DOVER, DE. -(Ammoland.com)– The judges’ decisions are in, with five top entries chosen for the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife’s 2014 Delaware Hunting Photo Contest.
First place was awarded to Jason Gary of Hartly for “Patiently Waiting,” showing his 15-year-old nephew, Christopher Halsey and the family dog Yukon, with a duck call along the St. Jones River.
The second place winner was “Dreams Do Come True!,” taken by Jennifer Harris of Harrington, of her son, 14-year-old Drew Harris, with his “dream buck” at a family-owned farm in Harrington.
“Our hunting photo contest theme was ‘Conservationists Enjoying the Outdoors,’ and this year’s winner depicts a young hunter carrying on Delaware’s great outdoor tradition as part of the next generation of conservationists,” Division of Fish and Wildlife Director David Saveikis said, noting that the top five included a variety of ages of hunters. “We’re sure the public will once again enjoy seeing these images captured here in Delaware,” he added.
Three judges; Fish and Wildlife Director Saveikis, and local photographers Tony Pratt and Freda Barrett; both DNREC employees, reviewed 31 entries and narrowed them to the top five. The contest specified that photographs must have been taken in Delaware.
This year’s conservation theme carried a lot of photographic consideration from the judges in selecting winning entries.
“Some entries fit the theme, but had flaws such as poor lighting, an undesirable background, or they were out-of-focus or low resolution,” said Mr. Pratt. “However, we had the luxury this year of using more technical criteria in our judging such as resolution, clarity, lighting and composition. Our winners are clear, crisp close-ups of conservation-minded Delawareans participating in hunting activities.”
“Once again, we had Delaware residents submit some great photos of hunters portraying ‘Conservationists Enjoying the Outdoors,’ which was our theme for this year’s contest,” said Ms. Barrett, noting that the quality of submissions has increased steadily each year since the contest began in 2011.
“The best photos involve people actually participating in these activities, not just posing for the photos,” she added.
Other photographers recognized for honorable mention were:
- “What We Bring Home on Black Friday” by Molly McNatt of Clayton, shows 6-year-old Lilah McNatt, 10-year-old Jason McNatt, and 3-year-old Tanner McNatt, with two Canada geese, on her family farm in Clayton.
- “Fun in the Blind,” taken by Jason Courtney of Magnolia, showing family friend, Chris Bergold, 11-year-old Jess “l’il bit” Bergold, 12-year-old Jada Courtney, 16-year-old Stephany Courtney, and Dude the Bergold family dog, on a private farm in Little Creek.
- “Pheasant Hunt,” taken by Kenneth Henning of Wilmington, showing Ian Kanski pheasant hunting in Greenwood, Delaware.
The winning photos will appear in the 2014-2015 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. The hunting guide will be available online, at the DNREC license counter in Dover, and at hunting license dealers statewide in July 2014.