We believe that the truest test of an expert in any field is watching how committed they are towards continuing to learn new things and build their skills. Are they humble and teachable, or are they vain and arrogant? Do they continually learn from others, or do they know it all already? When they teach, are they more focused on a genuine exchange of knowledge, or do they just want to look good and impress people? Our belief is that there are no masters in this field, only students. And the greatest experts are the ones who realize this, are the most committed to their own growth and development. Such is the case with our brother Bill Reese. He’s an excellent student – curious, humble, and thoughtful. We love having him in class – he asks great questions, and always contributes to the conversation in a way that helps everyone. But he’s also a top-notch instructor in his own right. In fact, he’s one of the best in the field. We met Bill almost exactly a year ago at the 2018 Georgia Bushcraft Spring Gathering… but we’ll let him tell you more about that.
1. What do you do for a living? I’m a pre-sales engineer for an Emergency Notification Company. I have been working the same type of job for around 25 years and at some points hand in hand with the Federal Government. Additionally, I’ll officially launch my own LLC in the second half of 2019 and eventually quit working for someone else.
2. What are your favorite things to do in the outdoors? Camp, work on primitive skills, Fish, Hunt…just be.
3. How did you learn about SARCRAFT? Alex and JJ visited a Georgia Bushcraft Gathering and as they were leaving, I asked Alex if he had a business card. With that information I started stalking them on the web. Kau’I Morehead was co-teaching a class at SARCRAFT that I wanted to take, so I decided to check out the actual classes. It didn’t hurt that I answered the Instagram Trivia question correctly…Arapuca Bird Trap.
4. What was your favorite memory with us? One? I guess romping through the woods in the rain. During the Tracking Essentials class, the rain waned, and we all decided to go looking for deer sign. The conversations and overall adventure definitely made it memorable.
5. How has training with SARCRAFT helped you in the field? I have been able to look at things a little differently and with the most recent class, felt more confident in myself when I go into the woods. I know it will be useful when I move to Montana because the skills transfer regardless of physical location. They have expanded my knowledge and shown me other ways to think about things.
6. What skills and topics do you look forward to learning with us in the future? Wild Edibles and Medicinals – one of my favorite parts of the debrief and monthly is the flora information. It has widened my view and allows me to add another tool in the toolbox.
If you’d like to meet Bill in the flesh, and have a chance to learn some of his wilderness survival and bushcraft knowledge firsthand, then come join in for the Georgia Bushcraft 2019 Spring Gathering on April 12-14 in Watkinsville, GA. Just look around for the big barefoot dude with the majestic beard. You can learn more about that event and register at www.georgiabushcraft.com. If you can’t make it, then you can learn more about Bill and draw on a significant archive of blog posts and videos on his website at www.instinctsurvivalist.com. It’s a great resource to gain from, and I can guarantee that you’ll learn something new, and get a fresh perspective on things you’re already familiar with. After all… when you stop learning, you stop growing. And if you want to gain real-world competence in this field, that’s something you simply can’t do. Stay humble, stay teachable, and as Bill would say… “use your instincts to survive!”
- Alex