Editor’s Note: Mossy Oak Camouflage was the brain child of Toxey Haas of West Point, Mississippi. To get an overview of what Mossy Oak is, what Mossy Oak is doing, and where Mossy Oak is going, we’ve interviewed Toxey.
Question: Toxey, there seems to be one single thread running through the Mossy Oak company and the employees of Mossy Oak. What do you define as that common bond that sews the Mossy Oak family together?
Haas: We want to be the evangelists for the outdoors. We feel the way to live your best life is being outdoors as much as possible by hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and all the other sports that get consumers reconnected with nature, and all that’s wild. One of the most-important trends we’ve seen with the Mossy Oak family and outdoor consumers as a whole is a growing trend to take care of the land. I’ve seen this trend in my own life. I really enjoy improving my property, improving the wildlife on the properties I hunt and taking other people hunting with me. Then they can enjoy the same hunting and fishing heritage with which I’ve grown up.
Question: Toxey, something that probably people who are a part of the Mossy Oak family and even outside the Mossy Oak family don’t know about is the numerous different charities and outdoor organizations that Mossy Oak supports. How many charitable organization, foundations and outdoor organizations does Mossy Oak support?
We've partnered with many organizations through the years. Here are some we've supported:
- NWTF - National Wild Turkey Federation/Jakes/Women in the Outdoors
- QDMA - Quality Deer Management Association
- RMEF – Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
- SCI – Safari Club International
- Catch-A-Dream Foundation
- DU – Ducks Unlimited
- Delta Waterfowl
- Outdoor Dream Foundation
- MS Disabled Youth Hunt
- Shoot Like a Girl
- WWIA (Wounded Warriors in Action)
- Camp Compass
- ORHF – Outdoor Recreation Heritage Fund
(Learn more on our Conservation page.)
Haas: We look for and support the organizations that have a servant spirit and put the money they receive to work for the improvement of wildlife and for the improvement of the people who go outdoors. Our mission is to help provide more wildlife opportunities for more people and leave the outdoors in a better shape than we’ve found it. I’m not really interested in keeping up with how many people and organizations we help. I just want to keep looking for the next group that we can add value to and make a difference by helping them. I know that some day when I’m put in a pine box, making a difference in the world we live in is what counts and is what we’re put on this earth to do. I know that my personal mission and the mission of Mossy Oak are to make a difference in the outdoors and the people who enjoy outdoor recreation. Therefore, if there are organizations, individuals and concerned citizens who are trying to improve the outdoor experience for all of us, helping to perpetuate wildlife and helping more people spend more time in the outdoors, we need to find ways to help them. We don’t help organizations to get publicity or to be known for helping our charities. We help the organizations, because that’s the right thing to do. As I’ve mentioned, we try to be evangelists of the outdoors, spread the word and increase the numbers of people who have an opportunity to go outdoors and be successful. We need to be on the same path with the organizations that have the same missions we have.
Consumers are Our Bosses and the People Mossy Oak Serves
Toxey Haas – Mossy Oak Is About the Land and Improving It and Its Wildlife
