Tom Miranda

Tom Miranda

Tom Miranda at event signing

Miranda signing at ATA 2011
Born Thomas Lee Miranda, Jr.
(1958-01-21) January 21, 1958
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation Bowhunter, television host, entrepreneur, author
Years active 1985–present
Website http://www.tommiranda.com

Thomas Lee "Tom" Miranda, Jr. (born January 21, 1958) is an American bowhunter, trapper, television host and author. He originally gained fame as a fur trapping instructor by producing video trapping lessons. From this venture he embarked on a lengthy career as a television bowhunter and is most known for his television bowhunting adventures seen on ESPN, VERSUS and other cable networks. Has killed an African bull elephant with several shots from a bow.

Early life

Miranda was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. The son of Betty Jean (Blanton) a stay at home mom and Thomas Lee Miranda a Bell System employee. The oldest of three children, his two sisters: Peggy and Penny.

Miranda's outdoor career began early in life. At age 11 Miranda worked as a "trapboy" for Walnut Creek Trap Club throwing clay targets for trap shooters.. A neighbor Jeff Turner, ran a small trapline near Miranda's home and after a few outings with Jeff, Miranda was hooked on trapping. Tom Miranda trapped muskrat, raccoon, mink and fox thru-out junior and high school and decided early that he wanted to live his life in wild places. Attended Walnut Ridge High School, Miranda excelled in baseball, football and track. Qualified for the Ohio State Track and Field Championships 220 yard dash. Graduated High School 1976. Miranda went to Ohio State University as a walk on candidate in baseball. However, he was cut from the team in October 1977 and this disappointment soured him on academics. Tom Miranda's love was the outdoors. Soon he would quit college and begin to work odd jobs with a goal to be a professional trapper.

Career

Miranda moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1980 to pursue a career as a fur trapper. Miranda made his own trapping scents and started a small business selling his Competition Line Lures in 1982.

Featured in a Fur-Fish-Game magazine article on his trapping expertise in February 1983, Miranda gained national recognition and soon began writing for the magazine.[1] Accepting a position in South Dakota as a Predator Control Trapper in 1984, Miranda moved to Chamberlain, South Dakota. He earned his private pilot license in 1985.

In 1986 after selling his first trapping lesson video series Fox and Coyote trapping East to West, Miranda resigned from his position as a South Dakota State Trapper and began Tom Miranda Outdoor Films. Miranda produced 15 “how to trap” videos and began making bowhunting videos. In these early video production years, Miranda learned script writing, video editing and cameraman skills. In 1990 he met Sandy Brady and became business partners with him and Pat Foy Brady (father). The trio formed Tom Miranda Outdoors Inc.

This company began producing Tom’s first series Outdoor Adventure Magazine which originally aired on Sports Channel America in 1990 and 1991. Outdoor Adventure Magazine was a magazine format that included hunting, fishing and adventure segments in each episode and Miranda originally did the adventures with Brady the hunting.

Outdoor Adventure Magazine debuted on ESPN at 8AM Saturday morning, July 4, 1992. In the first years on ESPN, Miranda's adventures included, skydiving, bungee jumping, jet flying: including Navy F-14 training (Miranda is an accomplished pilot) scuba diving, bull riding, rodeo clown training, MLB with Seattle Mariners, fire walking and many additional adventures.[2] in several bowhunting episodes in 1993; soon Miranda was hosting the entire series.

Miranda changed the series name to Advantage Adventures in 1997 after a request from Realtree founder Bill Jordan to host a new series for his Advantage camouflage line. Advantage Adventures became a diary of Tom’s bowhunting adventures around the world.[3] In 1998 Miranda began a quest to videotape the archery Super Slam[4] of North American Big Game (29 species).

Miranda changed his TV series title again in 2008 to Territories Wild and this series continues today... airing exclusively on Outdoor Channel.

Tom Miranda completed his Video Super Slam May 9, 2011 on Carmen Island, Mexico- arrowing a Desert Sheep to become the first bowhunter to document the archery Super Slam on broadcast video tape (29 species). Miranda’s production company continues to produce his series as well as hunting and adventure programming for other interests.

Personal life

Married February 28, 1981 to Bernie Cassidy. Three children: Jeremy, Jennifer and Joshua Miranda. Divorced in 1996. Tom met Sandy Jessop on an ESPN TV shoot at Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida. Tom and Sandy married in 1996 and the couple remain together. Miranda continues to be close to his three children, despite his rigorous travel schedule.

Productions

Video

Television

Television series

Published books

Source:[5]

Accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ Fur-Fish-Game magazine March 1983 "Home on the Trapline" by James Churchill ISSN 0016-2922
  2. ↑ South Dakota Hall of Fame December 1992 Free fall into Tom Miranda's Outdoor Adventure magazine ISSN 1061-4427
  3. ↑ http://www.tommiranda.com/biography
  4. ↑ Super Slam® is a registered trademark of Grand Slam Club/Ovis®. Used by permission.
  5. ↑ Minnesota Trapline Products, Inc.
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