I was raised in suburbia in a northeast Pennsylvania town called Pottsville, which is also home to America's oldest beer brewery, Yuengling. I went to Shippensburg College in PA and graduated with a degree in English.
The first thing you learn about being a freelance writer is that you need a regular job to support yourself. I worked for newspapers as a "stringer," not on staff, which was steadier income than trying to sell articles to magazines. When the regular outdoor writer at the newspaper hurt his back, I got to go on a hunt for boars at a game ranch in Pennsylvania. I showed up with my yard sale bow wrapped in a blue blanket - don't think the other hunters were impressed. But, I got a boar.
Since then I've taken bear, deer and turkey with the bow, but I'd have to say I'm more an avid archer than a successful one. But I just got my second bear last week and hope it signals the start of a great season. In the past years the bulk of my writing work has changed from cops and courts for the newspapers to outdoor stuff for magazines - and I am thankful for that every day. I think I'm blessed that I'm able to convey my thoughts, enthusiasm and feelings about the sport when I write, and also that I share many common experiences with the average bow hunter. I now have a regular slot in a column called "On Track" with Bow & Arrow Hunting magazine, and I've recently had articles in Buckmaster's, the Mathews Annual, Arrow Trade, Game & Fish, Mushing (dog-powered sports), Guns-N-Gear, Runner's World and others. I'm a columnist for The Maine Sportsman.
I moved to Maine five years ago, just a month after completing the Appalachian Trail. After my initial three-month hike, I chipped away at the remaining 1,000 miles in sections. I found work here as a reporter, but have supported myself for the past three years as a full-time freelancer.
