The Top Pin guys — Marc, Todd, and Brian — grew up on the same cattle ranch in western Montana just north of the Lolo National Forest. Back then there was no TV signal on the ranch, so when they weren’t in school they were outside getting dirty — exploring the mountains, fishing in creeks, riding horses, hunting gophers, and rolling rocks down hills to see how fast they’d go. It was an idyllic childhood, and the guys realize now how special it truly was and how rare experiences like that are becoming in this modern era.  

Todd and Brian’s dad Scott taught the boys (and their sisters) everything they know about hunting and shooting, from their first bee bee guns and rifles to recurve and compound bows. Growing up so close to some of the most pristine and remote mountainous habitats gave them all a love for big game hunting, with bow hunting preferred over rifle.

Together over the decades the Top Pin guys have hunted for elk, mule deer, antelope, bear, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, and even a few mountain lions, but archery elk season in September is by the pinnacle of their hunting calendars each year. The meat from one elk can feed the average family for about a year, so the goal of their pursuits has most often been to fill the freezer first and put a trophy on the wall second. 

Public land hunting is not about the moment of the kill as much as it is a love for the land and creative pursuit of the animals that call it home. Countless hours are spent studying maps and scouting locations on horseback and on foot during the off-season. Getting out into the mountains and committing to the hunt, often for days with no cell service, is what it’s all about. Marc, Todd, and Brian’s passion is to inspire others to experience the rich rewards of public land hunting and to preserve this way of life for generations to come.