The Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation presented Smith & Wesson with its 2026 Conservation Partner of the Year award. Over the past five years, Smith & Wesson has provided more than $236 million in Pittman-Robertson funds, making it one of the largest funders of wildlife conservation in America.
Big Game Treestands earned the 2026 Readers' Choice Gold Award from Bowhunting World in the Ladder/Tripod category, recognized for smart design and proven performance. The award highlights Big Game's commitment to stability, comfort, and reliability in elevated hunting solutions.
ALPS OutdoorZ and founder Dennis Brune received the Lynn Boykin Hunting Heritage Award from the National Wild Turkey Federation at their 50th Annual National Convention. The company has contributed over $800,000 to NWTF's mission, including $170,000 for education and outreach, supporting mentored hunting and next-generation hunters since 2008.
Ducks Unlimited named Jeff Tillma the 2026 Minnesota Conservation Partner of the Year and recognized Brittany Nosbush with their Beyond the Call Award. Both work for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and were honored for their conservation partnership efforts supporting DU's public land protection and restoration initiatives.
Outdoor Edge won the Gold Award in the Knife category of the Bowhunting World and Predator Xtreme 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, marking the fifth recognition in six years. The Denver-based manufacturer's patented RazorSafe® replaceable blade system continues to resonate with hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.
Paul Drysdale of Drysdale Forestry & Consulting in Cadillac received the 2026 Stewardship Forester award from the Michigan Association of Consulting Foresters for outstanding customer service to family forest landowners. Drysdale has written hundreds of forest management plans over 24 years and collaborated with the Association of Consulting Foresters, Society of American Foresters, and Michigan Forest Products Council on forest policy.
Birchwood Casey won the Readers' Choice 2026 Gold Award in the Shooting Target category from Predator Xtreme magazine for the second consecutive year, recognizing the brand's innovation, reliability, and leadership in shooting industry products.
Leupold & Stevens, Inc.'s VX-6HD Gen 2 riflescope received an Editors' Choice Award from On Target Magazine for 2025. The scope features innovative CDS-SZL2 dials, professional-grade optics, and six configuration options, representing significant advancement in riflescope technology.
TenPoint Crossbow Technologies earned two prestigious honors at the 2026 Kinsey's Dealer Show: Best in Crossbows for the fourth consecutive year and Best Innovator in Archery for the Turbo X. The awards recognize dealer votes across eight categories, reflecting TenPoint's reliability, innovation, and service excellence in the crossbow industry.
Mossy Oak announced its ProStaff of the Year winners, with Hunter Bonner and Hunter Englehart tying for the honor. Both winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip in 2026, while all 20 nominated ProStaff members receive $250 gift codes to the Mossy Oak Store.
Lee R. Anderson received the Beretta & Safari Club International Foundation Conservation Leadership Award at the 11th Annual Award Gala in Nashville, Tennessee. The prestigious award, sponsored by Beretta, recognizes Anderson's exemplary leadership and lifetime commitment to wildlife conservation, outdoor education, and humanitarian service.
Avian-X won the Bowhunting World Readers' Choice 2026 Gold Award for Wild Turkey Decoys, marking the brand's second consecutive victory. The award recognizes the realism and durability of Avian-X's HDR line, including the HDR Strutter, HDR Jake, and HDR Feeding Hen decoys.
The National Wild Turkey Federation received the Winchester Legend Award at its 50th Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee. Winchester Ammunition presented the award recognizing the NWTF's decades of commitment to conservation and hunting traditions. NWTF Board Chairman Bryan Perry accepted on behalf of the organization and its volunteers, members, and partners.
Jeff Crane, President and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, received the 2026 Distinguished Hunter Advocacy Award from the Mule Deer Foundation at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Utah. The award recognizes Crane's decades of leadership in advancing hunting heritage and science-based wildlife conservation policy.
Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Kyle McQueer received a Lifesaving Award for his quick response to a cardiac emergency in Barry County. McQueer performed CPR and used an AED on a 64-year-old man, who was later released from the hospital after treatment.
The Michigan DNR recognized Jane Gordon of Charlotte for over 40 years of service as a volunteer hunter safety education instructor. Gordon, a former DNR conservation officer, has trained more than 300 women through the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program and currently leads traditional hunter safety classes in Montmorency County.
The Mule Deer Foundation presented three conservation awards at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo's Conservation Night Banquet: Jeff Crane received the Distinguished Hunter Advocacy Award, Brian Wakeling received the Miles Moretti Conservation Champion Award, and Mike Schultz received the Distinguished Private Land Stewardship Award.
Cole Fine Guns and Gunsmithing, based in Naples, Florida, has been named the #1 Beretta Premium Dealer Worldwide for the seventh time since 2018. Owner Rich Cole's gunsmithing expertise stems from his 1979 apprenticeship with Beretta, and the company now operates locations in Maine, Florida, and Texas.
Zanders, an all-women-owned distributor based in Sparta, Illinois, received OpticsPlanet's Distributor of the Year award for 2025. The recognition honors Zanders' commitment to outstanding service, reliable fulfillment, and industry-leading product availability across firearms, ammunition, optics, and outdoor gear.
Springfield Armory's Kuna 9mm pistol has earned an Editors' Choice Award from On Target magazine for being selected as a best new product for 2025. The PDW-style pistol features a roller-delayed operating system, ambidextrous controls, and is priced at $1,179 to $1,330 depending on configuration.