Our story
Growing up in rural Wyoming, a kid of parents whose family business was tanning animal hides. My Dad a graduate from UNL with a degree in wildlife biology and a mother who also attended and met in the outdoor/wildlife club and migrated from Nebraska to Wyoming. Naturally, I was conditioned around our natural resources. The outdoors and caring for wildlife was is my blood.
After graduating high school I enlisted in the Coast Guard. My first duty station was in Grand Isle Louisiana. My rate or job was a machinery technician, but the mission was search and rescue, and federal law enforcement.
It’s there where I fell in love with the ocean, marsh land and grew deeper appreciation for our natural resources. My job was more than just keeping our coast safe. I spent countless hours boarding commercial fishing vessels, oil tankers, off shore supply vessels, and recreational boats. I learned how crucial it was that this was kept in balance. Getting to visit with the commercial fisherman was my favorite, they were so in tuned to the interworking of the marsh and ocean. They had so much knowledge that was passed down generationally.
From there I was stationed in various other places, including on the Polar Star an ice breaker, a south pacific patrol on a big white boat doing drug interdiction, across the pond to Bahrain to protect high value oil platforms to finishing up in Bellingham wa on a patrol boat doing what I loved; fisheries enforcement and search and rescue. To me It was more about educating the public and commercial fisherman and creating community than writing tickets.
Fast forward to my move to Montana. It was on an opening weekend to eastern Montana that I’ve been many times before where my 4 yr old daughter tagged along. We loaded up the camper and took off. It was 6 hour drive to our little slice of heaven. Along the way we stopped, let the dogs run and ate lunch at a small town cafe. The whole way my daughter was just so excited to be on this adventure. We met my buddy at our camp site on the lake where a couple years before I watched as thousands of sand hill cranes landed and spent the night before vanishing before sunrise the next morning.
This place has held a special place in my heart. Over the next couple of days we followed the dogs around the prairie, drove down long dusty roads, napped, fished for bullheads in the lake, and ate smores over the camp fire. Got to visit and know more about the ranchers and locals. I knew before this, but it was this trip that salidifued it for me. We have to protect this. Not just our way of life but all of it. If I can just pass it down to my daughters and they pass it down to their kids and so on, just maybe we have a fighting chance.
That was how Boostin Roosters was born. I want Boostin Roosters to raise awareness and give back as much as I can. We owe it to the rivers, ocean, mountains, prairie, and to ourselves. If we all can focus on doing our part, I whole heartedly believe we can make change for the better. It has to start small, and be emulated.
So what is Boostin Roosters. It’s about giving a damn! Raising kids right and passing on values. Educating those that don’t know. Being the example to follow. Enjoying what we have and leaving it better than we found it. AND following that bird dog around.