Featured image: NWTF Arkansas State Chapter President Pablo Bacon (center) accepted the award on behalf of Gary Stroud during the NWTF Convention and Sport Show. Bacon was joined by NWTF co-CEOs Kurt Dyroff (left) and Jason Burckhalter (right).
Batesville’s Gary Stroud recently received national recognition from the National Wild Turkey Foundation (NWTF) as a Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Award recipient for his dedication to the NWTF mission.
“I am humbled and honored to receive the NWTF Roger Latham Award,” Stroud said. “I started hunting quail and deer in about 1958, but we had no turkey in our county or maybe even the state. Thanks to the efforts of the NWTF — in my opinion, the best conservation organization in the U.S.A. — and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, I was able to hunt wild turkey in my home county in about 1990. My passion for the wild turkey, the hunting heritage, and teaching young people to hunt runs deep in my veins. My granddad taught my dad, my dad taught me, and I have taught my wife, kids, grandkids, and hopefully great-grandkids, nephews, and the neighbor’s kids the importance of hunting and conservation. Thanks, and may God bless.”
Stroud joined the NWTF in 1999 and was instrumental in starting the Independence County Longbeards Chapter. According to the NWTF, Stroud and his wife, Ellen, worked to build a solid local NWTF committee that has grown to be one of the most vital chapters in Arkansas. The chapter is active year-round and is deeply committed to serving youth in the community.
Stroud and his chapter were contributors to help build the Paul H. “Rocky” Willmuth Sport Shooting Complex. The chapter continues to support the facility with ongoing volunteering and fundraising efforts.
“Gary has a deep-rooted history with the NWTF spanning decades,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “He is well-known in his community for his immense efforts and his commitment to the NWTF’s mission. His continuous support for the NWTF will push the needle in Arkansas, and we are proud to honor his work with a Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Award.”
The Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service awards are presented to members who are not employed as professional wildlife managers but have made significant contributions to wild turkey conservation. according to the NWTF. The award is named for Roger M. Latham, who authored the Complete Book of the Wild Turkey and worked as a research ecologist, conservation biologist, and environmental planner for over four decades.
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