Starting June 1, you can nominate candidates for NAHC’s Mentor of the Year Award at NAHCmentor.com. Prizes will be awarded to both the winning mentor and the person who nominates him or her.

Father’s Day is coming up. It’s the formal day for thanking our dads for being dads. Yet, the way I look at it, every day is Father’s Day. Though my dad has been hunting greener pastures for going on 15 years now, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. For me, it’s because he was and remains my true hunting mentor. Any time I’m faced with a decision about hunting—or about life—I simply ask myself, “What would make Pa proud?” That makes the choice easy.

One thing that virtually every hunter has in common is we each had a mentor. I was blessed that mine was my dad, but it could be anyone—a relative, a family friend or even a teacher or coach, man or woman. But if you’re a hunter today, chances are you had a mentor along the way. As much as the world of hunting has changed, this is one aspect that hasn't. The hunters of tomorrow need mentors just as much, perhaps even more, than we did!

So, the North American Hunting Club has set about to honor today’s hunting mentors. We want your help in recognizing these generous, giving people upon whose shoulders the real future of hunting is being carried. NAHC members will nominate candidates for the Mentor of the Year award and then vote to decide the winner.

Major figures in the hunting world realize the importance of promoting hunting mentorship, and are backing this program. The NAHC Mentor of the Year will receive prize packages from sponsors including the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Mossberg, Realtree, Winchester Ammunition and more. The winner will be announced and honor awarded at the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas next January.

To learn how to nominate the great hunting mentors in your life, go to NAHCmentor.com. That’s where you can fill out a nomination form and find out how to make your voice heard by voting for NAHC Mentor of the Year.

In the meantime, take the time today, right now, to thank the hunting mentor who made you what you are today!