Meet The Crew // Daniel Watson

If you’ve gone on hunts with us or talked with us at shows, you’ve probably met our resident Australian, Dan Watson. Dan has been a part of the family here at Backcountry BC and Beyond for a while now. The long term success of any outfit can fall on the strength of the team that runs it. And when it comes to running a hunting outfit, there’s a tremendous amount of work involved. From pre-season prep to gear lists, booking clients, trade shows, 10 day mountains hunts, and everything in between. To say that Dan has been an invaluable asset to this team would be an understatement. His leadership and dedication to both the operation and our clients has helped us in more ways than we could ever express. He works tirelessly behind the scenes and has become an incredible guide for all the species that we offer. This week we caught up with Dan as he talks about growing up in Australia, meeting Dustin, and what guiding has meant to him.

“Growing up in Australia presented me with a lot of great experiences in the outdoors, I spent my youth playing sports, rocking climbing, canyoning, rock jumping at the local waterhole and every chance I got, spearfishing and hunting. I had a passion for science and wildlife from a young age, specifically reptiles and I looked up to Steve Irwin as role model which led me to study animal science at University. It was during my studies that I begun to understand the role that hunting can play in conservation and what was a passion and a hobby began to solidify into something that I wanted to pursue as a career. 

Meanwhile I had always dreamed of seeing the true northern wilderness of Alaska and known of its vast rugged terrain. And how different it is to anything that Australia has to offer. So when my University professor went on a Dall sheep hunt, seeing the photos and hearing the stories stoked that dream even more. He mentioned that there was guide services that employed packers to help on these hunts and that I may have a shot at finding a job. Needless to say I had my mind made up and I begun to save and look for work. 

I found a job at a remote wilderness lodge in the Talkeetna mountains and would head over very early to help set up the lodge for the coming season. I had a great season at the lodge, hunting bear, sheep and moose and while the owner was a shady character who I decided to move on from, the experience I had in the mountains set the stage for where I am now. I felt alive out there, that I truly was meant to be there, out in the wilderness working hard and providing a great experience for the client. While most of the guiding work load isn’t glamorous for me each part is enjoyable and this season showed me that it was something I could pursue and be passionate about. 

I met Dustin through one of the clients in Alaska, Kyle, who I packed for on a Dall sheep hunt. Kyle and I hit it off immediately and Kyle picked up on the situation at this remote wilderness lodge as being less then optimal if I was serious about pursuing a career in the industry. He was going on a rocky mountain bighorn hunt and said he would ask Dustin if I could tag along on the hunt and “who knows what could come of it.” 

With woefully subpar gear and leaking 3 season boots (and some borrowed rain gear)  I got to tag along on the hunt with Kent and Nathan in the rugged Kootenies of Southern BC where we experienced 6 brutal days of freezing temps and blizzard conditions, it was awesome! We ended up moving to a different area and pursued multiple rams trying to find a legal one (no easy feat in the Kootenay). It was an eye opening experience to see true professionals at work in the guide setting and fueled my desire to be apart of the team and learn from some of the people (in my short career) I judged as being the best. 

After the hunt was over Dustin had a father and son coming on a mountain goat hunt and asked if I wanted to give him a hand, I was meant to go whitetail hunting in Madison county Wisconsin (in one of the best parcels of private land available too) which I turned down for the chance to do another mountain hunt. I wont go into details about the hunt, it was what you can expect of a mountain goat hunt in November, and Dustin got to see what I was made of. I told Dustin I wanted to work for him and that I’d do whatever it took to be apart of the future of Backcountry BC and Beyond. It’s been a hell of a ride so far, I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices- left my home, family, friends and country. I have also had some incredible experiences from all over the States, Canada and Baja, Mexico. This career has introduced me to some amazing people I now call friends and a lifestyle that I love and truly am passionate about. I still feel I have mountains to learn, weaknesses to overcome and strengths to sharpen but working with Dustin and all the crew at BBCB has been instrumental in my growth and happiness as a person. If you are considering a career in the outfitting industry then I encourage you to go for it, you’ll never know if you don’t take the chance. It isn’t easy, there is times of isolation from loved ones, hard work that goes unseen, failures, accidents, communication breakdowns and stress all of which can make you want to quit. But if you can keep a positive attitude, be willing to work hard and always to be teachable along the way, it is a career and lifestyle that is unmatched.”

This week we released another rendition of our “Meet the Crew” series. This time, featuring Dan. Be sure to check that out below if you haven’t already. The crew up north is still finishing up some sheep and mountain goat hunts while the weather continues to not cooperate. However, it’s almost September and that means the leaves are starting to change, the air is starting to cool, and we’ll be trailing into the mountains before we know it!