About Heartland USA Magazine
Established in 1991, Heartland USA® is a general-interest, bimonthly magazine with a circulation exceeding 1.2 million and a readership in excess of 3.6 million. Targeted primarily at active, outdoors-oriented working men, Heartland USA regularly includes an eclectic mix of informative and entertaining features on hunting, fishing, motorsports, Western lifestyle, some spectator sports, personality profiles, human interest, outdoor adventure and interesting occupational stories. In addition to its award-winning feature content, Heartland USA presents regular departments that take a closer look at a variety of topics, such as automotive upgrades, hunting and fishing tips and destinations, new product reviews, automotive field tests, rodeo, motorsports and do-it-yourself projects.
Rob Reaser, Editor
Heartland USA Editor Rob Reaser is a lifelong outdoorsman and off-road aficionado. A West Virginia native, he has spent his entire career as an automotive and outdoor writer/photographer/editor. His passions include traditional archery, flyfishing and Jeeps.
Cast of Contributors
Heartland USA’s award-winning contributors are among the best in the business, and respected experts in their fields…
Joe Byers
A lifelong outdoorsman, hunting editor and Maryland resident Joe Byers traded a professional life in public education for that of a hook-and-bullet writer/photographer. Joe has traveled throughout North America and southern Africa in search of great hunting adventures. His many awards for photography and writing include Excellence in Craft Award, Best Color Photograph and Best Magazine Feature from the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association; first place in the Bass Pro “Pass It On Award”; first place in the Outdoor Writers Association of America Technical Writing Award; and first place in the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association’s Magazine Category.
Dave Carty
Bird dog trainer, wingshooter, flyfisherman and salsa dancer extraordinaire, Montanan Dave Carty keeps his pen as sharp as his wit (and, trust us, it’s well-honed). Dave covers Western lifestyle features, as well as regional hunting and fishing topics for Heartland USA and has published a collection of essays titled “Born Again At The Laundromat” as well as more than 800 articles for outdoor and general-interest publications.
Soc Clay »
He may be Kentucky’s Poet Laureate, but you won’t find Flyfishing Hall of Fame recipient Soc Clay spending good fishing hours in his study. If it’s got fins, Soc has probably caught it. He has received more than 100 awards for excellence in writing and photography, including the Tom Rollins’ Award and Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association. Soc also was the first to receive the honor of being inducted into the National Freshwater Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator and Legendary Photo-Journalist.
Bruce Smith »
An avid outdoorsman with a penchant for hunting and fishing, Bruce Smith has spent three decades as a professional photographer, editor, writer and radio host. Originally from Oregon, Bruce now resides on the Mississippi gulf coast, where he pens articles for national automotive and outdoor publications. He is also the host and producer of the nationally broadcast radio show “Truck Test Digest” and author of The Complete Guide to Trailering Your Boat published by McGraw-Hill.
Bill Winke
Iowa native Bill Winke is one of the country’s leading authorities on bowhunting. He’s also a darn good photographer and angler.
John Phillips »
John Phillips of Birmingham, Alabama, a top-notch photographer and scribe, has been selected for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame and named the 2007 Legendary Communicator. The author of thousands of magazine articles and newspaper columns, as well as 30 books on the outdoors, John has received numerous awards from the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
Gregory Norris
Specializing in celebrity interviews and professional sports, writer and author Gregory Norris calls the Granite State his home. He is the author of the book Playing With The Big Boys: A Woman’s Guide To Poker, published by Barnes & Noble, and served as co-writer for two episodes of Paramount’s Star Trek: Voyager series.
Ed Lawrence
Hailing from Big Sky country, Ed Lawrence concentrates on travel and motorsports topics. In addition to having penned a garage-sized collection of articles for Heartland USA, Ed Lawrence is the author of Legends and Mysteries of Montana, Frommer’s Guide to Montana and Wyoming and Frommer’s Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
Susan Kanode
A long-time Western and rodeo fan and journalist, writer/photographer and Texas resident Susan Kanode interviews the biggest names on the PBR and PRCA circuits. Susan has been the recipient of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Excellence in Print Journalism award.
Tom Shaw
Based in central Florida, automotive, photographer and musclecar expert Tom Shaw is all about go-fast vintage iron, but, interestingly enough, he’s got a thing for old Honda motorcycles and big ol’ boulevard cruisers.
Larry Walton »
A woodworking professional and experienced outdoorsman, Oregon resident Larry Walton and his wife, Robin, own Oregon Carpenters, Inc. The other family business is headed by Larry’s uncle, outdoor and automotive journalist Bruce Smith. Together with Smith, Larry and his son, Tim, are the creative minds behind Smith-Walton Productions, which specializes in commercial photography and editorial coverage for automotive, outdoor and home improvement enthusiasts.
Chris Hemer
Making his home in the Pacific Northwest, automotive writer Chris Hemer’s specialties include high-performance cars and motorcycles, RVs, trucks and technical automotive writing.
Steve Statham
Texas native Steve Statham cut his journalism teeth in the performance automotive world, and he’s still chewing. Steve is the author of several musclecar and automotive history books, as well as editor of Musclecar Enthusiast magazine.
Lazelle Jones
Based in Southern California, feature writer Lazelle Jones has a nose for snooping out some of the most interesting occupational and motorsports stories in the country.
