Thomas A. Stroup

I have been an outdoorsman for well over 40 years, having caught my first fish at 8, shot my first game birds at 12, and bagged my first deer at 14. My Dad and brothers taught me the skills and ethics of hunting and fishing that I retain today. Since my first hunting experiences with my family, I have an almost perfect attendance at our annual hunts that now include my nephews (and which will soon involve great-nephews as well). As a result, I am a firm believer in the importance of creating an environment for families to be able to share their love of the outdoors together.

I had the good fortune to have hunted ducks, geese, dove, partridge, grouse, and pheasants as well as whitetail and mule deer while growing up. I have since been able to add quail, turkey, antelope, elk, caribou, and bear to my list of hunting experiences.

I not only love to hunt wild game, I love to eat it as well. Dinner guests at our house know they are often likely to be treated to a dining experience tied to the results of my last hunt. (This is an invitation for fellow hunters to pass along their favorite game recipes!)

I have owned and hunted with retrievers for about 25 years. I am partial to Goldens, but every fall one of my brothers continues to make his case for his fondness of Labradors.

I continue to fish, but most of my fishing these days seems focused on teaching my daughter a few of the skills I learned as a child. Of course, I can think of no better reason to be fishing!

My wife is a member of the Environmental Committee of the Great Falls Citizen's Association where she has been active in obtaining and maintaining our certification as a Community Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Great Falls is one of only 23 communities in the nation to be so certified. She continues her efforts to bring more land into conservation trusts and expanding the certification program to additional land owners.