Now that I have a few minutes to spare, I wanted to recap my three days at the 50th Annual NWTF Convention & Sport Show at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN. Well, it’s more like two completely full days with a few extra hours sprinkled on top. From February 11-13, 2026, you were lost in a sea of camouflage, firearms and taxidermy. Whichever way you look at it, the 2026 convention brought out the turkey in everyone.
My goals for attending were to cover as much ground in a short time by meeting up with specially chosen people and the remainder to help at the Badlands Gear shop inside the Mike’s Archery booth. I was able to do both, and it was one of the most successful conventions ever.
One of my key takeaways from the NWTF Convention was the positivity and sharing of faith in God all around. From little kids calling better than I do to adults looking for a new turkey vest, everyone was positive and happy. I had some wonderful conversations about faith and turkey hunting.
On the evening of February 11 (Thursday), I drove up the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center to meet up with exhibitors and meet some friends before attending the media event and Lucky Spur Kick-off Party. I had six exhibitors to meet with during the entire show. Something vital I recommend to all media who attend is to look at the map in the app and create a schedule to meet with people. Contact them and set some meeting times. I knew my time was very limited, so I put on my big-boy pants, comfy shoes and hit the floor for 2.5 hours. In that time, I was able to meet with four of the six exhibitors, have quality conversations, and exchange information to add value to my time there.
After the show floor closed for the day, I helped at the Badlands booth and talked with the gang before heading upstairs to the NWTF media event. Albeit a small turnout, it was quite condensed in quality people to talk with. Shout-out to David Gladowski, Managing Editor of Web and Media for NWTF, for setting it up and sharing some time with me. We had a conversation that opened my eyes on a few things and gave me hope for future writing opportunities. I then shared a table with outdoor photographer Michael Clingan, of Montana Outdoor Imagery, and habitat specialist Zack Vucurevich, owner of Whetstone Habitat. We spent a short time talking about everything hunting, photography and habitat, with hopes of connecting on a hunt sometime in the future. We are all members of POMA and it’s not a coincidence that the three of us ended up at the same table. God makes those divine appointments count.
Then it was time for the Lucky Spur Kick-off Party where you get to listen to great music and even get in on the raffle for the Wall of Guns. I love supporting the NWTF and participating in the fundraisers is great to help aid in funding conservation. What was even better was the entertainment. Justin Adams really brought the house down and everyone’s spirits up. He’s a Jesus-loving family man and a turkey-killing fanatic who loves to belt out country music. He also loves to whip up some wild game dishes that you can find on the NWTF website, too. Justin got the crowd fired up and the music was great. Sadly, I did not win anything on the Wall of Guns.
The next two days I worked the Mike’s Archery/Badlands Gear booth with my friend Rusty Drew. We had a great time talking turkey to people, goofing around, sharing about the new Badlands turkey vest hitting the market mid-March and poking fun at each other. Trust me, if your friends don’t poke fun at you, you don’t have friends. We are most definitely friends!
The 50th Annual NWTF Convention & Sport Show was a huge hit. The attendance over the three days was 94,426 – which is up from the previous year of around 82,000. The crowd grew this year and so did my love of the NWTF. The days go by fast, but it sure does get you fired up to chase some longbeards! Did you attend the convention this year? If so, what was your favorite thing about it? I’m already looking forward to next year, but first I’m going to go pattern my brand-new turkey gun. Which one you ask? I guess you’ll have to wait for an upcoming article. In the meantime, go do some scouting and practice those turkey calls because the season will be here before you know it!
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