Any truth to this rumour?

[STUBBLE BUM]

Just a heads up Glenn - DUC directly funds wetland conservation through hands on wetland habitat preservation, improvement/enhancement and when warranted outright purchase of threatened wetlands. DUC has a very engaged, full-time conservation and engineering staff. Perhaps your thinking of the relatively new stewardship/restoration services program that works with landowners that really want to do much of the work by themselves - more of a fee/service type model. DUC continues to evolve in order to best deliver an array of solutions across the province.

[Glenn Kelley]

Thanks.

[Huntnfish]

It's sad that my first post has to be about this but anyone that went to these banquets seen that it was a money grab with very little to no money used around the chapter area, I joined a NWTF chapter in Dundas years ago and it was a farce to put it kindly, I know what the guy posting about " the big time turkey hunter" guy is talking about he was a bit of a .... and the guys in chapter who were quite a bit older than me were sucking up to this guy like he was a god, thankfully I got into a argument with one of them at a meeting and decided never again will I support this organization, I believe in the five years I was a member we planted saplings on a property and that was the end of it, not sure of the price of the plants but it sure was not close to the money raised at the events, sorry to say but good riddance.

[Ontario Hunter]

Bull Crap ! NWTF was started for winter feeding projects to help them. They decided to help out in Trap and Transfer as that project was under way at the time with OFAH and they wanted to have a name in it. The reason for all this is that the Chapters have fell off way down below the 50% and the New directors lost more then they could create.

Lets be honest about it all.

[Turkeyjohn]

Hey Guys,

To jump in as a sponsor member, I felt a little annoyed that I had to hear about it through a different forum that I'm on. At least a few of the folks on here got an email, I didn't even get that. As far as I'm concerned, it does leave a vacuum in the conservation community, but you know what, it will be filled, guaranteed, by another organization that appreciates our support of wildlife and their habitat as much as our dollars and cents. Have to admit that the few banquets that I attended, did give you the feeling that it was all about fundraising and can't say that locally here, that I ever saw any of those funds come back. I know they helped with the introduction of the birds, but I do believe the OFAH had a bigger influence on that accomplishment and makes me proud to continue to be a member of this great organization.

My 2 cents,

TurkeyJohn

[Huntnfish]

Bull Crap ! NWTF was started for winter feeding projects to help them. They decided to help out in Trap and Transfer as that project was under way at the time with OFAH and they wanted to have a name in it. The reason for all this is that the Chapters have fell off way down below the 50% and the New directors lost more then they could create.

Lets be honest about it all.

Ok honestly during an minor ice storm we had back in 2001 I inquired about buying some feed with some of our money yes I said it our money that we raised and was told no, the reason they fell off is people don't mind raising money but need to see results, do you go to work for free? Those banquets were a lot of work for the guys who cared and yes I'll admit that after I ran to the LCBO and got the liquor license at ten minutes before the doors opened no thanks was given as the rest of the chapter was called up and thanked but hey you do what you got to do for the good of the chapter, right?

[Ontario Hunter]

Ok honestly during an minor ice storm we had back in 2001 I inquired about buying some feed with some of our money yes I said it our money that we raised and was told no, the reason they fell off is people don't mind raising money but need to see results, do you go to work for free? Those banquets were a lot of work for the guys who cared and yes I'll admit that after I ran to the LCBO and got the liquor license at ten minutes before the doors opened no thanks was given as the rest of the chapter was called up and thanked but hey you do what you got to do for the good of the chapter, right?

Your right ! because back in 1997 once they had a few chapters going it was all about money, money, money and the US would send a few trees that had a fat chance in hell to grow and help the turkey in the winter. That idea "winter feeding programs" fell flat and it was all about How many Chapters can we get going here in Ontario. It never did go anywhere but back to the USA.

[GBuck]

a friend of mine used to be the president of a local chapter. when someone was the president for a number of years doesn't think that the effort is worth it - that they never saw or heard of any productive use of the money locally - lets just say I never bothered with this organization.

[Bluebulldog]

No offense to the last two posters, but I've been following the thread since I posted a few pages ago.

What my take away is this.

It may have begun up here with noble intentions, but activities fell off, correct?

Local chapters held banquets etc to raise funds, but weren't exactly sure where those funds were being allocated, correct?

The last two posters, who profess to have been involved with the organization at some point don't even seem to be on the same page as to what the NWTF actually does, or it's mission.

All of that combines in the last few pages to paint a picture of an organization that we, the hunters of Ontario, are better off without.

Notwithstanding Glenn Kelly, I'm sure you gave it your all. There are lots of organizations that would love to have a guy like you aboard, many who do broad based initiatives, which benefit habitat for turkey, as well as other species.

One of the reasons I am a active member of DUC isn't that I'm a rabid duck hunter. As a matter of fact I don't hunt ducks much anymore, but the preservation of wetlands assists the habitat of all game species. Where a wetland occurs, there are always buffer zones, and flood plains that are wooded, scrub, etc. You never see a wetland just stop, and cultivated fields begin. It is in those areas that many game species flourish, ergo, my support of an organization like DUC.

[Glenn Kelley]

I had a detailed explanation of how the superfund worked and the site pitched it because I took to long to write it .I'm typing one handed so this is the short version .

Any chapter could apply for funds whether or not their banquet made money .

4 check marks a signature and address would have got you 1000.00 to use on specified projects .

Superfund gave out money twice a year . Chapters were notified of the submission dates , always.

If money wasn't spent in your area it's because you didn't do it .

We had a Kids day , a womens day , a day for the disabled and funded christmas turkeys for a food bank .

We bankrolled a youth shooting sports group a couple years ago .

We partnered with other groups on habitat projects .

Taking money required a commitment to a project but it was your project .
The chapters that used the superfund accomplished a lot so this is a loss for the province .

Why other chapters didn't go for it I don't know but complaining that it didn't come your way is disingenuous .

Glenn