Q: What goes through your head when you first wake up in the morning when you go hunting?
A: The feeling is joy. Pure joy. I know the future, no matter what it holds in the way of success and results, will absolutely hold a glorious day in the outdoors.
Q: Where is your favourite place to go hunting?
A: My Rogue River outfitting territory in the Yukon. It’s by far the prettiest place on the planet. Moose hunting in the early fall is breathtaking in that valley. There’s one spot that I sit on overlooking the Hess River that is to me what hunting is all about. I can see 20 miles up into the river valley, and the bottom holds is the most beautiful crimson, yellow, and whites in the world.
Q: Tell us a favourite story from a day out hunting.
A: My father, when he was alive, always told the story of our first moose hunt. I was 16 years old, and it was my first chance to actually hunt moose with my father. It was a huge deal, a real rite of passage. At that point, if our family didn’t get a moose, we didn’t have meat for the winter. As we were walking down a dirt road, my father and I both caught a glimpse of a moose flashing across an open cut. We both shot. We had a bit of a tracking job, but when we finally found the moose it only had one hole in it. We’ll never know who actually connected with the bull, but my dad always told the story of the calculated old veteran and the jittery youngster both blasting away. I think he always (jokingly) took credit for the kill.
Q: If you could do anything better, what would it be?
A: There isn’t a single decision I’ve ever made that I would change. From the beginning of my life until now. I always know I give 100% on any project or any goal that I have. There’s nothing I could do better; I’m already doing it as best as I possibly can.
Q: Who are your heroes? Who do you look up to?
A: I have hunting heroes like J.A. Hunter, who was a conservation officer in Kenya - his book got me into being a professional hunter. There’s others like Jud Cooney, Jim Zumbo, Larry Weishuhn, and Chuck Adams that I have immense respect for in hunting. In real hero terms, anyone who protects our freedoms around the world in the military. I don’t care if it’s a private or a general, they deserve all the praise we can give them. It’s never enough.
Q: If you could bring anybody in the world with you to do what you love (dead or alive), who would it be?
A: I would love to hunt with my father again. He passed away 2.5 years ago now. He’s still with me in memory every time I step into a wild land. If I could sit on a whitetail stand with him one more time, it would be a dream. I’d like to catch up with him, find out what he’s been up to, and let him know what’s happened since he’s been gone.
Q: What would be your day job if you weren’t doing what you are currently doing?
A: I never ever had that option. I was totally unemployable. A day job was never in my future, and I couldn’t even contemplate an alternative. It’s breathing and hunting for me. Who I am is who I am.