“I want to revolutionize duck hunting for the next generation. I want duck hunting to be more scientific, more community-driven and more enjoyable,” said Jake Mager, a fifth-year software engineering major who received the award “Most Economic Impact on the UP” at the Bob Mark Elevator Pitch competition for his duck hunting app, Supreme Duck Hunting.
Despite growing up near Lake St. Clair, one of Michigan’s best localities for duck hunting, Mager didn’t go duck hunting for the first time until he was eighteen years old.
“I started watching YouTube videos about duck hunting when I was seventeen, and I just knew I wanted to try it. It’s almost impossible to learn by yourself, and kind of dangerous too,” said Mager. “It requires a lot of equipment and knowledge. It took me two years to find someone to assist me with duck hunting.”
In response to the problems he encountered as an amateur duck hunter, Mager conceived the idea for his social media-based mobile app. Supreme Duck Hunting is unique in that it combines the excitement of social interaction with the efficiency of science. The app provides users with the ability to record and share information about the results and general location of a hunt with the audience of their choice. By allowing the user to record locations, the app facilitates more successful hunts in the future and fosters a more integrated, vibrant hunting community.
“I’m trying to create a community through an online, social-based platform. It will help anyone who wants to go duck hunting match up with someone else,” Mager said.
While some may be ideologically opposed to an app that encourages hunting, in truth, hunting can be extremely beneficial to wildlife, said Mager. Currently, due to changes in generational interest, the hunter population is at an all-time low, while the duck population is at an all-time high. This poses a significant problem given that the fees for hunting licenses directly fund conservation efforts for waterfowl. In fact, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than five million acres of land populated by waterfowl have been protected using the proceeds from the Federal Duck Stamp, a required purchase for all duck hunters.
As a strong believer in responsible hunting practices, Mager ensures that his fowl go to good use. “We eat everything we kill. We usually make jerky. Duck jerky is the most amazing thing! It doesn’t compare to any jerky I’ve ever had. It has a slightly gamey flavor, but it’s not overwhelming.”
Like any good business venture, Supreme Duck Hunting is fueled by passion and enthusiasm.
“I don’t know what it is about duck hunting. It’s work, don’t get me wrong. You have to wake up early and sit in the cold. But you’re with your buddies,” said Mager. “Every time a bird circles, I can’t even describe the feeling. Nothing comes close to duck hunting.”
To learn more about Supreme Duck Hunting and view Jake Mager’s presentation for the Bob Mark Elevator Pitch competition, visit https://goo.gl/QzpNWv.
The app is set to be released in the summer of 2018 just before duck hunting season begins, so keep an eye out for it.
