I am an avid outdoorsman, including almost anything in the outdoors, including but not limited to hunting, fishing, and trapping. I was started at a young age, when I was only allowed to fish. I quickly developed an addiction to fishing, even at a young age. My youth fishing experiences were mostly with trout - in Arizona, trout fishing is limited to mostly the northern half of the state, making access to fish-able areas difficult.
My first hunt was when I was 13. It was a plan-less dove hunt near central Arizona. I was carrying a 20 gauge, though I don't remember the specific brand or model. We set up on a small water tank that birds seemingly flew into at a seemingly consistent rate I went home hands full, not with a single bird, but with many shell hulls.
I remembered that day specifically, as I set out to become a better dove hunter. It was this quest, at the young age of 13, that prompted my obsession for hunting, and soon thereafter an addiction to the totality of the outdoors.
I proceeded into high school trying to find any and every way to go hunting or fishing. I specifically remember attending my first (and only) bass fishing tournament. I knew perhaps more than the average person about fishing, but was still poor. I caught a single smallmouth bass on a topwater, and that was the only fish we landed that day. I can still remember our decision to not even attend weigh ins...
I followed high school graduation by going to a community college, I had mixed emotions between whether I should go to culinary school or go to school for wildlife management. I loved cooking, and still do, but had an epiphany that chefs work horrible long hours, and do the same tasks almost everyday. Additionally, I was overall more interested in wildlife management.
After 3 years of going to school at a community college and working full time, I finally moved to Arizona State University to begin taking classes about wildlife.
These classes changed my life, some for the worse, some for the better.
Finally, after 5.5 years of schooling, I acquired a B.S. degree in Environmental Resource Management with a focus in Wildlife Biology, along with a certification in Wildlife Management, all with Summa Cum Laude distinction.
During my college years, I had the pleasure of having 3 internships with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. These 3 summers were some of the best of my life, and I learned an immense amount of information regarding many topics. During these summers, I chronicled my experiences through a Facebook page called Jake's Tails, Tales, and Tips. I shared my stories and pictures that most people would never have the pleasure of experiencing. I also honed my writing skills during this time, and had many people telling me to write books, articles for magazines, etc.
All of these experiences have led me to this moment, so follow along with me...