On Feb. 12, I attended the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony in Concord, N.H., to catch the induction of seven worthy recipients, hailing from every New England state. I also had the pleasure of escorting three of these individuals into this year’s Hall of Fame class myself – long-time friend from Vermont, Niles Osterle, and two great hunters from Massachusetts, Mark Galkowski and Ron Gleason, both National Wild Turkey Federation colleagues who I’ve known and worked with for decades, with Ronnie being the real “home grown product” from Greenfield. That’s a big deal when you really think about it.
Ron Gleason heard his first wild turkey in 1971, and at that moment, life as Ronnie knew it changed forever, initiating a relationship with the eastern wild turkey that would lead to a lifetime of learning and volunteering in both New England and beyond.
Long before this, Ron was raising a family with his beautiful wife Donna while nurturing a career with the Interstate Brands Baking Corporation. It was during this period that Ronnie began hunting wild turkeys in both New York and Vermont. Information about turkey hunting was so difficult to come by back then, but he managed to find some wild turkey sound recordings by Roger Latham, and he listened to them repeatedly.
He read a book written by the great turkey hunter Earl Groves called “Talking Tomfoolery.” In this book, he learned about the exploits of hunters like Ben Lee, Dick Kirby, Bart Jacob, and others, and Ronnie became immersed in it.
By 1980, turkey hunting in the Bay State had begun. Shortly after, a group led by Jim Bolduc (Hall of Fame class of 2017) started the first Massachusetts NWTF Chapter called “The State Chapter.” Ron started attending these early NWTF events at the old Oxbow Restaurant in Charlemont with his Uncle George “Manny” Holmes, who eventually spearheaded some of the first turkey calling contests in the state. They were held at the Oxbow, with Ronnie, and only a handful of us who knew anything about turkey hunting back then, serving as judges. These events captivated Ron, which pushed him deeper into the sport.
By 1983, Ron had become an NWTF member, joining The State Chapter as everybody did back then because it was the only chapter in the state. Ronnie quickly became involved, participating in countless events and activities. As a chapter member, Ron worked tirelessly at sportsmen shows and banquets. He sold memberships; spoke at local schools, VFW and American Legion halls, sporting goods stores and churches, while spreading the word about the NWTF and the excitement of wild turkey hunting anywhere he could. As a banquet volunteer, he was anxious to get involved and learn the ropes, which helped Ron in his future successes of organizing, and running, some of the best NWTF banquets this state has ever seen.
He instituted the “turkey care” programs with the local Salvation Army during the holidays, and worked with local media for advertising and support. He also convinced major companies to donate money toward his banquets while acquiring numerous sponsorships that greatly benefited the organization.
Of particular importance to Ron was the coordination of the first youth turkey hunting programs, for which he recruited support from clubs, numerous sponsors, and only the best hunting mentors he could find. By this time, Ron had become an excellent turkey hunter himself, and he used the knowledge to teach young people the joy, and responsibility that came with hunting hoping that someday-future generations might benefit. Ron later became a member of the State NWTF Board of Directors, a role he has now held for over 15 years.
Countless people all across the region will tell you that Ronnie was instrumental in becoming turkey hunters and NWTF members, and those memories of his programs, along with the actual hunts themselves, are something they will cherish and remember forever. In 2011, Ron received the highest honor a volunteer can receive as an NWTF member, the Roger Latham Award, named for the same person he was listening to, and learning from, back in the 1970s.
In addition, for myself having worked with Ron for decades now, I have seen the benefits of his excellent people skills and his dedicated work ethic, which embodies the true spirit of an NWTF volunteer. In addition, his dedication to young sportsmen and women has touched and entire generation of people, both in Massachusetts and beyond.
“I feel honored, and extremely humbled, to be entering the Hall of Fame, joining the other men and women already there,” Ronnie said. “I look at those names and see those who have helped develop my love for hunting, and my passion for sharing with others the knowledge, enjoyment, and pure joy of this sport. Sitting with a young person at dawn the first time they experience the call of a barred owl, listening to an old gobbler’s answer, or simply watching squirrels at play. My goal has always been to impart the love for all of this to the next generation of hunters, while showing them that there’s more to a life in the outdoors than any electronic device built could ever supply.”
Moreover, when the history of turkey hunting in Massachusetts is written, the name Ron Gleason will be forever remembered for every contribution he made to carry on the legacy.
Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the N.E. Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also on the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Pro-Staff.