Ryan Chelius is the senior editor at Field & Stream, where he writes and assigns stories across print and digital platforms. An avid waterfowl hunter, fly fisherman, and outdoorsman, Ryan grew up hunting and fishing with his father in New York, which instilled a passion for conservation and public lands.
In this installment of our Coffee Talk series, Ryan shares where his love for telling hunting and fishing stories comes from and where things stand in his pursuit of the North American Waterfowl Grand Slam at the age of 27.
Can you tell us how you first got involved with Field & Stream and what your journey has looked like so far in the outdoor writing and media world?
RC: I got an internship with Field & Stream in the summer of 2019 after my junior year of college. After graduation, I freelanced for a couple of outdoor publications before landing a full-time gig as assistant editor with F&S in 2021. Now I’m the senior editor for the magazine, and I assign and write stories for both print and digital. It has been a dream job, and I still can’t believe I get to do this every day.
What outdoor adventures or milestones early in your life shaped your perspective on the way you cover hunting and fishing now?
RC: I was lucky enough to have a dad who took me hunting and fishing at a young age. He had the biggest impact on how I view the outdoors. My father emphasized the importance of conservation and public lands. There’s no question that those lessons and experiences helped shape my perspective on hunting and fishing. He is also an avid reader and has been an F&S subscriber since the late ‘60s. He planted the seed for my writing path and is my biggest supporter.
Field & Stream covers a wide range of content, such as hunting, fishing, gear, and conservation. Which area do you feel most passionate about, and why?
RC: Our news editor, Travis Hall, does an excellent job of covering conservation issues, especially about public lands, and I think this is one of the most important things F&S does. That said, I love assigning and writing narrative hunting and fishing stories. Field & Stream has always been the best at telling adventure stories, and I am lucky to be on a team of great editors and writers to learn from. Those are my favorite types of stories to work on.
Are there any trends you are seeing for hunting gear and fly fishing gear that excite you?
RC: The most interesting trend I’ve noticed is hunters going back to solid color clothing. Let me be clear: there is no benefit to solid colors other than being fashionable. As a Gen Z 27-year-old, I obviously hopped on the bandwagon and restocked my hunting wardrobe with solids. Looking the part matters, right? I’ll offer one more fashion tip: vintage camo is even cooler than solid colors. Go raid your grandfather’s closet for old jackets and flannels to hunt in this fall. Even if you don’t fill your tag, you’ll at least look cool as you tell your buddies how the big one got away.
I know we’ve chatted about your goal to complete the North American Waterfowl Grand Slam by the time you’re 30…how is that going?
RC: Surprisingly well. Last winter, I traveled to St. Paul Island, located off the coast of Western Alaska in the Bering Sea, to hunt king eiders and harlequin. It was my greatest adventure yet (more to come on that hunt in next year’s fall journal). Right now, I have seven species to go—fulvous whistling duck, mottled duck, ruddy duck, cackling goose, sandhill crane, tundra swan, and barrow’s goldeneye—with three seasons left before I turn 30.
The best part about the 41 before 30 quest is hunting in new places, meeting new waterfowlers, and experiencing new hunting techniques. Hunters on the Great Salt Lake use coffin-style layouts and black silhouettes to hunt teal. Arkansas hunters wail on cutdown calls all day in the timber. And Northeast sea duck hunters use layout boats in the ocean to target eiders, old squaw, and scoters. Every place offers a unique style of hunting and that’s been the best part of this challenge so far.
If you could plan your dream adventure…hunting, fishing, or otherwise…what would it look like, and why?
RC: Alaskan moose hunt. In my opinion, they are one of the coolest big game animals in North America. They are also the largest of all the moose subspecies and live in remote wilderness that is difficult to get to. Everything about them screams adventure and hunting them is at the top of my bucket list.
Outside of your work, what reconnects you with nature or inspires you? Do you have favorite spots to get away, memories, or mentors who influenced you?
RC: Every year, I travel back to New York to hunt with my dad and his buddies at our annual duck camp. We canoe for a couple of miles on a small creek to hunt woodies, mallards, teal, and other puddlers. It’s my favorite hunt of the year because I get to reconnect with a place that had an impact on me as an outdoorsman. But the best part is hanging out with everyone at camp and listening to the same stories I’ve heard a thousand times. Nothing changes. I love it.