My favorite stories are often those told around a campfire with my hunting partners, PHs’ and guides, and hearing how they learned to hunt and their willingness to share failures as well as successes equally. Their stories often underscore the importance of hunting safety and as a young person how I must learn that a great deal of maturity in needed in order to participate in the sport. In fishing I already have many “one that got away” stories, and through hunting I have gained the patience to sit quietly in a blind without always seeing an animal. The adrenaline rush that even failure brings, has helped me mature and positively influence those around me in the sport.

I believe it is our responsibility as hunters to promote habitat improvement and foster programs that show we are stewards to the land that was entrusted to us. Being an ethical hunter is perhaps the most important thing anyone can do to protect the future of hunting. Representing hunters as an educated, caring, and concerned enforcers of environmental issues, is the role I believe will rally the most support.

As with any sport I participate in I have spent a great deal of time training my body and mind to face the challenges of hunting. I spend time physically training each day so that my body can be ready for the challenges that weather, muscle memory, and long stalks can present on any given day. I love the challenge of learning the rules of hunting involving safety, weapon maintenance, and respect for the animals I am hunting. I also hope to continue to gain the maturity and abilities to lead others into hunting and protecting the rights of individuals to hunt.

I have been fortunate to travel to four of the seven continents and have enjoyed exploring the natural diversity in each location. My souvenirs from the trips are not little plastic models or t-shirts but lasting memories and in many instances animals that I have hunted. I also enjoy bringing game meat or fish so others can enjoy my success in the field, and at all times support humane harvesting of wildlife and avoid waste of these precious resources. I want to share my love of the outdoors with future generations, just like my father and mother have shared with me. It is my responsibility to follow and help enforce all regulations to the areas I travel.