TERRY KNIGHT

He is the consummate woodsman, an expert hunter and fisherman in many areas, yet has also reached thousands with his writing, seminars and free skill clinics. As a master outdoorsman, he has guided trips for bass fishing, turkey hunting, deer hunting and pig hunting, as well as nature walks and history tours. The late Rick Copeland (Class of 2008) recognized Knight as the rare talent who was capable of instructing even the most skilled, veteran hunters, and brought him in to teach at seminars hosted by Wilderness Unlimited. Knight is also a historian who has long studied the natural history of California and occasionally gives talks about it, with a specialty of his home water, Clear Lake, Mount Konocti and the surrounding area.

For more than 30 years, Knight has been a staff writer for ESPN Outdoors, Fishing and Hunting News, Western Outdoors, Bay Nature Magazine, Wilderness, Unlimited plus a number of newspapers, and currently writes a twice-weekly column for the Lake County Record Bee and the Ukiah Daily Journal. He has broken the barrier and is able to connect to the nonhunting/nonfishing public by writing about wildlife behavior, the environment, nature and, in turn, how it can affect fish and wildlife.

TOM MATTUSCH

Tom Mattusch, Princeton-by-the-Sea, is a master fisherman, hunter, boat captain, with a lifetime of teaching new anglers on the water, world travels of his own, as a leader with ties to many national fishing, hunting and conservation organizations, and county harbor commissioner.

As an outdoorsman, Tom Mattusch has been passionate about fishing and hunting all his life. As owner/operator of the Huli Cat out of Pillar Point Harbor, he has introduced and mentored thousands to saltwater fishing over thousands of days on the water. He has hunted over 20 states and 9 foreign countries.  Tom joined Safari Club International and has held many positions at the state and national level. Tom was a competition freediver sharing his passion with others. As a bluewater spearfisherman, he spearfished the Channel Islands for yellowtail and white sea bass, and the Revilla Gigedo Islands for tuna and wahoo.

Yet Tom Mattusch has made even bigger marks representing fishermen and hunters, preserving and defending rights to hunt and fish. Participating in the MLPA process, he fought to keep as much open for recreational angling and diving as possible. Coastside Fishing Club, the archetype for an internet-based organization with clout, was formed around his dining room table with the purpose to bring fishermen together and give them political strength and voice in California. For over ten years, he has gone back to Washington DC discussing hunting and conservation issues with elected representatives. Tom is a Life member of Safari Club International, CRPA, NRA, CCA and a member of number single specie organizations.  Tom has spent many days before the Fish & Game Commission speaking up for fishing and hunting opportunities and in Sacramento. He’s also a San Mateo County Harbor Commissioner. With his vessel Huli Cat, Tom also participates in a number of scientific research trips. Having seen anglers get steamrolled by ‘best available science’, he dedicated time to filling gaps in fishery information working towards better opportunities off California.

BILL KARR

Some 400,000 youth and their parents have taken part in Karr's "Youth Outdoor Fair" and "Shoot For the Future" programs. Karr invented programs offering hands-on outdoor experiences for kids with their parents, along with 25,000 giveaways. It is little known that Karr has never been paid a cent for the thousands of hours of work required to produce the events. He is the only two-time winner of the Public Service Recognition Award, honored by the Outdoor Writers Association of California, OWAC's most prestigious award.

Karr is better known as the Northern California editor of Western Outdoor News, but he also led a drive to save the fisheries of the Salton Sea. He has managed duck clubs and wildlife preserves and is an expert woodsman, hunter and offshore angler. His adventures span the hemisphere and beyond, and he often hosts groups and introduces them to world-class outdoor experiences. He fishes, boats, hunts or camps some 125 to 150 days per year -- and no one in the past generation has shared this world with more youngsters.