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Thad Bellow, a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) volunteer Hunter Education Instructor for nearly 20 years in Ascension Parish, has been named the Todd Roberts Achievement Award winner for 2020-2021. Bellow was recognized by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) during its July 1 meeting in Baton Rouge.

Bellow, who has been wheelchair bound for most of his life, has been the lead instructor for the Ascension Parish teaching team and has taught more than 100 Hunter Education classes, training 5,000 students and volunteering more than 1,200 hours of his time.

In addition, he has worked closely with the Ascension Parish 4-H team for many years, providing coaching, instruction and support for the shooting sports community in his parish.

“Thad is an inspiration and can serve as a great example of determination and passion not just to volunteer instructors, but to all of us,’’ said LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet. “For his long-time and significant contributions to LDWF, his hunting community and the sportsmen of Louisiana, I am so pleased to recognize him for the Todd Roberts Achievement Award.’’

The Todd Roberts Achievement Award recognizes a volunteer instructor that has made significant and outstanding contributions to the LDWF State Hunter Education Program over a period of years. It is given out annually by the Hunter Education Program to a single volunteer instructor out of roughly 1,000 active instructors.

LDWF also recognizes the instructors below who received Outstanding Volunteer Instructor awards for their above and beyond efforts to teach hunter education during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as those earning awards for five or more years of volunteer service.

The 2020-21 Outstanding Volunteer Instructor awards included:

Joshua Utley, Brandon Bruce, Jerry Gentry, Lisa Gentry, Joe Henderson, Jason Holmes, Shane Bourgeois, Sam D’Quilla, Glenn Watkins, Kimberly Cedars, Justin Pellerin, Mike Lorio, Eliot Day, Ronald Coco, Richard Lay, Edward Demeyere, Joseph “Sandy” Mumphrey, Philip Manuel, Clint Leblanc, Richard Dubus, Greg Oehldrich, Bobby McNulty, Joann Louviere, William Baney, Linda Callais and Donny Moon.

Several volunteer instructors were honored for years of service, including:

40 years: Jerry Doucet;

35 years: Carrol Marks;

30 years: Jim Richardson, Roger Crawley, Paul Trosclair, Harold Rideau, David Carlino

25 years: Anthony Smith, Chad Dorsett;

20 years: Shawn Cook, David Lindsey, Doug Fisher, Thad Bellow, Charles Abell, Danny Self, Danny Hunt, Cathy Melancon, Alex Verret, Sandra Verret, Tracy Scott, James Franklin, Brad Rogers;

15 years: Bill Barrios, Jason Husser, Ganelle Rivers, Sandra Givens, Quentin Givens, Jake McCormick, Troy Guitreau, Vic Hebert, John William Cowan, Glen Watkins, Kin Fulton, Cody Manuel, Samuel Hartley, Cary Cooley, Brad Joffrion, Mike Leblanc, Dean Aucoin, Samuel Daquilla, Michael Bourgeois;

10 years: Raymond Prokop, Biff Breeding, Walt Cleighton, George Fuller, Marty Fletcher, Micah Murrell, Rebecca Berzas, Matt Doucet, Hubert Guillory, Francis Darlene Moses, Michael Moses, Richard Smith, Cliff Dore, Ross Mire, Art Verret, Roger Davis, Josh Davis, Ryan Davis, Norman Deroche, John Samaha, Michael Lawless, Robert Points, Fred Kimmel;

Five years: Christopher Reed, Kenny Pitre, Michael Cazes, Guy Modica, Keith Brooks, Valerie Brown, Mallory Kats, Mike Sonnier, Stephenie Gray, Troy Courville, Jessica Guidry, John Brown, Chris Crappel, John Fontenot, Anthony Boswell, Warren Price, Christopher Otterson, Brandon Lyons, Matthew Cedars, Andrew Strong, Chance McMurry, Randal Mallette, Marcus Sam, Anthony Corner, Rod Ferguson, Lauren Emerson, Carolyn Gresham, Kenny Pitre, Michael Cazes, Laura Norris, Joshua Etheridge, Robert Davis, Danny Peel, Jim Comeaux, Chris Patron, David Randall, Trey Jenkins.

For more information on LDWF’s Hunter Education program, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/hunter-and-trapper-education.