If I were to add up all the hats I own, from baseball hats to beanies, the number would be close to 100. And no, I’m not talking about a hat collection — i.e. a display featuring one ballcap of each MLB team, or dozens honoring one favorite sports team. All of my hats are meant to be worn, even though some of them do nothing but gather dust on a shelf. But I keep them just in case.

Sadly, I don’t have what you’d call a signature hat or hat style. What I mean is I have good friends in the hunting industry who do have a signature hat — and I’m envious. Here are four examples.

Larry Weishhuhn

Known to many as “Mr. Whitetail,” Larry Weishuhn is a professional wildlife biologist, outdoor writer, TV show host, podcaster and the list goes on and on. And FYI: Larry is likely the only person on the planet who has survived 13 — yes, 13! — helicopter crashes. This was during his time as full-time wildlife biologist in Texas.

If you’re familiar with Larry’s outdoor career, then you know he can almost always be found wearing his signature dark-brown western/cowboy hat. While Larry will carry any type of firearm into the field, he especially loves handgun hunting, and more than once he’s removed his large felt hat to use as a handgun rest.

Jim Shockey

Similar to Weishuhn, Jim Shockey is typically seen in a cowboy hat, although his is black. The story goes that Jim borrowed a black cowboy hat from a guide for a photo and liked the way it looked, and as they say, the rest is history.

In addition to hosting hunting shows, Shockey is a longtime guide/outfitter in British Columbia (black bears) and the Yukon (moose). When stalking black bears on coastal islands of British Columbia, Jim learned through experience that mature boars would sometimes walk toward a hunter dressed in all black; evidently, a boar would think it was confronting another black bear. Jim’s black cowboy hat has played an important role in fooling the eyes of many giant boars.

Ron Spomer

Another well-known hunter I’ll discuss here is Ron Spomer. His signature hat is from Outback Trading Company (specifically the model 1472 Kodiak).

Ron has been one of the best in the business (outdoor photography and writing) for 45 years, and in his own words, “I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, explored, and fished on six continents, seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks. But, perhaps like you, I’ve tried. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, participating.”

Chuck Adams

Any discussion of signature hats for hunters would be incomplete without talking about legendary bowhunter Chuck Adams and his trademark wool watch cap. Chuck was the first bowhunter to complete the Super Slam, killing all varieties of North American big game with a bow. Chuck has bagged more Pope and Young record-size trophies than any hunter in history, including more world records than anyone else.

“I wear a stocking cap when I bowhunt for two reasons,” Chuck wrote to me recently. “First and foremost, it works with my bow shooting style. I tip my head forward a bit at full draw, and the bowstring of any recurve bow or long-axled finger compound collides with a bill cap and disrupts the shot. In warm weather, I have always reversed a camo baseball cap to prevent string collision. When I shoot a shorter compound, a bill cap works fine.

“The second reason is the fact that many of my bowhunts occur in cold and/or wet weather. For example, on Kodiak Island, Alaska, where I have taken nearly four dozen record book Sitka blacktail deer and three P&Y world records, it is often raining, foggy and cold. My watch cap can be rolled up or down depending on weather, or removed when temperatures rise.

“I wear a standard, olive-drab 100 percent wool U.S. military watch cap. It is the warmest and most durable I have found.”

New Year’s Resolution — Improving My Hat Game

At one time I owned what could have become my signature hat, but my oldest son Elliott discovered it shortly after I brought it home from a trade show. He liked it, so it disappeared from my closet. The only time I see it now is on his head and in his fishing photos (below). The hat is made by Tilley, and the specific model is the LTM6 Airflo in Olive color.

The simplest solution to improving my hat game is buying another one from Tilley. In fact, after checking out its website, I’m thinking the LTM5 might be the right choice; it’s very similar to the LTM6 but with a slightly smaller brim. A quick search on YouTube revealed an outstanding LTM6 vs. LTM5 comparison review (12-minute video) from The American Outfitter; click here to check it out.

Unfortunately, Tilley hats like the one my son has “adopted” are no longer made in Canada (specifically a factory in Don Mills, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto). The company was purchased by an investment firm in 2015 and then another investment firm in 2018. You know the drill — now the hats are made in China. The Tilley hat model I’m considering buying is still guaranteed for life, but I don’t know; I should be able to find a signature hat that’s made in the USA, right? Or at least our neighbors to the north?

Maybe the Men’s Aussie Breezer Hat from L.L. Bean? It’s made in the USA and looks similar to the Tilley LTM6. Other made-in-the-USA options include the wool felt Dakota outback design from Scala (link is to retailer Tenth Street Hats); the wool felt Safari Hat from Biltmore Hats (link is to retailer SetarTrading Hats); or I could really push the envelope and go with the wool blend Raiders Hat (think Indiana Jones) from Bellyhat. So many choices.

After careful consideration, I think I’ll go with a well-known brand in hunting hats — Stormy Kromer. The Ironwood, Michigan, company has been around since 1903, and I own a few of its iconic cold-weather Original Stormy Kromer Caps. These made-in-the-USA wool caps are great for hunting in cold weather, but I want more of an everyday hat, and I was pleased to learn that the company offers two that could work well, the Backwoods Cruiser (10-ounce paraffin-treated 100% cotton canvas), and the Mesh Hiker (cotton/polyester twill). I could see myself hunting, fishing and hiking in both hats — the Cruiser when temps are cool, and the Hiker when it’s warmer.

Hopefully I can update this article later in the year with pics of me wearing both hats during 2024. Time to place my order for what might become my signature hat!