The Michigan Outdoor Writers Association's Papa Bear Award is an occasional recognition of those members with sustained and outstanding achievement in outdoor communication and/or service to MOW A. It was first given to and now honors the memory of Gene "Papa Bear" Little, one of the pioneer filmmakers in the early days of outdoors television shows. By all accounts, no finer gentleman has ever graced the ranks of MOWA.
Those so honored with this award have been exemplary of the Gene Little legacy. They are named below along with the date and place of the meeting at which they were awarded their Papa Bear plaques.
1979 Gene Little Winter, St. Ignace
1980 Mort Neff Summer, Port Austin
1981 Don Gillies Summer, Alpena
1983 Doug Fulton Summer, Marquette
1984 Clyde Allison Summer, Traverse City
1985 Gil Clark Winter, Alpena
1991 Frank Mainville Winter, Grayling
1991 James A.O. Crowe,
Gordie Charles Summer, Traverse City
1992 Ken Peterson Winter, Clare
1992 Chuck Stafford Summer, Rothbury
1993 Dixie Franklin Summer, Sault Ste. Marie
1994 Stan Lievense Winter, Cadillac
1994 Jim Hall Summer, Rogers City
1996 Len Barnes Summer, Drummond Island
1998 Tom Huggler Summer, Muskegon
1999 Dave Richey Summer, East Tawas
2000 Herb Boldt Summer, Silver City
2002 Don Ingle Winter, Ludington
2008 Harry Whiteley Beaver Island
2014 Bill Semion Gaylord
2016 Tom Lounsbury Fall Bergland
2016 Tom Carney Fall Bergland
2017 Mark Sak Summer Cadillac
2018 Bill Parker