Nate Keck
South Dakota: Black Hills Chapter of Pheasants Forever
When it came time for Nate Keck and his wife to pick a location to put down some deeper roots and grow their family, it was important to them to be somewhere with a great outdoor culture — and ideally near good upland hunting. As fate would have it, they landed in South Dakota, the pheasant capital of the world, and now have two young boys along with two shorthairs to keep them busy. Keck volunteers as the vice president of the Black Hills Chapter of Pheasants Forever and spends much of his vacation time either hunting or attending various Pheasants Forever events.
The work Keck does, whether it is organizing fundraisers, talking with various donors, or completing habitat work, has become even more important to him now that he has children. More than anything, he strives to get youth hunters involved in the upland world in any way he can, ensuring future generations are there to carry on the traditions that mean so much to him.
“I want my kids to know that unless people speak up and actively work to improve or save the habitat we have today, the wildlife and wild places we enjoy now may no longer exist,” Keck said. “I want my kids to build meaningful friendships with other like-minded hunters, conservationists, and landowners, so they can create lifelong memories with these people. I want my kids to understand the joy of watching a dog work in the field and having a wild pheasant flush at their feet."