When I published my first article in September of 2006, the idea of being enshrined in a hall of fame for my work in outdoor media was not something I imagined. When I received the news of my induction in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, I was shocked. It’s a humbling honor I never expected. I’m grateful for the recognition, but more so view it as a responsibility to further increase my efforts of promoting and protecting our natural resources, and the enjoyment of the great outdoors for as long as God will allow.
My love of nature has always been evident and has continued to grow in strength over my 46-years. Early camping trips to Indiana State Parks laid the foundation of seeking adventure in nature. Fishing trips with my grandparents to the northern reaches of Wisconsin and Minnesota began at 8-years old. They introduced me to the excitement of exploring new destinations. I’ve chased that carrot ever since. Never able quench my thirst for fishing new lakes, paddling new rivers, and exploring forests and prairies I’d never met before.
My journey over the past 20 years has taken me on adventures beyond my boyhood imagination. I left Indiana after graduating from Purdue University and headed to Colorado. My stay was short before moving to Montana. I consider my four years under the Big Sky the adventure of my lifetime, but I found my place in Missouri. The last 15 years here have been filled outdoor adventure. The Missouri Model of Conservation sets bar for the rest of the country. The incredible diversity of high-quality opportunities here ranks Missouri right at the top of places to live if you love to fish and hunt.
I am without question an outdoors generalist. I love it all. If the season is open and someone wants to go, I’m interested. I fish all year, hunt turkeys, shed antlers, and mushrooms in the spring, and just about everything else in the fall. As I have noted in previous columns, I’m enjoying the pursuit of a personal quest to successfully hunt in every state by the time I turn 50. Hunting is just the vehicle I’m using to meet incredible people while exploring as much of our beautiful country as possible.
It’s people and places I’m most interested in. I have never aspired to be a how-to writer. Instead, I prefer to focus on the “why”. Why should you visit this destination? Why should you consider this way of fishing or hunting? Why should you care about clean water? Why does it matter to conserve wildlife and native habitats? My hope is to motivate an audience to care about our shared natural resources, then to go out and explore for themselves with just enough information to get started. I wholeheartedly believe the journey is the destination. My hope has always been that my audience uses the information I share and advice I give to help figure it out and make the most of it with their tribe.
Over the years, I have had opportunities to lead. Serving as the Executive Director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri for five years introduced me to aspects of nature, I was unaware of prior. The experience stretched me far beyond my fishing and hunting roots. Stalwarts of specific fields came into my life. They continue to motivate me and fuel my drive to do as much as I can to ensure future generations enjoy the same, or even better, outdoors opportunities we have today.
Communicating about outdoor opportunities is more critical today than it has ever been, in my opinion. The invasion of technology into our lives has changed humanity in rapid fashion. Children today spend far too much time starring at screens. But so do I, and so do you. Past generations would have been stomping in creeks, playing outdoors, or just sitting on a porch swing watching the real world drift along.
To help ensure others understand opportunities for becoming outdoor communicators exist, and to have the ability and skills to share stories of fishing, hunting, camping, and conservation, I volunteered to lead three outdoor media associations and served on numerous boards. I’m a past president of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers, the Missouri Outdoor Communicators, and the Hoosier Outdoor Writers. I also created and taught a class called Conservation Communications at the University of Missouri and fly fishing instruction at Ivy Tech.
The list of people I owe gratitude for opportunities I have been given and others for their involvement along the way is far, far too long to attempt. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today if not for the love and support of my family. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, brother and cousins all played a role in my early development as an outdoorsman. Friends along the way have joined me on countless adventures. None more so than my current partner in Driftwood Outdoors, Nathan “Shags” McLeod. My daughters, Bailee and Annabel, have given me the joy of shared time in the outdoors with my children. There is no greater gift.
Most of all, I want to thank you. Everyone who has read my columns over the last 19 years has given me the opportunity to live a dream come true. If anything, I’m persistent, as I haven’t missed a week yet and I don’t plan to anytime in the future.
I grew up reading outdoor columns in the local newspaper. I studied fishing and hunting magazines, owned some of the first VHS hunting tapes, and attended as many seminars as possible. To emulate those early icons of my life has been amazing. All of you have given me the chance. Thank you.
See you down the trail…
Brandon Butler
bbutler@driftwoodoutdoors.com
For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on HERE or anywhere podcasts are streamed.
