Born in 1950 and raised on the 27,000-acre League Ranch in West Texas, Wyman Meinzer’s roots are deeply tangled in the rugged, unforgiving landscape of the Rolling Plains. After graduating from Texas Tech University in 1974 with a degree in Wildlife Management, Meinzer chose a path few could endure: he spent five years as a professional predator hunter, living out of a half-dugout on the historic Pitchfork Ranch. It was during these brutal winters and searing summers—where the rifle, the steel trap, and absolute self-reliance were the only currencies that mattered—that Meinzer began to master a new tool: the camera. David Baxter, former editor of Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, described Meinzer best when he called him, "a man with the eye of a nineteenth-century impressionist painter and the soul of a buffalo hunter.'"

Meinzer transitioned from a life of tracking wildlife to capturing it on camera, becoming one of the most prolific and celebrated outdoor chroniclers in American history. His accolades speak to a lifetime of relentless pursuit:

• Official State Photographer of Texas: In 1997, the Texas State Legislature and then-Governor George W. Bush officially bestowed this title upon Meinzer—an honor he uniquely retains to this day.
• Massive Publication History: His stunning imagery has graced more than 250 magazine covers across America, including Smithsonian, National Geographic Books, Field & Stream, Sports Afield, and Audubon.
• Author and Historian: He has photographed, authored, or collaborated on more than 28 large-format books documenting the stark beauty, wildlife, and ranching heritage of the American West.
• Outdoor Legend: In 2018, Field & Stream named Meinzer one of America’s Outdoor Legends, and he received the prestigious Harvey Weil Living Legacy Conservation Award for his dedication to preserving natural habitats through art.

In the early 1980s, while navigating the punishing brush, briars, and rocky terrain of the West Texas "Big Empty," Meinzer needed a boot that offered total protection without sacrificing athletic agility. He turned to Russell Moccasin, requesting a custom revival and update of the Russell Chief—a historic, 15-inch high-top design originally worn by Charles Lindbergh in the early 1900s. Meinzer wore his custom Russells through decades of trapping and backcountry photography. Today, that very design is specialty model we release on occasion and appropriately christened 'The Wyman'. Built with our famous Double Vamp Moccasin construction and heavy-duty Walnut Timberjack leather, it is a testament to the man who proved its worth over thousands of miles of wilderness.