The Cast
Chris Ward
Chris started hunting in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia when he was seven years old. He would walk for what seemed like miles with his dad and granddad while turkey hunting through the mountains. It was hard hunting for a little guy but he immediately fell in love with everything about it.Chris got his first deer one Thanksgiving morning when he was age nine. He was sitting on his dad’s lap and says he remembers he had to help him steady the gun. Back then treestands were unheard of and they picked their stand location by finding the biggest rock to sit on. The deer was a small buck but may as well have been a 190”. They hugged, yelled and jumped around like it was a world class deer. To this day Chris says that is probably his most memorable hunt. That kill was 29 years ago and he still remembers every single detail of the hunt.
As Chris grew older hunting truly became a passion for him. His dad allowed him to miss school the first day of hunting season each year if he had good grades that semester. Fall was oddly the only time he got straight A’s. Too bad there weren’t four opening days he might have ended up at Harvard. Actually, he doubts it.
After high school Chris went to college at Eastern Kentucky University where he met his wife Mary. Upon graduation they moved to Richmond, Va. where he was employed as a Corrections officer. Chris wasn’t able to hunt as often during the three years he was there but came back to the family farm as often as he could. He says he remembers buying his first bow at a pawn shop. He had never shot one and knew nothing about weight, draw length etc. Growing up in his home area everyone was a gun hunter so he knew little about it. Once he took that first shot in the backyard, however, he was flat hooked. Chris says he shot every day until he couldn’t shoot any more. He took his first bow buck the following fall at 12 yards and immediately thought to himself, man I have wasted a lot of hunting time not bow hunting.
Chris eventually took a job as a Probation and Parole Officer in 1994, which gave him the chance to get back to his hometown. At that time he also rejoined the family auction business The Dawn Auction Co. and became an auctioneer for the company. It was about that time that he really started watching hunting shows and videos trying to absorb as much knowledge as he could. He was amazed that you could actually manage deer and he became obsessed with food plots, stand placement and trail cameras.
Through work Chris met his future hunting partner Eric Hale. He had finally found someone that was in to hunting as much as him. They started learning deer and trying to get into their roundhouse. They would tag team them and hunt hard until they figured them out. Chris and Eric learned quickly that learning deer behavior usually meant a filled tag.
Soon after they decided to try and step it up a notch and starting filming. Things quickly fell into place and they became Drury Outdoors team members. While the duo were with Drury Outdoors they won awards for Best Camera Presence and Best Reaction in 2005, Best Whitetail hunt 2007, Mossy Oak Bronze Antler Award 2007 and 2008, Best Food Plot story line/footage, and Producer of the Year 2006 and 2007.
Chris has appeared on Dream Season Tv – Pros vs. Ams, Dream Season – Redemption 2009, Bow Madness 2008 and 2009 and Wildlife Obsession 2007, 2008 and 2009. He has produced hunts for the following video titles: Dream Season Pros vs. Ams and Dream Season Redemption, Whitetail Madness Vols. 8 and 11, Dream Season 8, 9 and 11, 100% Wild Fair Chase Vols. 6, 7 and 8, Longbeard Madness 11, 12, 13 and 14, Predator Madness Vols. 1, 2 and 4 and Bow Madness Seasons 1 and 2.
After seven years with Drury Chris and Eric had the opportunity to expand within the industry with their own show “Legends of the Fall”. Along with Mike and Bonnie and Mark and Dave they are moving forward with the help of Wildcomm and Red Bone Productions. Chris is excited to be a part of something he knows will be great.
Chris and Mary have three children, Taylor, Logan and Cole. He can’t wait to teach them everything about the great outdoors that he has learned from others.
Hunt safe and hunt hard.
