EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The West Virginia State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation granted $41,814 from its Super Fund to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Section to purchase six drones with thermal imaging and additional capabilities.
NWTF field staff and the West Virginia State Chapter vice president attended a WVDNR law enforcement training session at the Barbour County Fairgrounds to see the drones in action and how they can contribute the agency’s efforts. The training demonstrated how the drones’ remote-enabled tether release system deploys equipment the aircraft can transport. The drones can carry up to 5 pounds, providing additional response options for public safety and rescue operations.
The NWTF’s Super Fund is a funding model through which volunteers raise money at banquets and other fundraisers and allocate a significant portion of those proceeds to impactful conservation, research and outreach projects at the state level and beyond. These investments are guided by NWTF volunteers within a specific state who are entrenched in regional priorities.
This comes on the heels of the NWTF and the WVDNR signing a multiyear agreement through which the NWTF will administer $820,00 for habitat and hunter access efforts. The state chapter’s support for law enforcement through its Super Fund is part of a larger effort of conservation-related priorities in 2026, including habitat projects, equipment purchases and more.
“The WVDNR Police motto is ‘protecting the wild and wonderful’ and this generous gift from the NWTF will help us fulfill it,” said Capt. David James, DNR wildlife law enforcement. “These six drones will have the capabilities of a camera, thermal imaging, a loudspeaker and a spotlight. This technology will aid foremost in officer safety, but can also be used for evidence collection, search and rescue and hunting incident reconstruction. These six almost doubled the capabilities of the drone program that has expanded under Colonel Cales and Director McMillion, who view these as a force multiplier. These matching grants are a continued effort of the NWTF’s decades-long support of the WVDNR Police to protect and promote the safe and ethical pursuit of the wild turkey.”
Additional training sessions are planned to ensure the drones are used to their full potential.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.3 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $22 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to deliver healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues to unite a nation through the life-changing power of the outdoors.
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