The Appalchian Whitetails Field Team is a group of talented and dedicated hunters and simply fine individuals that help us promote our products, and grow as a company. They work tirelessly throughout the year helping with product promotion, seminars, and a variety of other tasks that make us who we are. Think you have what it takes to join our team? If so, follow these instructions and contact us telling us of your interest.
Rob Chillinsky
Archery hunting for whitetail deer is what Rob's life rotates around. Even though he hunts just
about everything, whitetail hunting is where his passion lies. Rob got addicted to archery hunting
for whitetails at age 13 when his father bought him his first bow for his birthday. Since that point
he has never put his bow down. Growing up in southwestern Pennsylvania, Rob had plenty of opportunites to hunt. Rob Currently
resides in North Huntingdon with his wife Shawna, who is also starting out in the sport of archery. Aside from spending
half of the year in a treestand and in the field scouting, Rob enjoys hanging out with his wife and hunting with
his friends. Rob holds a degree in archeticture and drafting and has plenty of sales experience from working at Dick's Sporting Goods for several years. He is currently employed by a
construction company in
Irwin, Pennsylvania. Rob also loves to meet and talk to people. He has become an excellent archery hunter throughout the years taking
many mature whitetails,and has gained extensive knowledge of whitetails. He loves to share knowledge of hunting with anyone that crosses his path. He believes that helping others harvest wild game is better than doing
it yourself. In 2008 Rob became a partner in the ownership of Apparition Scents. With his background in design and sales,
he has become a big asset to the team. Through his outgoing personallity and his knowledge of hunting whitetails he wants to help every hunter he meets have a successful season using Appalachain Whitetails products.
Ken Kocon
Ken got his first 22 caliber rifle at 8 years old, shot his first squirrel at 12, and hasn’t passed up a hunting opportunity since. Ken’s passion however, lies in bow hunting whitetails. While Ken hunts everything from dove to bear, it is really just a filler for those cool crisp October and early November mornings in the tree stand. For Ken it is not the kill that makes a hunt, but the time spent outdoors, and the story that comes with each trip. Ken was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania where he, his younger brother, and dad spent each season in the woods. Ken never stopped hunting even while obtaining his bachelors degree in Information Science and Technology from Penn State University. After college Ken’s passion for big whitetails led him to pick up and move to central Illinois. Ken currently lives in Bloomington, Illinois where he works as a Network Analyst for State Farm Insurance Company. If you ask Ken today why he moved to Illinois he will respond without hesitation “to hunt Big Illinois Whitetails of course.” When not hunting, Ken and his fiancee, Stacy, enjoy hitting up the local lakes for some walleye and crappie fishing. Ken is also a member of the Mclean County Sportsman’s Association, which provides outdoor hunting and training opportunities for youth in central Illinois. Ken’s strong personality and drive, as well as his technical background will allow him to educate and expand the success of Apparition Scents brand.
Kevin McArdle
If it is an outdoor activity, Kevin is usually involved in it. His passion for the outdoors began at a very young age as a result of spending many summer weekends camping with his family. He began shooting archery at the age of 10 while a member of the Chieftain Archery Club in Leechburg, PA. As Kevin’s interest in hunting grew along with his brother’s, his dad decided to join them and let them hunt. After he had gone through the Hunter Education Course, he became a Jr. Instructor, which he did for 8 years. During his high school years, while playing football and baseball, he obtained the rank of Eagle Scout. His Jr. Instructor years ended when he went to college at Penn State and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences and Technology. He now is employed at Management Science Associates, in Pittsburgh, PA, as an Application Analyst. Kevin finds a way to make hunting season last all year long, whether it be checking his trail camera, planting a food plot, or hunting ground hogs. When he is not hunting he can be found 4 wheeling in his jeep, fishing, trying new recipes with game he has harvested or some other outdoor activity. He currently resides in Lower Burrell, PA. He hopes to bring his work ethic, determination, and love of the outdoors to The Field Team. Kevin loves trying new things and staying up on new products to help better his, as well as others', overall outdoor experience.
Aaron Mears
Since he was first able to set foot into the woods at a young age, Aaron has kept close to the outdoors his whole life. Aaron started archery hunting at age 12. Years of trial and error finally paid off when he took his first archery deer at the age of 16. Since then, he’s explored other types of hunting from predators to waterfowl, but he’ll always go back to his first love of deer hunting every time. He also feels enjoying time spent in the woods is even more important than making a kill. Aaron brings with him 6 years of prior outdoor retail experience, most of which were spent as a Product Specialist with Gander Mountain. As one of the owners of Appalachian Whitetails, Aaron looks forward to sharing his retail knowledge with the company and working to make Apparition Scents a household name. Aaron also has a degree from ITT Technical Institute in Computer Electronics Engineering Technology. When he’s not hunting, Aaron is usually hard at work at Siemens Energy and Automation, where he is an Electrical Engineering Technician. He also enjoys spending much of his free time with his wife Becki, who enjoys being outdoors as well.
Jason Mears
When it comes to hunting, Jason Mears has his fingers in it all. From the time he was a little kid, his father had him involved in the outdoors fishing or sitting beside him groundhog hunting. Jason knew from that time on, whether dreaming of that big buck or agile squirrel, being in the outdoors was what he wanted to do. At the age of 12, Jason began bow hunting and hasn’t stopped since. Early on, there where many missed opportunities, all of which he has taken as learning experiences. He feels that there is something to be learned on every trip into the woods. Jason credits his success to determination, hard work, and of course the things his father taught him as a child. On a cold and crisp October morning, there is nowhere Jason would rather be than sitting in a tree stand waiting for the next chance at a large whitetail buck. Jason is also
involved in Shaner Sportsman's Club where he is an acting director. He also is directly involved in the annual Youth Pheasant Hunt and the Youth Field Day. He believes that getting the youth involved in hunting is a great thing and helps ensure the life of the sport. Seeing children after they have harvested their first game animal truly puts a smile on his face. Making sure that each child leaves the youth events understanding good ethics and safety is what it's all about. In addition to his love for bow hunting, Jason is also passionate about waterfowl hunting. He currently holds a position with the Avery Pro-Staff, a waterfowl company based out of Memphis, Tennessee, which allows him to promote Avery products to fellow hunters and provide feedback on up and coming additions to the
product line. Jason, who is an Engineer with Siemens Energy and Automation, has 7 years of sales experience and an engineering background, which he feels he can directly utilize to help fellow hunters understand products on the market today. Jason, who is owner of Appalachian Whitetails and Apparition Scents, has the determination to help not just the company grow, but to help others learn and grow from their hunting experiences.
Angela Malek
Angela is new to archery, and got her first bow in spring 2007. She quickly grew to love target shooting, and has set a personal goal to be "hunting ready" with her bow by 2008. She harvested her first deer during the 2007 firearms season, taking a beautiful adult doe that assisted with the herd management goals of their property.
When Angela isn't shooting her bow or helping out the company, she enjoys reading and hanging out with her fiance Nick Pinizzotto, her cat, Ruby, and her dog, Arrow. Angela holds a degree in English from Chatham University, and is employed by Indiana University of Pennsylvania at the John P. Murtha Institute for Homeland Security. She also owns her own small business, Proofwell, which provides design and editing services. She is looking forward to expanding her hunting knowledge, and hopes to spend some time in the woods archery hunting very soon.
Cory Mennett
Whether it is hunting for spring gobblers on a sunny spring morning, fly fishing in the evening in late spring and early summer, or archery hunting in the color-filled autumn woods, Cory loves them all equally. From the time he was a little boy he spent his summers exploring in the woods or playing baseball. Cory found a love for both extending his baseball career into the college level at Penn State University, but his passion for hunting still runs deep. He is extremely dedicated to archery hunting, and is an excellent promoter of Apparition Scent products. He never gets tired of hearing hunting stories, or sharing many of his own, and has a genuine affection for a good conversation. Aside from being a successful outdoorsman, he's a skilled communicator, and is always willing to lend a tip or two, or pick someone else's brain about anything that will help him
to be successful. He brings a tireless work ethic to the Appalachian Whitetails Field Team, always providing suggestions for ways to improve and grow the company, and pushing other Field Team members to go the extra mile. Cory was born and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania where he still lives with his wife Deanna, son Brayden and daughter MaKenna. Cory holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University.He works for Kongsberg Defense Corporation as a manufacturing engineer.
Nick Pinizzotto
Nick Pinizzotto is an avid outdoorsman and environmentalist, who spent the majority of his childhood and early adult years exploring the forests and streams that surrounded his home. Under the tutelage of his father, he was taught the skill of hunting, and most importantly, the moral and ethical responsibilities that quality sportsmen posses.
Through his continual study and admiration for whitetails and the opportunity to practice a Quality Deer Management program on a property he co-owns, Nick founded Appalachian Whitetails in 2002 in an effort to help others realize their deer management goals. Nick has become an exceptional archery hunter, and has taken two Pope and Young class whitetails, as well as several other mature bucks on his Indiana County, Pennsylvania property. He is also a firm believer in the importance of harvesting does, and annually fills his antlerless deer tags. In addition to hunting, he is an avid photographer and videographer of whitetails, a Pennsylvania Game Commission Bowhunter Education Instructor, a professional outdoor writer, and a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association. He is also an official trophy measurer for Safari Club International and the Northeast Big Buck Club.
Nick holds a B.A. in Environmental Geography from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and he is the Senior Director of Watershed Programs for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
Ben Wright
There are few people that you can call, on any day, at any time, that will join you to hunt. Ben is one of those people. He is passionate about hunting and is truly at home when traveling through field, forest, and stream in pursuit of deer, pheasant, grouse, geese, doves, or rising trout. Born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, Ben began hunting at an early age with his father. He recalls hunting in Forest County on days where he and his father would only see a few deer. However, together they enjoyed the anticipation of possibly seeing one in between squirrel sightings and pieces of candy. Ben’s appreciation and love for archery began at age 14 when he got within bow range of an adult doe for the first time. That same year Ben was invited on a rabbit hunt. As the beagle worked towards him, the grass in front of the dog erupted with a flurry of action
and noise as two cackling ringneck pheasant took to flight. It was a year later that he received his first bird dog for Christmas. Ben currently manages a 600-acre property for whitetail deer and saves almost all of his vacation for time in the woods on this property. Together with the landowner, he has successfully produced many mature bucks, some of which he has harvested since 2002 when the property management began. A love of the outdoors lead Ben to pursue an environmental degree from Penn State University. Although his career has focused on water resources, Ben still spends an equal amount of time on the pursuit of his favorite game animals. Combined with his passion for environmental conservation, Ben is an outspoken advocate for wildlife and habitat management. Through his involvement with Pheasants
Forever and Trout Unlimited chapters, Ben has been able to perpetuate outdoor pursuits in western Pennsylvania. He resides in Ligonier, Pennsylvania with his wife and hunting buddy Carole, and his son, Hunter. He hopes to pass on his love for the sport and the outdoors to his son as soon as his little feet can carry him through the leaf-scattered Pennsylvania woods.
Ken got his first 22 caliber rifle at 8 years old, shot his first squirrel at 12, and hasn’t passed up a hunting opportunity since. Ken’s passion however, lies in bow hunting whitetails. While Ken hunts everything from dove to bear, it is really just a filler for those cool crisp October and early November mornings in the tree stand. For Ken it is not the kill that makes a hunt, but the time spent outdoors, and the story that comes with each trip. Ken was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania where he, his younger brother, and dad spent each season in the woods. Ken never stopped hunting even while obtaining his bachelors degree in Information Science and Technology from Penn State University. After college Ken’s passion for big whitetails led him to pick up and move to central Illinois. Ken currently lives in Bloomington, Illinois where he works as a Network Analyst for State Farm Insurance Company. If you ask Ken today why he moved to Illinois he will respond without hesitation “to 
hunt Big Illinois Whitetails of course.” When not hunting, Ken and his fiancee, Stacy, enjoy hitting up the local lakes for some walleye and crappie fishing. Ken is also a member of the Mclean County Sportsman’s Association, which provides outdoor hunting and training opportunities for youth in central Illinois. Ken’s strong personality and drive, as well as his technical background will allow him to educate and expand the success of Apparition Scents brand.
If it is an outdoor activity, Kevin is usually involved in it. His passion for the outdoors began at a very young age as a result of spending many summer weekends camping with his family. He began shooting archery at the age of 10 while a member of the Chieftain Archery Club in Leechburg, PA. As Kevin’s interest in hunting grew along with his brother’s, his dad decided to join them and let them hunt. After he had gone through the Hunter Education Course, he became a Jr. Instructor, which he did for 8 years. During his high school years, while playing football and baseball, he obtained the rank of Eagle Scout. His Jr. Instructor years ended when he went to college at Penn State and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences and Technology. He now is employed at Management Science Associates, in Pittsburgh, PA, as an Application Analyst. Kevin finds a way to make hunting season last all year long, whether it be checking his trail camera, planting a food plot, or hunting ground hogs. When he is not hunting he can be found 4 wheeling in his jeep, fishing, trying new recipes with game he has harvested or some other outdoor activity. He currently resides in Lower Burrell, PA. He hopes to bring his work ethic, determination, and love of the outdoors to The Field Team. Kevin loves trying new things and staying up on new products to help better his, as well as others', overall outdoor experience. 
Since he was first able to set foot into the woods at a young age, Aaron has kept close to the outdoors his whole life. Aaron started archery hunting at age 12. Years of trial and error finally paid off when he took his first archery deer at the age of 16. Since then, he’s explored other types of hunting from predators to waterfowl, but he’ll always go back to his first love of deer hunting every time. He also feels enjoying time spent in the woods is even more important than making a kill. Aaron brings with him 6 years of prior outdoor retail experience, most of which were spent as a Product Specialist with Gander Mountain. As one of the owners of Appalachian Whitetails, Aaron looks forward to sharing his retail knowledge with the company and working to make Apparition Scents a household name. Aaron also has a degree from ITT Technical Institute in Computer Electronics Engineering Technology. When he’s not hunting, Aaron is usually hard at work at Siemens Energy and Automation, where he is an Electrical Engineering Technician. He also enjoys spending much of his free time with his wife Becki, who enjoys being outdoors as well.
Nick Pinizzotto is an avid outdoorsman and environmentalist, who spent the majority of his childhood and early adult years exploring the forests and streams that surrounded his home. Under the tutelage of his father, he was taught the skill of hunting, and most importantly, the moral and ethical responsibilities that quality sportsmen posses.
Nick has become an exceptional archery hunter, and has taken two Pope and Young class whitetails, as well as several other mature bucks on his Indiana County, Pennsylvania property. He is also a firm believer in the importance of harvesting does, and annually fills his antlerless deer tags. In addition to hunting, he is an avid photographer and videographer of whitetails, a Pennsylvania Game Commission Bowhunter Education Instructor, a professional outdoor writer, and a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association. He is also an official trophy measurer for Safari Club International and the Northeast Big Buck Club.
