Outdoor Life History

Andrew McKean is the Chief Editor of Outdoor Life and while we were talking about his vast knowledge of Whitetail deer and their history in America, I asked him about the history of the magazine. "Outdoor life is in its 117th year of existence. It started in 1898 in Denver. The thing I love about Outdoor Life is that it is a national magazine with an international reputation but it started as a western magazine. In fact the first five years or so that is what it called itself was "The Magazine for The Western Sportsmen". So it has always looked west. It has always had a pretty significant perspective on elk hunting and public land in the West, mule deer and it just sort of had that type of content. The reason it really resonates with me is that I am a Westerner. I'm a Montana boy. When I started working for the magazine, it was important for me to stay in the West. Our editorial offices are in Manhattan, in the heart of New York City. I somehow convinced my bosses to let me work from out in the field in Montana. Little by little I guess I did something either really good or really wrong because I'm still here.