Legend Biography

Born and raised in upstate New York, Jim Zumbo knew at a very early age that he wanted to work in the outdoors. He received two degrees in forestry and wildlife and pursued a career as a forester and wildlife biologist. His writing career began when he wrote an article for a college newspaper about a legendary whitetail buck in New York's Adirondacks. While working on his bachelor's degree at Utah State University, he wrote an outdoor column for the school newspaper. After a college professor challenged him to write for a "real" publication, he submitted a query to Outdoor Life magazine. In 1965, his first major article was published. He continued freelance writing while he worked as a forester and game warden. In 1978, Outdoor Life magazine offer Zumbo a job as Western Editor. He resigned as a wildlife biologist and never looked back. Zumbo was soon named Editor-at¬large and then Hunting Editor. In 2003, Zumbo decided to further expand into television and began his own TV show, Jim Zumbo Outdoors on the Outdoor Channel.
His hunting efforts have taken him to many continents and he has hunted deer In all 50 states. Alaska and Canada are among his favorite destinations. Zumbo has won numerous awards throughout his outdoor career for writing and photography as well as winning two Telly Awards for one of his television episodes.
For the last 5 years, his efforts have been focused on hunting and fishing with veterans recently injured in combat. He has served on several boards of outdoor organizations over the years and is a National Spokesman for Paralyzed Veterans of America. He is a life member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, an Endowment Member of the National Rifle Association, and a member and supporter of many other conservation organizations.
Over the course of his career, he has written more than 2,500 articles and published more than 3,000 photos. He has also written 23 books on the outdoors and travels the country giving seminars on western big game hunting.