The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks recently named Ramon Callahan of Byram, MS received the Outstanding Mississippi Sportsman Award at the June Commission Meeting.
With over three decades of service in forestry and wildlife conservation, Callahan has left a lasting mark on Mississippi’s land, wildlife, and the people who care about both. He was Mississippi State University’s first graduate to earn a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Management and began his distinguished career in 1963 with the U.S. Forest Service. Throughout the years, Callahan held pioneering roles, including being the first forester/wildlife biologist at the Naval Air Station near Meridian. He also was the first wildlife field biologist stationed in the Mississippi Delta, then later was promoted as Assistant State Conservationist for Technology with the Natural Resources Conservation System (NRCS).
A longtime leader within the Mississippi Wildlife Federation (MWF), Callahan served two terms as President, helped launch the MWF Extravaganza, and represented Mississippi for eight years as a delegate to the National Wildlife Federation. Today, he continues to serve as an active board member and works as a private consultant through Callahan Timber & Wildlife Services, Inc.