Turkeys for Tomorrow–funded research in Texas is uncovering critical insights into why some wild turkey hens nest successfully while others don’t. Using GPS-tracked Rio Grande hens on predator-managed landscapes, researchers are examining dispersal patterns, nesting attempts, predator influence, habitat use, and hen behavior to better understand what drives nesting success. These early observations are helping shape future land management and conservation strategies aimed at reversing wild turkey population declines.
Turkeys for Tomorrow and FOXPRO Partner for Conservation
Turkeys for Tomorrow (TFT) has partnered with FOXPRO to advance wild turkey conservation through education, awareness, and effective predator management. Built on shared values and a commitment to science-based conservation, the collaboration unites TFT’s mission-driven research and grassroots flocks with FOXPRO’s industry-leading predator control technology to support healthier turkey populations nationwide.
Turkeys for Tomorrow (TFT) Adds Two Pivotal Team Members
Turkeys for Tomorrow (TFT) has strengthened its conservation team with the addition of Frank Bacon as assistant director of outreach and Shannon McNally as programs administrative assistant. Both bring deep roots in the outdoors, a shared passion for wild turkeys, and the experience needed to support TFT’s growing network of flocks and research-driven conservation efforts nationwide.
LandTrust and Turkeys For Tomorrow Announce Partnership to Support Wild Turkey Recovery on Private Lands.
LandTrust and Turkeys For Tomorrow have announced a new partnership aimed at strengthening wild turkey recovery efforts on private lands across the United States. Through the collaboration, every turkey hunt booked on LandTrust will generate a $10 conservation contribution directly supporting TFT’s science-led research, habitat improvement, and private-land stewardship initiatives. With more than 87% of eastern U.S. land privately owned, the partnership underscores a shared belief that the future of wild turkeys depends on coordinated conservation efforts between hunters, landowners, and researchers.
TFT Partners with Mr. and Mrs. Bourbon for Conservation and Exclusive Offerings .
Turkeys For Tomorrow (TFT) has partnered with Mr. and Mrs. Bourbon on an exclusive conservation-driven release that brings bourbon enthusiasts and wild turkey advocates together for a shared cause. The collaboration features a limited, seven-year bourbon personally selected by TFT CEO Jason Lupardus, with proceeds supporting science-based wild turkey and habitat conservation. With only two barrels produced—roughly 500 hand-numbered bottles—this “Bourbon for the Birds” initiative is designed to be as meaningful as it is rare, offering supporters a unique way to raise a glass for poults, white oak conservation, and the future of America’s wild turkeys.
TFT Fly Down Committee Officially Lands and Announces Key Decisions in Organizational Operations.
Turkeys for Tomorrow’s Fly Down Committee has officially landed—bringing grassroots voices directly into the organization’s decision-making process. From reinvesting funds locally to prioritizing predator management, these key decisions signal a bold, boots-on-the-ground approach to wild turkey conservation.
Turkeys for Tomorrow Unveils Branded TFT Property Signage for Turkey Hunters
Turkeys for Tomorrow has officially launched a full line of branded property signage for hunters, habitat managers, and landowners who want to showcase their passion for wild turkey conservation. These new signs are designed for private land cooperatives, public land projects, and general landowners who are actively improving habitat or simply want to display their support for the wild turkey. From the “Terrain for Turkeys” signs found on public grounds to exclusive gate and property markers for private landowners, TFT is giving hunters and conservationists a new way to celebrate and highlight the work being done for America’s wild turkeys.
Turkeys for Tomorrow Signs Memorandum of Agreement with Ruffed Grouse Society
Wild turkeys and ruffed grouse may drum to different rhythms, but they share one undeniable truth: both depend on healthy, early-successional habitat to survive. That shared need is the foundation of a new memorandum of agreement between Turkeys for Tomorrow (TFT) and the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS)—a collaboration designed to accelerate habitat restoration across Pennsylvania and beyond.
“This relationship with Ruffed Grouse Society is a long-term opportunity for us to work on a national scale,” said TFT CEO Jason Lupardus. “We’re creating early successional habitat, and that’s good for both turkeys and grouse.”
While not a merger, the agreement outlines roles, goals, and shared commitments between the two organizations. It opens the door for local TFT flocks to take greater ownership of on-the-ground projects and partner directly with other conservation groups to make measurable landscape-level impact.
Early phases of grouse habitat work offer an immediate boost for wild turkeys, providing excellent nesting and brooding cover in the first two to three years of new plans. Longer term, it enhances the broader forest ecosystem for both species.
Lupardus credits strong leadership—especially from RGS CEO Ben Jones—for helping shape this joint effort. “We look forward to many more years conducting conservation work together,” he said.
Wild Turkey Population Decline: The quest for answers
Over the last decade, hunters and biologists across the country have watched a troubling pattern unfold: wild turkey numbers are declining in places where they once flourished. Early warnings were easy to overlook—after all, ground-nesting birds naturally rise and fall with the seasons. But by 2018, it was clear that something deeper was happening. Flocks that once filled winter hardwood bottoms and spring ridge tops had thinned, in some cases dramatically.
For me, the realization struck hardest at home in Alabama, where our winter flock fell from nearly fifty birds to fewer than ten. It was a wake-up call. In June of 2020, I gathered a small group of seasoned turkey hunters to ask one question: What’s happening to our birds, and what can we do about it? That conversation became the foundation of Turkeys For Tomorrow—a hunter-led, science-driven nonprofit focused on identifying the root causes of the decline and restoring wild turkey populations for generations to come.
Today, TFT is funding research in multiple states, partnering with universities, and pushing forward groundbreaking work like the Poult Project, which is uncovering critical knowledge about what young turkeys need to survive. We believe that to find answers, you have to ask the right questions—and be willing to follow the science wherever it leads. The future of wild turkeys depends on it, and so do we who love and pursue them.