The Beginning...

My life as a hunter and a public land user have both existed for many years, albeit separately.  These identities took nearly twenty years to come together and opened my eyes to the recreation opportunities on public land all over the country.

As a hunter, I developed my experiences through private land hunting in Minnesota where I was born and lived for nearly three decades.  I was the shining example of the weekend warrior hunter with which I hold no shame.  I was taught and learned everything early on from my Dad and Grandpa out in the bluffs along the Mississippi River in Southeast Minnesota.  It was there that I spent my beginning days in the woods.  The first deer I ever spotted while along for a hunt (my Dad was the only one with a tag) I swore would be my last, as I saw the deer and loudly exclaimed to my Dad that there was a dog coming towards us.  Turns out it was a high-quality buck that stopped in his tracks and beelined away from us upon hearing the youthful squeal of a nervous boy in the woods experiencing his first hunt.  Thankfully, I have a very forgiving and encouraging father, and I wound up continuing to pursue becoming a hunter and outdoorsman.  Through the coming years, I learned about safe handling of weapons, animal behavior, reading sign, practicing the craft, respecting the animals you kill and always keeping ethical behavior in mind on numerous pheasant, turkey, and white tailed deer hunts.

Around the same time that I started accompanying my Dad and Grandpa into the woods for hunts, my family took a vacation that opened my eyes to expansive lands.  A road trip into the Needles of South Dakota showed me landscapes that previously had only existed to me in movies about other planets.  There I found that I was free to run, jump, and climb all over the rocks.  I could explore canyons where there were no lines, no one was directing me where to go and I could let my imagination run wild about what creatures roamed these wild and extreme landscapes. I was hooked.  As life went on, I found myself exploring remote and unexpected mountains in Texas, canyoneering in the depths of Utah’s red earth, getting lost in peaks leading up to Mt. Rainier and signing up for any opportunity that brought with it a chance to explore places without marked trails or signs of human influence.

Despite my passions for hunting and exploration on public lands, I never connected the two until I embarked on an archery hunt for elk in southern Wyoming in 2016.  Throughout my life, when I would watch outdoor programs that showcased epic mountainous hunts or read about the hunter in pursuit of wild game for miles on end in remote country, I always assumed these opportunities were out of reach for me.  I assumed that these folks were given opportunities like this from large sums of money granted from publications and production companies who fed stories to hunters like me for a subscription.  As a Midwest hunter, I have always participated in hunts that involved getting permission and establishing a relationship with a farmer or landowner to access their woods and fields.  I will just claim ignorance and say I didn’t know – which is exactly what led me to establish this website.

I want all those hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to realize that they can access lands and opportunities that may feel untouchable.  For some, it may require stepping out your back door and just starting to hike. Others may have to log over a day of interstate time to access public lands.  Regardless of your situation, everyone should be taking advantage of the lands that we own as US citizens.

My skills as a hunter and outdoorsman are still sophomoric (along with my writing skills), but I hope that by capturing the questions and discovery process that I have as I go through the learning associated with planning my first DIY public land hunt will help others in years to come.  Moreover, I hope to inspire folks to step outside and access the public land that they hold a right to enjoy countless recreation opportunities on as American citizens and public landowners.  Thank you for reading, enjoy the pursuit and happy adventures to come!

Kyle Zibrowski