EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Each year, the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) Summit brings together some of the most influential storytellers, brands and conservation partners in the outdoor world, but it’s often the time outside the conference rooms where the most memorable connections are made.
This year’s gathering in Hugo, Minnesota, was no exception.
Held at one of the Midwest’s premier outdoor venues, the summit blended seminars, networking, and hands-on experiences designed to sharpen skills and strengthen relationships across the outdoor industry. Among the most anticipated offerings was the turkey hunt experience sponsored in part by the National Wild Turkey Federation, Murray Road Agency and onX Hunt, which gave a handful of early registrants the chance to step directly into Minnesota’s spring turkey woods.
Six early-bird attendees were randomly selected for the opportunity to go on a mentored spring turkey hunt on private land alongside NWTF staff and volunteers from the Minnesota NWTF State Chapter, as well as corporate partners supporting the event.
The evening before the hunt set the tone. Participants met with mentors, built game plans and patterned their gear, including Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 shotguns topped with Burris optics red dot sights, fed with Remington Final Strut turkey loads. NWTF volunteers and mentors talked through setups and strategy and offered encouragement heading into the final stretch of Minnesota’s season.
Thursday morning broke with hunters spread across different setups in the Minnesota landscape. For some, it was their first time hunting in the state. For others, it was their first time ever chasing wild turkeys. One participant, Bea Klaich, an accomplished big game hunter from Alaska, stepped into turkey hunting for the first time, bringing a seasoned outdoor background into a completely new pursuit.
Even with only a half-day in the field, the hunt carried the familiar rhythm of spring turkey season — movement in the dark timber, soft calls cutting through the morning stillness, and long stretches where patience did more than any call ever could.
By mid-morning, it was clear what makes experiences like this resonate. It wasn’t just about the pursuit of a bird — it was learning in real time from people you had just met, adapting together and sharing the small moments that make the woods feel alive.
For one hunter, Robbie Jessen, the morning ended with a successful harvest of an eastern wild turkey, a milestone that capped a fast-paced but meaningful experience.
“One of the best parts of the hunt was getting to share it with Susan Delk,” Jessen said. “We spent the morning working together, adapting to what the turkeys were doing and figuring things out as we went. What stood out most was the experience itself and the people involved. Delk and the entire NWTF team did an outstanding job handling the logistics and making sure everyone had a great experience. I’m also grateful to POMA for creating opportunities like this for its members.”
What stood out just as much as the hunting itself were the conversations in between — stories swapped in the dark before daylight, quiet encouragement after setups and the shared excitement when a bird finally broke into view.
For the NWTF and its partners, events like the turkey hunt experience are about far more than the opportunity to pursue a wild turkey. They demonstrate the life-changing power of the outdoors — its ability to teach, connect and inspire in ways that few other experiences can.
“The time spent with the other participants on this hunt was so neat,” said Meagan McDow, a participant in the POMA turkey hunt experience. “From patterning our shotguns the evening before to getting up early, wishing each other luck in the early morning hours, and celebrating our experiences together after the hunt, it was one of the coolest experiences of my hunting career!”
Volunteers from the Minnesota NWTF State Chapter played a critical role throughout the event, helping with logistics, mentoring participants, providing calls and decoys, and ensuring every hunter felt supported from the first evening briefing to the final morning in the field.
The event also provided an opportunity for NWTF staff and volunteers to share the broader story of conservation in Minnesota and beyond. Conversations ranged from habitat improvement and forest management projects to hunting heritage and outreach efforts, giving participants a firsthand look at the work being done year-round to support wild turkeys, wildlife habitat and the future of hunting in the state.
At the outset, participants arrived as strangers from different walks of life, regions and levels of experience. But once they stepped into the woods, those differences quickly disappeared. What united them was a shared experience rooted in a deep appreciation for conservation, hunting traditions and a passion for one of America’s most iconic game birds.
Whether they left with a harvested bird, new knowledge or simply memories from a spring morning in Minnesota, every participant walked away with something meaningful. In the end, the greatest success of the hunt wasn’t measured by filled tags, but by the connections forged afield — a reminder that some of the most lasting outcomes of hunting happen long after the hunt itself is over.
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