Sam Leatherman Joins QDMA as Midwest Regional Director
OutdoorHub 01.07.14
The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is pleased to announce that Sam Leatherman has joined the organization as the Midwest Regional Director.
Leatherman will support QDMA Branches and volunteers while promoting the formation of new Branches in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
“My wife and I are very excited about this opportunity,” Leatherman said. “I truly believe that QDMA is the future of deer hunting.”
Prior to QDMA, Leatherman managed a 30,000-acre hunting and fishing camp on the King Ranch in South Texas. Leatherman wrote harvest recommendations and a management plan based on collected harvest and observation data, which included helicopter surveys, spotlight censuses and trail-camera surveys. Leatherman also planned and supervised the camp’s habitat management program, worked with local institutions and the King Ranch to further research on wildlife, and developed and enforced a strong predator control program. Additionally, Leatherman managed a $900,000 to $1.2 million annual budget.
Before working professionally at the camp on the King Ranch, Leatherman served as a hunting and fishing guide in Texas, Illinois, Arkansas and Colorado, and he also completed a wildlife internship at the King Ranch. Furthermore, Leatherman gained experience on the retail side of the outdoor industry having worked as an assistant manager at Bill’s Outdoor Center in Oakland, Maryland.
Leatherman holds degrees in Game Preserve Management and Shooting Complex Management from Southern Illinois College. He is also a Deer Steward Level I graduate, a certified Level 1 shooting instructor, a certified first responder (Illinois) and a certified Texas big game awards deer scorer.
Leatherman is married to his hometown sweetheart, Sara. The pair are passionate bowhunters and love bass fishing, often entering bass tournaments together.
