An Interview with Gunner Founder Addison Edmonds

We take our gear critically at F&S, whether or not it’s for searching, fishing, or tenting. Our alternatives are primarily based on many elements, like high quality, value, and objective—simply to call a couple of. However typically there’s extra to a fishing jacket or searching knife than what you see.

By means of my years of masking the very best out of doors gear, I’ve found some actually cool manufacturers with some actually cool tales doing a little actually cool issues. In our new “Behind the Model” interview collection, we’re telling these tales by means of the phrases of the founders themselves.

Ask Addison Edmonds to let you know about Gunner and likelihood is he gained’t begin speaking about his kennel model. As an alternative, he’ll begin speaking concerning the British chocolate lab that impressed mentioned model. In response to Addison, Gunner was a type of particular searching canine you solely get to expertise as soon as in a lifetime. When you’re fortunate sufficient to know what he’s speaking about, you’re fortunate sufficient.

Addison’s love of canine—and extra particularly, searching with canine—led him on the hunt to create higher gear. His first objective? Constructing a safer kennel so he and his greatest pal might get out collectively extra typically. And thus, Gunner as we all know it was born. We sat down with Addison to listen to extra concerning the pup who began all of it, and what’s subsequent for the made-in-America firm.

Subject & Stream: How did you get into the outside?

I’ve at all times been obsessive about the outside from once I was actually younger. I can keep in mind simply at all times desirous to go fishing or go searching. I even determined to go to Ole Miss so I might hunt and fish extra.

However I’ve by no means been happy with the instruments or gear or actually something I exploit. I’m at all times tinkering with issues attempting to determine how I could make them higher. Once I got here up with the thought for Gunner, it was type of an ideal mixture of my ardour for searching and fishing and canine, particularly my canine Gunner. I figured I might go searching and name it work. So I went with that.

Inform us about Gunner the canine and his story.

I received Gunner my junior yr in faculty. He’s the definition of a once-in-a-lifetime canine. He was a British chocolate lab—very well-mannered and really handsome, at all times completely in form.

He had extra drive for retrieving birds than I had ever seen. The day after I received him, I took him to a dove hunt. I shot a dove that landed fairly shut by and he introduced it again. He was just a bit bitty pet. And inside those self same first 24 hours, he discovered to sit down.

Gunner additionally did issues you may’t actually practice right into a canine. Like if we have been out someplace and he needed to go to the lavatory, he would go cover away. He simply knew what to do.

He and I have been simply very in sync. We at all times knew one another’s ideas and we simply labored collectively very well. He was a particular canine, and an enormous a part of my life. He even performed an enormous half in how I met my spouse, Emily. I might go on for awhile about him.

How did you determine to enter kennels vs. different canine gear?

Throughout my senior yr, I didn’t know what I used to be going to do for work, however I used to be actually hoping to search out one thing within the out of doors house. On the time, I used to be simply utilizing a flimsy low-cost canine crate for Gunner and was actually annoyed with it.

Lastly, at some point on my option to a hunt, the kennel rolled over. In that second, I made a decision, I’m going to repair this as a result of if I don’t do it, any person else will. And selfishly, I needed to start out a enterprise and make a product for Gunner so we might proceed searching collectively.

What was your course of for designing the unique kennel?

Theoretically, the simplest factor to do would have simply been to make it an enormous rectangular field. However I needed it to be handsome and stand out and even be useful. I knew what I needed however I couldn’t visualize it. So I got here up with all of the parameters, look, and options I had in thoughts after which used a design agency to carry it to life.

We needed to undergo a variety of totally different rounds of adjustments. It took me a few yr and a half to design the kennel simply to get to the primary prototype. We’ve made a minimum of a dozen adjustments since then when it comes to design and meeting.

And all Gunner kennels are American-made, proper?

Yep. I simply didn’t need to ship cash abroad on a weekly foundation. We’re paying producers each week and that cash is staying in America. Additionally from a top quality management standpoint, it’s good to have the ability to simply choose up the telephone or get within the truck and go go to along with your producer to ensure we’re on the identical web page, particularly with a brand new product.

What makes a Gunner kennel totally different than or like extra distinctive than that of one other model?

Initially it was the security of the kennel. It makes use of double wall rotational molding much like a rotomolded Yeti cooler, so it doesn’t break or crack, and we’ve received a variety of thermal options to maintain the canine hotter within the winter and cooler in the summertime.

Aside from that, it’s a little bit little bit of all the things that makes our kennel totally different. There are a bunch of options, from the drain plug to the handles. I wantd to have the ability to lock the door and I needed to have the ability to drain it out and let it dry out simply and carry it and strap it down and have rubber toes on it so it doesn’t slide.

Sturdiness has additionally at all times been an enormous theme with us. I’ve by no means been in a position to afford good gear. So all my low-cost gear breaks and stops working fairly shortly. So with Gunner, I attempt to make all the things as sturdy as potential.

How did you take a look at the kennel?

I did my very own type of yard testing the place I’d shoot it with a shotgun. I shot it with a bow. I threw it off a cliff that was a pair hundred toes excessive. I principally did all the things I presumably might. I even threw it off of the again of my truck and drove my buddy’s truck over it simply to see what we might do.

After which clearly you’ve received to have third get together validation. We discovered an impartial analysis agency known as the Heart for Pet Security that checks canine merchandise. They did a crate crest take a look at or crate crash worthiness examine the place we gained prime performer. We had dummy canine similar to you’d see within the automotive commercials.

It really made a serious impression. Within the first take a look at, the door wouldn’t keep closed. So I needed to completely overhaul and redesign the door. We made it with a door body and backup latches, even simply the stainless-steel rivets that join the hinge to the door panel and the body, these have been aluminum after which we did a crash take a look at and it busted by means of these.

There are a variety of options and design adjustments that occurred by means of that crash testing. Even now with the brand new merchandise we’re doing, we’ve received a number of third get together impartial researchers that do all the things from UV energy and fading to interrupt energy.

We attempt to do as a lot as we are able to. However actually there’s nothing like the true world.

Ah sure, the true world. Do you could have any good tales from individuals who have skilled Gunner kennels in motion?

There are a pair that come to thoughts, however one particularly stands out. This lady had a service canine, and her commencement present was a Gunner kennel. So she received it, and he or she was driving a little bit SUV (a Jeep Compass, I feel) when she flipped it over in a ditch. It occurred to be throughout a flash flood. They mentioned the kennel was the one factor holding up the roof for them to flee out of the again. If the kennel hadn’t been there, each her and the canine would’ve died.

There have additionally been a couple of automotive fires the place the canine that have been in Gunner kennels survived and the others didn’t.

What are your hottest merchandise apart from the kennels?

Meals Crate

We now have unbelievable evaluations on our pet food crates. All people appears to actually like these.

Canine Bowl

I’m actually enthusiastic about our new meals and water bowl that’s made in Nashville. It may be our highest rated product, and we are able to engrave it along with your canine’s title. It’s received a leak-proof lid for touring, so you may take a day’s price of meals or water with you.

It’s actually robust, too. I drove my diesel truck over a pair not too way back, they usually held up.

Coaching Bumper

Our coaching bumpers are our first step into the coaching class that I actually like. They appear to be doing properly and I’m desperate to get extra coaching merchandise on the market that we’ve been engaged on.

What’s been your favourite or most memorable hunt?

I must say it was the season that I knew was going to be considered one of Gunner’s final. We went as much as Canada, exterior of Saskatoon. We’d had a foul morning and we have been purported to be leaving the following day. However our information mentioned he had a sense concerning the afternoon, so we rushed out—and had an unbelievable hunt. We shot an eight-man restrict actual fast, in like 45 minutes, and Gunner simply did excellent.

I known as Emily after once we have been choosing up the decoys and advised her I might dangle it up. That was the hunt of a lifetime the place I used to be with a few of my greatest mates.

And truthfully, I feel the entire final season I had with Gunner was considered one of my favorites. He wasn’t even purported to make it to duck season, so the truth that he did—these have been all some fairly particular hunts.

What’s your favourite species to hunt?

No matter’s in season is my favourite. So if it’s duck season, that’s my favourite. Or if it’s time to go saltwater fishing, then that’s my favourite. I’ve by no means been an enormous snob on species, particularly with waterfowl.

I’ve at all times simply needed to get extra retrieves for the canine and get one thing that eats good so I can go prepare dinner them for my household.

What do you like most about searching with a canine?

It’s so cool seeing your work and your communication and your coaching repay. However I additionally love watching the canine thriving and having fun with what he’s made to do.

For my part, canine are right here to assist man and and one of many first methods they did that was by means of searching. It’s only a actually cool factor to observe a canine use its pure instincts and coaching throughout an extended retrieve or a hard-to-find retrieve (like a duck that dives). Working collectively like that’s only a particular factor.

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