After a 2018 cold November perfect morning in the duck blind with just a couple of boys shooting their wood duck limit in the first half hour into shooting time in southern Illinois. They headed back to an old dairy cow barn that is known as the 'Parlor' where they kick back and relaxed in a small 10X8 room with a small propane tank heater after a great hunt. They discussed where hunting is going and how it is being poorly portrayed across modern society through social media and word of mouth. There are all these pro-hunting pages, companies, and YouTubers, to further create a positive light on what hunting & conservation is all about. They then figured, why not us too?

That became Whitetails & Waterfowl

Meet Our Team

Grayson Slagle

Grayson is the CEO & founder of Whitetails & Waterfowl. Grayson is currently enrolled in the University of Mississippi located in Oxford, MS. He was born and raised in Edwardsville, Illinois located 45 minutes from St. Louis. The minute he became introduced to hunting and firearms, he was instantly hooked and has loved the sport ever since. He created this brand not only to sell apparel or gain publicity but more to improve the hunting community as a whole. Hunting gets a bad reputation in the media spotlight as cruel and inhumane but that is not at all what hunting is about. Hunting is not only a crucial and necessary part of conservation, every time you walk out to the duck blind or the tree stand you make memories. Memories with the ones you care about that will last with you for a lifetime. This is why we do what we do!

Max Ringering 

Max Ringering is another member of our team who aids in the brand and social media exposure. Max is born in Wood River, Illinois and now resides in Worden, Illinois. Max is a former college baseball player and is now finishing his degree in wildlife biology at Missouri State University located in Springfield, Missouri. Max has always had a love for whitetail deer hunting to go along with multiple impressive trophy Illinois whitetails. His reputation proceeds him as his love for hunting continues to only grow.

Grant Schaefer

Grant Schaefer has always been in love with the outdoors at a young age growing up in Midway, Illinois. Grant loves nothing more than watching a morning sunrise waterfowl hunting with his friends. Grant is a former college baseball player and obtained his welder's certification in Springfield, Missouri. Currently, he is working full-time as a welder in the southwestern Illinois area. Grant has grown up with whitetail deer and dove hunting but his true joy at heart is sitting in the duck blind and bringing in the green heads.

Hudson Slagle

Hudson is a 17 year old high school student who enjoys everything about the outdoors from deer hunting to bass fishing since he became attached to it at t young age of 6 years old. Hudson is a Southern Illinois native since birth and his favorite part about hunting is being in the blinds with his friends and making memories every time he steps into the woods.

AJ Robertson

AJ was born and raised in the world of outdoor sports whether that be fishing or hunting. Currently, AJ resides in Prairietown, Illinois, and lived in Paducah, Kentucky in his younger years. AJ was a decorated member of the bass fishing team in high school and has participated in several goose-calling contests near the St. Louis metropolitan area. He graduated from SLTC in Georgia in 2020 and is currently employed by True North Electric. AJ is an all-around outdoorsman but his favorite place to be is in the duck blind over his flooded corn field at his property working those ducks.

Drake Wescott

Drake is a man who loves the rush of waterfowl hunting with his friends. He was a top-recruited baseball player throughout high school and began his collegiate career at the University of Louisville. Drake currently plays for his home state at the University of Illinois. Drake became hooked on waterfowl hunting when he first saw those ducks coming in locked up to the spread and it has never gotten old since then.