He takes the most pride in founding the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), in 1988 that has changed the way people hunt and manage white-tailed deer across the nation.
WALTERBORO, SC, May 18, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- R. Joseph Hamilton has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Drawing on more than 40 years of professional experience in wildlife management, Mr. Hamilton, now retired, remains active as a consultant with Hamilton Wildlife Management LLC. Since establishing his consultancy in 2017, he has provided landowners with maps and guidelines to manage their properties for a wide range of wildlife species, including white-tailed deer and wild turkeys. Similarly, Mr. Hamilton has developed plans for habitat management ranging from pine forests and swampy areas to agricultural fields and mixed pine hardwoods.
Over the years, Mr. Hamilton also has honed his expertise in his profession as the founder and senior adviser for The Quality Deer Management Association, through which he maintained responsibility for fundraising between 2006 and 2020. During the early stages of his career, he gained valuable expertise in the industry in varying roles with The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. In conjunction with his work, Mr. Hamilton currently contributes to his community through the Trust for Natural Wildlife Habitat and the South Carolina Landowners Association.
An expert in the field, Mr. Hamilton holds a bachelor's degree in forest resources and a master's degree in wildlife biology and management from The University of Georgia. Driven to remain abreast of changes in the field, he has aligned himself with the The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, The Wildlife Society, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. He continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Deer Association (originally, the Quality Deer Management Association). Due to his vast breadth of knowledge, Mr. Hamilton has contributed hundreds of articles to local newspapers, popular magazines, and technical journals. In 2017 he published a book, Firepot Stories, an autobiography of his career writings spanning nearly half a century. This book contains the collected writings of a naturalist, conservationist, wildlife biologist, sportsman and raconteur. Firepot Stories was endorsed by Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops and noted conservationist, and Jeff Foxworthy, comedian, landowner and sportsman. A signed copy can be obtained from Hamilton Wildlife Management LLC ([email protected]).
In light of his professional achievements, as a master's degree candidate, he worked extensively with black bears in southeastern North Carolina for which he received the Governor's Award as Wildlife Biologist of the Year in 1975. Throughout his extensive career Mr. Hamilton also has been honored by numerous organizations. In 1982, he received the Julian C. Greene Award from the White Lake (NC) Chapter of Ducks Unlimited for successfully leading the opposition to the destruction of waterfowl habitat in a coastal blackwater river, South River. In 1984, the South Carolina Wildlife Federation presented Joe with the Harry Hampton "Woods and Waters" Conservation Memorial Journalism Award for Excellence in Natural Resource Reporting. The Deer Committee of the Southeastern Section of The Wildlife Society honored Joe with the 2000 Deer Management Career Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to white-tailed deer management in the southeastern United States. Joe was the fifth recipient of this prestigious award. In 2004 Joe was inducted in Melbourne, Australia as a member of The Keepers of the Hunting Spirit. Only two Americans and four Australians have received this distinction. The South Carolina Chapter of The Wildlife Society presented Joe with The Professional Wildlife Management Award in October 2005, to recognize the important contributions and achievements made in the art and science of wildlife management. Outdoor Life magazine selected Joe as the recipient of the 2005 Outdoor Life Conservation Award. In 2009, the South Carolina Wildlife Federation recognized Joe as the Wildlife Conservationist of the Year. Joe received the 2011 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year Award at an awards ceremony in Las Vegas. He was inducted into Garry Mason's Legends of the Outdoors at an awards ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee in August 2012. In 2013, the Governor, the General Assembly and the People of South Carolina, recognized R. Joseph Hamilton for his extraordinary dedication to preserving and protecting South Carolina's environment and natural resources. The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, recognized Joe as the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus. In a news release in mid-August 2021, Outdoor Life magazine listed Joe as one of five individuals who have most influenced how sportsmen hunt and fish on a national scale. In March 2022 South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster presented R. Joseph Hamilton with the Order of the Palmetto Award, the highest recognition available to a private citizen, for his career achievements in conservation.
While his career has been filled with highlights, he takes the most pride in founding an organization, the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), in 1988 that has changed the way people hunt and manage white-tailed deer across the nation. Looking ahead, Mr. Hamilton, a Certified Wildlife Biologist through The Wildlife Society, intends to continue consulting, writing articles, appearing as a guest speaker for various events, and serving on the Board of Directors of the National Deer Association.
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