An Interview with Signs West Media (Pt.1)

Okay…Have you ever thought to yourself –

“I’m just going to quit my job, pack my truck, and get the heck out of here!”

Well , if you ever needed a resource or inspiration, meet Seth Morris and Rick Hutton!

These two gentlemen did just that!

Seth and Rick are simply laid back guys that really wanted to pursue the dream of open country and freedom to live off the land. I first spoke to Seth and Rick after we drummed up plans on collaborating on an elk hunt later on this fall. I really had no idea what to expect when I dialed Seth’s cell phone number. It was on Superbowl Sunday and I was more excited to talk about elk hunting than football. I might get shot for saying that in America, but hey – to each his own! Seth and Rick picked up and it turns out they too didn’t even have cable, but were instead drinking beer and tying flies in hopes of warmer weather. Something inside me told me we’d get along just fine this fall.

There’s definitely an unspoken camaraderie  and brother/sisterhood amongst the outdoorsy folk. Fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, skiing, or whatever got someone outside – we’re all the same. We love the fresh air, the way the wind howls at the top of the mountain, and the way the sun hits the land when we’re up at sunrise. When you speak to a fellow outdoorsman/woman – it’s like talking to a long-lost friend and it definitely felt that way with these guys!

So, with that being said, check out their interview and work below!

Instagram handles:

Seth Morris – @signswest

Rick Hutton – @rhuttonjr

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*For you impatient folk…photographs and works from Seth and Rick are at the bottom*

How did you find yourselves in Montana? 

Seth & Rick: “Both of us grew up hunting and exploring Pennsylvania, with dreams of the west and bigger adventures. However, it wasn’t until our mid-twenties when PA just got too small for us and we wanted more. A series of events and signs drove us to formulate the plan of moving west. Once the decision was made we began planning and deciding where we wanted to move. We researched each western state heavily and decided on Montana for many reasons. Once it was decided that Montana was our ending goal we set off looking for jobs. It boiled down to Rick landing a job in Helena so that made our decision where exactly in Montana we would end up. Seth followed up with landing a job only weeks before we moved, and we were off.“

How’d you guys meet? And when did the idea happen to start filming and photographing your hunts?

Seth & Rick: “We met in the fall of 2009 at a branch campus of Pennsylvania State University (Mont Alto). It was Seth’s freshman year and Ricks Sophomore year. Both of us were enrolled in the forest technology program. The program attracts many like-minded men with a passion for hunting, fishing and the outdoors. We were no different, we immediately began hanging out and exchanging hunting and fishing stories. We shared many similar views on ethics and types of hunting so it was a natural fit for us to start hunting together in fall 2010 and have been hunting together ever since. Filming actually began on that first hunt together in 2010 and has turned into a more series hobby since then. It started out as a great way to share the hunts with family and friends and honestly just seemed fun at the time.”

You guys have forestry backgrounds and degrees in it, does it come in handy when you’re in the backcountry?

Seth & Rick:  “Yes, in our honest opinion our forestry degrees and background makes us better outdoorsmen overall. Our forestry degrees gave us education in land ethics, the public land system (USFS, USWS, BLM,) environmental policy, land and forest management, soils, hydrology, as well as wildlife biology. Learning all this helps out in many ways.

Our knowledge of environmental policy and the public land system lets us better understand where we have come from as hunter conservationist and where we are heading at a national level. Our Knowledge in wildlife biology and forest ecosystems made us learn the importance of habitat. Habitat is key in any hunting scenario whether it’s tree stand hunting whitetails in the east or chasing elk in the western mountains. If you find the right habitat you will find the animals.

We also had extensive classes and experience working with aerial photography and computer mapping systems, which makes finding that habitat via online mapping even easier. We really cannot say enough with how much our forestry degrees have helped us become better hunters, fisherman, outdoorsman and most importantly conservationist! If you want to be a better hunter learn about the animal, its habitat and its history!“

What is your favorite thing about Montana?

Seth & Rick: “Mostly the millions of acres of federal public land that the state has to offer. It is free and open to every American to enjoy and its right outside our back door now. Also Montana’s long and generous hunting seasons as well as the amazing stream access laws.”

What’s your least favorite thing about Montana?

Seth & Rick: Our families are not here…so it’s hard being away from them.

Seth: “The amount of days in the winter that are below zero”

Rick: “The lack of job opportunities”

Seth & Rick: Other than that we absolutely love it here!

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Be sure to check back for the second part of the interview! The fellas have even more beautiful photographs to share!

An Interview with Signs West Media (Pt.2)

Last week, we posted the first part of Signs West Media’s interview with Seth Morris and Rick Hutton. We loved the content and talking to these two so much, that we felt it was necessary to split it into two parts! Be sure to go give them a follow on their respective instagram handles @signswest & @rhuttonjr.

Throughout this year, we’ll be featuring their work in anticipation of our collaboration this upcoming elk season in Montana.

Until then, enjoy the 2nd part of the interview!

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You guys went on your first DIY elk hunt this year, how’d that go? What would you do or not do differently next season? 

Seth and Rick: It started off with Rick shooting a cow elk opening day of the general rifle season after months of scouting and preparing. We were not residents yet and Rick only had a non-resident cow tag in his pocket which was a bummer since his cow elk was standing right next to a huge 6×6 bull elk on opening day. After that success we went on the obtain residency on a Monday, Seth bought his tags on that following Wednesday and shot his first bull elk on Saturday the same week! These hunts were 100% DIY public land, before this we have never hunted the west and within our first year killed two elk and also mule deer bucks. We learned a lot of lessons the hard way this year, however we are glad to have made them now and learned from our mistakes. However, one thing we did do and will do next year is keep a positive attitude and SCOUT!

What’s the most memorable hunt or trip you’ve ever been on and why? 

Seth and Rick: We would have to say that our most memorable hunts pertain to our early hunting years with our fathers. However, our most memorable hunt together would have to be Rick’s archery buck kill fall 2015. At that point we had been filming hunts together for several years and never gotten a buck kill on film. All that changed that fall when in mid-October Rick arrowed a big PA 8 point on Seth’s families farm on film. It was Rick’s biggest buck to date and quite the achievement. Not due to the animal’s size but to the fact that we finally accomplished our goal of filming a buck harvest together.

What are your craziest hunting moments of Montana so far? 

Seth: We were on a late summer scouting trip into the same area where I had killed my bull later in the fall. While sitting on a high point for an evening glassing session, I ventured off to take care of some business…and within a few minutes came back and sat down to glass some more. No sooner did I sit down and glance over from where I just came and noticed a Sow Grizzly and her two cubs. I realized I was just previously seconds away from having a very serious grizzly encounter.

Rick: Seth had killed his bull right before dark on a very cold windy day. We were over 5 miles from the truck and did not plan to stay the night in the backcountry so we stripped some layers and prepared for a long walk out. I stripped down to my base layer which was full of sweat and started walking. We kept an extremely fast pace the entire way all while the temperature was dropping and the wind getting worse. I was sweating more and more as we got closer to the truck finally giving a sigh of relief when we arrived. I through my pack into the truck and sat in the passenger seat. We tore off in route to home to prepare for the next day’s pack out. I suddenly started to feel very light headed and hot. I started to loose feeling in my legs, arms, hands, and face. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I can only remember certain things from that hour long drive. But I know Seth was concerned due to my odd behavior, that I was drooling and couldn’t feel anything. As time went on I got the feeling that my hands and face were going to explode and that I was hungry. Seth bought me some McDonalds and got me home. As we got home I began violently shaking and shivering, feeling extremely odd. It was not until the next morning that both of us realized I was suffering from Hypothermia. Quite the crazy feeling indeed.

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Thanks for taking the time and energy, Seth and Rick!

If you haven’t checked out their work already – go and do it!

 

An Interview with Emily Denson – Bison Coolers

 

This past Fall, I watched a pickup truck pull up to a gas station with a couple of guys sporting some camo and blaze. We exchanged nods and went about our business. Two of them went into the gas station store and came back out with some bags of ice and proceeded to fill up a cooler in the bed of the truck. Curiously, I took a peek and realized the cooler was not a Yeti, but had a big X on the front.

“Hey! What is that? A Yeti?”

“Nope, it’s a Bison, man. Go check em’ out. They’re pretty awesome!”

Bison Cooler 50 qt (Bisoncoolers.com)

Fast forward a few months, the cooler has proved itself worthy as a dog stand, bench, step-ladder, and pretty much anything you can think of – including a hardy surface for me to type this on. A mobile work desk with access to cold beer? Sweet!

I’ve been thoroughly impressed with their coolers and have been spreading the word amongst my groups of friends and hunters looking into purchasing a premium cooler. Bison Coolers is constantly making strides to improve their products and continually innovating in a furiously growing outdoor industry.

I’ve had the great opportunity to interview Emily Denson of Bison Coolers. Their story, in my opinion, is quite the inspiration.

Starting a business, overcoming fears and obstacles, but ultimately seeing the fruits of your labor is something that embodies the American dream.

So without further ado, check out the interview below!

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Could you tell us more about yourself? How did you find yourself in premium cooler business?

I am actually a former middle school math teacher which shocks people because I look like I could still be in high school!  Our goal was always for me to be able to stay at home once we had children; so when Jeremy had the idea for the cooler company back in 2010 I was both excited and terrified. 

I had never been in the business world in any capacity but I knew that Jeremy was meant to be an entrepreneur.  It was in his blood; his dad had started a few small businesses and Jeremy was always studying about it and dreaming about doing that himself. 

We teamed up with Jeremy’s parents, Lisa and Dennis, and started Bison Coolers (at the time Brute Outdoors) in 2011 and I was expecting my daughter at the time.  I remember getting our very first truck of coolers; it was dang near 3,000 degrees outside and I was larger than most baby elephants and we had to unload every single cooler by hand at the end of the street, load every single cooler into the bed of a truck, drive them to the barn, and unload every single cooler. 

It took hours!  Our first goal was to sell one cooler a day.  It took us over two weeks and our very first customer was a man named Marty.  We were as giddy as school girls with our first sale!  Since then we have gone from working out of Dennis and Lisa’s barn to moving to a super tiny warehouse/office space to recently moving into a 10,000 sq ft warehouse with a large office and a showroom.  Hard work pays off!

 

How did Bison Coolers get its start? There’s stiff competition out there and the bar for outdoor gear is always being raised. How or what sets you guys apart from the rest?

First and foremost all of our coolers and softpaks are American made.  That is key in this industry.  It really speaks to our customers and we try to get as much of our accessories made here as well.  We have been around since 2011 when there were only a couple of us out there.  So we were able to build our name before the industry really opened up. 

Our price is quite a bit lower than the leading competition and I really believe that we have the best customer service.  When you call you are talking to someone who cares and has a vested interest in the company.  Almost everyone that works there is family!

It’s a family business – how does that translate into your business model? Does it make running Bison Coolers easier? Harder? More fun?

It is a family business!  It started out as myself, Jeremy, and my in-laws, Dennis and Lisa.  Thank God I love them!  We then brought on Tyler who is my sister’s husband and someone who I have known since I was 3 years old.  Then came Jack who worked for Dennis previously for about 20 years and then we hired Lisa’s sister, Janis to run the front office and showroom. 

Finally we added Walker, our only newbie that actually has no relation but we found him because he is on our Field Staff.  He fits right in and we think of him as family too. Now we do have our head of sales, Rich, and our salesmen but they are not housed out of DFW.

Working with family has been great for us but like all businesses there are differences of opinions but we try to really let each person take ownership in their strength areas.  For example Jeremy is the visionary, so he takes the lead on the product development, partnerships, etc… and Dennis is a numbers man, so he does the day-to-day and financials. 

I am a chatter box so Field Staff was an easy fit for me and I work with Lisa on all the laser engravings.  Since I do not work full-time Field Staff is something I can do at home a few hours a day.  

How large is the Bison Coolers team? Do you encourage your staff to get outdoors and use your products?

There are 8 of us housed in the warehouse/office and a handful of salesmen.  Of course we love when get out to use the products.  I know I use my bottle and tumbler daily and my softpak all the time. 

The best feedback is from people who use the products in different environments and settings.  They may have an idea for something that I would have never thought of because it was never a problem I needed a solution to.

You have a pretty solid group of Field Staff members – how do they help Bison Coolers now and what do you foresee for them in the future?

We have the BEST Field Staff out there and here is why I know that.   I cannot remember the last time we have posted about joining the Field Staff on our social media.  It is up on our website and that’s it.  I get numerous applications per day and so many talk about how they heard about it from one of their friends or they saw someone wearing the shirt, or they saw a picture on someone’s Instagram page.  It’s awesome! 

They are a huge advocate for our brand and they represent who we are.  We work hard and love enjoying the outdoors.  We have teachers, mechanics, military, police officers, fire fighters, students, moms, athletes, business executives, you name it and they are a part of our Team.  I love that.  I love showcasing how our products are built for the American people. 

I think that we will continue to add the right men and women to the team and we will start promoting to Pro Staff as well.  We have tinkered with the idea of an Elite Pro Staff for those that just go above and beyond, but we just aren’t ready to take that on just yet.  But great things are in store for our Team!

The weekend warrior and “Works Hard – Plays Harder”…how did that part of the Bison Cooler brand come about?

We wanted a phrase that encompassed who we are and who our customers are.  We are the weekend warriors.  Americans work extremely hard to be able to enjoy those fun times with friends and family.  That was important to us because that is literally who we are.  I think a lot of people have the misconception of when you have a small business that you can sit back and hang out and everything magically falls into place.  As lovely as that sounds, that just isn’t the case. 

The office work starts by 7am and even after we close for the day we are still working at night doing emails, answering calls, connecting on social media, meetings, etc… We love what we do, but man, we work hard!  

Where do you see Bison Coolers in the next 5 years and beyond?

I see Bison all over the US.  We aren’t in every state yet but that is coming, I can promise you that!  Still made in America but I see our coolers evolving and getting even better than they are.  I also see us expanding into other outdoor products for the weekend warrior. 

Any tips or advice for someone starting out in the outdoor/product industry?

The biggest piece of advice I can give to someone is to make it clear to a new customer/fan who you are and what you are all about.  It has to be very simple as to what you are portraying.  If you want to break into the kayak fishing industry as a pro then your social media should always tie back to that. 

I follow people and then I randomly see videos of a cat or they talk about their favorite ice cream.  That’s great fun but that isn’t for your business page, that is for your personal page.  If I was a new fan I would be very confused and honestly I would probably stop following. 

Your social media should tell a story.  Selling a product?  Tell the story of who the customer is, how you need that product, why it’s different, and what makes it special.  Basically sell the brand to me and I’ll buy into whatever you have!

Also invest time in learning how to take quality photographs.  Sounds crazy but pictures catch the eye and spark interest.  No one is going to be interested in a blurry dark photograph.  There are a lot of free tutorials on lighting, angles, framing, etc… And you don’t need a fancy camera either.  There are tons of information on using your smart phone and there is free editing software you can download as well.

Finally, it takes time and a lot of work!  Things will happen if you have a plan.  Write down what your goals are and what paths will take you there.  Then, get after it!!

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Thanks to Emily & the Bison Cooler Family for a great interview and insight into their growing business.

Be sure to check them out here

Gear Review: Gerber Multi Tool

 

The Gerber Suspension Multi-Tool, it’s pretty much Gerber’s version of the famed Leatherman. However, the problem is Leathermans can be quite expensive when you’re looking for multi-tools to stash around in your home,truck, or have in your drawer at the office.

That’s the thing about a multi-tool – it’s usefulness in many situations mean they will be used often and in situations we do not foresee.

This will not be a full gear review, but I thought it’d be great to share this highly efficient and budget multi-tool.

For roughly $25 dollars, one can obtain several of these and either give them as gifts or store them in different places for emergencies.

Overall, the multi-tool performs well under “normal” task that each tool is supposed to do. Clipping chicken wire, opening cans, and snipping things here and there. However, the ruggedness and durability is not there if you’re looking for a multi-tool that can do it all in harsh enviroments.If that’s the case, you’re better off purchasing a higher grade set. For all other task and just having the peace of mind that these offer when stashed away, I believe they are highly worth the 20 odd pesos.

Check out the details below.

 

From Gerber:

“Tough, reliable, and easy to handle, the Gerber Suspension Multi-Plier is engineered to tackle jobs in just about every situation you can imagine. Featuring a sleek butterfly design, durable stainless steel construction, and Gerber’s patented Saf.T.Plus component locking system, this affordable multitool packs 11 convenient tools that will quickly prove indispensable.

Strong, Innovative Open-Frame Design
Strong yet lightweight, the Suspension Multi-Plier offers the durability of stainless steel construction along with an aluminum butterfly-opening handle that’s inspired by the precision engineering of Portland, Oregon’s famous suspension bridges. Like those time-tested iron bridges, this tool is designed to deliver the down-and-dirty performance that you demand from your tools.

But performance isn’t everything. The tool’s unique suspension-style handle sits comfortably in your hand, giving it a well-balanced feel. Compact enough to satisfy the most demanding minimalists, and cool enough for any gadget guy or girl, the Suspension Multi-Plier offers a sleek, streamlined design that will look as good as it performs.

Reliable, Easy-to-Access Tools Keep You Prepared
Whether you’re at home, on the road, at a muddy jobsite, or deep in the backcountry, you can’t predict what you’ll be up against. The Suspension Multi-Plier is fitted with 11 tools that will give you the edge in virtually any situation.

Starting with the knives, you have the choice of a straight blade for fine-tune cutting, or a serrated blade that’s great for cutting rope.

This tool also includes a Phillips screwdriver along with large and medium flathead screwdrivers, as well as a dedicated wire cutter/stripper. Unlike bulky squared-off pliers on many multitools, the needle-nose pliers at the center of this tool are designed for the tightest of spots. And they’re spring loaded so that they open when you release your grip, which makes working with them easy, pinch free and intuitive.

Other useful features hidden away in the handle of the Suspension include scissors, a bottle opener, a can opener, saw, an awl, and a lanyard ring.”

Close up of the mini saw, screwdrivers, and knife

Close-up of the serrated blade, can opener, awl, and scissors.

 

 

 

A Cast at Riverbend