DECATUR — More than $6,500 was raised to help conserve wild turkey habitat and increase education about the outdoors at the 10th annual Hunting Heritage Banquet on April 2.

The event was sponsored by the Benton County Longbeards, the local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. The NWTF is a nonprofit conservation and hunting organization that works to conserve the wild turkey and preserve the hunting heritage, according to the Web site www.nwtf.org.

James Barger of Gentry, a board member of the Arkansas Chapter of the NWTF, estimated that approximately 160 people attended the banquet, held at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center on Rainbow Curve in Bentonville.

Bob Neyer, treasurer for the Benton County Longbeards, said he was pleased with the turnout, especially considering the state of the economy.

“We feel it was a real success,” he said.

The event began with a spaghetti dinner, followed by a silent auction, raffle and live auction by Dwayne Craig of Gentrythat included framed wildlife art, home furnishings and house wares with a wild turkey theme, collectibles, sculptures of elk deer and wild turkey, and guns.

The Decatur General Store served as the gun dealer for the event. The store performed required background checks on the gun purchasers and held the firearms until the buyers could pick them up later in the week.

Since the NWTF was founded in 1973, the number of wild turkeys in North America has grown from 1.3 million to more than 7 million, according to theorganization’s Web site. The NWTF has also aided in acquiring and improving nearly 14 million acres of wildlife habitat on public, private and corporate land.

In Arkansas, the NWTF has completed 27 projects across the state including projects in Benton, Washington and Madison counties, Barger said.

The NWTF pools its funds with the state agencies, including the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and other organizations such as Quail Unlimited and Ducks Unlimited, for conservation projects, Barger said. Improving habitat for one species benefits many species, he explained.

Since 1985, the organization has spent $1.29 million in Arkansas to improve habitat on 144,852 acres, and more than $300,000 oneducation in the state, including scholarships and teaching groups such as 4-H clubs.

Locally, the Benton County Longbeards have built gates on places suchas the Wedington Wildlife Management Area to prevent people from driving around and shooting turkeys from their vehicles.

The goal is to preserve hunting in an ethical way so people will have to make an effort to hunt the wild turkey instead of just shooting them, Barger said.

Local members also volunteer their time to lead seminars to teach young people and newcomers about wild turkey behavior and habitat.

Although hunting is sometimes viewed in a negative light, teaching young people about responsible hunting and helping them develop a love for the outdoors will ensure that conservation continues for years to come, Barger said.

“It’s all about the conservation. It’s all about the experience. It’s not about killing some animals. It’s all about education - to begin to know about all of the outdoors, not just the shooting part of the outdoors,” Barger said.

News, Pages 1 on 04/14/2010