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Realtree began with a simple concept of promoting hunting and creating lifelong bonds. “Family, Friends and the Outdoors” is still the slogan that Realtree and its workers live by today. |
David Blanton of Realtree
Over the years, the folks at Realtree have provided hunters with countless cutting-edge camouflage patterns, innovative equipment and amazing hunting shows packed full of intense action and entertainment.
It’s common to see high-profile celebrities like country music singers, comedians and professional athletes wearing Realtree in the woods or just out in public. Despite Realtree’s growing fame and overwhelming success, the people behind the company have always remained humble and true to their core values and beliefs.
David Blanton started working with Realtree back in the early days of the company. It was merely by coincidence that Realtree founder and president Bill Jordan crossed paths with Blanton, but this fateful meeting led to a long lasting friendship that would ultimately change hunting and outdoor entertainment as we know it.
An introduction to hunting
As a child, Blanton grew up in rural South Carolina. Like most American boys, he lived to play sports. In fact, athletics were an important part of Blanton’s daily life, and his participation in a variety of sports helped shape and mold the person he is today. The competitive sports arena served as a classroom where Blanton learned about the importance of teamwork, personal dedication, hard work and fair play. It was these invaluable life lessons that would eventually allow him to excel in both his personal life and the hunting industry.
When Blanton turned 14, his father was transferred to Georgia and he found himself facing a completely different set of challenges. Moving is never easy, especially for a teenage boy in a new town and different school. Fortunately, Blanton’s outgoing personality and background in sports enabled him to quickly form new friendships. It also didn’t take him too long to figure out that Georgia boys had another burning passion besides sports. Blanton’s new friends only wanted to talk about hunting and spending time in the outdoors.
Blanton began to eagerly soak up any information he could about hunting. He read outdoors magazines to form a better understanding about what hunting was all about.
“Hunting was something new and exciting for me and even my family,” he said. “Most hunters are introduced to the outdoors and taught how to hunt by their father or grandfather. Unfortunately, nobody in my family had really hunted that much. All it took was a few trips with my friends to ignite a fire for hunting that still burns deep inside me today. Before long my father and older brother wanted to go with me, and a new family tradition was born.”
Over the next few years, this close-knit trio learned how to hunt together in the Georgia backwoods. In fact, the Blanton family joined an archery club to improve their chances of tagging a deer. However, it took Blanton six years and several misses with his bow before finally connecting with his first buck. The early years of hard knocks and challenges helped him develop a deep appreciation and respect for hunting. But that first sweet taste of success created a love for hunting that he has now passed down to his three sons.
Blanton’s Realtree connection
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The American wild turkey has to be one of the biggest success stories in wildlife conservation, and the NWTF played an instrumental role throughout the entire process. |
After graduating college, Blanton met and married the love of his life. He decided to take a managerial job at Burnt Pine Plantation, where he had previously worked during a semester of college.
Not long after, Blanton took a chance and opened a sporting goods store with a friend. The two entrepreneurs promoted their store by producing a local hunting show.
During this same time, another Georgia resident was getting started with a new camouflage company. Bill Jordan’s early camouflage patterns found their way into Blanton’s store, and the two met for the first time at a promotional event. Jordan’s keen business eye immediately saw the potential of using a hunting show to promote his own business and hired Blanton to get the ball rolling.
The friendship between Blanton and Jordan quickly grew stronger along with the Realtree name. Both men worked hard to produce some of the best hunting videos on the market. Their hunting shows really took off in the early 1990s on the TNN Network, and the Monster Bucks series has now become one of the best selling DVDs of all time.
Realtree began with a simple concept of promoting hunting and creating lifelong bonds. “Family, Friends and the Outdoors” is still the slogan that Realtree and its workers live by today.
The NWTF’s impact
Blanton has been a proud member of the NWTF for the past 20 years and is still blown away by what the organization has accomplished.
“Thanks to the hard work of the NWTF and its partners, there is currently no need for additional re-introduction stocking programs,” Blanton said. “For good reason, there are healthy populations of wild turkeys in just about every place that is capable of holding birds. The American wild turkey has to be one of the biggest success stories in wildlife conservation, and the NWTF played an instrumental role throughout the entire process. It’s amazing how much dedication and enthusiasm can be seen within the NWTF’s chapters and its volunteers.”
Blanton also is impressed by the record turnouts to the NWTF’s annual convention.
“With 45,000 to 50,000 visitors on hand for a three-day event, it has to be one of the greatest shows in the entire country,” he said. “These shows simply reflect the amount of enthusiasm the NWTF has generated for turkey hunting. Without question, this genuine excitement has had a positive impact on the entire hunting industry and has ensured the future of our heritage.
“You just can’t underestimate the conservation work dealing with habitat protection and improvement projects that is being conducted by the NWTF each year. These programs benefit all species of wildlife by enhancing habitat and provide hunters access to prime public land hunting areas. These are just a few of the reasons why I am a member of this remarkable organization.” — Travis Faulkner