Growing up in Arkansas, duck hunting has been a part of Chris Goss’s life as far back as he can remember. He cherishes those experiences growing up nearly as much as he appreciates sharing them with his own children.
Chris attended his first Delta event in Searcy, his hometown, in 2002-2003, but had no idea 16 years later that he would be chairing that same chapter. He had been an ardent Delta supporter and volunteer in many capacities in all those intervening years before becoming the Raft Creek Chapter chairman.
He calls himself a “people person.” Chris says, “I never meet a stranger. I can talk to anyone.” He plans to use all those years of Delta committee work to the benefit of the chapters and committees in his Arkansas/Oklahoma region. He says, “I have the knowledge and experience to relate to each of the committee personnel.”
The Duck Hunters Organization is the right place for Chris. His greatest thrills in life are seeing young and new hunters experience the thrill of it all. He lives to share the fellowship and friendships, feel the excitement of birds working, and watch great dogs work.
Chris attended the McRae School from K-12 which he believes instilled an especially strong sense of hometown pride, small town values and willingness to help others. He then attended Arkansas State University – Beebe.
When he’s not working, you’ll find him camping, road tripping, working around his shop and yard and … of course … hunting. Among his favorite hunts are those on the Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA near Brinkley. He says, “Green timber hunting is very special to me. The cold, early morning boat rides to the holes, the fellowship with your buddies, cooking breakfast in the hole, seeing God paint the horizon as you await daylight and the first ducks of the day. And, of course, the best parts are seeing the dogs work and kidding your buddies about the ones they ‘let go.’”
Chris says the one thing he could never give up is his family – the two-legged members or the four-legged ones. They own three Labs – the chocolate, River, who is the momma and stays inside; another chocolate, Abby, who is the workhorse with lots of drive; and Opie, the black, with the most playful personality. And then there’s “the boss” of the operation, Baxter, a 7-pound miniature schnauzer who keeps everyone in line.
You can reach Chris Goss at: cgoss@deltawaterfow.org