New York’s outdoor writers hand out annual honors

Round Top, N.Y. — The New York State Outdoor Writers Association recently held its spring conference in the northern Catskills/Hudson Valley region.

As is typical at this yearly meeting, dozens of awards were doled out, including to some affiliated with New York Outdoor News. The group also sampled some of the fishing and turkey hunting offerings and held a special event at the Glencadia Rod & Gun Club, in Kinderhook, which served to host a meeting between the scribes and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton. Lefton was joined by Steve Hurst, DEC’s Chief of the Bureau of Fisheries, along with Big Game Unit Leader Brendan Quirion.

The annual awards were presented at NYSOWA’s banquet, which took place at the Glen Falls House, in Round Top, which also served as the headquarters for the annual meeting.

Excellence in Crafts Awards

Magazine Feature: First place, Glenn Sapir, Remedy for Regret, Mule Deer Foundation, Summer 2025; Second place (tie), John Jarzynski, Beagles & the Sounds of Autumn, American Field, Fall 2025; Paula Piatt, Aura-Awe: Searching for the Sky for Elusive Lights, Mountain Home Magazine, Oct. 2025.

Magazine Column: First place, Steve Piatt, Birth of a Turkey Hunter, PennLines, May 2025; Second place, John Jarzynski, Poor Sally, American Field, Winter 2025; Third place, Steve Piatt, Reading, Dreaming, Experiencing PennLines, Nov 2025.

Newspaper Feature: First place, Steve Featherstone, They’ve Got Grit, Post-Standard, Feb. 23, 2025; Second place, Dave Figura, CNY Artist Makes Dress Entirely Out of Shotgun Shells, New York Outdoor News, Dec. 26, 2025; Third place, Tom Schlichter, Trophy Fish, Newsday, March 17, 2024.

Newspaper Column: First place, Steve Featherstone, The Secret to Landing Your First Salmon River Beauty, Post-Standard, Nov. 23, 2025; Second place, Steve Featherstone, Fleet 2004 Enjoys the Hobie Way of Life on Oneida Lake, Post-Standard, Aug. 31, 2025; Third place, Glenn Sapir, Adding Color to the Outdoors, New York Outdoor News, Oct. 17, 2025.

Online Publication: First place, Charles Witek III, False Albacore: Practicing Precaution, Marine Conservation Network, April 7, 2025; Second place, Charles Witek, ASMFC Stalls Striped Bass Rebuilding Efforts, Marine Conservation Network, Jan. 7, 2025; Third place, Bill Hilts, Jr., The Future of Fishing Looks Bright Behind Young Anglers Like the Noon Boys from New York, New York Outdoor News.com, Feb. 27, 2025

Book: First place, Peter Fiduccia, The Definitive Guide to Rifles, Ammo and Optics for Deer and Other Big Game, Skyhorse Publishing, Nov. 25, 2025; Second place, Joe Crance, Return to Ryland Creek: Book V of the Ryland Creek Saga, Nov. 28, 2025; Third place, Mike Joyner, Tales from the Roost: Roost’n Time Tales, Joyner Outdoor Media, April 8, 2025.

Janice M. Keesler Memorial Photo Awards

Hunting & Fishing: First place, Dave Figura.; Second place, Paul Schnell; Third place, Dan Ladd.

Outdoor Action: First place, Paul Schnell; Second place, Stephen George; Third place, Glenn Sapir.

Outdoor Scenic: First place, Dan Ladd; Second place, Stephen George; Third place, Dave Figura.

Wildlife: First place, Glenn Sapir; Second place, Paul Schnell; Third place, Mike Joyner.

People: First place, Charles Witek; Second place, Dan Ladd.; Third place, Dave Figura.

Pass it On Award

NYSOWA board member Steve Zahurak of Schenectady, was named the 2026 Pass it On Award winner for his contributions to his fellow sportsmen – young and old.

After graduating from college, Zahurak taught thousands of school youths, combining the role by training hundreds, if not thousands, of would-be hunters as a certified hunter education instructor.

Zahurak said he once encouraged a group of students who wanted to take up hunting to play on the football team if he would teach them hunter education. When he applied to be a hunter-ed instructor, he was asked his qualifications.

“I’m a teacher, and I hunt,” he said, and was given his certification.

As a member of the New York Crossbow Coalition, Zahurak worked tirelessly for the group striving to legalize and then liberalize the regulations concerning crossbow use for hunting in New York State. He visited many of the state legislators, lobbying for crossbow use. He spoke to various groups about the Coalition’s efforts and encouraged support.

His efforts came to fruition in 2025 when new crossbow regulations were put into effect, allowing crossbow users to utilize the benefits extended to vertical archers, also easing some restrictions on crossbow specifications, allowing previously banned crossbows to be legally used. This legislation has allowed seniors, disabled and any hunter across the state to continue or expand their hunting.

As a NYSOWA member, Zahurak has stepped up to the plate in recent years, becoming a board member and helping with events whenever he can.

M. Paul Keesler N.Y. Outdoor Citizen Award

NYSOWA’s M. Paul Keesler New York Outdoor Citizen Award is presented annually to an individual or organization that has effectively raised the public’s awareness of outdoor recreational opportunities and conservation issues in New York State.

Tracy Knott, of Columbia County, was selected as the 2026 recipient for all that she has done to preserve the outdoor heritage. Knott has devoted many years and much effort to involving others, especially youngsters, in outdoor sports with an appreciation of the outdoors and sporting tradition.

Knott is the first woman to become president of the Tri-Village Rod & Gun Club, a position she has held for the past 15 years; one of many roles she has served in. During her tenure as president, she has helped grow the club’s membership exponentially while actively promoted hunting and fishing, and conservation efforts to its members, as well as several other clubs and organizations she belongs to.

Knott has worked with DEC’s trout stocking program and provides many opportunities for young people at her club. She has run a youth day and fishing derby for over 20 years, and assists with the youth archery group. Because of her leadership, she received the 2018 Columbia County Sportsman Federation’s Award for exemplary service in the promotion of the outdoors and the Second Amendment.

Knott has a long list of other achievements including:

• Served on the Committee, was treasurer and Co-chair of the Columbia-Greene Friends of the NRA for 22 years;

• Co-Chair of the Tri-Village Rod & Gun Club’s Women’s Day Event for 20 years;

• Supporting the veterans of Columbia County through the Columbia Co. Sportsman’s Federation’s annual pheasant hunt – 10 years;

• Hunter Ed Instructor – over 14 years as DEC Master Hunter Ed Instructor;

• NRA certified pistol instructor and range safety office – 20-plus years.

Knot was also recently inducted into the NYS Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame.

NSSF and Bill Brassard honored

NYSOWA recording secretary and NYON columnist Glenn Sapir presented a pair of plaques to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a long-time NYSOWA Supporting Member, and retiring Senior Director, Communications Bill Brassard, who attended the conference.

The NSSF has supported NYSOWA for decades, sometimes presenting at the annual awards banquet dinner and often making other contributions.

“I worked at the National Shooting Sports Foundation for 11 years, and I got to know how much they really do for the industry and for the individual,” Sapir said when presenting the awards. “And Bill has contributed more than you might realize. I mean, he is a point man for so many communications programs at NSSF.”

Brassard’s duties have included managing the press room at the annual SHOT Show, where he credentials over 2,000 outdoor writers and other journalists from around the world. He has also helped steer the NSSF’s Project Child Safe program, where free gun locks are given out.

“Through his individual efforts, NSSF took up a cause that it was hesitant to take up until Bill pushed that,” Sapir said. “And that was the Suicide Prevention Program. And that, I know, is very near and dear to his heart.”

Brassard said he’s used to being the person handing out awards, rather than being on the receiving end.

“But I’m very proud to be on that end of it,” he said. “When I came to NSSF in 1998 a colleague said that I should get involved with the outdoor writer community. It opened up a world of relationships I never even knew about.

So I’m very thankful for groups like the New York State Outdoor Writers Association. This is an honor and I really appreciate it.”

Learn more about the NSSF at www.nssf.org.

A Day at the Club

During this year’s conference, NYSOWA members enjoyed a full day of activities at the Glencadia Rod & Gun Club, in Kinderhook. Following an informative session with DEC leaders, which will be publicized in this and future editions of NYON, the club allowed NYSOWA members to shoot 5-Stand and tour the club facilities.

NYSOWA president, Deb Brosen, a club member, also worked with the club to hold a chicken BBQ later that day that was open to the public and attended by more than 120 people, who took advantage of a meet-and-greet session with book authors and writers, including several New York Outdoor News contributers.

To learn more about NYOSWA, visit www.nysowa.org.