A Career in the Outdoors
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Logan from PA asks:My friend, his cousin and I are going to start a business having to do with mainly with hunting supplies. I was wandering if you ha any advice for us.Winke Responds:Logan, The main thing is to stick with producst that serve real needs. There are a lot of gimmicks that come and go. You will need something solid because it may take some time for the company to take off. It is always twice as much work as you think it is going to be and costs at least twice as much as you think it is going to cost. If you have the passion it can be done, but you have to be very careful with the money because it can go very fast if you aren't careful. Best of luck. Happy New Year. (12-30-11)
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Derick from PA asks:How do you become a pro hunter?Winke Responds:Derick, I get that question more than any other. Rather than try to answer it, I am going to point you toward a blog I wrote about this subject a couple of years back. Please copy and paste this address into your browser. Good luck. (11-17-11) http://www.midwestwhitetail.com/publish/posts/37/living-the-dream-a-job-in-the-hunting-industry.html
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Brock from MO asks:Mr. Winke, I was wondering if you ever hire interns over the summer to help with Private Land management for wildlife habitat to work on some of the farms that you hunt or manage? If so I would be very interested. ThanksWinke Responds:Brock, I never have, but at some point that might be a possibility. My own farm is kind of on cruise control now. We have done a lot of work to it already so there is not much that needs to be done. A few projects for sure, but nothing big. If that changes, or if I buy any new land, I will put the word out, but for now I don't see this opportunity on the horizon. Good luck. (11-17-11)
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Adam from MN asks:Hello BIll, I ran across your show last year. This year I have really started to follow your show each week to the point i crave the next video! You guys are doing a great job. I am 14, and This will be my third year hunting. In the future It is my dream to produce or help produce a show like this. First, What kind of camera equipment does your staff use, and how expensive is it? I do not own any camera equipment other than my ipod. When I hit the stand this year I am hoping to make a video of my experience and hopefully bag my first deer. I do not live on hunting land, however, so I do not get out as often as i wish to. If i have a sucessful hunt, i plan on sending a video to you, just for kicks. Have a good one! -Adam Eskola, 14 Delano, MNWinke Responds:Adam, There is a lot to learn, my friend. It can be done, but this is a pretty technical artform when you get into all the equipment, light, composition, editing, software, computers, etc. I would start simple and work up from there. Any decent camcorder or handicam will get you started. Learn to capture the video off the camera to your computer and then use the computer's built-in editing software (Windows Movie Maker) on PCs - not sure what it is on Mac - to create your video. Then mess with all the aspects of the video and editing until you have learned as much as you can before buying anything fancier. We spend a lot of money for equipment, technology, software, etc. So before you get too far into it, learn the basics. There is a lot (a lot) more to filming a hunt than pressing the record button and pointing the camera at a deer. Good luck.
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josh from OK asks:hey bill, i have seen alot of questions where you are asked how to get into the hunting buisiness. so i was wondering after reading your responses, you said you were a machanical engineer after college, do you have any sort of journalism degree or what? do you think it would be possible for someone to land a job taking pics and writing a story for the pics also?Winke Responds:Josh, I don't have a Journ. degree but I did love writing as a young man so I took some electives in college in the writing field. You can find jobs in journalism and photo journalism, but it will be low paying work at first. That is not to say you can't grow the pay as you gain experience. Most of the journalists that do well are freelancers with many years experience, but they had to start somewhere else (typically newspapers and now more and more will be starting in the web publishing business). You can find work doing what I do (writing and photography) but it is not an easy place to start. You will struggle for sure until you make it. I did. The only ones who don't struggle at the start are the ones who do it part time and have regular jobs that pay the bills. I would focus in learning as much as you can about the new forms of media and that might open doors. Good luck.
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Seth from AL asks:Hey, sorry about all the questions. I just have way to many to count. Anyway what would it take, school wise, to become a hunting guide? I don't know why, but the reason I would like to do that is the chance to have my work be about seeing deer alot and meeting and helping alot of new people have the time of there life. What do you think?Winke Responds:Seth, It is a tough life - guiding. I have been in many, many hunting camps over the years. Not many guys stick with guiding for more than a few years. The hours are brutal, the work is hard and the pay is not too great. Yes, you get to be outdoors and you get to learn, but I wouldn't call it a long-term career path. I would focus on an education that gives you plenty of tools to get a good job in today's market and then just give guiding a try after that. That way if you burn out on it, you have something to fall back on. Most guides are in their 20s and lower 30s so you have plenty of time to get your feet wet. The easiest way to learn is to apprentice with a local guide a few weeks this fall. If there are no guides in the area where you live, I would suggest putting this on the back burner until you get your education completed. Maybe during the summers as you are in college you can work for a fishing guide out west. That would be an awesome summer job. Like any other, you will need to contact a number of them. Do a search online when the time comes and start calling guys. Eventually one of them will say yes. That will get you in the door and you can learn from there. Good luck.
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jordan from MO asks:Hey, This is Jordan Zerr, I watch midwest whitetail religiously. You guys do a great job. I just graduated from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg with a degree in Geography. I focused around cartography and GIS (mapping). I also have 30+ hours in biology and earth science. I'm about to start my master in whitetail behavior at UCM. I'm very interested in starting my own hunting property consulting service. Could you give me some ideas of how to do this? Thanks, Jordan Zerr Bachelors of Science in GeographyWinke Responds:Jordan, There is no standard way to get where you want to go. It will take some experience on your part to see where the opportunities lie. I would focus on getting a good job and then learning as much as you can about what hunting property landowners need that you can provide. Laying out a management plan is one option, but that also must incorporate aspects of making the property more huntable and that requires a lot of experience. Generally, consultants are people who have done something effectively for a long time with regard to their own business (or their own land) or someone who works for a person who has that kind of experience. In other words, it is going to take time to gain the experience required to make yourself valuable to a landowner. There might also be other ways to get started, such as offering a food plot and habitat service (not strictly consulting). Then you are offering a service the landowner knows he needs. There is usually good demand for a person who can layout and plant food plots and maintain them. It is not a high paying job for sure, and requires quite a bit of initial equipment investment, but it is definitely a known need that will put you in business much sooner than if you focus on just consulting. Good luck.
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Seth from IN asks:How do you get to be a celebrity hunter and have cameras on all your hunts for a show?Winke Responds:Seth, I started writing for hunting magazines in 1991. Since then I have written literally thousands of articles. That put me on the map. I met a lot of people along the way that are now in management positions at the companies in this industry so that has helped too. They have helped me. I worked hard, was willing to take some risks and God blessed the work. It is not an easy road. There have been very few overnight success stories in any business (same for hunting), most of the stories are similar to mine - people paid their dues by working hard and learning. Forget the celebrity and the cameras and focus on having fun and learning. Get into a career that you enjoy and if the opportunity allows, look for ways to put that experience to work in the hunting industry. If you love filming hunts, start experimenting with that. Maybe produce a hunting DVD for family and friends and see where it takes you. It is a way to start. The main thing is, hunt for the love of hunting not as a way to get noticed.
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Nick from IA asks:Where did greg get his degree in whitetail behavior? and do you know of any other colleges with such degrees? Also what could these degrees lead to in the industryWinke Responds:Nick, Greg went to the University of Nebraska Lincoln. That is the main Nebraska campus. He got his master's degree there and was working in their deer studies department as a video specialist when I found him - or when he found me. That degree can lead to consulting opportunities, private biologist opportunities working for landowners, teaching, working for a game department, even writing. Obviously, for Greg it has led to a career as a video producer. I think a degree in whitetail biology will open other doors too. Once you get the degree it comes down to working hard, meeting lots of people and attending trade shows to learn what the hunting industry is all about. Then you can better tell what type of job you really want. I don't know what other colleges and Universities offer such a degree program.
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Wilmar from WI asks:Hey im a fan of your website, and me and some friends have been thinking about doing it for sometime and wondering how long it took you to get into the business of tv hunting and how you went about doing it??Winke Responds:Wilmar, We started this back in July of 2008, so not a real long time ago. The advantage I had was the fact that I had already been in the hunting industry for a long time as a writer so I knew a lot of people and had been around the TV and filming side a lot with other productions. Start simple and see if it takes on a life of its own. In other words, get a simple website and inexpensive camera gear and a basic editing system. It will still cost a fair amount to start at that level. If it starts to take off, you can always upgrade later. The web is the easiest place to start. The cost to get started is much lower than TV. Good luck.
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Drew from ON asks:Hey, I'm only seventeen, and as you can imagine would love to do what I get to see you guys do. My question I guess is, is how did you guys get started? I'm graduating this year, so I've been trying to find a career path that fits me. Thanks, DrewWinke Responds:Drew, This is probably among my top questions that I receive here. I have created a blog that talks about this process, so please cut and paste this link into your browser. It is a good industry to be in and there are jobs, you just need a realistic approach. The biggest misconception is that people actually get paid to hunt. They don't. It doesn't happen. They may hunt as a way to produce their product (video, articles, etc.) but at the end of the day, they get paid for doing the kinds of work that help someone else sell their products or maybe eventually to sell their own products. With that reality check in mind, please take a look at the blog. Good Luck! http://www.midwestwhitetail.com/publish/posts/37/living-the-dream-a-job-in-the-hunting-industry.html
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Garrett from ME asks:Hey Bill, love the show, keep up the good work. I just read your article about an internship possibility for video editing. I am going to Northeast Community College in Nebraska and I am studying agronomy. I was wondering if you could think of anything in that field that I could get an internship with while also working in the hunting industry? Thanks, GarrettWinke Responds:Garrett, That might be a bit tougher to pull off. Your best bet would be to try to work for a management consultant who specializes in hunting properties. There are a few of them around. I may start up such a service but I need to make sure I have the time to dedicate to it first. I need another year of getting Midwest Whitetail organized and lined out before I think about starting something else. But that would be your best bet. Everyone who owns or leases hunting land needs to know the best way to make things grow (food plots) so there is a future for someone with such knowledge. Good luck.
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Zack from SD asks:Well Bill, at the end of your shows you say "Dream Big." I would like to become a professional bowhunter and start filming my own hunts. Don't know if you could help on steps to get there or if I should find out on my own like everyone has. If you could answer a question it would be what kinda of camera do you use and how much do they cost. ThanksWinke Responds:Zack, It is a tough road. For every 100 that try, 99.9 end up realizing that their best hope is to do it for fun. Being a professional bowhunter is not really available. Basically, you will have to do something tangible, like produce a hunting DVD, sell hunting gear as a sales rep, write for magazines, etc. I bowhunt for fun and do the other stuff I do to pay the bills. But you can still "Dream Big" and go after those more tangible kinds of jobs. Just be realistic going in - no one is ever going to pay you just to hunt. Won't happen. There are ways to make a living in the hunting industry, however, and those are the places I would focus if I were you. To answer your question, we use a combination of a number of cameras, but the most popular ones right now are the Canon XHA1 and the Sony AX 2000. Canon used is about $1,800+. Sony use is about $2,800 and new is about $3,500. Keep Dreaming Big.
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mathew from KY asks:I will retire from the Navy in 17 months, my qiestion is how difficult is it to get started in hunting business (out door hunting show) between my best friend and I combined we have about 36 yrs. of hunting experience I have places here in Ky. to hunt and he has places in Ill. and I also have places in Va. and NC. too. We have talked doing this, but I am just curious to know how difficult it would be. Your advise would be greatly appreciated.Winke Responds:Matthew, You probably don't want my honest answer. Our motto is "Dream Big" so of course I am going to tell you to go for it, but in reality it is very tough to make a living on this stuff. I have been able to pull it off because I have been writing for magazines for 20 years and know many of the marketing heads at the companies I work with. They sponsored the show before it even got off the ground. Without this kind of inside advantage you have to produce it, make it popular and then attract sponsors. It is hard to make it popular without any money for cameras, air time, cameramen, websites, etc. It is hard to get the money until it is popular - a catch-22. So it is more likely something that realistically you can do for fun on the side and see if it takes on a life of its own. I would not jump into it as a full-time job nor spend much money on it until you see things start to fall into place. Anything is possible if you are willing to work hard enough, it is just not an easy road. Good luck.
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Don from WI asks:I would like to get started in the hunting manufacturing business.Do you have any ideas!How can I buy bankrupt and for sale hunting businesses.THANK YOU! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!Winke Responds:Don, Not sure about the bankrupt ones. I know of companies that go under just about every year, but often their products are no longer relevant or they just don't solve a problem so they lack staying power. If you are thinking of buying existing companies, the easiest place to start is the ATA Show or SHOT Show. Most of the companies attending these shows are pretty healthy or they wouldn't be there, but really I would not recommend buying a down and out company in this industry. Like I said, most of them are struggling for a reason. Look up ATA Show and SHOT Show on Google and you'll learn all about these trade-only shows. You could just walk the aisles and get a feel for the landscape. Maybe drop a few hints that you are looking here and there and see what floats up. Some companies may have divisions (business segmenets) they are not in love with and would consider cutting those out for sale, as well. Good luck.
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Jon from MN asks:Bill, I have been in search of ways to get into the hunting industry. I read your blog "living the dream" and it gave me some insight, but I was wondering what your take is on hunting guide schools? Do you know of any of the top schools, or know where I could look to find them other than "googling" guide schools? Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks!Winke Responds:Jon, The Colorado Outdoor Adventure Guide School is good. I know several of the people involved with that one. Otherwise, I don't have personal experience to share. Guiding is a lot of fun, but hard work. I think it is a stepping stone because you will burn out after a few years (at least most people do). Good luck.
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Trevor from MO asks:Hey Bill, love what you guys are doing for the whitetail world! I am currently going to school and majoring in mass communications with an emphasis in videography and video editing. I was wondering if you guys are ever looking for new camera operaters. I have filmed a few hunts myself and have a passion for doing so like few other people. Information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and keep up the great work!Winke Responds:Trevor, We don't really need anyone up here, but I will pass your information along to the MO team. We do employ a couple of interns every year, so if you are thinking of an internship, keep us in mind. Good luck with the schooling.
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Mr. Kelly from MN asks:Hello just had 1 question, how do u go about doing what ur doing on the internet with midwest whitetail,or getting started i should say, i love hunting big whitetails but thought about doing something with predator hunting to, luv to hunt coyotes, if u could let me know or have any ideas that would be a great help, Thanks and good luck this hunting season, cant wait. Thanks kellyWinke Responds:Kelly, You can get started easily by going to a big hosting company like Startlogic and setting up a website. They offer very affordable plans (very affordable compared to what I paid!) and you can set up to embed your video from YouTube onto your site. It is all pretty straightforward stuff now. It becomes simpler each day. Come up with a good web address and start adding videos and content. Promoting it and getting traffic is the hard part. You will need to get some good content first and then you can start promote it through friends and local events, state deer classics, etc until you have a following. Then once you command an audience you can look for possible sponsors. It has to be a labor of love because it takes a lot of work. Good luck.
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Davis from KS asks:Hi my name is Davis, I am 17 years old and I love the outdoors. escpecially hunting, me, my twin brother, and my dad all love hunting and are looking for land in kansas to purchase. My question for you is do Cattle effect the deer hunting. Also what should we look for in a good piece of property that will make a great place for deer. My last question is what signs can I look for to tell if there are any deer on the property. I have already walked a few propertys and have seen nothing other then turkey. Is it to early for scrapes and rubs and what else can I look for. Thankyou for you time. Sincerely, DavisWinke Responds:Davis, You are asking a common question. It is a very good question though. I was asking the same question when I was your age. The short answer is that there are all kinds of jobs in the hunting industry from engineering to game management to graphic design, etc. The key is to get your major in the field of study you enjoy most and then look for opportunities to use these skills and passion for a company in the hunting industry. It won't be a quick process, but if you will put in the time, gain some experience and then look for jobs you would like and are qualified for, you can find a good job in this industry. I actually wrote an entire blog about this back in 2009, I think. If you go into the Winke's Blog archives you can find that one. I hope that helps.
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josh from PA asks:Hi Bill, I know you have addressed questions about outdoor writing, where you said to get a job in the outdoor industry. Where would you suggest to look within the outdoor industry to get started. I would like to pursue outdoor writing....but have no idea how to get started. Should I just start submitting articles to newspapers and magazines and hope for the best. I have a communications degree with an emphasis in journalism, but other obligations left me with a full-time job in another profession, so I would have to start pursuing something part-time. Any advise would be appreciated. thanks, joshWinke Responds:Josh, You are about right on that. The brute force method is the best way to start - write something you are excited about and start submitting it likely publishers. Magazines - especially regional ones - are a good choice. Contact a few local papers and see about writing a weekly outdoor piece. They will likely ask you to submit something for them to look at but that can likely lead to opportunities too. The best way to get started is to simply jump in. You will have many more "no" responses than "yes" responses, but you will eventually get some stuff published and will gain confidence and an understanding of how things work. Experience leads to better article themes and more work. Just dive in. It can be done!
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Jeremy from MI asks:Bill, I would like to start by saying that I really enjoyed every episode of midwest whitetail this season. Economically, things are tough in Michigan right now. I just graduated college with a degree in business administration and an excellent g.p.a. I would like to pursue an outdoor related career. I realize you are probably incredibly busy, but you seem like a really nice guy. It might be a long shot, but I was hoping you might have some advice on how I might get started or possibly even some leads on outdoor related jobs. Thanks for any help you might be able to provide. I'll be looking forward to new midwest whitetail episodes. Thanks, JeremyWinke Responds:Jeremy, Thanks for watching the shows. I really appreciate that. I am not aware of any specific jobs right now, but I have not been in the loop with that side of the operations of any companies lately. I am sure the work is out there. You need a way to find it. Generally, you have to be patient and work your way into the perfect job. I know everyone says that and no one wants to hear it, but that really is how it works except in rare cases. So that means getting experience where you can, looking for ways to apply that to the hunting industry and then slowly making the transition. I wrote a blog about that a few months back (maybe last summer) so if you go back into the archives of Winke's Blog you will find one on this subject. I wish I had specific jobs at the tip of my tongue, but I just don't know of any. Like I said, they are out there though. Gain experience, learn to use your skills to create value for your employers (make them money or save them money) and then look for the perfect job. You may see opportunities yourself and be self-employed at some point. It is always an option. Good luck.
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Bill from WI asks:Bill, i'm a sophomore in high school and for quite some time its been my dream to get into writing in the outdoor field, do you have any advice? thanks and good luck with the remainder of your seasonWinke Responds:Bill, I wrote a blog about that a while back. Go into the Archives for Winke's Blog and see if you can find the one titled "Living the Dream". It should give you a few ideas. Good luck.
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Luke from MN asks:Hey Bill. I love the show. Watching the videos on your website for the past few months has really inspired me to focus on being a more effective bowhunter. My friend and I who both love to hunt were talking about actually filming each other and possibly making our own website in the future. I was just wondering if it costs anything to produce a website like this. I am only 16 years old so I guess I am limited to what equipment I can afford to accomplish my goals of making videos. I would really appreciate some advice on these topics. Thanks a lot and good luck!Winke Responds:Luke, Thanks for your support. My site is very expensive and serving all this video bandwidth is also very expensive. However, if you want to go cheap, you should be able to piece something decent together fairly cheaply using a site like Joomla to get your basic site and components. You can also use YouTube at first. It is free and is a great way to learn the ropes. You will need some kind of editing software, but a simple setup from Pinnacle is probably all you need to start. Again, we spent lots of money on computers and software, but any good dual core or better computer will run Pinnacle fine.
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Joey from TN asks:Hello, my name is Joey. I am good friends with Clint Vannatter who is on the Indiana pro staff. I was born and raised in Kokomo, IN, but now live in Johnson City, TN due to my wife going to grad school here. I have a question for you that I would appreciate a response to if you have time. I was in the military for most of adult life and now work for the Railroad down here. I am currently laid off and would like to go back to school. I have always been interested in writing since taking a couple college classes and English teachers taking notice to papers I had written. I read some of the q&a section and saw that you were freelance, and was wondering what advice you may have for someone who would love to do outdoor writing. For instance, what kind of degree to pursue, where to start after finishing degree, etc. I love hunting more than anything in this world, and would love to somehow make a living doing what I love. Any response will be appreciated. Thanks, JoeWinke Responds:Joey, People are still going to read, but increasingly the web and TV are taking people away from print magazines and books. I would definitely get a multi-media background so that you can produce text and video and look for ways to learn as much as possible about the web. It is the future. You will probably start out doing some odd work for newspapers, maybe writing copy for a catalog, doing freelance for a few regional magazines and a few websites. Over time you will find better markets. If you can live cheaply, you can pull it off - gaining the markets. If you can't live cheaply, I would suggest a full time job in whatever industry you can and then pursue the outdoor writing on the side until you have made the needed contacts. The traditional freelance outdoor writer is becoming scarce because the magazines are disappearing. Hunters still want to connect with their passion but they are increasingly turning to television and to the web. People don't seem to want to read anymore. It is definitely a time of transition, but it breaks my heart because I love hunting magazines. I grew up with a stack of them beside by bed and I read them every evening. Now I get to sit and watch that entire category of media slowly disappearn. Good luck.
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Mitch from MO asks:Hey bill love the show! I am a freshman in college and currently an undecided major. I know that I want to pursue a degree that deals with the outdoors, and have thought about wildlife biology or wildlife conservation. As far as the industry and individual companies are concerned, are there any degrees that you would reccomend that would help me obtain a career in the hunting industry?Winke Responds:Mitch, I think just about any degree can translate to the hunting industry. For example, if you have an engineering degree you could possibly work for a bow company, gun company, boat company, etc. If you have finance or marketing or accounting degree, etc. You can also apply these same degrees for a hunting-related company. If you want to be on the freelance side, a graphic designer, advertising or even journalism degree would work. Being freelance, like me, is definitely the tougher way to go. It takes longer to get established and make any money, but you have more freedom and potentially more opportunities to reinvent what you do every year - a lot of flexibility. So, just do what you enjoy and what you are good at and you can likely find a job in the hunting industry using those skills.
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stephan from KS asks:Dear bill, i know you are busy, i tried emailin you acouple a weeks ago. my name is stephan nickell. i love the show. mainly i want to know how to make your pro staff and hunt for a living. i would love to do that after i get out of the army. i will be home in oct. your show gives me more than entertainment but a dream, a hope, and a prayer. i just want a chance to learn as much as i can, i love bowhunting and im originally from kansas. please it would make my season to hear back from you. if the email put down dont work try stephan_nickell@yahoo.com good luck and god blessWinke Responds:Stephan, I appreciate your support and am very proud to have you serving our country. Thanks for all you do. If you contact me after the season I can give you some information about how we choose the pro staff. Unfortunately, it is very hard to make a living hunting. I don't even do that. I get paid to write, shoot photos and now to produce videos, but I don't get a penny for hunting. It all works together, or course. If I didn't hunt it would be hard to do the other things well. There are some things you can likely do to get a job in the hunting industry after you finish your service. That would be a great start. Be safe and God bless your service.
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Dakota from WI asks:Dear bill how did you become a proffesinal hunter?Winke Responds:Dakota, Technically, I am not a professional hunter. I wish it were that easy. I am actually a professional writer, professional photographer and now a professional video producer. I still hunt for fun. No one pays me to hunt nor do I make more money on years when I am successful versus years when I am not. However, I assume you mean, how did I get a job in the hunting industry. The best answer is to go back to the "Winke's Blog" arcives on the site and there is one in there about "Living the Dream". Take a look at that one. It pretty well sums up my own story and offers a few tips to anyone wanting to get into the hunting industry. Good luck.
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Billy from NC asks:I am interested in trying to get into outdoor writing and photography. I am an avid hunter, husband, and father. When did you break into the outdoor scene? What did you do before? Did you go to college? Thanks for any pointers and advice. BillyWinke Responds:Billy, I was actually a mechanical engineer for four years out of college and then took some time off and worked at a bow company where I met a magazine editor. I always liked writing as boy and think with all the reading of hunting magazines I had done, it came natural to me so I started to write for Greg. I dove right in and went full time immediately, which was dumb and stressful, but I guess it forced me out of my comfort zone. I was a shy young man and needed the pressure of not eating to force me to make it work. I would try to do it part-time first. If you can't make it part-time you probably won't make it full-time either. Then once you get a few pieces published you can decide if you still like writing well enough to do what you have to do to make a living at it. The magazines are going away (I hate that fact because I still love writing) and are being increasingly being replaced by websites and TV. There will always be a need for writers, but the hey day of the mid-1990's is probably never going to come back. Don't take rejection personally, it is part of the deal. Work hard and be persistent. I guess that is probably the recipe for success in nearly any endeavor. Good luck.
