When turkey season rolls around, Ralph Warzecha of rural Eagle Bend clears his schedule to make way for turkey hunts.
These days he may not pull a trigger on a brilliantly colored tom turkey all season, but he leads as many new hunters through the hunt as he can. Since starting mentored turkey hunts around his property and surrounding properties, he believes he's helped around 200 new hunters learn the sport.
When others ask him why he won't turn down a hunt, he explains it as common sense.
"What an opportunity to be able to hunt everyday," Warzecha said.
Warzecha was born with a passion to hunt and he soaked in every chance he could at a young age. But at age 12, Warzecha's father died. Just like that, he was missing a great mentor to accompany him on the many experiences he had yet to enjoy in life.
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Warzecha grew up thinking about that missing link and it took a bizarre event before he had an opportunity to do something big. It took turkey transplanting.
Shortly after the Minnesota DNR planted turkeys in the area in 2003, the population of turkeys increased and Warzecha began hunting them and introducing others to the sport. And when the DNR and National Wild Turkey Federation partnered to host the mentored turkey hunts, Warzecha finally got his chance to regularly serve as a mentor to youths that had no one to take them, to disabled hunters who lacked access to a hunt and to regular men and women who just never had the resources to make it happen.
He recalls one particular hunt involving a youth whose family included numerous drug users. Warzecha was glad he had the chance to show him a glimpse of life outside of that situation.
"It's nice to show them there is another life out there," Warzecha said.
Warzecha's involvement in the mentor program, in leadership of his local chapter and work to grow chapter numbers and involvement helped him earn not only the state mentor of the year award, but the national mentor of the year award as well.
"Ralph plays a huge part in the recruitment of hunters," according to NWTF senior regional director Tom Glines. "He has been teaching and coaching new hunters for well over a decade. Probably his whole life. I am not sure of the exact numbers he has mentored in the past three years-but it is well above any other individual that I know in Minnesota.
"He has opened his home up to these kids and adults to be part of turkey camp every spring. Many of those not family members or friends. He is teaching hunters lifelong skills that they can share with others well past the time that they spent with Ralph."
Those who've hunted with Warzecha know he's well rehearsed in calling in tom turkeys. While his own voice is a bit gruff, he can convince just about any old tom that he's a hen in dire need of company with just about any call he has on hand.
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While Warzecha was humbled at the announcement of winning state and national recognition as a mentor, he was very proud that his chapter Struttin' Blackbeards took home awards too. Those include first place in most women in a chapter, fourth most money earned, fifth place in best average attendance to annual banquets and they earned the Golden Gobbler award, a coveted award based on funds raised and money spent.
Warzecha also notes that while he is getting a lot of recognition, the success is a result of partnerships and a long list of contributors. One major help included his better half, Sandy. Ralph said she created a welcoming atmosphere for mentors at her home, planned meals for all those coming through and even made room for many to stay at their home. She supported Ralph's desire to mentor as many hunters as he could fit into his schedule. Sadly, Sandy passed away last April. It's taken a group of volunteers to try to fill in the void left by her death.
Upon being notified of his awards, Warzecha was thankful for the many volunteers in his chapter, to the many property owners that allow the hunts on their land, to countless other volunteers and to his wife.
"I might be the focal point of creating change, but there is more to all this than just me," Warzecha said. "Sandy played a big part of that."
Warzecha, who lives in rural Eagle Bend, is a leader in the Struttin' Blackbeards Chapter based out of Long Prairie, but has now moved the fundraising banquet to Clarissa. If it is similar to last year's event, the banquet will likely sell out of tickets. This year's banquet is Feb. 4.
Warzecha makes way for Nashville, Tenn., with his daughter-in-law, Sandy's daughter, Ashley Current to the national convention to be honored Feb. 17. While there, MN State Chapter of the NWTF will also receive the National Hunting Heritage Award for recruiting the most hunters by its volunteers since the inception of the "Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt." initiative.
According to Glines, the initial NWTF goal of restoring the turkey population has been reached. The next initiative, started three years ago "Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt." is focusing on restoring and enhancing 4 million acres of habitat, opening access to 500,000 acres of lands not currently open to hunters and recruiting 1.5 million new hunters.
"We set a 10-year goal and are well on our way to achieve those numbers," Glines said. "Ralph played a huge part in those numbers."
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