2023 Outdoorsman of the Year: The Judges Panel Interview Highlights

Every year HuntLeague crowns one hunter as the Outdoorsman of the Year.
So what does that mean and how do you win that title?
Well, the Outdoorsman of the Year goes far beyond just success in the field. The HuntLeague mobile app works as a digital hunting journal logging everything that goes into your hunting season.
Check the daily INVEST : TRAIN : SHOOT challenges, log your mentoring and conservation work, and take the app with you in the field as the ultimate hunt/scout journal. Everything you log throughout the year accumulates on a leaderboard that can be sorted for a specific species, method of take, year, month, or league. But here is the catch, the leaderboard doesn’t select the winner and winning has nothing to do with the size or number of animals harvested.
HuntLeague is a story based app and provides an opportunity for you to capture and share the story of your season. The app captures time stamps, GPS, videos, photos, audio recordings, notes and more for dozens of species all inside hunt logs that are completely private. You can choose to share logs with specific hunting buddies or share your story without any GPS information inside leagues or on the HuntLeague community page.
If it's not based on size or antler score and the leaderboard doesn't select the winner, how does somebody win the title?
We have partnered with some of the absolute best companies in the outdoor industry. Companies that care about you, that stand behind their products, and want to hear your story. At the end of a season we bring together a judges panel from companies like Vortex Optics, Seekins Precision, HUXWRX, Coast, Tactacam, Stag Arms, Burris Optics, Remington ammunition, Bergara and dozens of others. They spend hours reading applications, listening to podcasts, reviewing the leaderboard and community involvement before ultimately selecting finalists that sit before a live judges panel. This is not a social media giveaway, it’s not a gimmick designed around building more followers or an email list. This is an investment they make into the hunting community as they celebrate the stories and accomplishments of hunters in the field.
So yeah! Winning the Outdoorsman of the Year is a big deal. It represents more than just a year of hard work and success in the field. Our judges are looking for hunters that are passionate about their craft but also committed to mentoring others and paying it forward making sure the next generation gets the opportunity to experience wildlife, wild places, and wild food.
Pretty cool right? Well there is more. The person that takes home the Outdoorsman of the Year title also gets to select the item of their choice from the entire Vortex Optics catalog. They also walk away with incredible gear from dozens of companies that are standing behind the Outdoorsman of the Year title.
So how do you get started? Download the HuntLeague mobile app. Get started logging and sharing the work that you are putting in this year. We have multiple leagues active right now that you can join such as the Outdoorsman of the Year, Spring Turkey, Apex Predator, the Western Hunter, The Wild Food League, and more.
Our hope is to one day host leagues for every local chapter of your favorite conservation organization where stories can be shared, needs can be addressed, and members can connect in a more meaningful way. We are excited to host leagues for local archery shops, clubs, churches, colleges and schools, hunter education groups, or just buddies looking for a fun way to connect, compete, and challenge one another.
Join us LIVE February 4, 2024 at 7pm MT as we crown the 2023 Outdoorsman of the Year!

[@huntleague]

I think my favorite moment was when Doug from Coast asked Joshua if he had any rituals on the hunt. I wasn’t expecting Uncle Ted!

[@Wallymakesstuff]

Omg cliffhanger!!!!