Welcome to Johnson Outdoors

 I apologize for the delay in the introduction, I tend to get ahead of myself at times. My name is Chris Johnson, and the main reason for this blog is to provide you with tips, tricks, stories, and whatever else seems to come to my mind pertaining to the outdoors and hunting. It's been a dream of mine to make a major name for myself in the outdoor industry, and that's what I aim to do. However, I know the challenges are going to be difficult, and trying to juggle my dream and my career are going to be near impossible, but with the support I've been getting from my friends and family, and a few influential people I've met along the way, I don't see how I can fail.

  I've been fortunate enough to grow up in sunny South Florida, where you can wake up early in the morning, go kill a limit of ducks, hook up the boat, throw out a live bait, and catch a sailfish around midday, and still be able to make it back out to the woods to harvest a hog. Now, obviously that's a bit extreme, but you get my point. I've been fishing since I could hold my Batman fishing rod, and according to my parents, I've been chasing bucks since I was in diapers, (but that's a story for another time). I went on my first hunt and watched my dad kill a hog and a spike when I was six, killed my first deer when I was eight, and I have been catching kingfish and dolphin for longer than I care to remember. At eighteen, I graduated high school in 2009 and joined the United States Coast Guard; I've been in for over six years and don't intend to get out for another fourteen.

  This past year, I made the decision that I needed to go out and actually do something if I was going to ever follow my dream, so I did. I emailed countless companies, and applied from multiple Pro-Staff positions. In most cases it came down to, I didn't have TV show, magazine, or private land for them to utilize, so they kicked me aside (if they even responded at all). Through support from my friends and family, I kept on trying, determined I was going to follow my dream. Finally, I had gotten word of an up and coming clothing and apparel brand that was starting to make a name for themselves, The Local Brand. I emailed them and asked if they were planing on starting a Pro-Staff and if so, did they have any positions open. I got a response! They wrote me back and saying "Absolutely!" After talking with the owner for a good while, I found out that I had went to school with his younger brother, and that the younger brother had vouched for me before I even sent the email! With my first official sponsor, and place on a Pro-Staff team, I began to take photos with my camera, using them as a catalyst to draw attention to the brand I now represented. I began to act in a more professional manner, this drew the attention of another up and coming apparel company, Down To Hunt Outdoor Apparel. They asked me if I was interested in joining their team, without hesitation I said yes. Not even a week later I gained the attention of my first well established company, Advanced Wildlife Solutions (4sWildlife). They had seen how I had implemented a mineral site on my hunting lease and asked if I would be interested in the Pro-Staff program; I, of course, answered with a resounding "Yes!" With three companies calling me their own, I began to use their products, I told my friends, and their friends, and honestly just about anyone who would listen about these awesome companies and their products. Then something unexpected happened! Florida Camo, a company I had tried to join before (and gotten no response) asked me if I was still interested in becoming a member of their Pro-Staff, as you can guess my answer was another resounding, yes! I began deleting old stupid pictures I had posted in the past, and began to network with other hunters in other states, hunters that had already began to make a name for themselves in the industry that I so desperately want to be apart of. It ended up helping my out majorly. I learned videography tricks from Chad Parker of Crazy On Outdoors, I learned about maintaining professionalism, and thanks to Lauren Murrell and Mike Massey of The Outsiders TV, I was afforded the opportunity to apply for a Field-Staff position with Dead Ringer Hunting, and I was accepted!

  Some wouldn't see these small goals as a victory because I still haven't "made it", but to me, I've accomplished way more than I ever dreamed possible a year and a half ago, and I don't have any intentions of stopping. That's the main driving force behind this blog, I want to share my journey with you, I want to keep meeting new people in the industry, and if/when I'm fortunate enough to "make it", I want to be able to help others do the same thing.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog, if you'd like to checkout any of these amazing companies I've mentioned and their products, their websites are listed below. Again, thank you so much for your support, good luck on the rest of your hunting season, and God bless!

-Chris Johnson



Dead Ringer Hunting
www.deadringerhunting.com

Advanced Wildlife Solutions
www.4swildlife.com

The Local Brand
www.localbrandonly.com

Florida Camo
www.fl-camo.com

Down To Hunt Outdoor Apparel
www.downtohunt.com (website is currently down)