What started out as a pure hobby has now become a natural part of Jeff Rasmussen and his team’s life.
Fairchase Outdoor Chronicles was founded by Rasmussen a few years after a commercial had appeared on the national television channel WildTV.
One of the shows featured on the paid channel was in need of extra footage and asked for avid hunters to submit their hunts to complete the season.
“[...] it turned out my timing was kind of impeccable because I thought that it was like coming forward [season],” said Rasmussen.
“We ended up having two full episodes just of our stuff.”
Since the first couple episodes have aired, Rasmussen has been able to build a strong relationship with the channel via texts and emails.
They are located in the state of Maine.
He has also learned a few tricks of the trade including video, editing, and commentary as well get an instinct as to what to shoot video of before and after each hunt.
“It was a mad dash scramble to get things set up,” said Rasmussen.
Rasmussen has put in a fair amount of time and energy into each video so he felt that registering a new name would solidify the team and create revenue through sponsors.
“This WildTV is not like the glamour of a real TV show where you get paid and everything,” said Rasmussen.
“The only way you make any money is if you get sponsorship.”
His team consists of his family and close friends.
“Most of my stuff is actually me following around my friends and family.”
“I’m always the one running the camera, talking.
When Rasmussen first started sending in footage, the team name was called Fair Chase Adventures but after further research discovered the name was already registered in B.C.
Instead, they decided to go with the new name of Fairchase Outdoor Chronicles and start talking to sponsors.
Rasmussen is now in the process of submitting video for the new third season where the channel will then take the video and do final editing.
“I was worried last year because I don’t really know them and some of those other shows have a different style.”
Rasmussen likes to hunt for sport occasionally but prefers to get meat for his family of six. If he can’t find a large animal by the end of the season, he will get a little buck for the freezer.
“I do like to have a nice big buck or trophy animal but first and foremost we’re meat hunters.”
“We have four teenage boys and go through a pile of mostly wild meat.”
As well as a passion for guns, Rasmussen also has bows to keep him busy.
He typically hunts mule or whitetail deer but has also hunted moose, bear, antelope, elk, and birds like geese or grouse.
“I don’t like the kill. I’m an animal lover but I really enjoy the chase.”
Rasmussen is a biologist by trade, further nurturing his passion since a young age.
“I was six years old when I got the Ranger Rick magazine,” said Rasmussen.
“That’s what I wanted to be when I grew up was Ranger Rick so it just kind of developed that way.”
He feels that hardcore hunters only focus on getting the trophy animal and nothing else matters.
“I’d rather sit back, take a nice calm approach than have the rodeo guys chasing deer through using pickup trucks.”
The Fairchase Outdoor Chronicles team has plans to expand their social media platforms by adding YouTube as an asset.
Through YouTube, Rasmussen can share these strictly hunting oriented videos with family and friends who do not necessarily have the WildTV channel at home.
“It’s a good way I can share my passion with people without having everyone to come over and sit around my laptop,” said Rasmussen.
“This is my chronicles.”
