Dac Collins, News Editor at Outdoor Life

Dac Collins

News Editor

Highlights

  • A recovering trout bum and steelhead junky, and a disciple of John Gierach, Joe Brooks, and Tom McGuane. 
  • Enjoys thinking and writing about the “why” behind outdoor pursuits, and exploring the deep connection between humans and the natural world.
  • Previously worked as a freelancer, staff writer, and editor at weekly newspapers and alt-weeklies in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

About

Dac Collins is the News Editor at Outdoor Life. He helps tell the latest stories about America’s hunters and anglers while reporting on critical conservation issues, oftentimes with a fly rod or shotgun in hand. He lives in Colorado with his wife and son.

Experience

Collins got started in journalism while writing for his college newspaper, The Sewanee Purple. An obsession with fly fishing and river running led him to the Pacific Northwest, where he guided fishing trips on remote wilderness rivers for several years. An unabashed fish nerd, Collins is drawn to all things water-related. When he’s not covering the conservation beat for Outdoor Life, he’s out exploring his local rivers.

Education

Collins graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Spanish.

More from Dac Collins

A Missouri bowfisherman holds up a record grass carp.
Carp Fishing

Missouri Bowfisherman Arrows State-Record Grass Carp After Losing It the Day Before

By Dac Collins

Six alligator hunters hold up a 14-foot gator.
Hunting

This Opening-Day Gator Is One of the Biggest Ever Killed in Mississippi

By Dac Collins

A grizzly bear surprised and attacked bowhunters in Idaho on Sept. 1.
Animal Attacks

Idaho Bowhunters Kill Grizzly in Self-Defense During ‘Surprise Encounter’ Near Yellowstone

By Dac Collins

A flock of pintails on a California wetland.
Conservation

Federal Officials Confirm Botulism Outbreak at Klamath Refuges, with 20,000 Birds Dead So Far

By Dac Collins

A wolf strolls along a hillside.
Conservation

The Wolf Pack Responsible for the Majority of Livestock Depredations in Colorado Will Be Relocated, Not Killed

By Dac Collins

Two college fishermen hold up bass at a Bassmaster tournament.
Bass Fishing

Podcast: Why Today’s College Anglers Are Tomorrow’s Bass Pros

By Dac Collins

Game wardens wearing body cameras.
Conservation

Should All Game Wardens Wear Body Cams? Washington State Thinks So

By Dac Collins

Two fishing buddies hold up black crappies.
Crappie Fishing

West Virginia Fishing Buddies Break State Crappie Record Twice in One Morning

By Dac Collins

Two college anglers hold up bass.
Bass Fishing

The Best Bass Fishing in America Is Happening on the College Circuit

By Dac Collins

A wolf near the Dalton Highway.
Animal Attacks

Wolf That Attacked and Bit Two People on Alaska Highway Still on the Loose, Troopers Say

By Dac Collins

A bowhunter shoots a bull elk.
Big Game Hunting

Watch: Utah Officials Reject Elk Hunter’s Claim that a Sheriff’s Deputy Stole His Bull Illegally

By Dac Collins

Houses with mountains in background.
Conservation

Don’t Let Politicians Convince You That Selling Public Lands Is the Solution to America’s Housing Affordability Crisis

By Dac Collins

Mountain Lion atop a Rocky Outcrop Looking Ahead into the Trees
Conservation

A Big Cat Hunting Ban Would Cost Colorado More Than $60 Million, Study Shows

By Dac Collins

Fox hunters in the UK.
Hunting

UK Group Says Hunters Are an ‘Ethnic Minority’ in Need of Protection

By Dac Collins

black bear walks through the woods
Animal Attacks

Officials Track Down and Kill the Black Bear They Say Attacked a 3-Year-Old Girl in Her Tent

By Dac Collins

A greater prairie chicken on the prairie.
Climate & Environment

A 7,100-Acre Solar Farm Is Slated for What’s Left of Wisconsin’s Best Prairie Chicken Habitat

By Dac Collins

Six month old Irish Setter Pointer in action during the duck hunting at the Lakeshore.
Hunting

Sportsmen’s Group Sues Feds Over New Dog Import Rule, Says It Will Cripple Breeders in Canada and Europe

By Dac Collins

Watch: Snake Hunters Find Giant Python Being Eaten Alive by Ticks
Conservation

Watch: Snake Hunters Find Giant Python Being Eaten Alive by Ticks

By Dac Collins

Wade fishermen on Gulf Coast.
Fishing

Texas Fisherman Dies from Flesh-Eating Bacteria After Wade-Fishing in Flip Flops

By Dac Collins

Yusuf Dikeç at Paris 2024 Olympics.
Guns

Turkish Pistol Shooter Casually Takes Silver at the Olympics and Becomes an Internet Legend

By Dac Collins