My dad, David “Reddog” Ferraro, is the person solely responsible for introducing me into the outdoors. For this, I am forever grateful because it has formed me into the man I am today and what I will always represent for tomorrow. I was raised learning right from wrong, to have respect for one another as well as nature, and to always chase your dreams. It was always “yes sir, yes mamm, and no sir, no mamm”. When you shake someones hand, you look them in the eye and have a firm grip. I have been hunting and fishing ever since I was able to walk, learning and appreciating how to be successful in the backwoods. I was my father’s shadow! Everywhere he went, I was right behind him mimicking his every move afraid I would miss out on something.
As a little boy, every Saturday or Sunday morning during the spring and summer months, you would find me, with my Zebco reel, and my Dad in a John boat fishing in any lake we could get access. In the fall and winter months, we were walking the woods studying tracks, signs, and food sources of where game had been in hopes of being at the right place at the right time to harvest what we were going to eat off of for the next month. Today, you will find us doing the same thing. We eat, sleep, and strategize techniques on how to harvest mature game or to catch big fish to fill our freezers, our walls, and our memories that will last forever. We have experienced a lot of success in the backwoods together, most were learning experiences that were frustrating at the time, but the experiences that ended with us taking pictures with our trophies were the best. If anyone knows us, they know how much we love to hunt and fish!
There were always lessons to be learned whether I realized it at the time or not, but now that I have a family of my own, I completely understand. When I was a young baseball player, Dad would throw thousands of baseballs to me, hit numerous grounds balls and pop flies from various angles just to make me a better ball player. He held an unspoken standard for me, and I did my best to meet or supass it. He pushed me to be extremely tough, to never quit, and to always apply myself to the fullest in everything I do in life. He preached playing and competing with all your heart, giving 110% effort, and that nothing in life is given to you, you must earn it. He is always there to keep me grounded, humble and to appreciate everyone and everything I have in life. He is my number one fan and supporter as I chase my dream of becoming an icon in the outdoor industry.
To my DAD, my best friend, my #1 hunting buddy, Happy Father’s Day Dad! I Love You!! I look forward to many more years in the backwoods!!