17/08/2026
I arrived back home from the Mobile Hunters EXPO south show and have had a little time to process the weekend. A huge thanks is extended to the expo crew for putting on another outstanding show this year. It brought me great joy to meet a lot of awesome people who love the outdoors. I had great conversations with people from all over who share a passion for the outdoors. Past customers came by to see new products and say "hi". Old friends wanted to catch up on what's happening in life. New faces came by to see what products I had to offer. But the most important thing to me was that I had the great pleasure of people telling me their stories. I don't mean the tale of their biggest buck or their hunting strategy. I mean the story of their life and what made them who they are. The man who got a tear in his eye while asking me if it would be possible to repair the leather gun sling on his granddaddy's favorite deer r***e he inherited. The lady wanting to order leather cases for turkey calls she had built to commemorate a dear friend who passed away. The man who told me his testimony and how God used the outdoors and hunting mentors to change his life eternally. And that was just a couple of stories from the booth on the show floor. The Nukem Hunting crew had folks come over and hang out after the show was over. It is honestly the closest thing to the hunting camp I grew up in that I have ever experienced. I was blown away as the conversations became even better - as if that was even possible. I watched veteran vendors help newcomers learn the ropes and make connections for them. I watched people want to genuinely get to know the person they were talking to. I watched strangers become newfound brothers in arms. I have been very fortunate to have gained a support group of business owners, content creators, and lovers of the outdoors. These people are not just friends who want to see Cache River Leather succeed, they want to see me and my wife succeed in all areas of life. When we talk to each other, it doesn't start out "How is the business going?". It starts with "How are your family? How is your relationship with God going? How can we pray for you?" This is what matters. Saturday night at the Nukem hang out, I met a guy who was amazed that having that kind of support group from an expo was possible. He is now another member of that group of brothers. Pat Newcomb (Nukem Hunting) said it best during his video in the film festival, "It's not about the hunt or the animals you killed. It's about who you're doing it with."