About
Crafton Outdoors
I have been blessed to have been inspired by many amazing and selfless people who have generously invested themselves in my life. Crafton Outdoors is my attempt to make an impact in the areas that I believe will make a lasting difference. As a youth, I was motivated to enjoy the outdoors and follow my dad, brothers, and dogs around in search of excitement and challenge. I learned lessons from sportsmen, spiritual mentors, and the Boy Scouts. I was fortunate to be an owner of CROSSMARK, a sales and marketing firm that experienced meteoric growth in my 27 years there. Following the sale of the company and a short “half-time break,” I searched for investments and projects that would challenge me and create opportunities for others to enjoy the sporting life.
Crafton Outdoors Mission
Create value to shareholders, customers, organizations and their members by celebrating the numerous contributions of sportsmen and conservationists. To provide support for the culture and traditions of the conservationist sportsman community. To educate and encourage future generations to experience the bounty of God’s creation and the wholesome and therapeutic power of being in nature. To contribute to the conservation and restoration of the wild places and wild creatures of the earth.
My interest is in preserving the wild places in this country and creating opportunities for future generations of sportsmen.
Joe Crafton Biography
Joe Crafton retired as the Chief Executive Officer of CROSSMARK, Inc in 2014 and subsequently founded Crafton Outdoors, LLC. The firm focuses its investments on wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation companies. Crafton Outdoors redeveloped the historic Dallas Hunting and Fishing Club, a 750-acre hunting and fishing club situated on the Trinity River in Dallas County, Texas. The club, which was incorporated in 1885 and remains in continuous operation, holds the distinction of being the fourth-oldest club of its kind in the United States. Additionally, Joe formed Wildrose Texas, an affiliate of Wildrose Kennels of Oxford, MS, as Wildrose is widely known as the premier breeder and trainer of British Labradors in the United States. Joe is a partner in Snipes Ranch near Aspermont, TX, which has received national notoriety as one of the best wild quail ranches in the nation.
Joe Crafton has also founded several wildlife conservation groups, including the Park Cities Quail Coalition (PCQC) and Quail Coalition. Presently boasting 4,000 members, the Quail Coalition has contributed over $30 million to quail research and education since its establishment in 2007. Furthermore, Joe served as president of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation and is a member of the Upland Advisory Committee for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Additionally, he served as the President of Texan By Nature. Joe is also President of the Christian Sportsman Fellowship in Dallas, where he is responsible for organizing the annual Sportsman’s Prayer Breakfast held at the Dallas Safari Club, an institution of which he is a lifetime member.
Joe is the past president of Circle Ten Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which serves 24 counties surrounding Dallas. He currently serves on the National Executive Board of Boy Scouts of America and was the former Vice President. He is the recipient of the BSA Distinguished Eagle Award, the Silver Beaver and Silver Buffalo awards. In 2014, the BSA dedicated the Joe Crafton Sportsman Complex at the Bechtel Summit National Scout Reserve near Beckley, West Virginia. This facility is named for his father and serves as a platform for teaching the legacy of the BSA in shooting sports and highlighting the integral relationship between hunting and wildlife conservation. Joe was also the lead donor in the creation of the Gil Clements shooting complex at Camp Wisdom in Dallas.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Joe is the father of three sons and resides in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Amy Simmons Crafton.
