Where’s home base for you and what do you do when you’re not working?

[jacobylovell]

My name is Jacoby Tate Lovell and I am a student at Texas Tech University. Grew up on my family ranch in Harper, Texas hunting exotics and fishing the nearby rivers for bass.

I hunt crane and geese in Lubbock now but always find time to return home to take care of our livestock and do a little hunting.

Went to South Africa and hunted the eastern cape with my best friend who worked there this past summer and had a great time. Looking forward to going back this coming May for my third trip to the dark continent.

 

[noah.w.west]

Hola compañeros! Born in Central America...but I hail from KC (on the Kansas side and a lot less crime)! I'm a retired LEO of 27 years. I worked for a large metro agency with 25/27 years in special units (Gang, Interdiction, Fugitive, Tac) and was a Federal Task Force Officer with DEA and USMS. I also did a decade in the Marines. I am a fanatic wingshooter and chase wild birds in wild places all over the country. Started writing and have been doing so for FE since I connected with Jason in 2020.

Semper Fi man, I lived in KC for a while too, before I ended up in the Corps as well. Haven't been back much since and that was nearly 2 decades ago. Lived a lot of places, still think of some mix of MO and AZ as home but live in AL now.

 

[thebuckhorton33]

We’ve got readers and subscribers scattered from the swamps of Florida to the mountains of Montana, and a few even further out. So let’s get a lay of the land.

Where do you call home base?
And when you’re off the clock, what’s your thing? Hunting, wrenching, fishing, forging, flying, sailing, training, tinkering, storytelling… whatever keeps you from staring at a screen too long.

Drop a quick note below. Photos are always welcome. Bonus points if your off-duty life looks like something we’d write a story about.

I'm in Utah, Farmington Utah - originally from Georgia, moved out west after college, spent a good portion of my life living around New Mexico. If I'm not working, I'm probably hiking or hunting or preparing for hunting season with my dog Bridger - and even then I'm probably figuring out how to take calls for work when doing those things to not be the home office. I used to run a martial art company, Pramek, published a bunch of books on martial art and combative pedagogy and personal development, and now I've given up that life to save my back and brain from more damage. Glad to be here, always up to do something with like-minded people.

Buck Horton I am 25 from the Arkansas Delta, when i am not at work or in class, i am hunting deer, ducks, trapping coyotes or bowfishing !

 

[huntbirdz]

Semper Fi man, I lived in KC for a while too, before I ended up in the Corps as well. Haven't been back much since and that was nearly 2 decades ago. Lived a lot of places, still think of some mix of MO and AZ as home but live in AL now.

Oorah Marine. KC (the KS side of it) has been good for us. But we've contemplated moving to a smaller community and farther away from the bustling and growing JoCo where we live. It doesn't help that I worked here across both state lines.

 

[unitas03]

Name is John, go by J.C. (there were 5 Johns in my family when I was born, so my mom called me by my initials, it stuck).
I lived in NYC for 10 years working / living the corporate grind, recently moved up to the Hudson Valley with my wife. When I'm not working I'm hunting, shooting or doing yard work. In the summer, my wife and I go to the beach as much as possible.
Spending the next 3 months clearing out downed timber, chopping trees and building a fence around our property. And, grilling something to eat regardless of the weather.

 

[dsbarb]

Scott here. Born and raised in San Diego, still live her 50+ years later. Can't wait to get the fuck out. In the early 90's I enlisted in the Marines hoping to see the world. Got stationed at Camp Pendleton so I figure God wanted me to stay here. Daughter currently works on a ranch/farm outside of Denver so I've been considering a move to Colorado but their politics seem to be following California's so we'll see.

 

[takdadjk]

Eastern WA is home. But I get out and about a lot. I teach firearms stuff around the country (Even in Clarksville GA a couple times @Cagney ) Love to travel and camp and just get out and live. Retired from the law enforcement world, currently a county fire marshal. Run a small gun store as a hobby... Living the dream as they say.

 

[jcmanni37]

We’ve got readers and subscribers scattered from the swamps of Florida to the mountains of Montana, and a few even further out. So let’s get a lay of the land.

Where do you call home base?
And when you’re off the clock, what’s your thing? Hunting, wrenching, fishing, forging, flying, sailing, training, tinkering, storytelling… whatever keeps you from staring at a screen too long.

Drop a quick note below. Photos are always welcome. Bonus points if your off-duty life looks like something we’d write a story about.

Hey I’m James- originally from RI but now based in NYC. Outside of work I’m usually deer hunting or some sort of shotgun shooting… which surprisingly they don’t take too kindly too in the city… starting to get into some wildlife photography as a stand in for times I can’t make it out of the city for the weekend…

 

[Mike Z]

I'm in central NJ about 45 min from NYC. My professional background is in software engineering and cybersecurity. I started a company in 2011 and sold it in 2021. Today, I have 3 kids in elementary school, run a small consulting business, and am a contributing writer for FE. I spend as much time as possible out hunting, fishing, and come winter, skiing/snowboarding with the wife/kids. We have a camp in the Adirondack mountains up in NY.

 

[mitchelljustin.m]

I am from the PNW but currently living in Austin Texas working as the partnerships manager for Magpul. I am a former Army Sniper who still moonlights as an infantry tactics instructor for the Oregon Guard. I love hunting, wing shooting and precision marksmanship and as of late become obsessed with traditional archery and flintlock rifles. I started writing back in 2016 for the Journal of Mountain Hunting and have been lucky enough to contribute to FE, Petersons and a few others.

Live in the Austin area too, @John Warren. We have probably crossed paths. I think a couple of your guys used to work out at the Atomic Athlete in south ATX. Lets get together sometime!

 

[jamesbeach56]

Cheers !! I hail from South Carolina. Used to live in Mt Pleasant, across the river from Charleston. When I retired decided there was too many people so moved to 42acres near the small town of Barnwell , SC. Mainly worked in the utility industry all my life on transmission lines. Retired last year, for the third or forth time. Gonna make this one stick. I am old now, but not dead, so the story is not over. But I have had fun. Hunted and fished my home state since I was nine. Hunted Africa twice, and Alaska once .... Sailed for many years and a hell of a good time. Up and down the east coast from SC to Florida, and all over the virgin islands . Anagada is not to be missed if you go that way....Going in circles now a days trying to figure out this retirement thing, but I will get a handle on it eventually .... Everyone stay safe and have fun !!!

 

[csmcclain]

I’m Caleb McClain from Brandon, Mississippi. I spend my free time pretending that I will hold out for a big buck, only to shoot the first forky that walks out.

 

[buckmartin5122]

I'm Buck, a transplant to the Western Slope of Colorado by way of the South. I was born in Gainesville, FL, but grew up in the North GA mountains. After attending the University of Georgia, I made my way out to Western CO to work at an agency representing various outdoor brands. Do what you love, right?

Colorado can be a tough place to reside these days, but all is not lost. Tell your friends the fishing sucks, the elk are all gone, and there are no ducks here, though.

 

[jaheian]

Hey.
Im John and I did not have the fortune to be born in the USA. I'm from Sweden and I work as a biomedical equipment technician.
Didn't grow up hunting, but always had a fascination with it. We dont have the public land hunting opportunities in Sweden as you americans, but luckily my only neighbor is a farmer, who wants me to hunt his land.

 

[benjenkinson2002]

Hey Shane. I live in Bozeman Montana. It is a horrible, windswept place with very little redeeming qualities. It is frozen and buried with snow 9 months of the year. Hardly any public land and other than squirrels and catfish there is nothing to hunt or fish for anyway.

Now please go and tell everyone you know.

Sounds amazing. Are the squirrels all rabid like here in Nebraska?

 

[myrs32]

My name is Jason. Born and raised in a tiny town in West-Central IL 11 miles off the Mississippi near the tri-state area. Raised/showed horses and ran wild on our little farm growing up before going off to college to play football. Currently live in a small town in Central IL close to the capital of corruption with my wife and 2 young boys (10 and 7), who are finally paying off by giving me more excuses to hunt and fish- 'the boys want to go, so I HAVE to take them'.... Hate this state, tried to leave, but now that the kids have settled in, we'll be here a while and just travel more. When I'm not working, I'm coaching HS football, coaching/chasing the boys' youth sports, and enjoying any available hunting, fishing, or outdoor activity with the family. I get my fix for the mountains on an annual hunt out west with a few college buddies wherever we can grab a tag. Glad to have a place to live vicariously through all your stories in between trying to make my own!

 

[robmcleod82]

Rob here,
I am from southern Alberta, Canada about an hour south of Calgary on the edge of the porcupine hills. I have spent my adult life working as a mechanic in the oilfield and have been working the last 16 years at fly in camp locations in the far north of Alberta. I have been married to my wife coming up on 14 years now and have a 12 year old daughter. I spend my off time looking after our horses, building rifles (mostly precision type builds) and doing as much shooting, fishing and hunting as I can make time for. Spend alot of my hunting seasons targeting the non existent 200" mule deer in my neighbourhood and upland birds. As for fishing my 2 target species are generally walleye and trout. Always up for a gopher safari as well! .

 

[jdunn12261]

Live in Oklahoma. Been married for 13 years and have two girls, 6 and 2. The 6 year old is in dance and Cub Scouts. I am a den leader in her Scout pack and that takes up most of our time.

 

[aenglehardt1]

Live in the free state of Jefferson, in Tehama county. Unfortunately it is currently a part of the communist state of California. Being a farmer my livelihood and legacy is not portable so I’ve been watching red dawn a lot more lately. Despite the fucked politics we live in an area with abundant game and world class fishing, which I try my best to take full advantage of. Lucky to win enough land to hunt all year on my own land, hogs, deer, coyotes, doves, ducks. Life could be worse.

 

[wburns]

I live part of the year in North Dakota and the remainder in New Mexico. When not working I like to hunt and fish, work on gun projects and build classic cars. My job allows me to travel a lot so I like to hunt upland birds, big game across the US as well as around the world. If I’m not doing that I’m hanging out at my off grid cabin I built on a lake here in ND.