on all gun and ammunition sales. Those taxes pay for roughly 80 percent of the federal wildlife habitat programs. Much of the remaining 20 percent comes from revenue generated by hunting license sales.
Meanwhile, the Dingell-Johnson Act does much the same for fishing licenses, Kirby said.
Since its formation in 1973, NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations throughout North America, spending more than $412 million to conserve more than 17.25 million acres of habitat.
Likewise, Iola’s First Upland Pioneers Chapter — the first of its kind in the nation — is focused on other upland wildlife, such as quail.
The First Upland Pioneers and NTWF organize events each year to generate interest in hunting among youth and women.
The groups host a youth shoot each May, and recently wrapped up their annual Women In The Outdoors event in Le Roy in September.
Saturday’s banquet included silent and live auctions and drawings for several guns on display.
NWTF’s annual banquet largest fundraiser of year
