Inductees
Drury Outdoors
The year was 1989. The Berlin Wall had just fallen. Cheers played on televisions in homes across America and, in Missouri, brothers Mark and Terry Drury were laying the foundation of what would become one of the biggest names in the hunting industry – Drury Outdoors.
And it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Drury Outdoors with the Class of 2019.
The two Drury boys from Bloomsdale were eaten up with turkey hunting. In fact, Mark had won over 150 turkey calling competitions and six world titles. In an effort to share their passion and knowledge, they bought a Panasonic AG450 video camera, and along with a group of close friends and supportive partners, they filmed and released a 75-minute VHS turkey hunting feature titled, “King of the Spring.”
Listed as one of the key partners in that first video was a three-year-old outdoor company owned by Toxie Haas called Haas Outdoors, Inc., better known today as Mossy Oak. Toxie’s instrumental support of the fledgling Drury Outdoors forged a lifelong partnership between the two young companies that flourishes to this very day.
Another familiar name in the outdoor industry had a hand in branding Drury Outdoors, Mr. Will Primos. Before the launch of their first title, Will encouraged Mark and Terry to include their last name in the company’s title. Drury Outdoors was born.
“King of the Spring” was just the first in a production library that would reach beyond 115 titles, making Mark and Terry Drury household names within the hunting community.
Looking back at their first decade, Terry noted, “We’ve always been driven by telling a story for our viewers and, along the way, sharing insights and information they can use to make them better hunters. The demand for our videos back in the ‘90s was both overwhelming and humbling. That really set our trajectory.”
Not only were the guys producing turkey hunting content, but they had also expanded into whitetail, big game, and predator hunting. Leaning on a network of friends in the outdoor industry, Drury Outdoors continued to showcase some of the best hunts, from some of the best hunters, with whitetail hunting becoming the company’s bread and butter.
The year 1998 saw Mark successfully bowhunt the largest buck ever taken on film at the time, further establishing the Drury Outdoors brand as an authority in the whitetail world.
In the 2000s, Drury Outdoors stepped into the growing world of outdoor television. In 2003, thanks to Mossy Oak, DOD debuted “Wildlife Obsession,” its first television series, which was followed with 2004’s “Dream Season,” the first reality-style hunting TV show. Those shows, and subsequent series raised the bar for what a hunting show could be. They were also where Mark’s daughter, Taylor, and Terry’s son, Matt, ultimately grew in prominence as the next generation of Drury Outdoors.
Taylor and Matt added a fresh and vibrant on-camera presence, appealing to a younger strata of outdoorsmen and women.
Behind the cameras, they were working to future-proof the Drury Outdoors viewership. After graduating with a degree in mass communication from Missouri State in the early 2000s, Matt had been in the production trenches learning the craft from his dad and uncle, eventually taking over management of the DOD studio and ultimately the company. As Taylor came of age in the 2010s, she enhanced the company’s social media presence.
Today, Drury Outdoors airs four television shows and commands a staggering online presence, reaching millions through YouTube, podcasts, and social media. Their team of around 50 field staff consistently produce compelling hunts that keep their audience entertained and educated.
Two particular points of pride for the Drury family are the awareness they’ve brought to wildlife conservation efforts and their long-standing relationship with the Catch-A-Dream Foundation (CAD). CAD is a non-profit dedicated to providing incredible hunting and fishing experiences for young people facing life-threatening illnesses. Over the years, in addition to fund-raising efforts,
Mark and Terry have hosted many CAD families for hunts and they’re always honored by the opportunity to serve.
In August of 2018, the Drury Outdoors team launched DeerCast, a revolutionary deer movement forecast harnessing over 70 years of Mark and Terry Drury’s whitetail hunting expertise to deliver hour by hour, algorithm-driven deer movement forecasts for the user’s location. DeerCast, a mobile app, was an historic effort for the company, propelling them into the technology sector.
Mark commented on the company’s success by noting, “Media changes over time, but the heart of hunting; the magic of the pursuit, the admiration for the animal, the depths of the friendships forged; that’s all timeless, and ultimately, what’s at the core of Drury Outdoors.”