As a hunter, it can be tough to find a place that will actually let you hunt. Whether you’re knocking on doors of local farmers or cooped up in a crowded public plot, it’s not always easy finding a great place. Doug Duren of Duren Family Farms is looking to change that, while boosting awareness of conservancy and our role in helping the land. 

Duren was recently featured by Savage Arms’ Savage Journeys series. In 2008, Duren founded Lone Oak Interests from his family’s 400-acre farm as a land management consulting and contracting company. The idea was simple. Modeled after Aldo Leopold’s Riley Game Cooperative, the company would take a group of people and work on the land to improve its conditions. The reward for the hours of work is that those people get to then hunt on the land at a future date.

Their motto reflects this idea of passing down a better world, and something most hunters and conservationists would find inspiring: “It’s Not Ours It’s Just Our Turn.” 
 

It’s no secret that hunters and shooters generate billions of dollars for conservation through the Pittman-Robertson Act. But this direct hands-on approach is one way for private businesses to lead the charge on conservation, ensuring that future generations have a chance to enjoy the land and all the opportunities that come with it. What Duren found is that while people are attracted to the idea of expanding the opportunity to hunt, they are most impacted by the work they do while managing the land.

This full-circle approach is something we should all appreciate, and hopefully more opportunities like that happening at the Duren Family Farm can come along across the country. 

Read more about Doug Duren, his inspiration Aldo Leopold, and their common cause at the Savage blog.