Growing up around Burlington, Wisconsin, Doug hunted and fished since he was old enough to tag-a-long with his dad. At age 14, he was able to persuade his parents to purchase a Kentucky rifle kit for him. By the time he reached 16 years of age, Doug had put together 2 kits, and landed his first “real” job, working with a gunsmith, at a sporting goods store. After graduating high school, he attended and graduated the gunsmithing courses at the Colorado School of Trades. Starting his own business in 1981, he supplemented his income by working full time at the trap & skeet ranges, located at the Playboy Club Resort, Lake Geneva, WI. While working there, he met Don Mainland of Kolar Arms, Racine, WI. After four years of persuasion by Don, Doug went on to work for 16 years at Kolar Arms.
In 2001, the desire to own his gunsmithing business again, was too great to resist. Doug left Kolar and rented some space from, Tru-Tool, a local machine shop in Sturtevant, WI. Because of his love of hunting, fishing, and the north woods, he picked up one last time and moved to the heart of Minnesota’s lake country.
His hobby of trapshooting continues today. A few of his accomplishments have been a couple of 199’s at the Grand American Championships and Wisconsin Trapshooting Championships. Winning the AA award two years in a row for breaking 100 and 99’s at the Wisconsin State Doubles Championships and champion runner-up a few years prior. Doug and his gunsmithing have been mentioned in pass issues of Trap & Field, Skeet Review, and a featured story in Trapshooting USA.
Doug has been a Life Member of the National Rifle Assn. and the Amateur Trapshooting Assn., since 1983. He is also a member of Ducks Unlimited, the National Ruff Grouse Society, and the Minnesota Whitetail Hunters Assn.
Doug currently is a board member, secretary, and treasurer of Northstar Sportsmens Club, located in Walker, MN. He also is a certified NRA/ATA shooting coach, and coaches a youth trapshooting team in Walker.
Doug and his wife Threasa also have made Backus, MN there home.
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