PLAINS – Supporters and members of the National Wild Turkey Federation flooded the fairground’s pavilion on Saturday for the 13th annual banquet and fundraiser.

The hunting heritage banquet helped the NWTF raise money to help further their cause.

The NWTF is the nation’s only non-profit organization dedicated to the management and conservation of the American wild turkey.

Founded in 1973, the organization works with federal and state wildlife and natural resource agencies as well as land property owners. It assists with wild turkey conservation programs in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Senior Regional Director for Montana and Wyoming, Chris Fortune, said the banquet had maybe a handful of people more than last year.

This year the banquet had between 100 and 110 people in attendance.

“We do about 2,000 of these around the nation with the NWTF. It’s our way of raising money for the conservation of wild turkeys, habitat for them, moving birds and that kind of stuff,” said Fortune.

Fortune explained this is how they introduced turkeys into the valley to begin with and since then turkey hunting has really caught on. Now people are able to buy tags over the counter, something Fortune is happy to see.

The money raised also helps different outreach programs the NWTF heads including a kids program, a womans outdoor program and a handicapped sports program.

With their 40th anniversary underway, the banquet handed out big prizes for the turkey lovers who attended.

Live auction items included a 2013 NWTF Knife collection, ruby pendant and earring set and a wine cabinet among many other things.

Among the live auction items were red light items. If a person successfully obtained a red light item they had a one in ten chance of winning a 30.06.

Games were provided for both kids and adults alike, offering prizes and a gun raffle was held throughout the night.

Dinner was organized by the Plains Womans Club and featured prime rib. The Chicks n’ Chaps girls were also in the building, manning the bar and raising funds for their organization.

According to Fortune, Tim and Carol Brooker started the Clark Fork Valley Chapter and it has gone a long way since then.

“(Sanders County) is an area that we wanted to get birds introduced into and it’s a lot easier to get that done when Fish and Game knows we have people interested there in wild turkeys,” said Fortune.

The organization introduced turkeys into the area some 11 years ago and since then they have expanded down and across the valley.

“They’re like other wildlife, they expand. They don’t want to compete for the same area for food so they migrate out,” said Fortune.

Now with turkey numbers plentiful, the NWTF is focusing on maintaining their habitat.

“We’re partners with the Forest Service so we do a lot of burning projects and thinning out brush,” said Fortune, which ultimately helps the habitats for the birds.