BUILT FROM A REAL NEED

A few years ago a friend of mine called me who had drawn a spot on public ground and asked if I wanted to go with him. I eagerly accepted the invite. We discussed the necessary gear, the weather, the migration, and the anticipated success of the hunt. He ended the conversation and said everyone was meeting at the draw location at 4:00 AM.

I hung up the phone, and it was a mad dash to find everything I needed from the previous season. I ran from room to room, grabbing shells, warm socks, chargers for motorized decoys, and anything I thought I might need.

Then I started remembering all the problems I had put off from the year before.

One decoy had been shot and needed to be patched. My waders had a leak. A battery would no longer hold a charge. I ended up making two trips to the store for replacement weights, wader sealant, and snacks for my blind bag.

Somewhere in the middle of all the searching, repairing, charging, and packing, I remember thinking:

There has to be a better way to keep track of all of this.

I finally had everything repaired, packed, and ready to go at 11:37 PM - just a few hours before my 3:00 AM alarm.

That frustration stayed with me.

I had waterfowl hunting gear scattered across my house with only random notes, pictures, reminders, and gear lists to help me remember. I wanted one place to keep the information that mattered before, during, and after a hunt.

That idea became Waterfowl HQ.

Waterfowl HQ was the beginning of HQ Outdoor Labs, a company devoted to creating useful digital resources for people who spend time outdoors.

HQ Outdoor Labs is about creating useful tech that helps you stay in the field, not on the screen. Go forth and Own the Hunt.