Outdoor News is accepting nominations for its 2026 Minnesota Outdoor Leaders Award.

Past recipients of the award have included the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, in 2014, which successfully developed a youth-orientated summer camp to introduce young people to conservation, wetland restoration, waterfowl protection, duck and goose calling, decoy care and placement, and ethical hunting skills. The 2015 honoree, the East Ottertail Chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, represents deer hunters and conservationists in the Minnesota communities of Perham and New York Mills as well as parts of Sebeka and Frazee. It has raised nearly $200,000 in the past decade to finance two local trapshooting teams, to rebuild and reinvigorate two of the remaining public shooting ranges in the state, and to fund and manage several wildlife management areas among other accomplishments.

Minnesota outdoor organizations, chapters or clubs that have made influential contributions to benefit the outdoor community are eligible for consideration. The award announcement will be held on Friday, August 7th in conjunction with Game Fair in Ramsey, Minn., which is the largest annual gathering of sportsmen, outdoors organizations, and hunting-related businesses in Minnesota. Staff from Outdoor News will select one winner from nominations received by the July 25 entry deadline. The recipient will earn a $500 grant, and will be featured in an article published in Minnesota Outdoor News.