02/23/2009
NWTF Presents Tom Kelly 2009 Communicator of the Year Award
 Col. Tom Kelly was recognized as the National Wild Turkey Federation's 2009 Communicator of the Year at the NWTF's Convention and Sport Show. Click image for print quality version |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Legendary turkey hunter and author Col. Tom Kelly of Spanish Fort, Ala., was recognized as the National Wild Turkey Federation's 2009 Communicator of the Year at the Federation's 33rd annual Convention and Sport Show in February. Kelly's first book, "Tenth Legion," has long been considered the best, and funniest, book on the quest for the lonesome longbeard.
"Col. Kelly has spread the turkey hunting word through a writing style all his own," said NWTF Editorial Director Burt Carey. "He is the voice for a legion of outdoors enthusiasts. You can't help but be drawn into whatever adventure — or misadventure — he conveys. Tom Kelly has promoted the wild turkey and the NWTF as much as anyone and continues to do so. His first book brought the sport into the limelight and is considered by many to be the bible of turkey hunting."
Kelly, an artillery officer and battery commander in the Korean War, received a bachelor's degree in forestry from Auburn University in 1949. He is active with the Alabama Forest Association, Forest Resource Center and is a member of the White Smith Land Company board. He has written hundreds of articles for national magazines and a dozen books. He is a Senior Sponsor of the NWTF and has been a member of the Federation since 1986.
"I'm very pleased and proud to accept this award," Kelly said. "The NWTF has done, and continues to do a tremendous job of helping grow wild turkey populations and the number of turkey hunters nationwide. When I first started in this business, there were very few turkey hunters in the state. It's a delight to be part of an organization that has helped give me more hunters to communicate with, and I can't thank the NWTF enough."
In addition to "Tenth Legion" and his latest effort, "Absent Companions," a collection of essays about the people, places and things that have passed from his life, the "poet laureate of wild turkey literature" has penned numerous other books including:
- "Dealer's Choice," 1979
- "Better on a Rising Tide," 1995
- "The Season," 1996
- "The Boat," 1998
- "A Year Outside," 2000
- "Faces in the Crowd," 2002
- "A Few Loose Chapters," 2003
- "Take Back in Fancy," 2005
- "A Hat Full of Rabbits," 2006
- "A Fork in the Road," 2007
- "Ol' Tom & Laura," 2008
Each year, the NWTF recognizes a communicator who answers the call to promote the NWTF's mission of wild turkey conservation and preservation of North America's hunting tradition.
Past NWTF Communicator of the Year Award recipients include: Tom Fegely (2002), Ron Schara (2003), J. Wayne Fears (2004), Grits Gresham (2005), Jim Zumbo (2006), Jim Casada (2007) and Glenn Sapir (2008).
