GnatOutdoors
About Gnat
Mike Gnatkowski has been a free-lance outdoor writer/photographer for more than 20 years. He was first published in Michigan Out-of-Doors in 1976. His feature articles and images have graced the covers and pages of hundreds of regional and national magazines and newspapers. Many of his award-winning photos have been honored by the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association as some of the best in their field.
The ideas and images of Mike's work are the result of his love for the outdoors. Duck hunting on Saginaw Bay, nightly fly fishing forays to the AuSable River and chasing pheasants in the fields surrounding Saginaw were boyhood rituals for him. This early exposure to the outdoors planted a seed that would later grow to inspire his educational and occupational vocations.
While attending Alma College, Mike discovered his love for the outdoors could be combined with his intrinsic writing and photography skills. Encouraged and aided by one of his professors, Mike designed a Program of Emphasis in Biological Journalism/Outdoor Writing that included classes as an intern at Michigan Out-of-Doors Magazine, studies of outdoor magazine markets, creative writing and submitting manuscripts and photographs to outdoor publications. Mike earned a B.A. in 1978 that included majors in Biology and English.
Gnat's articles and photos have appeared in numerous outdoor publications including Ducks Unlimited, In-Fisherman, North American Fisherman, Great Lakes Angler, Wildfowl, Game & Fish Publications, and many others. Mike has been on the staff of Great Lakes Angler Magazine and has worked as a columnist for Michigan Out-of-Doors Magazine. He is an accomplished speaker on a variety of outdoor subjects and is available for lectures, field testing, and public relation assignments.
Mike took the opportunity to leave his native Saginaw in the fall of 1986 to relocate to West Michigan and be closer to the outstanding fishing and hunting the area is known for. Mike lives on the shores of Hamlin Lake and enjoys Lake Michigan sunsets, nature hikes in the sand dunes, and all that Ludington has to offer the outdoor enthusiast.