About Joe Crafton

Joe Crafton retired as the Chief Executive Officer of CROSSMARK, Inc in 2014 and subsequently founded Wingshooter Investments, LLC. The firm focuses its investments on wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation companies. Wingshooter redeveloped the historic Dallas Hunting and Fishing Club, an 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, on the Dallas Hunting and Fishing Club campus, Wildrose Texas, an affiliate of Wildrose Kennels of Oxford, MS, stands as the premier breeder and trainer of British Labs in the United States. Established in 2017, Wildrose Texas has become a prominent entity within the club’s premises. Joe is a partner in Snipes Ranch near Aspermont, TX where every effort is made to be known as the best wild quail ranch in West Texas.

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 serves as president of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation and is a member of the Upland Advisory Committee for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Alongside these commitments, he serves 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 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 of Supply. He is the recipient of the BSA Distinguished Eagle Award, the Silver Beaver and Silver Buffalo awards. In 2017, the BSA inaugurated 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.