Hunting Matters

Choosing to pay it forward after age 50 can be a difficult decision if only due to life’s personal complications, but Bruce has managed to build upon his personal experiences in ranching/farming, hunting/fishing, wilderness leadership and navigation, project management, and scientific research to actively contribute towards greater climate change adaptation and mitigation capacities in the community of El Carrizal, QRO (population ~350).

Here, he works closely with local leaders to advance community-driven quality of life improvements by leveraging the assistance of local technical experts, US and Mexican government agencies, and student volunteers from nearby universities. One of his primary directives from SEMARNAT (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources) is the active management and conservation of the native white-tailed deer population through regulated hunting and the re-establishment of the native wild turkey population. One of the primary ways to combat outward population migration plaguing communities across Mexico is to provide increased economic viability locally. Hence, his focus on ecotourism marketing of the Rancho El Carrizal and the Colon, QRO municipality as safe destinations for tourists to visit the central Mexico highlands with its mild annual climate, plentiful natural areas and world-class vineyards.

Nic De Castro is an entrepreneur based in Bozeman, Montana where he's building LandTrust, a recreation access network that opens up outdoor recreation opportunities on private lands across the US. Prior to founding LandTrust, Nic spent a decade in the marketing and advertising technology industry where he ledsales and partnerships for early-stage companies and built relationships with Fortune 500 companies. Nic grew up fishing, surfing, spearfishing, hunting, and playing baseball in Southern California.

Website: https://landtrust.com/huntprivate

Willard Franklin, III is the CEO of Four W’s Fishing Team and Four W’s Outdoors. Four W’s Outdoors is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. They specialize in safety, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and careers in the outdoors. Their team of expert guides and outdoor enthusiasts are dedicated to providing unforgettable experiences. Their mission is to include all Americans in outdoors sports, especially hunting, shooting and fishing. The R3 effort (Recruit, Retain and Reactivate) (is a big part of their program as well.

Four W's Outdoors believes in the transformative power of nature. Their team is made up of experienced and passionate outdoor enthusiasts who are dedicated to sharing their love and knowledge of nature with others. They offer a range of outdoor sports and activities that are designed to challenge, inspire, and enthuse, no matter the participants level of experience.

Jon LaCorte grew up in Queens, New York, an area not known for having large numbers of hunters. So you might say it takes some folks by surprise when they find out Jon’s been doing it his entire life. Luckily, taking to the outdoors in pursuit of wild game is a long-standing tradition in the LaCorte family and it’s no surprise that after spending a few years following his father, grandfather and uncle through the woods as a boy, Jon found one of his true loves and never looked back.

Now, many hunts and many miles traveled, Jon has never forgotten his roots or what guides his life - the love and support of his wife and children, an unwavering faith in God and a passion for the outdoors - all of which have served to make TRACT Optics a reality. Having spent more than 15 years working in product development and marketing for the hunting optics division of Nikon, he learned a great deal about every aspect of the outdoor industry, from sales and logistics to press relations and customer service. Jon worked to develop patented reticle systems as well as expand the product offerings from just a few SKU’s to a plethora of options in riflescopes, binoculars, rangefinders and spotting scopes.

While it was a great experience helping build Nikon into a major player in the optics category, Jon had the opportunity to go to work for Flint Holdings, a family-owned group that controls Montana Decoy and WASP Archery Products. Being a die-hard bowhunter, he jumped at the chance to work more closely within the archery product category and take on the challenge of helping grow these companies from a product and marketing standpoint.

It became apparent to Jon that the consumer market has evolved in a new way. Instant gratification, meaning people with less time are looking for easier methods of purchasing products. As many large corporations are more concerned with satisfying investors and increasing their top and bottom lines, the focus on what is really important, the customer, has diminished. This spurred the idea to start an optics company with a vision of providing you, the customer, not only a great product and a great value, but a truly awesome experience.

Coming over from terestrial radio is a change for us. We wanted to (re)introduce ourselves and explain what you can expect from us each show. We hope you enjoy the journey as much as we do.