I was born in Indiana where my family stayed until I was six years old. My father accepted a job in North West Minnesota at Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area which is where I spent another six years growing up in the woods. I learned many things about wildlife during my time there. Everything from ducks, moose, deer, wolves, beaver, muskrats and mink were all common species to me. My father again accepted another position in Thief River Falls Minnesota, (not far from Thief Lake) where I would spend the next seven years growing up and finishing school at Marshall County Central Public Schools. During the move my parents bought a farm which again was filled with many types of wildlife. Here I spent most of my time hunting, fishing, and being outdoors.