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By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer

The Chilton County National Wild Turkey Federation Chapter is hosting its annual Hunting Heritage Banquet on March 18 to raise money and awareness about wild turkey conservation. The Back Porch Venue, 4598 County Road 49 in Clanton, will host the organization’s biggest event of the year with doors opening at 5 p.m.

Valle Grande Mexican Grill in Maplesville will cater the event, and there will be a silent and live auction with different items for attendees to bid on such as guns, baskets, clocks, etc. There will also be raffle tickets available for purchase at the event to be entered to win items that will be given away throughout the event.

Chapter president Brian Jones of Clanton Outdoors said he is expecting over 150 people at this year’s banquet.

“We provide support for the Alabama NWTF,” Jones said. “A lot of counties have their own chapter, and all the money we raise goes back to the NWTF to help with conservation of turkeys, their habitats and turkey hunting in North America.”

Jones said the NWTF has been around since the 1970s bringing awareness to the conservation of wild turkey habitats and hunting. When someone thinks of hunting, they may immediately think of deer hunting. However, Jones said turkey hunting is big in Alabama, and turkey hunting “has just as big of a following as deer hunting.”

Chilton County was without a NWTF chapter for a few years before Jones and Tim Wilson worked together to bring it back about six years ago. Shortly after that, Wilson passed on the president title to Jones who helped lead the chapter through COVID that forced them to hold a smaller banquet in 2021.

The banquet’s first year back with full-attendance was in 2022.

“It has been going well,” Jones said. “We had a couple great years, and then COVID hit and threw a wrinkle into things. After a small banquet in 2021, last year, we were back in full capacity and almost over packed last year.”

Those interested in attending the banquet can contact Jones at 205-990-0946 for more information about tickets.