The Johnson's - Our Growing Family

We are not related...well, some of us. Allen is my dad and Rusty is just a stranger turned family with a very familiar name. What are the odds, right? I mean there aren't that many Johnson's in the world. Regardless of how it may slightly confuse folks, I'm glad this team has assembled. 

My father, Allen (AJ), has always been an outdoorsman I've admired. Trapping is only one small piece of his outdoors passion. He can trap, fish, shoot, and hunt with the best of em - I'd never put money against him in a wingshoot... NEVER. Regardless of his ability to shoot birds this dude LOVES to deer hunt and trap coyotes. In all honesty it's hilarious to me how fired up he gets about deer hunting and trapping.

He's harvested some of the biggest whitetails I've ever seen and on a consistent basis. He still hunts more hours in a season than I care to imagine. The man is the definition of dedicated. 

As a kid I remember him telling stories of trapping the area around our home. It seemed everywhere we drove he'd be able to point to a field, creek, or spot where he trapped back in the day. He always seemed to be knee deep in the frozen water, running his line before school. He's always told me so, but maybe he's being serious when he tells me he didn't sleep until he was 30! It was in these early days of fur trapping he began to trap coyotes. 

Back then coyotes were far less prevalent in the area than they are today which made it even harder to learn the path to success. But he learned - the hard way. Trial and error over the course of years taught him just how intelligent these predators truly are. After the fur market went down he lost touch with fur trapping but has since picked it back up for a different reason - predator management. 

AJ and I had made plans to develop this company over the years and just as we were about to really get to work on our product he ran into Rusty at the National Trappers Convention in Springfield, MO. These two had already met a few times at various conventions in recent years but this meeting was the most important. The idea for RPA was at the front of AJ's mind and although we weren't looking for a partner at the time, God put Rusty in our lap. 

I remember when my dad called me from the parking lot that day. He was the most excited I'd heard him in a while. He told me all about Rusty and how he was a perfect match for us as well as RPA. As much as I wanted to meet the guy before we brought him in, I had to trust AJ on this one. I like to think I helped make that decision, but I know the call I got was just out of courtesy. He knew we wanted and needed Rusty - and he was right. 

As it turns out, Rusty had an idea for something similar! The stars aligned and we were off to the races, now joined by one of the most legendary predator trappers in the game. I'm never a fan of meeting people who are hyped up by others because sometimes this can lead to a letdown. Luckily this wasn't the case for the Johnsons. He was everything my dad told me and more: a good ole boy who'd shoot ya straight, can trap like nobody's business, and will do everything in his power to take care of you. 

This is how the RPA team was formed...and I'm sure glad it did! 

-Zack