OWAA announces winners of 2016 Excellence in Craft Contests

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Outdoor Writers Association of America is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Excellence in Craft Contests. First, second and third-place winners were chosen in nine contests. Entries were from work created in 2015. Cash prizes totaled more than $13,000. Prize money, plaques and certificates were presented to winners at OWAA's 89th annual conference in Billings, Montana.

For more information on the annual EIC contests, visit owaa.org/eic.

OWAA thanks the 2016 contest sponsors – Izaak Walton League of America, National Rifle Association, Ocean Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts and Realtree – for their continued support of this prestigious contest program.

2016 Excellence in Craft
Contests:

• Television/Video/
  
• Webcast
  
• Radio/Podcast
  
• Magazine/E-zine
  
• Newspaper/News Website
  
• Blog
  
• Column
  
• Book/E-book
  
• Illustration/Graphic
  
• Photography

2016 winners are as follows:

Television/Video/Webcast Contest

Conservation or Nature Category
Sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts

First place: David Majure, "Bringing Back the Bighorn," Arizona Game & Fish Department
Second place: David Majure, "A Growing Population of Mexican Wolves," Arizona Game & Fish Department
Third place: Kris Millgate, "Snorkeling for Salmon," East Idaho Outdoors

Family Participation/Youth Outdoor Education Category
Sponsored by Realtree

First place: Kelly Jo McDonnell, "Okee Dokee Brothers," KARE-11 NBC
Second place: Joshua Bryant, "City Kid Farm," KARE-11 NBC
Third place: Bill Sherck, "Hope Kids," KARE-11 NBC

Fishing Category
Sponsored by Ocean Conservancy

First place: Grant McOmie, "Oregon's Fish Whisperer," KGW-TV Portland
Second place: Bill Sherck, "3 Generations on the Fly," KARE-11 NBC
Third place: Eric Parker Anderson, "The Spin Doctor," KARE-11 NBC

Gear/Technical Category
First place: Bill Sherck, "Vistabule," KARE-11 NBC
Second place: Bill Sherck, "Whittier Decoys," KARE-11 NBC
Third place: Dan Small, "The Range of Richfield," Milwaukee Public Television

Humor Category
First place: Trey Reid, "Treestand Safety Campaign PSA: Your Tether's Too Low," KARK Little Rock
Second place: Trey Reid, "Treestand Safety Campaign PSA: Use a Haul Line," KARK Little Rock
Third place: Ed Kanze, "Golly, Wally: Giant Beavers Still Surviving in the Adirondacks?," Mountain Lake PBS

Hunting or Shooting Sports Category
Sponsored by the National Rifle Association

First place: Ron Schara, "Land of the Living Sky," KARE-11 NBC
Second place: David Majure, "Yuma: A Dove Hunter's Paradise," Arizona Game & Fish Department
Third place: Bill Sherck, "Big Sky Opener," Outdoor Channel

Outdoor Fun and Adventure Category
Sponsored by Izaak Walton League of America
First place: Eric Parker Anderson, "Scubapalooza," KARE-11 NBC
Second place: Bill Sherck, "Quetico," Fox Sports Wisconsin/Fox Sports North
Third place: Grant McOmie, "Clam Gun Man," KGW-TV Portland

Radio/Podcast Contest

Hunting or Shooting Sports Category
Sponsored by the National Rifle Association
First place: Ty Stockton, "Lock 'em Up," Cowboy State News Network
Second place: John Kruse, "Hunting for the 500 Year Old Man," Northwestern Outdoors Radio
Third place: Charlie Burchfield, "Talking Flintlock Rifles with Mr. Blackpowder," Connect FM 96.7 & 107.9 DuBois

Outdoor Fun and Adventure Category
Sponsored by Izaak Walton League of America
First place: Ty Stockton, "The Pack With Legs," Cowboy State News Network
Second place: John Kruse, "Riding the Rails in Wallowa County," Northwestern Outdoors Radio
Third place: Ty Stockton, "Summer's Nighttime Light Shows are Spectacular," Cowboy State News Network

Magazine/E-zine Contest

Conservation or Nature Category
Sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts
First place: Ellen Horowitz, "Where Have All the Porcupines Gone?," Montana Outdoors
Second place: David Zoby, "Losing the Land," Gray's Sporting Journal
Third place: Michael Zlotnicki, "Trout by the Pound," Wildlife in North Carolina

Family Participation/Youth Outdoor Education Category
Sponsored by Realtree
First place: Christopher Batin, "Through the Ages," Coast
Second place: Jonathan Olivier, "Outdoor Medicine," Louisiana Sportsman
Third place: Tom Keer, "Calling All Grouse Hunters," Ruffed Grouse Society Magazine

Fishing Category
Sponsored by Ocean Conservancy
First place: Christopher Batin, "Praise the Salmon," Coast
Second place: Michael Zlotnicki, "The Allure of Custom Baits," Wildlife in North Carolina
Third place: Jack Ballard, "Panfish on the Prairie," Montana Outdoors

Gear/Technical Category
First place: Christopher Batin, "DEET: The Four Letter Word," Coast
Second place: Michael Zlotnicki, "The Allure of Custom Baits," Wildlife in North Carolina
Third place: Lisa Ballard, "Substitutions," Colorado Outdoors

Humor Category
1st place: Pat Wray, "The Best of Deliveries — A Bearskin Rug"
2nd place: Tom Keer "Wearing off the Brown"
3rd place: Steve Duda, "The Post-Capital Wilderness"

Hunting or Shooting Sports Category
Sponsored by the National Rifle Association
First place: Tim Flanigan, "The Talking Dog," Pennsylvania Game News
Second place: Pat Wray, "The Existential Bootist," Game & Fish Publications
Third place: Christopher Batin, "Cold Case," Coast

Outdoor Fun and Adventure Category
Sponsored by Izaak Walton League of America
First place: Russell Roe, "Trekking Across the Top of Texas," Texas Parks & Wildlife
Second place: Emily Stone, "Skiing in Yellowstone - Naturally," Cross Country Skier
Third place: Lisa Ballard, "Rafting the Grand Canyon," Around Concord

Newspaper/News Website Contest

Conservation or Nature Category
Sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts
First place: David Sikes, "Whoops and Troops," Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Second place: Gail Jokerst, "Frank Vitale Gives a Voice to Wild Places," Montana Senior News
Third place: Emily Stone, "The Wolves of Isle Royal and Michipicoten Island," Sawyer County Record

Family Participation/Youth Outdoor Education Category
Sponsored by Realtree
First place: Pat Wray, "Albacore Fishing with Madison," Corvallis Gazette-Times
Second place: Pat Wray, "Getting Kids Started in the Outdoors," Corvallis Gazette-Times
Third place: Bob Frye, "Mentor hunt about getting kids outdoors," Tribune-Review

Fishing Category
Sponsored by Ocean Conservancy
First place: Pat Wray, "Albacore Fishing with Madison," Corvallis Gazette-Times
Second place: Bob Frye, "Red's Secret," Tribune-Review
Third place: Mark Freeman, "The Club," Mail Tribune

Gear/Technical Category
First place: Bob Frye, "Big fish, little boats," Tribune-Review
Second place: Gail Jokerst, "The Bandana: More Than Just a Hiker's Handkerchief," Montana Senior News
Third place: Brent Frazee, "Device helps find shot deer," Kansas City Star

Humor Category
First place: Marc Folco, "What's on an animal's bucket list?," SouthCoastToday
Second place: Pat Wray, "Getting sleep in the outdoors - or not," Corvallis Gazette-Times
Third place: Steven Kendus, "When the entomophobic hunter becomes the hunted," The News Journal

Hunting or Shooting Sports Category
Sponsored by the National Rifle Association
First place: Bob Frye, "One final adventure," Tribune-Review
Second place: Bob Frye, "Rise of the coyotes," Tribune-Review
Third place: Christine Peterson, "Field to fork," Casper Star-Tribune

Outdoor Fun and Adventure Category
Sponsored by Izaak Walton League of America
First place: Brent Frazee, "Wood really floats his boat," Kansas City Star
Second place: Risa Wyatt, "Slopes Without Borders--Portes du Soleil," The Globe and Mail
Third place: Marty Basch, "At Killington, if you ski 100 days you're in the club," Boston Globe

Blog Contest

Conservation or Nature Category
Sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts
First place: Andy Whitcomb, "It's Not Easy Being Green," http://blog.takemefishing.org
Second place: Matthew Miller, "You Won't Believe What Porcupines Eat (And No, Not Bigfoot Bones)," http://blog.nature.org/
Third place: Candice Andrews, "One Bear's Bad, Last Human Encounter," http://goodnature.nathab.com/

Family Participation/Youth Outdoor Education Category
Sponsored by Realtree
First place: Tom Keer, "Holding Your Kids' Attention When They Are Young," http://www.sportdog.com/blog/
Second place: David Barus, "Magical Fishing Moments for 241 Learning To Fish!," http://www.eriectyfsc.org/
Third place: Michael McKenna, "Fred Hall Father's Day Fishing Derby," http://explore.visitmammoth.com/

Fishing Category
Sponsored by Ocean Conservancy
First place: Ben Moyer, "Into the Youghiogheny Gorge in search of native trout," http://www.nature.org/
Second place: Matthew Miller, "Obsessed by Nature: The World of Fishy Life Listing," http://blog.nature.org/
Third place: Matthew Miller, "A Sucker (Myth) is Born Every Minute," http://blog.nature.org/

Gear/Technical Category
First place: Bob Ford, "Luxurious Living," http://www.ncrealoutdoors.com
Second place: Tom Keer, "Why it's Important to Check on your Boat this Winter," http://blog.takemefishing.org/
Third place: Andy Whitcomb, "Physics of Fishing," http://blog.takemefishing.org

Humor Category
First place: Bob Ford, "Santa's Helper," http://gundog.lcsupply.comBlog
Second place: Bob Ford, "Big Boy and Minnow," http://www.gen7outdoors.com/Blog
Third place: Marshall Nych, "A New Brother," http://bucktailoutdoors.com/

Hunting or Shooting Sports Category
Sponsored by the National Rifle Association
First place: Jodi Stemler, "Colorado's Big Secret," http://www.outdoorlife.com
Second place: Ty Stockton, "Vegetarians Kill More Animals than Hunters Do," http://tystockton.com/
Third place: Laura Lundquist, "Why I'm apprehensive about hunter-apprentice programs," http://www.montanaotg.com

Outdoor Fun and Adventure Category
Sponsored by Izaak Walton League of America
First place: Bill Monroe, "Shake N Bake sets sail from Cabo into dark, unsettled waters," http://www.oregonlive.com/
Second place: Bill Monroe, "Oregonians race hurricane to Cabo San Lucas," http://www.oregonlive.com/
Third place: Ty Stockton, "The Great Sand Dunes are More than Just Sand," http://tystockton.com/

Column Contest

Overall Category
First place: Christopher Batin, Coast magazine
Second place: Emily Stone, Sawyer County Record
Third place: Thomas Stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle

Book/E-book Contest

General Audience Category
First place: Todd Wilkinson, "Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek: An Intimate Portrait of 399, The Most Famous Bear of Greater Yellowstone"
Second place: Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, "Wild in Arizona: Photographing Arizona's Wildflowers"
Third place: Ann & Rob Simpson, "Nature Guide to Yellowstone National Park"

Youth Audience Category
First place: Gene Hester, "My Friend Hootie"
Second place: Laurel Neme, "Orangutan Houdini"
Third place: Ken Keffer, "The Secret Lives of Animals"

Illustration/Graphic Contest

General/Overall Category
First place: Gerald Putt, "Hoodie Haven," Private sale
Second place: Gerald Putt, "Meeting the Challenge," Private sale
Third place: Sam Caldwell, "Santa Takes a Break," CCA Texas

Photography Contest

Action Category
First place: Joe McDonald, "Pallas long-tongued bat," Nature Photographer magazine
Second place: Gary Kramer, "Pintail taking off," Delta Waterfowl Magazine
Third place: Timothy Flanigan, "Water Walking Red-breasted Merganser," Private sale

Family Participation/Youth Outdoor Education Category
Sponsored by Realtree
First place: Bill Monroe, "On the net," The Oregonian
Second place: Tim Romano, "Little Rower," Trout magazine
Third place: James Smedley, "Father and Son," Algoma County Tourism

Fauna Category
First place: Michael Furtman, "Down on the Farm - Snowy Owl on Tractor," Hartley Nature Center
Second place: Joe McDonald, "Green-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird in the rain," Nature Photographer magazine
Third place: Lefty Ray Chapa, "Red tail blue edge," Shimano American

Flora Category
First place: Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, "Joy in the Little Things (Yellow Salsify Seed Head)," Private sale
Second place: Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, "Single Triumph of Summer," Private sale
Third place: Ann and Rob Simpson, "Yellow Columbine," FalconGuides

Outdoor Fun and Adventure Category
Sponsored by Izaak Walton League of America
First place: Ann and Rob Simpson, "Wildlife Watching Fun at Any Age," FalconGuides
Second place: Tim Romano, "Brown Trout," Trout magazine
Third place: Joseph Dits, "The wonders of Rum Village Park in South Bend," South Bend Tribune

People Category
First place: Gary Kramer, "Fishing Sunrise/Sunset," American Angler
Second place: Jessica McGlothlin, "Duck," American Angler
Third place: Gary Kramer, "Shooting Sunrise/Sunset," Outdoor Life - Cast & Blast

Scenic Category
First place: Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, "Sailor's Delight at West Pond Cove, Acadia National Park," National Park Traveler's Essential Park Guide (Winter 2015-2016)
Second place: David Sikes, "Hobie in Fog," Caller-Times
Third place: Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, "Monsoon Surprise," 2015 Arizona Highways Engagement Calendar