Q & A
Learn the background, the stories, and behind-the-scenes info about the world of hunting and fishing.
What was your first catch?
The very first animal that I hunted was rabbit. This was as a child, following my Dad and Uncle TJ around. I was too young to shoot, so I collected all the rabbits after they were shot, and put them in my backpack. Then, as I got older, I carried a .22 rifle, then a shotgun.
My earliest fishing days were weekends spent at a local trailer park (Leamington, Ontario) catching large mouth bass in all of the stocked ponds there. I would just walk around with my fishing rod all day, and catch anything that would bite.
What is your favourite hunting/fishing memory?
One of my best memories is shooting my first jack rabbit on the run with my .22 rifle. I was around 11 years old with the same crew - my uncles and my Dad. This happened near Oil Springs, Ontario.
My fondest fishing memories include watching my three kids catching fish. This brings me a lot of joy.
What is your favourite time of year to be outdoors?
Every season - all year, as long I’m outdoors - hunting, fishing, or doing anything in the wild, I’m happy.
Why is conservation important to you?
I think conservation is the most important to protect what we have, to make sure that our kids/the generations that come can do what we’ve done and to live in a sustainable world. Conservation is everything.
What was your greatest “learning moment”?
A few years ago, I was charged by a grizzly bear in the Yukon when moose hunting. The bear was protecting the moose carcass. Luckily, I was able to scare the bear off with a warning shot at about fifty yards. This reminded me that humans are not at the top of the food chain in these places, and safety is a huge priority.
For fishing, after opening five years commercial fishing for halibut and salmon, guiding for years, and educating myself on the steadily declining numbers of all the fish species in general, it made me realize how important fishing/hunting sustainability and conservatorship is. I want to educate that hunting/fishing are not bad things, if they are done in a conservation-focused way.
Do you have any goals for future hunting/fishing excursions?
I’d like to explore tropical waters a bit more for fishing, especially for Goliath grouper, which is a huge fish. They can be fished in The Atlantic Ocean, near the Bahamas and the Florida Keys.