Though Mark Kochanski was born and raised in North Carolina, he feels right at home in his new state of Texas. In the one short decade since he moved to Austin for a career in data technology, he has become a connoisseur of the southern crawfish boil and an avid upland hunter through Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s (TPWF) Stewards of the Wild. Now entrenched in Austin’s vibrant community, Mark is balancing his professional life with a growing passion for everything outdoors.
After making the big move to Texas, Mark’s parents followed shortly behind. And, in an effort to establish roots and make connections in their new community, Mark and his father first became involved in a local fly fishing organization. “I’ve always been a big fly fisherman, and I love trout fishing. My dad and I would go to these events together and have a great time fly fishing on the Guadalupe, but the fishing community at the time was mostly made up of anglers my dad’s age, so I was still trying to find my circle,” said Mark.
Luckily, he didn’t have to look too far. “The Austin Chapter of Stewards of the Wild has done a great job of being plugged in with some of the biggest local outdoor brands, so if you’re in touch with All Hands or Duck Camp or half a dozen other brands based out of Austin, you are bound to discover Stewards.” In 2017, Mark attended a happy hour event at Yeti’s flagship store hosted by the Austin Chapter, and he finally found his niche. Initially drawn in by his love for fly fishing, Mark also developed close friendships through Stewards and gradually deepened his involvement.
“When I joined, the Co-Chairs and Advisory Committee members did a great job of welcoming me. Some of my first friends who joined Stewards when I did are now Advisory Committee members with me.”
One hobby Mark took up in his newfound surroundings was boiling crawfish, which has since helped him carry forward an annual tradition for the Austin Chapter. “When I started boiling crawfish, I got really into it and had all the latest equipment. Somebody on the Advisory Committee asked me to do a crawfish boil, and I’ve done it for the last five or six years.”
Since Mark joined Stewards seven years ago, things have come full circle, and he is now in charge of driving membership and welcoming new members into the fold, just as the Co-Chairs welcomed him years prior.
Stewards has also sparked a new interest for Mark—upland hunting. “When I first arrived in Austin, I was really big on fishing the Guadalupe. Then we had a couple of really dry years that made the fishing really boring because there was no flow. And so I went and got a bird dog named Wyatt. That took over all of my free time.”
“The first hunting I really got into was quail. I also deer hunt now, but I don’t have my own place to hunt. Whenever and wherever I can get an invite, I’m up for it,” said Mark. “I’ve become a complete addict for upland hunting, so I do a lot of quail, grouse, and pheasant all over the Western US.”
As Mark became more active in upland hunting in Texas, he realized just how scarce public land and hunting opportunities were in Texas. “It’s challenging to be a sportsman in Texas since most of the land is privately owned. It makes me thankful for all that the foundation does to help acquire more land for new parks, new wildlife management areas. This opens up access, which is so important, especially since Texas is one of the fastest growing states by population.”
Through Stewards, Mark was able to camp at Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area (and future state park), which really put things into perspective. “Powderhorn is a living, breathing example of the awesome work TPWF is doing with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to open up hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future generations of Texans.”
