Our Writers

Name: Dave Crist
Email: Dave.crist@aviddesignco.com
Age: 35
Years Being Avid: 19
Preferred Type of Hunt: Bow
Preferred Place to Hunt: Buffalo County, WI
Dream Hunt: Southwestern Iowa Rut

Bio:
I was born in Florida, and grew up in a town near Fort Lauderdale called Coral Springs. I was a normal kid… for the most part, with one major difference. When other kids were getting money from their parents to go to the movies, I was getting money to buy wild shiners and fish for the Trophy Largemouth Bass that Florida is famous for. I dreamed about hunting the “Elusive Whitetail”, and read every article that I could about them. My family moved to Georgia when I was 16 years old, and that’s when everything changed. I had my Driver’s License, a truck, and the freedom to pursue the animal that I was destined to hunt. I did have some success, but many more failures. It seemed that I had a huge learning curve, and my teacher Mr. Whitetail didn’t care how inexperienced I was. Life takes its twists and turns, and of all things, I joined the Navy. I served a total of 9 years with 5 of which being on a Trident Submarine out of Bangor, WA. It was not the optimal setting for an AVID outdoorsman. The Navy brought me to Minnesota in 1999 to be a Recruiter for them in Grand Rapids, MN, and I never wanted to leave. I am the father of 2 kids, Courtney-14, and Brandon-12, and being an active part of their lives seemed much better than going back on another submarine. My kids love the outdoors, but they aren’t as extreme as their dad. I feel that will develop as time goes on. It is my responsibility to teach them that hunting is necessary and that there is more to a hunt than just the harvest.

So here I am, an average Joe, with an unbelievable passion for hunting and fishing, and an opportunity to share with those who wish to read, stories of my successes and failures. I will never say that I know all there is to know about whitetails, they consistently remind me that I don’t. I will share what works for me, doesn’t work for me, and do my best to give a play by play of my most memorable hunts.

Name: Dan Amundson
Email: Dan.amundson@aviddesignco.com
Age: 49
Years Being Avid: More than 30
Preferred Type of Hunt: Humping up a big mountain after Elk Preferred Place to Hunt: Mountains Dream Hunt: Interior Alaska Moose, Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep

Bio:
I am a Minnesotan. I grew up in the suburbs of St. Paul. I now reside in Winona, MN an outdoor paradise. My father and mother taught my older brother and me to love the outdoors. The first memory I have of hunting was following my father through the marsh having cattails slap me in the face.
I was carrying a stick because I was too little to carry a gun and I would ask my Dad why he said, “duck’ down”, whenever he saw ducks coming.
Growing up I had many great hunting and fishing experiences in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I loved the outdoors so much, I decided I wanted to make a career of it and so did my brother. I finished graduate school in Illinois and went to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I spent 8 years, studying colonial nesting birds in the Great Lakes, helping manage a national wildlife refuge, studying the movement of paddle fish in the Mississippi river and doing population surveys of walleyes in ceded territories of Minnesota and Wisconsin. After that, I moved to the private sector. I started my own business which I have had since 1999. I have traveled to 17 countries for both work and play.
I have had the good fortune to hunt and fish many places where wildlife and fish thrive. I have hunted many species of big game, upland game and waterfowl in many different locals. My favorite animals to hunt are elk and coyotes. I like hunting deer but hate sitting in a tree stand. I have one turkey species (Osceola) left to get my Royal Slam.
I have two daughters 17 and 19 and my wife also has her own business. In addition to hunting, I have a passion for exercise, golf and movies. I have a lot of great stories and insights to share and will whenever I can.

 
Name: Bob Meinert
Email: bob.meinert@aviddesignco.com
Dream hunts: Kudu bowhunt, Alaskan Moose bowhunt
Home range: Minnesota
Family: I am the father of the three most wonderful souls on this rock, Luke, Josie and Abby. My wife, Jen and I make our home in Andover, MN.

Bio:
When I was a kid, my Dad gave me a lifelong gift that I never thanked him for. I didn’t know it at the time, but he started my training to build a career in the outdoor industry. Thanks Dad! Sorry, I’m 28 years late! The ol’ man never pushed this on me, I loved trudging along in the woods with him, whether in pursuit of a world class gray squirrel or the elusive whitetail. By the time I was 16, I knew it would be a lifelong adventure with the outdoors. I don’t know who said “Do what you love, love what you do,” but it sure is a great motto to strive for.

After getting my design degree, I held a handful of positions, including a 5 year design gig at Cabela’s HQ in Nebraska. Now, I am the Product Manager for Avid Design, spending my time drumming up new products that suit the Avid lifestyle. It may sound like a posh deal, but hard work and late nights are pretty common around here and I still have a bow tag to fill with only a few weeks left in the season. We all need to balance off work with play, that’s what lights the fire! Product design inspiration comes from many things, and the best are often brewed in a tree or wetting a line.

When we set out to build this brand, it was pretty clear what we needed to accomplish…create quality outdoor gear that’s unique, ultra-functional and affordable. We’re tired of the same old stuff that’s out there and think the Avid crowd deservers more. We question everything in our development process, and mine our insights from the core outdoor enthusiasts.

We’re introducing an entire line of hunting accessories in the first quarter 2010. A few we’re most proud of, have many asking, “why didn’t anyone think of that before?” So keep tuned in, there’s a lot of great Avid gear on the horizon!