2024 EXCELLENCE IN CRAFT AWARD WINNERS
CONSERVATION or NATURE
(Sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts)
BLOG
- First Place: In the World of Animal Courtship, These Males Go to Extremes, Ashley Stimpson (Atlas Obscura)
- Second Place: Why Are Some Wolves Black? The Answer Will Surprise You, Christine Peterson (Cool Green Science)
- Third Place: Satellite Tracking the Pacific’s Most Endangered Leatherback Turtles, Justine Hausheer (Cool Green Science)
MAGAZINE
- First Place: Restoring Balance, Noah Davis (Anglers Journal)
- Second Place: Friend in need, Bob Frye (Pennsylvania Game News)
- Third Place: They’re Saying What?, Sneed Collard (Montana Outdoors)
NEWSPAPER
- First Place: ‘Eat the problem’: French chef wants Louisiana to cook more carp, nutria and other invasive species, Tristan Baurick (The Times-Picayune and Advocate)
- Poison Bullets Poison Bullets, Ted Williams (Gray’s Sporting Journal)
- Third Place: Why Mister Grouse is the Friendliest Bird in the Forest, Ashley Stimpson (The New York Times)
RADIO/PODCAST
- First Place: Restoring wild bison in Montana with Andrew Mckean, John Kruse (Northwestern Outdoors Radio)
- Second Place: Protecting Coastlines and Waterways: Dr. Chad Nelsen on the Surfrider Foundation’s Mission, Arkansas Wildlife Podcast Episode 7: The Ethics of Modern Technology in Hunting and Fishing, Howard Fox (Outdoor Adventure Series Podcast)
- Third Place: Endangered Species Act Turns 50, Dan Small (Outdoors Radio Network)
TV/VIDEO/WEBCAST
- First Place: On Grizzly Ground, Kris Millgate (Idaho Public Television)
- Second Place: A Beautiful Mess, Mark Taylor (TU.org and Vimeo)
- Third Place: The Firefly, Kelly McDonnell (KARE 11 NBC)
FAMILY PARTICIPATION/YOUTH OUTDOOR EDUCATION
BLOG
- First Place: Nature Play Is Okay, But Messy, Risky Play Is Tricky, Candice Andrews (Good Nature)
- Second Place: 8 Birds to Spark a Kid’s Interest in Nature, Matthew Miller (Cool Green Science)
- Third Place: Hope for the Future: Bilingual Children and Finite Worries, Candice Andrews (Good Nature)
MAGAZINE
- First Place: The Things She Carried, Christine Peterson (Bugle)
- Second Place: Teenagers + Wilderness, Hilary Hutcheson (Fly Fisherman)
- Third Place: Name That Elk Country, Paul Queneau (Bugle)
NEWSPAPER
- First Place: Training For Young Hunters, Lew Freedman (Seymour [Indiana] Tribune)
- Second Place: Take a kid, Michael Salomone (Vail Daily)
- Third Place: Cops & Bobbers, Dan Small (Wisconsin Outdoor News)
PHOTOGRAPHY
- First Place: Dad, I Got This, Lefty Ray Chapa (National Shooting Complex Office Wall Project)
- Second Place: Family Hike, James Smedley (Algoma Country Travel Guide 2023)
- Third Place: Family Fishing, James Smedley (The Sault Star)
RADIO/PODCAST
- First Place: Nancy Grette and the Alatheia Therapeutic Riding Center, John Kruse (Northwestern Outdoors Radio)
- Second Place: Texas to North Dakota: The Waterfowl Brigade Camp Inspiring Young Conservationists [EP 412], Rick Saez (The Outdoor Biz Podcast)
- Third Place: Jackie McGonigal – Artful Adventures: Kayaking, Painting, and Connecting with Nature at the Orange Beach Wind and Water Learning Center, Howard Fox (Outdoor Adventure Series)
TV/VIDEO/WEBCAST
- First Place: Fishy French Portage!, Bill Sherck (Minnesota Bound KARE 11 NBC MINNEAPOLIS)
- Second Place: Aces on Ice, Pete Hermann-Franzen (KARE 11 NBC)
- Third Place: The Frank Family Fishing Opener, Kyle Heidenreich (NBC KARE 11)
FISHING
BLOG
- First Place: 50 Fish, 50 States: Rudd of South Dakota, Matthew Miller (Cool Green Science)
- Second Place: Whopper catfish lurk in Missouri River downtown, Brent Frazee (flatlandkc.org)
- Third Place: 50 Fish, 50 States: Bartram’s Bass, Matthew Miller (Cool Green Science)
MAGAZINE
- First Place: A Roll of Tarpon – Prayer and Scars in the Mangroves of the Yucatán, David N. McIlvaney (Tail Fly Fishing)
- Second Place: The Regulars, David Zoby (Gray’s Sporting Journal)
- Third Place: Double Take, G. E. MaGrath (Anglers Journal)
NEWSPAPER
- First Place: Changes are needed to protect longnose suckers, other native species, Paul Smith (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Second Place: Migrating Trout Provide Great Opportunities for River Anglers, Paul Smith (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Third Place: ‘He could’ve drowned:’ Tales from the rowdy, raucous run on the Salmon River, Steve Featherstone (Syracuse.com / Post Standard / NYup.com)
RADIO/PODCAST
- First Place: Secret Spots, Selective Sharing, and Circles of Trust in Fishing (with Crazy Alberto Knie & Captain Alex Dolinski), Deborah Hanson (Southwest Florida on 98.1 FM/770 AM Southwest Florida [Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples] on ESPN Southwest Florida via 98.1 FM/770 AM and streaming at espnswfl.com)
- Second Place: PODCAST INTERVIEW: Family and Fly Fishing with Kisha Atkin, Marvin Cash (The Articulate Fly Podcast)
- Third Place: Bass fishing from the back of the boat with Glenn May, John Kruse (Northwestern Outdoors Radio)
TV/VIDEO/WEBCAST
- First Place: Over the Guardrail, Ross Purnell (Live theatre audience, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Flyfisherman.com)
- Second Place: New Home Waters, Grant McOmie (KGW-TV, Portland, Oregon)
- Third Place: Back To Her Roots, Blake Podhajsky (Outdoor Oklahoma)
GEAR/TECHNICAL
BLOG
- First Place: How to Choose a Shotgun as a Female Hunter, Jodi Stemler (Gun Dog Magazine)
- Second Place: Weight for it, Luke Ovgard (CaughtOvgard)
- Third Place: Jimmy Houston reveals his secrets to fishing a spinnerbait, Brent Frazee (Anglers.com)
MAGAZINE
- First Place: Over Your Head, Kris Millgate (Journal of Wildlife Photography)
- Second Place: Drop Shot: Rolling in the Deep, George Daniel (Fly Fisherman)
- Third Place: Flinging Fingerlings, Jack Ballard (Wyoming Wildlife)
NEWSPAPER
- First Place: Explore Puget Sound this ‘Divetober’ with a snorkel, no scuba required, Gregory Scruggs (The Seattle Times)
- Second Place: Soft hackles sell it for you, Michael Salomone (Vail Daily)
- Third Place: How the Pacific Northwest became the nation’s cyclocross capital, Gregory Scruggs (The Seattle Times)
RADIO/PODCAST
- First Place: Mepp’s Legacy…, Bill Sherck (Podcasts/World Wide Web!)
- Second Place: Josh Warrent with WorkSharp shares essential knives and sharpeners for deer camp, John Kruse (America Outdoors Radio)
- Third Place: Outdoor Vitals Founder, Tayson Whittaker is Driven to Make Better Gear for Getting Outside [EP 370], Rick Saez (The Outdoor Biz Podcast)
TV/VIDEO/WEBCAST
- First Place: Adipose!, Bill Sherck (Made For The Outdoors Sportsman Channel)
- Second Place: Frost River’s Backpack!, Bill Sherck (Made For The Outdoors Sportsman Channel)
- Third Place: Building a Legacy with Work Sharp, Richy Harrod (Harrod Outdoors YouTube Channel)
HUMOR
BLOG
- First Place: Peru Creek: Crapping in a Bag & Other Stories, Heather Physioc (KCTRVLR)
- Second Place: Crappieholics, Keith Lusher (Louisiana Sportsman Magazine)
- Third Place: Winter sculpins are a small blessing, Luke Ovgard (CaughtOvgard)
MAGAZINE
- First Place: My first cowboy hat, Matthew Crossman (Mountain Outlaw)
- Second Place: Where the Hose Goes, Dylan Jones (Highland Outdoors)
- Third Place: Testifying on My Own Behalf, Tom Carney (Woods-n-Water News)
NEWSPAPER
- First Place: What’s memory got to do with fishing?, Dennis Dauble (Tri-City Herald)
- Second Place: Here’s how Oregon beer could help save Oregon salmon, Bill Monroe (The Oregonian/OregonLive)
- Third Place: Dirty Dancing, Roy Heilman (Mankato Free Press)
HUNTING or SHOOTING SPORTS
BLOG
- First Place: New hunter learns to thrive in the wild, Brent Frazee (flatlandkc.org)
- Second Place: The Hunt for Sustainability, Jodi Stemler (The Outdoor Wire)
- Third Place: Deer Hunting in the Rain – Tips for Making Your Hunt a Success, John Van (DeerHuntingGuide.net
MAGAZINE
- First Place: Baptism by Quail, Russell Worth Parker (Garden and Gun)
- Second Place: A Part of This Place, Noah Davis (Strung)
- Third Place: Micah’s Resolve, Jack Ballard (Bugle)
NEWSPAPER
- First Place: Annual outing yields riches to hunters, Paul Smith (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Second Place: He didn’t need to die: CNY hunter’s family tries to move on after fatal accident, Steven Featherstone (Syracuse.com / NYup.com)
- Third Place: Deer populations in Virginia’s cities and suburbs are increasing while the number of hunters declines, Mark Taylor (Cardinal News)
- Russell Worth Parker
RADIO/PODCAST
- First Place: Hunting Mearns Quail with Keith Crowley, John Kruse (America Outdoors Radio)
- Second Place: EP 29: Dogs, Falcons, and the Free Range Dog Lifestyle in Montana, Web Parton (freerangedogs.com)
- Third Place: EP 30: Dogs — Our True Companions for 100,000 Years, Web Parton (freerangedogs.com)
TV/VIDEO/WEBCAST
- First Place: North Maine’s Flat Tire Flush!, Bill Sherck (The Flush Outdoor Channel)
- Second Place: The Logging Camp Ranch, Bill Sherck (The Flush Outdoor Channel)
- Third Place: Alaska Ptarmigan, Pete Hermann-Franzen (Outdoor Channel)
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
BLOG
- First Place: A Field Guide to Unexpected, Out-of-Place Wildlife, Matthew Miller (Cool Green Science)
- Second Place: Want to Improve Your Outdoor Recreation? Try Birding, Matthew Miller (Cool Green Science)
- Third Place: River reconnection: backpacking the North Fork Skokomish River Trail in Olympic National Park, Heather Physioc (KCTRVLR)
MAGAZINE
- First Place: Back in the Saddle, Shannon King (Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine)
- Second Place: Hiking Needs New Rules, Christine Peterson (The Atlantic)
- Third Place: Fall Skiing in Bariloche, Lisa Ballard (Woodstock Magazine)
NEWSPAPER
- First Place: Tom Stienstra’s Tales of Survival, Tom Stienstra (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Second Place: Peaceful prairie, Marion & Rich Patterson (The Green Gazette)
- Third Place: Pancreatic cancer be damned: Bike racing poet powers to the finish line, Joseph Dits (South Bend Tribune)
RADIO/PODCAST
- First Place: Fall paddling destinations in the Inland Northwest with Dan Hansen, John Kruse (Northwestern Outdoors Radio)
- Second Place: EP28 — Eli and Shannon Walton in Jackson, Wyoming, Web Parton (freerangedogs.com)
- Third Place: EP27 — The Adventures of Abu Doggi in Seattle, WA, Web Parton (freerangedogs.com)
TV/VIDEO/WEBCAST
- First Place: Urban Wildscaping, Blake Podhajsky (Outdoor Oklahoma)
- Second Place: Winter Birds, Ron Schara (KARE 11 NBC)
- Third Place: Blue Mounds State Park Bison Tour, Kyle Heidenreich (KARE 11 NBC)
PHOTOGRAPHY
- First Place: Alberton Gorge, Andy Austin (Glacier Country Tourism Board hired shoot)
- Second Place: Family Hiking, James Smedley (Algoma Country Travel Guide 2023)
- Third Place: A Perfect Day, Eric Kallen (The Virginia Sportsman)
BOOKS
(Sponsored by Friesens Publishing)
GENERAL AUDIENCE
- First Place: Knowing the Trees: Discover the Forest from Seed to Snag, Ken Keffer (Mountaineers Press)
- Second Place: Smoke to See By; Knowing Nature in Northern Appalachia, Ben Moyer (Sunbury Press)
- Third Place: These Trees Tell a Story: The Art of Reading Landscapes, Noah Charney (Yale University Press)
GRAPHIC/ILLUSTRATION
- First Place: Aesthetics of Death Series VIII, Alberto Rey (Buffalo AKG Art Museum)
- Second Place: Shadows of the Saint Joe, Dennis Pastucha (Fly Fisherman)
- Third Place: 7 Ways to Haul, Joe Mahler (Fly Fisherman)
COLUMN
- First Place: Quarterly Blue Lines columns: How to Save Your Aspen, Our Little Blue Line, Hello to a River, Thomas Reed (Trout)
- Second Place: Smoked Parks, Puffins & Politics: Derrick Z. Jackson Conservation Columns, Derrick Jackson (Union of Concerned Scientists)
- Third Place: Paul Smith columns, Paul Smith (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
PHOTO ESSAY
- First Place: In the Gulf of Maine, Scientists Race to Save Seabirds Threatened by Climate Change, Derrick Jackson (Union of Concerned Scientists)
- Second Place: Lost in Translation, Dylan Jones (Highland Outdoors)
- Third Place: South Fork Birding, Chris Paparo (The Express Magazine)
PHOTOGRAPHY
ACTION
- First Place: Haddock Haul, Derrick Jackson (Union of Concerned Scientists)
- Second Place: Rocky Descent: A Mountain Goat’s Downward Climb at McCullough Gulch, Heather Physioc (KCTRVLR)
- Third Place: Winning in the Rain, Lefty Ray Chapa (National Shooting Complex Office Wall Project)
FAUNA
- First Place: Taking Flight, Michael Hodgson (MHodgsonPhotography – Facebook)
- Second Place: Uncharted Waters – Leopard Seal in Antarctica, Andy Austin (andyaustinphoto.com)
- Third Place: Bearly Fishing, Michael Hodgson (MHodgsonPhotography – Facebook)
FLORA
- First Place: King Birch, Dylan Jones (Stumptown Ales, Davis, WV)
- Second Place: Milkweed, Brent Drinkut (Outdoor Indiana)
- Third Place: Water Drops on Dandelion Seed Heads, Colleen Miniuk (Arizona Highways)
PEOPLE
- First Place: Outdoor Afro: Making Waves 2023, Candace Dantes (Outdoor Afro)
- Second Place: Father and Son Fire, James Smedley (Algoma Country Travel Guide 2023)
- Third Place: Bahamian Guide, Steve Schwartz (MeatEater)
SCENIC
- First Place: The Grandest Cathedral, Colleen Miniuk (Dear Bubbles blog)
- Second Place: Over the Moonbow, Grand Canyon National Park, Andy Austin (andyaustinphoto.com)
- Third Place: Last of the Larches, Andy Austin (andyaustinphoto.com)
OPEN
- First Place: Restore Our Water Campaign, Nicolas Gann (Restore Our Water Campaign)
- Second Place: Outdoor Branding Website – Edward the Arborist, Edward Morrow (www.edwardthearborist.com)
- Third Place: Travel Tips and Advice, Michael Hodgson (HITravelTales.com)
PRESIDENT’S CHOICE AWARDS
BLOG
- A Field Guide to Unexpected, Out-of-Place Wildlife, Matthew Miller (Cool Green Science)
MAGAZINE
- Baptism by Quail, Russell Worth Parker (Garden and Gun)
NEWSPAPER
- Changes are needed to protect longnose suckers, other native species, Paul Smith (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
PHOTOGRAPHY
- King Birch, Dylan Jones (Stumptown Ales, Davis, WV)
RADIO/PODCAST
Mepp’s Legacy…, Bill Sherck (Podcasts/World Wide Web!)
TV/VIDEO/WEBCAST
On Grizzly Ground, Kris Millgate (Idaho Public Television)