The 18th Annual Pike County Heritage Banquet will be held at Cattleman Park on March 13. The banquet is sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation, an organization that is dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of the nation’s hunting heritage.

Darren Jordan, Heritage Banquet co-chair, said the restoration of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America’s wildlife history.

Through vital partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations throughout North American and contributed more than $372 million to conserve nearly 17 million acres of habitat.

“The dollars that are raised through our annual Heritage Banquets are used for the conservation of the wild turkey, habitat conservation and the restocking efforts of the wild turkey. The number of wild turkeys has increased tremendously through the efforts of the NWTF. Men, women and children now enjoy the sport.

“Buying a ticket to the Pike County Heritage Banquet helps ensure a growing wild turkey population for years to come.”

Tickets for the Heritage Banquet are $55 for individuals and $75 for couples.

“We also offer a $20 Jake’s ticket for young people ages 18 and under,” Jordan said.

A banquet ticket includes membership into the National Turkey Magazine and incentives for reduced insurance for hunting leases.

“The ticket is also a huge incentive for those who buy seeds for spring and fall planting. As long as they are available from the NWTF, you can get the seeds 80 and 90 percent off the retail price. That’s a big savings.”

The Pike County Heritage Banquet features a silent auction with wildlife prints, sculptures and a wide variety of NWTF outdoor merchandise.

“We’ll also have a couple of live auction items and from six to 10 guns will be given away in a gun blitz,” Jordan said. “Donnie Richards will be at the banquet with his ‘Come Heah Tuh Me’ turkey calls and he’ll be glad to demonstrate them. His turkey calls are the very best.”

Jordan said he can guarantee that some turkey stories will be told so the banquet will be fun for the entire family.

The Pike County Heritage Banquet will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 13 at Cattleman Park. Tickets are available by calling Darren Jordan at 268-0974 or Roy Medley at 334-735-2580 and will be available at the door.

Turkey season opens March 15 and ends April 30. Young people can get a jump on the season March 10 and 11. No license is required for youths to hunt on these two days but they must be accompanied by a licensed adult.