PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. — Mike Norkus, a lifelong advocate for hunting safety, was recognized by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources during a ceremony at Dance's Sporting Goods Wednesday morning.
Norkus was awarded for dedicating more than 5,000 volunteer hours since 1998 to educating hunters about gun and archery safety.
Bryan Branch, with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, praised Norkus’s commitment.
“What he does is he teaches people how to be safe while they are hunting,” said Branch. “He takes folks to the next level in their skill development for hunting. He loves it and he’s passionate about it and he loves to share his knowledge. And he’s got a lot of it to share.”
Norkus’s passion stems from a personal tragedy.
“I was involved in a hunting incident when I was 14 years old,” Norkus said. “My best friend was shot and killed by accident by his little brother. I was the first one on the scene, so I had to take control, calm his mom down, call the rescue squad, and I swore I’d give back to the community somehow after that.”
Currently serving as president of the Virginia Hunter Education Association, Norkus is also one of only three Master Bow Hunter Education instructors in the state.
Norkus says he has already started logging hours toward his next 5,000 hours of volunteer service.
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