Mallard Bay buys Find A Hunt to broaden outdoor marketplace reach

Mallard Bay Outdoors has acquired Find A Hunt, bringing the hunt-discovery marketplace and sister brand Find A Fish into its platform as it pushes deeper into AI-driven booking and outfitter management. The deal is designed to expand discovery for hunters and anglers while giving outfitters more tools for bookings, payments and client management.

Why it matters: - The acquisition combines discovery, booking and outfitter management under one umbrella for hunters, anglers and guides. - Mallard Bay is positioning its AI-powered software as the operating layer behind more outdoor trips and more marketplace traffic. - The move could give outfitters a larger audience and a more integrated system for running their businesses.

What happened: - Mallard Bay Outdoors announced it has acquired Find A Hunt. - Find A Hunt is a platform for discovering public hunting land, booking guided hunts and browsing land-lease listings. - The deal also brings in Find A Hunt’s sister brand, Find A Fish. - Mark Coleman, founder of Find A Hunt and Find A Fish, will hand the platforms to Mallard Bay’s team as the brands enter their next phase.

The details: - Find A Hunt connects licensed hunters with outfitters, guides, land access and outdoor vendors in one place. - Combined with Mallard Bay’s hunting and fishing outfitter network, the platforms expand ways for outdoor users to find and book guided experiences. - Chris Meaux, Mallard Bay’s chairman and CEO, said Find A Hunt users will be able to search for experiences on a single platform using Susie AI. - Meaux said Find A Hunt outfitters can join Mallard Bay’s outfitter management system for bookings, payments, calendars, CRM and lead management. - Mallard Bay said it will integrate its AI-driven operating systems and proprietary AI products with new marketplace features, streamlined outfitter tools and a scalable user experience. - The company said Find A Hunt and Find A Fish will become dedicated consumer destinations for discovering and booking outdoor experiences. - Mallard Bay said it will focus on the AI-powered Outfitter Management System, or OMS, and the software that supports guides and outfitters. - Mallard Bay said it will release additional product details and timelines for Find A Hunt and Find A Fish in mid- to late 2026. - Mallard Bay’s website is mallardbay.com. - Find A Hunt and Find A Fish can be found at findahunt.com and findafish.com.

Between the lines: - The acquisition suggests Mallard Bay wants to own both sides of the transaction: consumer discovery and outfitter operations. - Splitting the brands into consumer-facing marketplaces and an operator-focused OMS may help the company sharpen its products for different users. - The focus on AI signals a bet that outdoor recreation booking is ready for more automation and personalization.

What's next: - Mallard Bay plans to roll out more details on the Find A Hunt and Find A Fish products and their timing in mid- to late 2026. - The company will continue building out its AI-powered marketplace and outfitter tools after the acquisition. - Coleman said the platforms are entering a new chapter of growth under Mallard Bay.

The bottom line: - Mallard Bay is using the acquisition to turn a marketplace deal into a broader software and discovery platform for the outdoor industry.