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Claiborne County native Michael Cavins recently earned not one but two prestigious awards through his work as a Wildlife Officer in Region IV, District 41 of the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. He was honored for his substantial efforts as a wildlife officer in his home county, earning the designation of District 41 Officer of the Year.

His second award was bestowed by the Shikar-Safari Club International when the organization chose Cavins this time around to carry its Tennessee Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer of the Year designation.

Cavins is among a distinguished group of officers nationwide to receive the Shikar-Safari Club International award from those in all 50 states and ten Canadian provinces.

These awards are tangible proof that Cavins has shown outstanding performance in his duties, achieving well-earned recognition among all TWRA law enforcement personnel.

In addition to his duties as a wildlife officer, Cavins stays active in public outreach and community service within his home-based county and district. He works closely with the Claiborne school system, conducting several programs during the year. Claiborne and Hancock Counties were fortunate to have Cavins deeply involved in the Farm Bureau Farm Day events.

He serves on the Cumberland Gap High School Advisory Career Development Committee and has helped with the National Wild Turkey Federation “Jake’s Day” event in Campbell County. He has also been an eager participant of the “Shop with a Cop” events held in Scott County.

Cavins was credited with saving the life of a young hunter who was injured by a falling tree while in the woods. He made 30 cases involving big game violations – all while spending a substantial amount of time this year inspecting more than 230 hunters and boaters for compliance with wildlife and boating laws. These compliance checks netted 76 citations and warnings. Some 44 additional citations were issued with his help while assisting fellow officers.

Matthew Cameron, TWRA Communications & Outreach Coordinator, says the Shikar-Safari Club has been a great partner to the Agency via its donations of money for the TWRA Elk Program.

“This funding helps TWRA acquire mounted wildlife to be utilized in law enforcement efforts,” said Cameron.

Shikar-Safari Club International, founded in 1952, uses its platform to distribute knowledge of wildlife of the world.