It all started with…

Four guides working in Yellowstone National Park who realized that fishing, hunting, and other nefarious activities were what made living fun.

Our Mission Statement

We give like-minded outdoorsmen a place to come for information, education, and entertainment.

Our community of degenerate outdoorsmen is designed to educate and share information in an effort to perfect our individual outdoor craft.

The goal for our content is to not limit ourselves to a certain style or region of fishing or hunting, but rather to showcase the best of what you can do across the United States. Because of this mentality, we created this brand in the hope that we can help outdoorsmen learn new hobbies and better understand the outdoors.

By getting groups involved more in the outdoors and conservation, we can help become an influential part of the next generation of outdoorsmen who will care for the same wild spaces that we have come to know and love.

Meet the Team

  • Connor Truman

    Connor grew up hunting and fishing in the great state of Maine. He is a Registered Maine Guide and a Certified Interpretive Guide for Yellowstone National Park. He has also worked as a first mate on Inshore and Offshore boats in Florida, and has a degree in Conservation Law.

  • Joel West

    Joel was born and raised in Hanover County, Virginia. He grew up fishing with his father and hunting with his grandfather. He attended Eastern Kentucky University where he recieved his Bachelors and Masters degree in Recreation and Park Administration with a focus on Natural Resource Management. His passion for the outdoors has taken him all over the country to live and work.

  • Coltin Gresser

    Coltin was born and raised in the corn and soybean capitol of the country, good Ole Indiana. He graduated from Ball State University where he earned a degree in Natural Resource Management. He grew up hunting and fishing with his family from the time he could walk. He loves to have the chance to conserve wildlife and wild places for future generations.

  • Rod Petersen

    Rod grew up fishing and hunting in Texas and Florida. He has been a fishing guide in Yellowstone National Park. Rod graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Communication and Journalism. He hopes to use his degree to bring awareness to the need for conservation in the US.

Our History

It started in the summer of 2021. Connor, Joel, and Rod met while working in Yellowstone National Park. It was through The Park, and our jobs as guides, that we began a long friendship based on fishing, hunting, and the outdoors.

It is unclear where the name Degenerate Fish Hippie originated. It first appeared in the local pub in 2022. Some say Joel came up with it on a mythical journey in the backcountry, others say that the women at the local bar began calling us the Degenerate Fish Hippies, as a way to describe our jobs and wild antics, others will say Rod came up with the name coming off of a shift in The Park. Regardless of where the name originated from, it has come to represent the four of us in a very fitting manner.

In the summer of 2023, we added Coltin to our ranks, and he has become part of the family just as much as the rest.

As we kept coming back to Yellowstone to work each season, we began expanding our adventures and our plans for the future. With this, our ideas grew as the years progressed. Our concept of being guides grew into larger aspirations of running our own outfit. We always knew we wanted to start a guide outfitter or some type of equipment/tackle shop.

With little more than an idea and our shared love for the outdoors and conservation, we came together to make a dream a reality. In 2023, we officially created the Degenerate Fish Hippies website, which runs the Monthly Magazine, Articles, Episodes, and social media for our company. Our dream was to create a platform that would help new outdoorsmen and support conservation for the animals and places we love. We hope that Degenerate Fish Hippies helps you in your outdoor adventures. It has always helped us. Remember, you are never lost if you are always found in the woods.

Stay Degenerate,

The Guys

Connor Coltin Joel Rod