Wally Hyde has been chosen as the Yukon's prospector of the year for doing what prospectors do.

Jim McFaull, president of the Yukon Prospectors Association, presented the Porter Creek senior with the award Monday night at the annual gala banquet held during the 33rd annual Yukon Geoscience Forum.

Generally speaking, said McFaull, prospectors are selected for either having discovered a significant ore body, or having sold a piece of property for a significant amount of money.

Hyde, he told the audience, fell into the latter category.

Though the purchase price wasn't readily available, McFaull said word has it Hyde sold the Silver Hart properties in the Rancheria area this year to a company for an amount in the six figure range a substantial amount in the six figure range.

The association president said Hyde has been involved with the silver claims for some 25 years, having sold them, got them back, and so on.

Two other Yukon prospectors were inducted by the association into the Prospector's Hall of Fame, and another two were placed on the honour role for what is described as longstanding and solid support for the prospecting industry.

The late Art Anderson was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the man responsible for discovering the Clinton Creek asbestos deposit, with his grandson Pat Titus who was on hand at the dinner to accept the award.

Walter Malicky was also inducted into the hall, for what McFaull described as a lifelong connection to business.

There was time, McFaull noted, when Malicky would hike overland from Juneau to Atlin in the fall, and he did it more than once.

The late Bert Law was placed on the prospectors honour role for his support of the prospecting industry, in particular what was described as unrelenting support for Al Kulan and his family. Kulan went on to discover Faro's Vangorda deposit, the lead-zinc mother lode that kickstarted the community in the late 1960s.

Whitehorse writer and author Jane Gaffin was also placed on the honour role for her support of the prospecting industry.