UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Turkey hunting is a common interest among the members of the Spur Collectors National Wild Turkey Federation Chapter in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, but there’s more to this club than pursuing birds.
Chapter Vice President Brandon Shrodo, of Jersey Shore, is an environmental resource management major in the college. While hunting is a common bond, he said members are equally committed to improving conservation for turkeys and other wildlife and introducing young people to the outdoors.
One of his favorite activities is knowing he’s helping improve turkey habitat, he said.
“I like knowing [turkeys are] on the land, and I especially like hearing them and talking to them with game calls,” Shrodo said.
Established in 2012, the Penn State Spur Collectors chapter was the first collegiate chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation founded in Pennsylvania.
The chapter assists local turkey federation chapters with their banquets and members take field trips to the Penn State Deer Research Center, the local elk herd in Benezette, the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg and the National Wild Turkey Federation’s annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee, in February. Members also participate in group hunts and fishing trips, target range shooting days, and presentations from biologists and conservationists.
At this year’s national convention, the chapter received the L.A. Dixon Memorial Award, which is presented to the chapter with the largest number of adult memberships. The Penn State Spur Collectors had 151 people attend its 2025 Hunting Heritage Banquet; membership in the national federation is granted to everyone who buys a banquet ticket.
This year’s Spur Collectors banquet, held March 21 in Bellefonte, raised $15,375 for the National Wild Turkey Federation, which will be used primarily for wildlife conservation and education. Funds are raised through ticket sales, several raffles for donated goods, and live and silent auctions.
This year’s funds represent a 63% net gift to the federation and will qualify the chapter for the Golden Gobbler Elite award, according to Scott Kephart, chapter adviser and manager of the Poultry Education and Research Center in the Department of Animal Science. The chapter will receive this award at the Pennsylvania State National Wild Turkey Federation Rendezvous in January 2027, at the Penn Stater Hotel.
“These students are the future leaders of our organization, and I’m proud to say they do a great job, not just this year but every year,” Kephart said.
Shrodo is constantly searching for ways to improve turkey habitat across the state, including at his family’s farm in Tioga County. He said he intends to plant oak trees and implement other practices that will make the property more amenable to turkeys.
“I have seen a serious turkey population decline around my family’s farm because of a lack of habitat,” he said. “It kind of drives me to do things like this and raise money for conservation. Even if it doesn’t impact me directly on my farm, it’s still improving the general area.”
Dominic Tristani, of Gibsonia, is the club’s president. He is an agribusiness management major in the college and hunts with family and friends in Clarion County. He has been interested in conservation for about as long as he can remember.
“I’ve always been interested in water science and stream science because I’m very into trout fishing,” he said. “Conservation has always been on my mind, and I saw this club as an opportunity to do a lot of good not just for turkeys, but for other species and sectors as well.”
Tristani said every chapter supports conservation efforts across the state and nation. According to the national organization, its chapters have conserved or enhanced more than 22 million acres, recruited 1.5 million hunters and opened 700,000 acres for hunting since 2012.
“These are impressive figures that struck me as something I really wanted to be a part of,” Tristani said. “Even though we’re one chapter, every chapter is very personal, everyone has their personal projects, and it really makes you feel like you’re making a difference.”
The chapter meets every other Thursday at 6 p.m. in room 104 of the Forest Resources Building at Penn State University Park. Topics include special speakers, conservation updates, fundraising and banquet planning. For more information, contact Kephart at slk53@psu.edu.