# Update on Zac Cooper for those who care!!!!!



## Chad Cooper (Oct 8, 2007)

Got a phone call from a good friend that let me know some people had asked about us on the forum. 


As you know I obviously quit sharing our life on the forum due to the ridiculous behavior of many members. It amazes me at how much some people hate when others become successful...


As for Zac, he is doing incredible. Zac graduated high school last year as Salutatorian .. He entered the dual enrollment program and was able to graduate high school with a degree in Business Management/Marketing. 


Zac was offered a job by my father who is the inventor of "Flex Eyes". This job offer was to help give Zac additional income between his shows and allow him flexibility to keep both jobs with a hectic uncertain schedule. Although Zac is still endorsed by Browning he has been focusing more aggressively on his Flex Eye position.


I can assure you the outdoor industry may look fun and full of excitement but the financial gain is very uncertain.The number one way of producing income is through sponsorship's & that makes you basically a beggar. You have to constantly ask companies for sponsorship's and repeat it each year. No matter how well you perform your duties, corporations can/will make financial decisions that can blanket everyone involved. Example: If you have a $5000 sponsorship for one year and you go above and beyond exercising your duties, one would think that the next year would offer financial growth. In reality you may suffer a corporate budget cut that only allows the sponsor to offer you $3000 this year. At that point your hands are tied. It's a vicious cycle of frustration... I will add that Browning never did this...They have been a great company to work with.


As Zac matured he obviously started thinking more about his financial future and how he was going to secure a solid foundation for himself.


It wasn't long before Zac began to streamline weak links in Flex Eyes and he quickly started advancing within the corporation. He has now topped out as Manager over full operations of Flex Eyes. He's now responsible for distributors in Germany, Australia, Canada & all other international accounts. I'm actually proud to say that my 18 year old sons net worth is now more than mine.


Yes, we still hunt & still feel blessed more than ever.


To clarify some rumors started by haters.... 


NO! We did not get in any trouble "called out" for any type of violations. That was simply a rumor started by a hater. The only hiccup we had was a turkey hunt in North Carolina when a regional biologist for the NWTF was hunting the same turkey, the same morning with another youth hunter. Zac killed the turkey and the guy was a jealous jerk. He tried his best to derail Zac within the organization and this allowed us to learn more about the internal politics of these organizations. I personally think the NWTF has a great purpose but due to knowing the inside structure I would NEVER donate another dollar to them. 


As for me, I'm at the pinnacle of my life. I have a wonderful marriage with two little girls that are keeping me busy. ( Many of you know Malarie from our Facebook videos )... My Taxidermy business is stronger than ever and I'm two months away from having a 20K per year parasite removed. Life is GOOD!


While I'm on my rant, please allow me to clarify some more rumors...


NO! I DO NOT sub my deer heads out to other local taxidermists.... This was a rumor started by one that obviously used this tactic to try and gain clients. 


YES! I DO mount birds.....


Although I have two great employees, I DO PERSONALLY still mount every deer that enters my studio. 


YES! Although I mount a lot of African/Exotics I ALSO mount around 300 deer per year. YES I DO STILL MOUNT DEER! This was just another rumor started by another local competitor.


No, Zac and I have never been charged ( Called Out ) on a hunting violation.... I did get a speeding ticket a few years ago!


I charge $485 for a Whitetail shoulder mount. NOT $600 as rumored... However, I will go up next season.


Zac & I have now teamed up to help provide opportunities for my wife and the girls. My wife ( Beth ) has been blessed to kill some incredible deer in the past couple years..I just didn't post them. I would be happy to post them if some of the haters would like to see them!


We have made a lot of friends on this forum and I enjoyed posting and reading for several years. However due to the negativity, I have found that Facebook has been a better avenue and it gives me more ability to manage my posts.


Feel free to follow/friend us at https://www.facebook.com/CoopersTaxidermy https://www.facebook.com/chad.cooper.925602


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

So your father is Wayne Cooper? That's pretty cool. I've used the flex eyes since they came out. I dont mount anything for a living anymore, but still do several fish a year. Only eyes I'll use on a fish or duck.


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## stc1993 (Nov 23, 2014)

Chad sounds like ya'll got it going good. :thumbup:


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## CHUMM BUCKET (Jul 2, 2008)

As I have already stated, I wasn't trying to open a sore wound. I was simply wondering how you guys were doing. I'm not on this forum near as much as I use to be. I'm glad to hear you and your son are doing great. I wish him the best of luck although it doesn't sound like he needs it.


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## HisName (Nov 29, 2009)

Good post. always enjoyed your post and admired you as a father and what a gifted and lucky son you have.

Sad thing when haters , hate others for success and hard work .
Best Wishes to your entire family


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

DANG Chad,hard to believe he's grown!!! Man they do it in a hurry!!!! I'm glad he is doing well and I must have missed some of the mud slinging in the past. You being a business man should know that those with green eyes will tend to do that! Glad ya got on here to clear things up though, if I FB'd I may have known a bit more....Can't wit ta start seeing the young ladies holding up some kills or catches if they go that route!!!


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Same ole same ole. Zac, Zac, Zac.....
Not one dern word about adopting me and helping me get my professional hunting career off the ground! Oh well - guess I'll call Jim Shockey - again!
I lurk the FB page a few times a year, not sure how since I don't do facebook and others won't allow me to look. I enjoy the updates on what yall are doing. I see Zac around and glad to hear Mr Wayne is still doin good although I have not seen him in years!


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## Snagged Line (Sep 30, 2007)

Chad, I only met you once, back when you opened up your world and let a bunch of us Bums hang out with you at your Crib and eat fish and grub... Your work that was displayed in your shop was very impressive.... Thanks for checking in, We always enjoied your input to the Forum..................Dennis & Donna

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f27/spring-kick-off-fish-fry-61425/


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## BobbyD (Aug 12, 2009)

Way to go Zac. That is definitely a great accomplishment to come out of high school with a degree. It took me four years after high school to get my management degree. Definitely says a lot about his dedication and hard work. My family and I enjoy seeing the fb post and my son can't wait to hang the deer you are mounting for him.


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## auburn17 (Oct 29, 2008)

Congrats to you and Zac, glad to hear he is still living the dream. 

I don't blame you for not posting kills here anymore. Some people can't kill good deer so when other do, it must be illegal or in a pen!


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

I never knew there was so much behind the scene drama.


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

I may get some heat for this........but it's just a "potential" point of view.

This is a fishing forum in which at it's best the member share stories, ideas, thoughts, suggestions, fishing tips and trips among other things, but it's a social network centered around the outdoors. 

When someone comes to a social network and is constantly "Promoting", "Selling" or "Boasting" it doesn't take long to wear on some people. I could or possibly could very well be that it's not Zac that people reacted negatively toward....but they reacted negatively toward the way Chad constantly promoted Zac. It could be that the high majority of what You shared here on this forum was not actually involving you as much as Zac and it may have appeared to be Overdone. 

Marketing of a person or of ones self is a very important as it pertains to the perception of many people or the audience and it's very important that the audience can believe in something they see in that person. Remember it was always Daddy writing the story.

Once it was posted in a thread on this sight a story in which Zac made a shot of 75 yards or so at a Buck. His arrow hit the Bucks body well back of the vital kill zone but the buck ran a distance, laid down and expired ..... Luckily. There were comments made by other members on that thread about the responsibility of a hunter, Hunting Ethics and sportsmanship and it could have been perceived as if Zac was outside of the Normal Hunter. 

From what little I know of either You are Zack you both seem like Wonderful People and it appears Zac is way out in front of the very high majority at his age and I'm am sure he will be a difference maker and very successful in life. It would be an honor to me to one day meet the young man. 

The Greatest People never have to introduce themselves.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

And to think, I get to say I knew him when ... 

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-07-14/news/HUNTER14_1_zac-chad-cooper-outdoors


Congrats Chad and Zac, it's been a long time and I've followed Little Man every step of the way. I can tell you that he's earned everything and your girls are following well in his footsteps. They're cute as can be and Mal's adventures in rodent and feral cat removal on FB crack me up.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

The feral cat videos on Facebook crack me up! I first remember seeing the post a longggg time ago where Zac went after the garden destroying armadillo with the flounder gig. That was too cool.

Glad you still post on FB, I love seeing all the stuff! The video on how to cape your own deer was especially helpful, if only I can shoot one nice enough to bring to you! 

Keep on, keeping on guys... the haters will hate, but the true outdoorsmen can appreciate the hard work and dedication to the sport, and you being a proud dad of course! 

Sent from my Galaxy S5....


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## TatSoul (Mar 12, 2012)

Don't follow all the drama.rumors can definitly get the best of you when you have alot of jealous haters.you done a hell of a job on.my mount last year and I got another one I'm bringing you as soon as I can get away from the shop


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

TatSoul said:


> Don't follow all the drama.rumors can definitly get the best of you when you have alot of jealous haters.you done a hell of a job on.my mount last year and I got another one I'm bringing you as soon as I can get away from the shop



What do you know about haters and drama?


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

Glad to hear everything is going well. I would like to see some of the pics of the deer your wife killed if you care to share them.


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## TatSoul (Mar 12, 2012)

JoeZ said:


> What do you know about haters and drama?


Nothing at all.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

What has happened to Charlie sheen??


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## bigbulls (Mar 12, 2008)

> I may get some heat for this........but it's just a "potential" point of view.
> 
> This is a fishing forum in which at it's best the member share stories, ideas, thoughts, suggestions, fishing tips and trips among other things, but it's a social network centered around the outdoors.
> 
> ...


This^^^^^^^^ and this thread is a good example of why people are turned off. The title starts out pissy with a chip on your shoulder and ends that way.

When people offer honest but polite criticism to Zac (well, to you since Zac never posted), daddy got pissed off and packed up his toys. I don't remember Zac ever posting here and 90% of everything posted By Chad was a promotion of Zac. Can you imagine if if all of the "professional" hunters were bombarding the forums with constant promotions of themselves? It gets old. Buy some add space from PFF if 90% of what you're going to post is business promotions. 

We're here to talk and discuss all things related to fishing and hunting. Sure we post our success stories but 90% or better of what we post here is to converse with each other and learn things from other people and not to self promote. We all liked seeing Zac kill the big bucks but like I said in that other thread, if you can't take criticism from the very people you are promoting yourself to then step out of the spot light. 

And what makes this thread ironic is the fact that you are doing to the NWTF the very same thing that you're pissy about others doing to you.



Try'n Hard said:


> What has happened to Charlie sheen??


I don't know but the final episode of 2.5 men was retarded.


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## p3bowhunter (Feb 20, 2008)

I hear ya chad!


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

bigbulls said:


> I don't know but the final episode of 2.5 men was retarded.



No! Not that Charlie Sheen. Our PFF version guy, forgot his name


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## bigbulls (Mar 12, 2008)

Try'n Hard said:


> No! Not that Charlie Sheen. Our PFF version guy, forgot his name


Oh yeah, Didn't he live in Texas?


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

bigbulls said:


> Oh yeah, Didn't he live in Texas?



Yeah. He was a great pot stirrer


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Who the hell is Zac?? Guess I missed something.


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

Sound like someone is butthurt their kid didn't get the opportunity like Zac did.


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## Chad Cooper (Oct 8, 2007)

bigbulls said:


> This^^^^^^^^ and this thread is a good example of why people are turned off. The title starts out pissy with a chip on your shoulder and ends that way.
> 
> When people offer honest but polite criticism to Zac (well, to you since Zac never posted), daddy got pissed off and packed up his toys. I don't remember Zac ever posting here and 90% of everything posted By Chad was a promotion of Zac. Can you imagine if if all of the "professional" hunters were bombarding the forums with constant promotions of themselves? It gets old. Buy some add space from PFF if 90% of what you're going to post is business promotions.
> 
> ...


Garbo, I actually think you had a good point in your post and that was well thought out and delivered....

However, allow me to REMIND the members that I was posting on the old forum well before Zac began his journey in the spotlight. I was sharing my sons accomplishments with you and enjoying your accomplishments. You would think that your friends would want to hear about good things happening to another. Did you expect me to go silent when great things started happening for my child.... 

Mr. Big Bulls, it's obvious that you must not know me well. Any person that knows me will tell you that I'm the least likely person to have a chip on my shoulders. Every post I made in the past was as humble as can be and I credited other people for our success... Zac never posted on the forum because he didn't want people to think he was bragging....It got to a point that Zac would not even tell or show pictures of his deer to friends at school. He said quote. " Dad if I show them a picture of another deer, they'll only hate me more."

The reason I always posted about Zac was because I was reliving my hunting through my child. I went 11 years without killing a deer and when I finally did you can bet I posted it....( My Iowa Buck )

To the people that are still losing sleep over Zac killing a buck at 75 yards. Please try to remember that I too stated in my post that I would not recommend taking that shot. Zac thought he could do it so he did. If you want to continue methodically & meticulously making sure every move in the woods is what others believe is ethical than you can keep looking at pictures of other hunters deer. You may not kill any to look at. 

The number one thing that a parent should be proud of is their child. Two things for you Mr. Big Bull, either you have no children or your child has never accomplished anything that made you proud enough to want to share with others. Call it promoting if you like, it was actually a father being proud of his son. Is there something wrong with that?

The NWTF was a horrible comparison.... There were LIES that were told and you don't know the details so just leave it alone.


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## Chad Cooper (Oct 8, 2007)

five prongs of fury said:


> glad to hear everything is going well. I would like to see some of the pics of the deer your wife killed if you care to share them.



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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Heck Chad, I brag on Logan quite a bit.....gezzzzz if he accomplished everything Zac has done out in the woods----I'd have haters too but could care less, especially fer the ones who give ya static brother! 

Here ya go, maybe I can get some haters=====Logan had a awards banquet last month. Outta EVERYONE (every grade) who plays sports, Logan had the highest GPA w/ a 4.3!!! Proud he is a starter on the varsity baseball team and love that he excels in his trio of sports he plays (baseball/basketball/football). Add up all the academic/athletic/and highly active in the church and basically a true leader---he is 2 x's the kid I was at his age, there fore I spoil him by providing a nice truck'guns/fishing gear/boats!!!! 

OK lets carry on!!!!! hahahaha make sure you don't miss a wink of sleep tonight brother!!!


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Y'all sure y'all don't want to adopt me? Lol

Sent from my Galaxy S5....


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

BIG deer! where were they shot? I understand Missouri and Kansas produce some big ones?


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## TatSoul (Mar 12, 2012)

Love seeing people kill big deer.


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## no woryz (Oct 2, 2007)

I haven't seen anybody hate on Zac...... Disagreeing with what happened in Kansas is not hating. If you are going to put yourself & Zac in the public eye then I think you'd have tougher skin than you do. I am ethical, my father raised me to be that way and amazingly enough I am still able to kill deer. I have brought back a Kansas tag because I was hunting a trophy and couldn't get a clean shot. I failed to get myself in the proper position or guessed wrong on my stand location just as it seems Zac did here. I didn't worry or take a bad shot, it motivated me to be a better hunter the next year and it payed out. I'm sure Zac is a great hunter and congrats to you and Zac on your accomplishments and I wish you even more in the future. Nobody is hating on either of you. When life gives you a teachable moment, learn from it.


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## Gump (Oct 4, 2007)

Chad,

I personally think that 600 would still be a bargain for a deer mount considering the quality of the work one would receive. 

As for Zac, I know you are very proud of him, and anyone that finds it boastful for a father to post of their child's accomplishments obviously has some issues they need to work out.

I for one will be starting my own series of "boastful" posts starting this year with my 2 year old daughter and her fishing and hunting adventures.

Gump


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Haters gonna hate, no matter what it is that you may excel at, I think the opportunity that Zac has had is great, it's a pretty sad day when grown ass men wanna take the glory from a great kid that absolutely loves what he is doing and is a role mode to many others. 

I don't know either of you personally (chad and Zac) but have followed you for some time now, my impression of you is that you all are a great loving family whom have taken the outdoors and made it your passion, a life that many would love to have....

Congrats Zac and Chad, best of wishes in your future endeavors.

As far as the 75yd shot.... The deer is dead ain't it !!!


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

Chad Cooper said:


> Garbo, I actually think you had a good point in your post and that was well thought out and delivered....
> 
> 
> 
> ....It got to a point that Zac would not even tell or show pictures of his deer to friends at school. He said quote. " Dad if I show them a picture of another deer, they'll only hate me more."


First, Thanks for the kind words and I'm a fan of both of you. 

Secondly. Zac's comment about not showing pictures at school makes a lot of sense and it should to you to. In a slight way it confirms what I suggested as a potential point of view in my earlier post. He had to deal with others that lived in a different or more normal reality.............. Chad it's pretty likely if not obvious that a 14 year old did not set up appointments with corporations such as Browning and then recruit sponsorship from them (of what by the way?) It would seem to be good assumption that someone paved the way and made it all possible then promoted the results as if the child did it all. It's every parents partitive to be proud of their children but every child deserves to have their own life as well. 

I mean you no harm as well as I hope and wish the best for you and certainly for Zac......

You both have my best wishes.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Garbo said:


> First, Thanks for the kind words and I'm a fan of both of you.
> 
> Secondly. Zac's comment about not showing pictures at school makes a lot of sense and it should to you to. In a slight way it confirms what I suggested as a potential point of view in my earlier post. He had to deal with others that lived in a different or more normal reality.............. Chad it's pretty likely if not obvious that a 14 year old did not set up appointments with corporations such as Browning and then recruit sponsorship from them (of what by the way?) It would seem to be good assumption that someone paved the way and made it all possible then promoted the results as if the child did it all. It's every parents partitive to be proud of their children but every child deserves to have their own life as well.
> 
> ...


Sounds a lot like a particular fishing lure production that obviously was promoted by the father... if memory serves me correctly I recall a lot of posts by the father boasting about his son's "accomplishments" in his jig tying endeavor.

But I digress.

Sent from my Galaxy S5....


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

John B. said:


> Sounds a lot like a particular fishing lure production that obviously was promoted by the father... if memory serves me correctly I recall a lot of posts by the father boasting about his son's "accomplishments" in his jig tying endeavor.
> 
> But I digress.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy S5....


things just got real up in here


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