Ray Howell

Kicking Bear Foundation

Ray Howell's younger years were filled with boyhood dreams of hunting and fishing, however, those dreams were not to become a reality until he finished working on his foster parents’ farm and attended school. Living on the farm taught him to work hard, but he didn't have anyone to teach him about hunting, fishing or the outdoors; he had to learn these skills on his own. A year after leaving the farm he became totally fascinated with the sport of archery and was able to harvest his first white tail deer.

Many years later, following a successful business career, his boyhood dreams have taken him to the frigid cold of the Arctic, the wilderness of Mexico, the forests of Canada, the remote regions of the Yukon, to most of the 50 states, as well as travels to South Africa.

Realizing his boyhood dreams has not only enhanced his love for the sport but also provided him the means to become a mentor to many underprivileged youth by introducing them to the outdoors and the sport of bowhunting.

The Kicking Bear Foundation is the result of his passion to mentor. The organization is dedicated to mentoring youth and showing them a better way of life while providing fun, high-energy camps (that are free to all participants) to experience new thrills and make lifelong friends. Kicking Bear also sponsors fishing and hunting trips for kids at no cost to them.  Kicking Bear has programs in eighteen states, with the addition of Maine and Virginia in 2009. To learn more or to find out how to help, visit www.kickingbear.org