NASHVILLE, Tenn.-- "A fiercely independent woman who lives life to the fullest," said Terri Cedars, in describing her friend Belinda Prudhome, recipient of the 2010 Annie Oakley Award.

Louisiana's Belinda Prudhome was all smiles after she received the NWTF's Annie Oakley Award, the Federation's annual award for the top Women in the Outdoors volunteer. Prudhome accepted the award at the 34th annual NWTF National Convention and Sport Show. Click image for print quality version

Prudhome accepted the award during the National Wild Turkey Federation's National Convention and Sport Show. The convention is sponsored by MidwayUSA and is taking place through Feb. 21 in Nashville.

Those same words could be used to describe the award's namesake Annie Oakley, the world-famous sureshot who spent the better part of her life as an ambassador for shooting sports. Both spitfires -- Prudhome and Oakley -- have inspired women to pick up a gun and shoot for fun, many of whom never thought they'd ever pull a trigger.

Known as "B" to her friends, family and the hundreds of people she's introduced to hunting, the spunky redhead from Frierson, La., makes a lasting impression on anyone she meets. Her energy and enthusiasm have spilled over into her efforts with the NWTF's Women in the Outdoors program; as chairperson for the Bodcau Purrin' Hens Chapter, she and her committee host hands-on educational events in her home state, where women ages 14 and older try their hands at shooting, camping, fishing and other outdoor pursuits.

"I have heard story after story from women who say `B took me on my first hunt,' or `B taught me how to skin a deer ... tie a knot ... build a fire,'" said Chad Bowen, NWTF regional director for Louisiana. "Countless women have come to know the outdoors through her unselfishness and willingness to give back."

According to Bowen, Prudhome is dedicated not only to the Women in the Outdoors program, but to the NWTF as a whole: "She will do anything asked of her to assure the NWTF's mission is carried out," he said.

For the past decade, Prudhome also has volunteered through the NWTF to help with events for children, people with disabilities and the needy. Her passion for ensuring that North America's hunting heritage is preserved is best reflected by her efforts to take others to the woods.

"The first Women in the Outdoors event that I went to, I didn't have a clue that I would ever go turkey hunting," said an emotional Prudhome. "I took a turkey calling class and got my first turkey call at the first Women in the Outdoors event in Louisiana. Three years later I called in my first turkey. Since then, I have taken my two best friends and all four of my grandchildren turkey hunting, and have sat beside them as they each harvested a bird. If it wasn't for the Women in the Outdoors program, I never would have made those memories."

Prudhome is an example that the NWTF is more than turkeys. It's the people -- and their giving spirits -- that make the Federation a success.