Troy and his son August Moritz are Field Staffers for Gearhead. Below is what “makes them tick.” Gearhead believes that their staff don’t all have to be competition shooters or hunters with several booners on the wall. We like good people who care about the sport we a love and truly value being part of the Gearhead team.
-What do you do for a living and how do you balance work with hunting?
“I have two roles,” her said. “First, I work in the industry sourcing and selling rare sporting gear and outfitting people for amazing experiences. Secondly, I’m a strategy and risk advisor to global corporations needing to adjust their approach to remain competitive.”
-Who got you started in hunting? How old were you when you first started? What made you continue it?
“I began hunting through a formative experience watching a wild raptor catch a rabbit in front of me when I was very young that in turn led to pursuits in falconry, hunting, and archery” Moritz said. “Understanding and participating in the natural world is core to my values. I continue in the outdoor sports for sheer enjoyment of wild and beautiful places and the enriching experiences that come from being outdoors.”
-Explain some memorable hunts and what was memorable about it? The kill? The breakfast before hand? The tradition prior or in the hunt?
“The most memorable hunts for me have always been the fruitless hunts,” he said. “The experiences and encounters with wildlife, being bested by nature, and learning from the natural world resonate more with me than easy successes. More recently, the biggest joys in my hunting have been watching my children accomplish amazing things in the field. My daughter was the youngest person in Wisconsin to ever harvest a black bear. My son was the youngest person in the nation to harvest a New Mexico oryx. Watching my son and fellow Gearhead ProStaff member take his first turkey meant a lot to us too. The process of planning, guiding, experiencing, harvesting, and cooking our own food is so meaningful to our family.”
-Do you have any tournament victories and if so, which one meant the most? Same for your first hunt?
“I’ve won a few tournaments with shotgun over the years, but I don’t shoot archery competitively,” Moritz said. “The ultimate competition for me is the tournament against myself, being able to successfully hunt and ethically harvest the food our family eats while enjoying outdoor experiences that make me a more knowledgeable, involved, and informed conservationist.”
-Are you involved with any non-profit groups? Do you help out youth, church, or anything to move the sport of hunting or shooting ahead?
“I’m actively involved in many outdoor advocacy groups and support many initiatives as a supporter or board member,” he said. “All my advocacy and volunteerism focuses on preserving our traditions, the sustainability of our natural resources, and getting youth interested in any outdoor experiences. Two of my children, including August (A Gearhead Pro Staff Member), are WI Junior Hunter Safety Instructors that enjoy giving back to fellow hunters by educating the next generation of responsible sportsmen.”
-Are your kids involved in sports and if so, how do you balance sports while still keeping them involved in hunting and or fishing?
“My kids all do team sports, one per season,” he said. “ This allows them to grow as individuals while still having time to dedicate to our outdoor pursuits; archery, fly fishing, wingshooting, foraging, hiking, bird watching, etc. My son August is also a Gearhead brand ambassador so most of his archery time is spent spreading the word on how versatile his bow is for hunting and target shooting.”
-Do you consider your family to be involved in hunting or the outdoors?
“My family’s engagement in all outdoor activities is absolutely key,” Moritz said. “We hunt, fish, and forage at least 75 days per year and the only time I do activities by myself is when I carve out a two-week personal trip per year.”
-If you could work in the industry, what would you like to do?
“I love the industry and it has no shortage of amazing products and innovations,” he said” If I were to work in the industry for a large manufacturer it would be to change their strategy, go to market, and vision, rather than to improve their products. The corporate strategies are what holds back incredible product companies more so than weak innovation”
-Why do you choose to shoot Gearhead, instead of any other brand? What makes you proud to be a Gearhead pro?
“Gearhead has been an amazing company from its earliest days, rethinking what truly incredible technology should look like and how it should be manufactured,” he said. “I’m proud that Gearhead is a Wisconsin business proudly made by long tenure, loyal employees. I invest and support firms I believe in that are bringing manufacturing back to America. Lastly, Gearhead is incredibly flexible because it’s the only brand that has a bow that fits my 9-year-old son, August, and me at radically different draw lengths.”