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. These days, Ryan writes and assigns stories across Field & Stream‘s print and digital platforms in his role as Senior Editor.
In this installment of our interview series, Ryan shares the origins of his love for telling hunting and fishing stories and where things stand in his pursuit of the North American Waterfowl Grand Slam at 27.
“It has been a dream job, and I still can’t believe I get to do this every day.”
How did you first get involved with Field & Stream?
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.
What early outdoor adventures shaped your perspective?
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.
“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.”
Conservation is a big part of outdoor culture. How do you see Field & Stream’s role (or your role) in this?
Field & Stream has always been a leader in hard-hitting conservation reporting. We do a phenomenal job of reporting on timely conservation issues and informing outdoorsmen and women about the threats facing conservation, public lands, and wildlife. I am proud to be part of a publication that stands up for these issues, and we will continue to do so.
Which content area do you feel most passionate about?
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.
Tell us about your North American Waterfowl Grand Slam goal. How is that going?
I’m attempting to complete the Grand Slam before I turn 30. It’s going 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.
Outside of your work, what inspires you—favorite spots to get away, memories, or mentors who influenced you?
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.