08/07/2026
Hi, I’m Leonard Valerio, Co-Chair of the San Antonio Chapter of Stewards of the Wild. I joined SOTW in 2022 with absolutely no hunting experience. In fact, I had never even fired a sh***un before showing up alone to my first Stewards dove hunt in Albany. A few weeks later, I was selected for a mentored hunt, and that experience completely changed the direction of my life.
Since then, I’ve gone from being a first-time hunter to mentoring new hunters with Stewards of the Wild and the Texas Wildlife Association. One of the things I’m most passionate about is creating the same welcoming opportunities that were given to me. I want people who didn’t grow up hunting, fishing, or spending time outdoors to know there’s a place for them here.
Cooking has also become a huge part of my conservation journey. I love introducing people to wild game through food and showing that respecting an animal doesn’t end with the harvest. In 2024, I was honored to win the inaugural Wild Food League for my wild-game cooking.
What I love most about Stewards is that whether someone grew up on a ranch or has never held a fishing rod or sh***un, we can give them the opportunity, community, and confidence to get outside and discover their own connection to Texas’ wild things and wild places.
