DNR wants ethical hunters
The Wisconsin DNR is accepting applications for its annual Wisconsin Ethical Hunter Award, which honors hunter’s actions of exceptional moral actions and character while in the field. The award was established in 1997, to recognize a person whose action represents Wisconsin’s heritage of responsible, respectful and safe hunting.
“Ethical behavior demonstrates the moral character of the hunting public, and illustrates how people can assist one another, while recreating together in the outdoors,” said DNR chief conservation warden Casey Krueger.
Any hunter or non-hunter can nominate a licensed Wisconsin hunter for their actions during the 2021 calendar year. Although many nominations come from the gun-deer season, ethical actions can occur during a squirrel hunt, turkey hunt, waterfowl hunt or other Wisconsin hunting seasons.
“Ethical actions come in many forms; examples could include helping another person during a hunt or taking steps to protect our natural resources,” said Krueger. “Over the years, award recipients have returned lost gear, helped others find lost game or assisted another hunter facing a challenge of some kind.”
A four-person committee reviews the nominations and selects the recipient. The creators of this award are Bob Lamb, retired editor of the La Crosse Tribune; Steve Dewald, retired DNR Conservation Warden supervisor; and Jerry Davis, a retired University of Wisconsin-La Crosse biology professor and outdoors writer.
The nomination committee focuses on a singular action or event, rather than individuals with long-term conservationrelated programs.
Submit nominations by email or letter explaining the ethical act, and send to: Department of Natural Resources, Attn: April Dombrowski, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921, or to April.Dombrowski@wisconsin.gov.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Feb. 26.
