Local hunter, Steve Purks of King George County, was inducted into the VA NWTF Conservation Hall of Fame yesterday in Roanoke. Steve is a self taught turkey, waterfowl and deer hunter. He shared that his first turkey he ever brought home was taken with the aid of an old Lynch box call that his grandfather had given him. The old bird, as Steve put it, was not necessarily fooled by his calling but rather by the fact that another gobbler on the other side of him started gobbling that morning and the two started dueling for the affection of the "hen" between them. That was the start to Steve's passion for turkey hunting. While he won't admit it, he has become a master at turkey hunting and has guided many people to their birds, quite a few to their first ever turkey, further lighting the fire of turkey hunting.
Steve's desire to excel at hunting has brought him full circle. He now spends an incredible amount of his free time studying wildlife and game animals' habits and teaching others what he knows. He is a very unselfish man who never asks for a thing in return when he takes someone hunting. Steve has spent a lot of his time taking women from NWTF's Women in the Outdoors program hunting for waterfowl and turkey. He also has volunteered many years to help the late Buddy Fines conduct and guide youngsters for youth hunts. He also helps Rick Wilks conduct his youth hunts in the area. As if that is not enough he has become the "unofficial guide" for the youth of the King George Outdoor Club (www.kgoutdoorclub.com) for geese.
Steve is very careful when managing wildlife on properties he hunts. If there are not enough game animals to be harvested and still leave numbers to procreate for the following season, he does not harvest any game until the numbers are sufficiently restored.
To be nominated for this award and lifetime achievement, the individual must be a member of NWTF for at least 5 years and must exhibit traits and character that exemplifies NWTF’s mission to conserve, hunt and share. To be inducted is a huge honor and not something taken lightly. Three Virginians were inducted in January at the banquet. They were Kirk Gordan, Billy Thurman and Steve Purks. They join previous recipients such as Bob Duncan (VDGIF Director), Sherry Crumley (board member of NWTF), and Gary Norman (VDGIF’s turkey biologist). No one has ever been nominated, much less received an induction to the VA NWTF Hall of Fame before from our region. The fact that Steve got this honor speaks volumes about his dedication to hunting, sharing what he knows and conservation. A number of people wrote letters recommending him to include the youth that he has taken hunting. Some spoke of his generosity, others of the time he takes to help them learn, his patience when teaching them and his humor. The youth that he has impacted spans many years. We are thrilled Steve Purks was able to receive this well deserved honor and are proud to call him our friend!
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