Support wild turkey restorations

Cause:
To support the restoration efforts of the Eastern Wild Turkey in Southeast Texas and to raise awareness for the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in Spring/Summer of 2016.

Campaign:
I plan to thru-hike 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail starting in April and ending in September.

My goal is to raise $50,000 in pledges. The funds raised will be donated (on behalf of the NWTF) to Texas Parks and Wildlife who has committed to a 4 to 1 match. My goal of $50,000 in pledges results in $250,000 of funds that will be use to reestablish Eastern Wild Turkeys in Southeastern Texas.

As part of my hike I plan to bring awareness to the NWTF's dedication to saving habitats and protecting our hunting heritage. The NWTF was founded in 1973 when there were less than 1.5 million wild turkeys remaining in North America. Today population estimates are over 7 million.

The Power of the Match:
Every $1 you pledge results in $5 to help the wild turkeys!

Blog:
Follow my hike at Trailjournals.com/jakethefake

Article from the NWTF's Turkey Country magazine February 2016:

Leaving a Legacy
A 2,180-mile hike for conservation
Longtime NWTF Houston member Brandon Jacob has a deep passion for wildlife and conservation. This deep-rooted passion stirred up an idea in Jacob’s soul to help raise funds for the Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. Initiative’s conservation efforts, and at the same time complete a goal that’s been on his bucket list for many years.
With the promotional help of the NWTF Texas state board of directors and NWTF Texas Regional Director Mike Shouse, Jacob will attempt to complete a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail crosses 2,180 miles of terrain from Georgia to Maine and traverses some of the most rugged mountains in the eastern United States. He has wanted to complete this thru-hike since he was in his late 20s but always considered it as something to do in retirement.
“I looked at the physical challenges of walking 2,180 miles, and I felt I better do it while I still have the ability to endure the hardships,” said Jacob, who turns 50 in late 2016. “When I started planning in early 2015, I thought about how I could make this journey bigger than me. That’s when I thought about the NWTF.”
Jacob hunts and owns land in Polk County, Texas, and like many NWTF members, looks forward to regularly hearing the thunder of the Eastern wild turkey in East Texas.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has agreed to match every dollar Jacob raises by 4:1. So, if Jacob achieves his $50,000 personal goal, the TPWD will contribute $200,000toward Eastern wild turkey restoration efforts within the America’s Southern Piney Woods focal area in East Texas.

As of late December 2015, he has raised more than $7,500.
Jacob’s thru-hike is scheduled to take six months, starting in early April. He said he planned it this way, so he could get in one spring gobbler turkey hunt before he heads to Georgia.
If everything goes to plan, he should reach the summit of Maine’s Mount Katahdin in late September.​

Online:
Follow Brandon Jacob’s progress on his Appalachian Trail quest by visiting his blog at trailjournals.com/jakethefake.