Dr Craig Harper has been awarded the National Deer Association’s prestigious ‘Joe Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr Harper is a professor of wildlife management and the Extension Wildlife Specialist at the University of Tennessee and is well known to ADA members through his visits to Australia, including representing our American friends at the ADA’s fiftieth-anniversary dinner.
The award was given for Dr Harper’s decades of deer research, contributions to habitat management knowledge, and unwavering support for NDA. The award is given by Joe Hamilton, NDA Board member and founder of the Quality Deer Management Association, which became the National Deer Association in 2020.
“The ultimate measure of an educator is the level to which education is taken beyond the classroom,” said Hamilton. “My friend Craig Harper has launched scores of students into positions at universities, state and federal agencies, and the private sector. He set the example of sharing knowledge as a prolific writer and speaker, impacting millions of acres of wildlife habitat and countless wildlife species.”
“Craig’s allegiance to and support of the National Deer Association has been steadfast since the organisation was founded. He has spoken at national conventions and seminars throughout the whitetail’s range and has played a significant role in NDA’s popular and successful Deer Steward courses and modules. His books and publications are regarded as must-have guidance for wildlife habitat managers as far away as Tasmania, Australia.”
“If our mentor Aldo Leopold were here, he would have one heartfelt comment about this award: ‘Well done!’ I am proud to announce that Dr Craig Harper will be the recipient of the 2021 Joe Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Fittingly, Craig was in Maryland doing a spot of hunting with Joe Hamilton when the award was announced.
All of Craig’s friends in Australia offer him our congratulations on this prestigious award.
About Joe Hamilton:
Joe Hamilton is a wildlife biologist and the founder of the Quality Deer Management Association (now the National Deer Association). During his nearly 20 years with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Joe helped implement QDM practices on more than 2 million acres. In 2000, he was awarded the Deer Management Career Achievement Award from The Wildlife Society. In 2011, he was named Conservationist of the Year by Budweiser Outdoors. Joe is currently on the Board of the National Deer Association.
Joe has had a long association with Australia and with the ADA. In 2016 he honoured us by accepting Honorary Membership of the Australian Deer Association.
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