JOHNSONBURG, Pa. (EYT) — Like many others in the area, Beau Martonik has loved the outdoors and been a hunter for the majority of his life.

When in the wilderness, the Johnsonburg native and Slippery Rock University graduate finds peace in the stillness and adventure in the journey it takes to get to his spot in the woods.

While Martonik is an avid whitetail deer hunter in Pennsylvania, his journeys in hunting have taken him all over the United States.

In the year 2016, Martonik went on his first hunt in the western part of the United States. On this journey, he set out to find a spot in the Colorado mountains in hopes of coming home with an elk using a bow and arrow. To non-hunters or outdoors people, this may sound easier than what it actually is. In fact, it took Martonik four trips to Colorado to successfully walk away with his first elk.

“That was the pinnacle of my hunting career,” said the Johnsonburg Area High School graduate. Many people get frustrated in hunting if it does not happen the first time. I do the research and know that hunts like this are only successful around ten percent of the time.” With that being said, it proves Martonik has put his time in and understands the habits and surrounding environment when embarking on these epic adventures.

While he loves hunting itself, another aspect of hunting he has come to enjoy is sharing his stories and experiences with others on the internet. In 2018, Martonik started a media company called East Meets West Outdoors. This company produces a podcast, videos, and articles for people to enjoy to know how to best prepare for hunts anywhere from the Appalachian Mountains to the Rockies.

“My reason for starting the podcast was because I had learned a lot and I wanted to learn more from other people as well. Additionally, it was a good way for the audience to learn from both of us and prepare for hunts of their own or listen to stories.”

The Slippery Rock grad first thought of the idea to produce a media company associated with hunting when working in a bow shop. Through this, he was discovering a niche market in which he could connect with people across the world and share advice and stories about big game hunting.

Another plan Martonik set out on when forming his business was to help the average hunter have a better experience when they went on hunts across the nation. Not everyone has the luxury to hunt on private land or ranches, and not everyone wants that on their trip as well. Martonik set out to find people like him who had the goal in mind of making the trip not just about a hunt, but also about an adventure and journey.

In his hunts, Martonik believes in a more do-it-yourself approach which means hiking, camping, and hunting all on the same trip. For several days to a couple of weeks at a time, he is spending time in the wilderness in hopes of returning home as a part of that ten percent success rate. Martonik just recently completed a trip and hunt in Alaska, and this crossed off a major goal and achievement for him in his hunting career.

In addition to these large hunts, the Johnsonburg native is also a freelance writer who submits different articles to magazines and websites. He also is an accomplished outdoor photographer and sells some of his own merchandise as well. COVID-19 has put a damper on his activeness in trade shows and events in the hunting space but hopes 2021 is a better year to grow his brand and his positive messages.

While at Slippery Rock, Martonik majored in safety management and graduated in just three and a half years. The safety management degree from Slippery Rock is one of the best in the world, and it helped him secure employment with GratTech in Saint Marys. Since 2015, he has been with the company. He works a full week there in addition to running his business and creating content for his multiple platforms. The East Meets West Hunt podcast can be streamed on several platforms, and the company can be found on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. You can find all of the information on his website www.eastmeetswesthunt.com.

Though taking the path to small business owner is not what Martonik had in mind when he graduated from Johnsonburg a decade ago, he has found a passion for connecting with people and sharing encounters in hunting. This Elk County kid is known for hunting not just in this small area, but all over the United States and Canada.