Jack O’Connor was the undisputed dean of outdoor writers, a world class big game hunter, wildlife conservation pioneer and influential gun editor.

Born in 1902, he presided over the “golden age” of modern big game hunting and left a rich legacy through his writing and leadership.  Despite his death in 1978, his work remains fresh and continues to inspire hunters of all ages. His special contribution, in a wide and long list of accomplishments, was in educating hunters about wild sheep and sheep hunting.

To honor Jack, the Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center and the Wild Sheep Foundation are presenting the Jack O’Connor Writers  Award.  This is an annual award to be presented to the author of the best published article about wild sheep, with special focus on hunting and/or conservation. The winning author will receive a bronze bust of the legendary writer, sculpted by world renowned sculptor Jack Logozzo, especially for this contest.  It will be personalized to the recipient with the winner’s name and contest date. The presentation of this award will be at the Wild Sheep Foundation “Sheep Week,” in Reno, Nevada, January 16th-18th, 2025.

Contest Rules & Regulations

The winner will receive a bronze bust of Jack O’Connor (shown above), sculpted by world renowned sculptor, Jack Logozzo especially for this contest and engraved with winner’s name and contest date. No other monetary consideration is implied or offered. There will only be one overall winner each year.

Sponsored By the Jack O’Connor Heritage and Education Center and the Wild Sheep Foundation.

• Contest Purpose:
  To promote ethical hunting and conservation of North American Wild Sheep.
• Preferred Content:
  Non-fiction articles including photo essays related to sheep hunting and/or sheep conservation in North America. Articles about hunting gear, rifles etc. will not be considered. The content should reflect the standards of the award’s namesake, Jack O’Connor, widely acclaimed sheep hunter and celebrated writer.
• Preferred media:
  As Mr. O’Connor was first and foremost a magazine writer; articles written for national and major regional magazines will be given preference.
• Entry Fees:
  No entry fee is required, and all rights shall remain the property of the author.

General Rules: By submitting to the contest, the entrant agrees to abide by all contest rules.

• All entries must be original works by the entrant under his or her name, in English. Plagiarism, which includes the use of third-party written or spoken works, without written permission, will result in disqualification.

• The Contest is open only to those works which have been professionally published (at least 1,000 copies), produced for payment (at least 10 cents a word) or donated a conservation organization that does not normally pay for contributions to enter.

• Entries must be works of non-fiction, up to 4,000 words in length. We cannot consider poetry, or works intended for children.

• Submissions: Entries submitted in hard copy must be typewritten or a printed by computer, double-spaced in black ink on white paper. Pages must be numbered, using one side only.  Each entry must have a cover page with the title of the work, the author’s legal name, a pen name if applicable, address, telephone number, e-mail address and approximate word count. Every subsequent page must carry the title, but the author’s name must be deleted to facilitate fair, anonymous judging. Entries submitted electronically must be double-spaced and include the title on each page, but not the author’s name. Electronic submissions will separately include the author’s legal name, pen name if applicable, address, telephone number, e-mail address and approximate word count. Each entry must include an original copy of the published article preferably the entire magazine with proof of publication date. Electronically submitted entries must include a scan of the article in published form, including the publication cover.

Mail-in entries should be submitted to:

Greg Betzold, Director
Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center
P. O. Box 394                                                                                                                                    
Lewiston, Idaho 83501

Electronic entries should be submitted to:
Greg Betzold, Director at [email protected]

Returns and Delivery: Manuscripts cannot be returned after judging.

We accept only entries that do not require a delivery signature for us to receive them.

Contest Deadlines and accepted publication dates: Entries must be received no later than November 1st, 2024. The winners will be notified no later than December 1st, 2024. The winner will be announced and publicly recognized during the 2025 Wild Sheep Foundation Convention January 16th-18th, 2025, in Reno, NV.

Articles/essays published between January 1st, 2016 and October 1^st, 2024 are eligible for entry in the 2025 contest.

Judging: The judging panel will comprised seven individuals, including professional writers, appointed jointly by the Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center and the Wild Sheep Foundation. The decisions of the judges are their own, and final and binding.

Void by law: The contest is void where prohibited by law.

Prizes: The winner will receive a bronze bust of Jack O’Connor, sculpted by world renowned sculptor, Jack Logozzo especially for this contest and engraved with winner’s name and contest date. No other monetary consideration is implied or offered. There will be one overall winner each year.