1950 Elmer Peterson, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
1951 Unknown
1952 Unknown
1953 Unknown
1954 Unknown
1955 Herb Dill, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1956 Sutton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (?)
1957 William Clothier, Chief Fisheries Biologist - South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
1958 Michael Hudoba, Sports Afield
1959 Danial Janzen, Director, Bureau of Sport Fisheries
1960 Bud Morgan, National Wildlife Federation
1961 “Flick” Davis, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1962 (February) Dr. James Schaeffer, National Wildlife Federation
1962 (October) Dr. Karl Lagler, University of Michigan
1963 W. W. Dresskell, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation
1964 Jim Kimball, Minneapolis Tribune
1965 No Banquet
1966 Russell Stuart, North Dakota Game and Fish
1967 Roy Oltman, U.S. Department of Interior
1968 Robert Burwell, U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries
1969 Ron Shara, Minneapolis Tribune
1970 David Cline, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
1971 Dr. James Schaeffer, National Wildlife Federation
1972 R. A. Hodgins, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
1973 (February) Dr. Dave Trauger, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
1973 (November) John Popowski, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
1974 Dave Fisher, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1975 Dr. Robert Streeter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1976 Dr. Alan Sargeant, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
1977 Jack Merwin, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
1978 Tony Dean, Outdoor Writer and Broadcaster
1979 Dr. Durward Allen, Purdue University
1980 Kay Cool, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
1981 Lowell Hansen, Lt. Governor of South Dakota
1982 Tom Klinkel, Committee to Protect Hunting
1983 Dr. Gordon Gullion, University of Minnesota
1984 Dr. Ray Linder, South Dakota State University
1985 Dr. R. A. McCabe, University of Wisconsin
1986 Gay Simpson, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
1987 Dr. Valerius Geist, University of Calgary
1988 Dr. Robert Streeter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1989 Dr. Chuck Berry, South Dakota State University
1990 Judd Cooney - Outdoor Writer
1991 Dr. Jack Connelly, Idaho Engineering Laboratory
1992 Tony Dean, Outdoor Writer and Broadcaster
1993 Dr. Leigh Fredrickson, University of Missouri
1994 Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever
1995 Kay Cool and Steve Stark, North Dakota Game and Fish
1996 Mike Mueller, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
1997 Doug Hansen, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
1998 Jim Posewitz, Orion - The Hunters Institute
1999 Tony Dean, Outdoor Writer and Broadcaster
2000 Ron Schara, Outdoor Journalist
2001 Richard Madson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2002 John Cooper, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
2003 Dr. Les Flake, South Dakota State University
2004 Fred DuBray, InterTribal Bison Cooperative
2005 Don McCrea, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
2006 Michael Sieve, Wildlife Artist
2007 Dr. Jonathan Jenks, South Dakota State University
2008 Jeff Vonk, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
2009 Rob Neumann, Managing Editor of In-Fish Magazine
Site navigation