Sportsmen and conservators can help support wild turkey conservation by attending the Hunting Heritage Super Fund auction and dinner hosted by the Cedar River Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The event will be held Friday, Jan. 23 at the Austin Holiday Inn.

The doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a social hour before the meal.

All ticket holders will be eligible to win valuable prizes exclusive to NWTF events.

The highest bid could allow someone to go home with sporting art, hunting guns, knives, calls, outdoor equipment and more.

Tickets for the Cedar River Longbeards Chapter Annual Hunting Heritage Super Fund banquet are $50 each.

Membership will help the NWTF support wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands and preserve hunting as a traditional North American sport.

“In 1973, when the NWTF was founded, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters,” Longbeards chapter spokesman Doug Bergemann said. “Thanks to the work of wildlife agencies and the NWTF’s many volunteers and partners, today there are more than 7 million wild turkeys and almost 3 million turkey hunters.”

The NWTF is a non-profit organization with 545,000 members in 50 states and 16 foreign countries.

Reserve banquet tickets by calling Bergemann at 434-7984.

For more information about the NWTF, log on to the Web site at www.nwtf.org,  e-mail nwtf@nwtf. net or call (800) THE-NWTF.