On the Hunt with NWTF Co-CEO Jason Burckhalter

NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter rolled into south Florida around 1 p.m. in early March.

Within the hour, he and Osceola Outdoors outfitter Mike Tussey crossed Fisheating Creek outside Okeechobee where esteemed wildlife biologist Lovett Williams conducted some of the first wild turkey research in the state and nation.

Minutes later, Burckhalter was set against an old majestic live oak draped in Spanish moss. He was in the midst of the wild turkey gods, and history surrounded him. A lone gobbler approached soon after and hung up at 65 yards, strutting back and forth for 45 minutes – only a preview of the main event. Two other gobblers filtered in and disappeared as quickly as they made their presence known. Time dwindled, but in a flash, there was a satellite bird that crossed into the field and was in full strut within 25 yards. This black-winged gobbler in the land of Osceola would deliver a return on one year’s worth of conservation and hunting heritage mission work in less than a minute.

Every aspect of Burckhalter’s life revolves around the outdoors today, from his work overseeing the NWTF mission, to his personal life – a busy baseball schedule with his two sons throughout the year, golf outings, hunting trips in all seasons and as many in-shore and off-shore saltwater fishing excursions as he can manage to fit. “The outdoors has always been a key component of my world,” he said. “There’s a connection that we have with our natural resources that provides a peace of mind and a restoration of our soul that is nearly impossible to discover elsewhere.”

Burckhalter, a North Augusta, South Carolina, native, grew up in nearby Trenton, spending most days in the outdoors, ripping lips on largemouth bass and playing sports. In college at Lander University, Auburn University and Augusta University, he crossed paths with friends who chased a bird that quacked, and he grew an affinity for waterfowl. An avid golfer and outdoorsman already, hunting opened a new door, but it hadn’t fully swung open yet.

Upon graduation, the real world kicked in and hunting access was often a challenge. He began work in back-office banking operations but soon found a passion for finance as a financial analyst with the Sunshine House, a daycare business he would help grow to the sixth largest in the country with 3,000 employees and 117 locations. At 27 years old, he was running due diligence with private equity groups on the sale of the business, and at 29 the private equity group that bought the company retained Burckhalter and promoted him to chief operations officer.

His first order of business was sage advice: “Someone told me, you’re going to get in a car or plane and go meet all the employees and talk with them. They don’t give a damn how much you know until they know how much you care. That’s really stuck with me,” Burckhalter said.

After a few years, a recruiter called about an opportunity at a nonprofit conservation group in Edgefield, South Carolina. The National Wild Turkey Federation had an opening for its controller position and provided more stability, less travel, more family time and was in Burckhalter’s wheelhouse with its passion for the outdoors. He soon worked his way to vice president of finance, and in 2018, Burckhalter accepted a new challenge and moved into the Chief Information Officer role where he oversaw communications, marketing and IT. Empowered with experience from multiple areas within the Federation, the National Board of Directors promoted Burckhalter and formed the first NWTF dual CEO model with co-CEO Kurt Dyroff beginning in May 2022 after former NWTF CEO Becky Humphries announced she would be retiring at the NWTF’s 50th Anniversary celebration February 2023.

“There is a certain magic to our people, which includes our volunteers, partners and staff. It is such a diverse group of passionate individuals that truly feels like a family, and I am humbled to help lead this organization,” Burckhalter said.

For nearly two years, the co-CEO model has worked to perfection at the NWTF. Dyroff handles the conservation/business support side of operations and Burckhalter pulls the strings on marketing and fundraising strategy.

“It’s worked even better than anticipated,” Burckhalter said. “The relationship Kurt and I have is unbelievable, the trust we have in one another. We think alike but we approach things from a different perspective. At the end of the day, it’s about making the best decisions for the organization. I couldn’t imagine doing this without that structure given the complexity of the organization at this point and the complexity of the world and how fast things run today.”

Under Burckhalter and Dyroff’s leadership, the NWTF’s arrow is pointing up (see below). Turkey hunters and conservationists have mostly known the importance of the wild turkey to the ecosystem and how habitat enhancement for America’s greatest game bird benefits many other wildlife species, but those previously on the outside have begun to take notice.

“The NWTF is primed for growth, and what’s more exciting than being a part of an organization that’s growing?” Burckhalter said. “We had some tough years during COVID, seeing our membership go from 187,000 to 110,000. One thing I’m very proud of over the last 18 months, we’ve turned that into 240,000 members, and we’re still growing.”

Membership has increased 14 of the last 15 months, he added, a statistic that hasn’t occurred in decades. And it was evident at the 48th annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, with more than 72,000 attendees fired up about wild turkeys and the power of the outdoor lifestyle and our renewable natural resources.

“You saw the energy around turkeys on full display at convention,” Burckhalter said. “I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that we would exceed the 50th Anniversary numbers. I think the momentum continues to build year after year. We have the best outdoor consumer show in the nation, and people know that.”

As Burckhalter reminisced over a hunt with the grand Osceola wild turkey in the land of conservation giants like Williams 60 years before him, it was not lost that this was a 12-month journey of conservation work on the ground, outreach and education events for new hunters around the country and vital research to help answer questions surrounding declining turkey populations in certain regions.

The NWTF announced its largest-ever single year outlay of investments in wild turkey ecology research ($582,374) in 2023. With additional funding from state state chapters and national funds, the NWTF has contributed more than $1.2 million to research, leveraged against more than $12 million of partner funding in the last two years, with more on the way.

“This is a 12-month cycle, and you can say that this (hunting season) is the fruits of our labor,” Burckhalter said. “We have to always ask, ‘What are we doing for the resource?’ One thing that has fueled energy is our reinfused commitment to research. Over the last two years, we’ve invested more money into research than ever before. That’s opened people’s eyes.”

With the pressure off and an Osceola on the board, the hunt camp began with a fish-fry and celebration involving Wild Turkey Bourbon miniature bottles (an Osceola Outdoors staple for every hunter who harvests) with the landowner, Tommy Woodward, who happened to be in possession of an old film of Lovett Williams discussing wild turkeys at Fisheating Creek. It was almost meant to be.

“Getting that first taste of spring just refreshes the soul,” Burckhalter said. “To be that close to where some of the first wild turkey research was performed, that made it even more special.”

• Nationwide celebration of our 50-year anniversary.
• Increased adult membership from 184,000 to 240,000 (as of late March).
• Largest single-year investment in wild turkey research in NWTF history.
• Delivering Landmark Forest Service Agreement (20 years w/ initial funding of $50M).
• Held highest attended NWTF Sports Show and Convention on record.
• Increased banquet count and average net income rose by 15% over prior year.
• Realized a 25% increase in number of Education and Outreach events.
• Formalized endowment and operationalized account.
• Positively impacted more than 1 million habitat acres in 2023.
• Exponentially grew social media following and engagements.