Joseph Albanese

Joseph Albanese’s first career was in wildlife management, a profession that took him from the shadow of the Statue of Liberty to the Alaskan Bush and back again. He spent several years as a freelance writer before joining the Field & Stream staff as the gear editor in 2021.

Highlights

• Coversgear,conservation,waterfowl hunting,fishing, and DIY topics

Education

Albanese graduated from the State University of New York at Cobleskill with a degree in Wildlife Management. While there, he was the president of the school’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society. He also managed to schedule his classes so he could catch the morning flight, or tangle with some smallmouth in the warmer months.

Experience

As a wildlife professional, Albanese has worked with a variety of species of fish, birds, and mammals. Past employers include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Wildlife Services division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Major duties included stream sampling, marking and re-sighting birds, deer removals, rabies abatement, and protecting active runways from the threat of bird strike with the help of a 12-gauge semiauto.

F&S Lightning Round

Favorite Place to Fish: New Hampshire’s White MountainsFavorite Critter to Hunt: Black ducks in a salt marshBucket List Adventure: Pursuing black brant from the Izembek Lagoon to Baja MexicoMost Prized Piece of Gear: A rusty Benelli 12 gaugeAll-Time Favorite F&S Story: The Measure of a Hunter, by Norman StrungFun Fact: He once went 28 days without touching dry land—and 32 without a shower

Notable Work

• Best Air Gun of the Year

  Field & Stream

• Best Air Guns for Squirrel Hunting

  Field & Stream

• Best Rain Gear for Fishing

  Field & Stream