Outdoor Sportsman Group is proud to announce the promotion of Ryan Barnes, eight-time goose calling champion and passionate waterfowler and journalist, to the position of Editor in Chief for its WILDFOWL brand.
Barnes brings with him years of experience in the field, backed by a career in journalism. He began developing his goose-calling skills at the age of 10, and by 16 he was competing in pro-level contests against some of the best callers in the world. His talent landed him on multiple pro-staffs and allowed him to travel across North America to hunt before he even had his driver's license. When not in a blind, Barnes helped build the popular digital media company, Split Reed, which focuses on all things waterfowl hunting. Between his journalistic pursuits and hunting and guiding in the fall, Barnes cultivated an expertise and deep understanding of what content waterfowl hunters want and need.
"I knew we had scored a great candidate in Ryan two years ago when we hired him as Associate Editor," said Kali Parmley, Associate Publisher of WILDFOWL. "He has proven to be a dedicated, passionate and hardworking employee who walks the walk and talks the talk—literally—and I'm proud to have him as our new Editor in Chief. He will take this magazine to new heights."
Barnes holds multiple Top 10 finishes in some of the biggest goose-calling contests in the nation, including Montana's Flying V Western Waterfowl Contest, the Washington Waterfowl Calling Championships, Oregon Waterfowl Festival, Dive Bomb Squadfest and the World Championship. He took First Place at the following events:
- 2x Cabela's Open Goose Calling Champion
- 2x Utah State Goose Calling Champion
- 1x SFW Novice Goose Calling Champion
- 2x Snake River Open Goose Calling Champion
- 1x International Sportsman Junior Goose Calling Champion
Barnes grew up as an avid waterfowler. He took his first mallard at age 12, and since that moment, the pursuit of waterfowl has been his passion. Barnes was known to draw sketches of ducks and geese in grade school, instead of paying attention to his studies. Wanting to learn everything he could about the sport, his parents purchased him his first magazine subscription to none other than WILDFOWL Magazine.
"I could always be found with a copy of WILDFOWL in my backpack or locker all through school," says Barnes. "WILDFOWL has played an enormous role in my love for the sport of duck and goose hunting, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be Editor in Chief of the brand. It's my goal to make sure we continue to bring the audience of WILDFOWL the best waterfowl hunting stories, highlight the best gear on the market and showcase the men and women who make this sport so great. It's an honor to be at the helm of such an iconic publication, and I'm excited to see the heights to which we can take this great magazine."
About Outdoor Sportsman Group: Outdoor Sportsman Group is comprised of the world's foremost media and entertainment brands for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. It includes three leading multichannel networks: Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network, as well as Sportsman Channel (Canada) and MOTV, the world's leading subscription streaming platform created for outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts. The Group also consists of numerous established publishing assets: 14 outdoor magazines including Guns & Ammo, Game & Fish, Petersen's HUNTING, In-Fisherman and 20 top websites. Additionally, Outdoor Sportsman Group includes television production operations, Winnercomm. For more information, visit www.outdoorsg.com.
