About Hunt to Eat
Hunt To Eat was inspired by the expression “Will Hunt for Food." For us, hunting and obtaining our own food is a source of pride and part of our lifestyle.
Co-founders and brothers, Janis and Mahting Putelis, were raised in southwest Michigan where the green landscape laid the foundation for their paths to outdoor-oriented careers. Janis guided hunters and fishermen, ultimately becoming Executive Producer at Meateater Inc., while Mahting both guided mountain adventures and became an adventure photographer.
In 2013, we launched our first two Colorado-themed designs. From this state-themed beginning, other states have followed along with species-specific and landscape-inspired designs. Every shirt is developed with two ideas in mind: do we want to wear it, and does it create an opportunity to have a positive dialogue about hunting and conservation.
In late 2017, Janis left the company to dedicate his time to Meateater Inc.. Mahting ran the company until 2023 when he left to pursue new adventures. It is undeniable that both of them have had an incredible impact in the outdoor community, and we wish them the best of luck in all their future endeavors.
Stanley Leonard, one of the Hunt To Eat designers, took the helm in January of 2023. Stanley's has knowledge of the apparel industry gained from years working in a custom screen printing and apparel decorating shop. Stanley is also a classically trained artist who specializes in hand carved woodblock printing. Stanley began hunting Whitetails as a teenager on his uncles southern Wisconsin dairy farm, and his love for hunting and fishing grows with the passing of every year, and the addition of every gray hair.
We strive to always service the wants and needs of the hunting, fishing, and outdoors community. We believe in looking good while promoting a positive dialogue around hunting, fishing, and conservation!
Photo by Lindsey Mulcare
By community, we mean the folks that go outdoors, harvest wild meat, plants, or fungi, and take these things home to be cooked with care for themselves or their friends and family. The folks that see the importance of wild life and nature. The folks that take time out of their day to smell the flowers or admire a doe's footsteps through a marsh, and to share these observations with others. This community is not defined by race, politics, education, wealth, or gender; it's simply a human community. Hunting, fishing, foraging, and existing in nature are things that human beings have done to survive since the dawn of our evolution. Everyone who exists in nature is part of the Hunt to Eat community. And it can only grow from here.⠀
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Thank you to everyone who has shown support for our community and company, and welcome to the new folks who've recently joined it. We are so excited to find modern, progressive, inclusive ways to continually support you and your adventures outdoors.
Photo by ambassador Rich Malloy
Yes, all food is "real." But we have a focus on food you obtained yourself. Whether you shot a pronghorn with your bow in Wyoming, picked that morel you saw at the park, kept that stocker rainbow to fry it in a pan, or remembered to plant your tomatoes on time this year, you're enriching your life with real food. You know where it came from. You know how it died. You know how the meat was handled. No pesticides, growth hormones, or added preservatives. Real food. Food you feel proud to consume and share with your family and friends.⠀
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And we're here to celebrate that food with you.
Photo by Neil Moore
Conservation in North America has an ugly history. Genocide, war, and the over-harvesting of wildlife and other natural resources are realities that must be acknowledged and discussed when talking about modern conservation. The public lands we love today were stolen from the Indigenous peoples that populated this continent prior to colonialism. Historically, conservation was weaponized to remove Indigenous peoples from their homes, lands, histories, and cultures. To say "conservation" and ignore the word's negative connotations will hinder diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. However, without conservation as we know it today, many of the wildlife species we love and admire would be extinct, their habitats developed for human use, fragmenting natural ecological processes or destroying them altogether.
While there is no good replacement word to use instead of "conservation" now, we hope someday there will be. Regardless of nomenclature, we will continue to do meaningful work towards increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors and supporting the ecological biodiversity and connectivity crucial to all the animals we eat.
When you wear Hunt to Eat, you're representing thoughtful, ethical, and kind hunters and anglers that put community, real food, and conservation first.
Send us a message at stanley@hunttoeat.com
We appreciate your comments and suggestions.
Good Hunting!