Hi I'm Shaun Ridder...

I love the outdoors and everything to do with nature. Hunting, fishing, hiking. I also LOVE being a dad and work a crazy not traditional job…This is my journey of how I live an outdoor lifestyle and I hope to encourage you to join me… Return 2 Wild.

CliffsNotes version of the story about me… I grew up in the outdoors. In the woods at my family’s cabin in northern Wisconsin to be more specific. It’s where I learned to build forts, fires, track and watch wildlife. I shot my weapons there and learned many outdoor skills. Because of this you could say I’ve always had an interest in hunting and fishing.

While my actual home was in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is the outdoors that I loved. I did not grow up like most that get into hunting and fishing as kids. My dad deer hunted a when I was a kid. Like most Wisconsin whitetail hunters, I think it was more for the experience of “deer camp” drinking and partying with friends and family. I never got that experience as my dad quit hunting while I was still young. We did spend quite a bit of time fishing and camping. So I was exposed to the outdoors all my life.

As I got older, I became really interested in fishing and eventually found the love of waterfowling. Growing up on the Great Lakes there were many opportunities to hunt waterfowl in mashes, farm fields or on the big water. I really took a passion to the big water hunting of diver ducks.

Then my career took me to the big city. This presented a new layer of challenges. I continued pursuing my outdoor passions as much as I could until I found out I was going to be a dad.

I wanted to be a very present dad. So, I put all my hobbies and outdoor activities on hold to really soak up every minute of being a new dad. That experience has been the greatest of my life.

Me and son Jackson on a hike to find ducks.

Now that my son is a bit older and already loves the outdoors like dad, I am adding some of these outdoor passions back into my life along with a few new ventures to learn.

So, the real question "Why share and document this?"

• Because I want to help inspire others to either get into outdoor activities or start getting back into old outdoor hobbies from their past. I am willing to bet there are a lot of people like me that miss something they used to do, but don't know how to even get back into their passions. OR find it too intimidating or daunting.

• Because I am a creative person. I work a highly creative job, it is not about what I'm truly passionate about. This is my space to flex that creative muscle and hopefully inspire you.

Basically, on this site you are going to find all sorts of things that will help you get the courage to try new outdoor activities or re-visit those from your past. I want to also help encourage getting new people into outdoor sports and show the importance of conservation.

What kind of things will you find here?

• Personal stories of success and more about FAILURE

• Tips, tricks, and things I've learned and can share

• Recipes and cooking ideas of ways to make the most of nature’s bounty.

• New ideas and ways to think about what nature and the outdoors mean to you.

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blog based sites is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — That's why I love it if you would consider following me on your chosen social platform and please comment and give any feedback. Positive or negative this is an open dialogue. Also be sure to subscribe to me YouTube Channel for more great content posted weekly.

Thanks, and can't wait to continue the journey with you as we "return to wild".