MEET AMBASSADOR JUSTIN
I have been living in Teton county for sixteen years. I have worked as a Park Ranger Interpreter/backcountry in Grand Teton National Park during the summers and as a Naturalist/biologist on the National Elk Refuge during the winters and currently work for the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. I am a graduate of Clemson University. I enjoy immersing myself in the outdoors and I am emotionally connected with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. My family and I enjoy hunting, fishing, boating, skiing, camping, hiking, and we are always on the lookout for morels and huckleberries. We are always in pursuit of the next big adventure. In addition to outdoor pursuits my wife and I have a sustainable farm, raising our own food and vegetables and we are often utilizing what nature provides.
Why are you passionate about going lead-free?
Once you learn how much lead fragments when it hits flesh, it's surprising how much you ingest without even knowing it. The primary source of food for my family is what we go out and take from our ecosystem. We found it extremely important to cut out any chance of ingesting lead altogether, and using copper was the easiest way to do that. I have been a non-lead sportsman for over seven years! Hunting and fishing are deeply integrated into my family’s lifestyle. Sporting lead free will help ensure a healthier and more intact ecosystem which in turn provides us with a healthier more sustainable food source, now and for future generations.
What do you like to hunt?
I enjoy all pursuits of any game animal or fish. If I had to pick one I would say Pronghorn. It’s family friendly, a unique environment, and the best meat that is readily available to me.
How do you like to fish?
My preference is fly fishing …..Dries, streamers, nymphs, what ever it takes. If I have to I will use a spinning rod. From small mountain streams to the ocean I will do whatever it takes to catch the fish I am after!
Do you have any questions or anything else you would like to share?
I believe Sporting Lead-free is an extremely valuable movement and the cornerstone for conservation. I truly hope that this is just the beginning of a nation wide trend.