Buck On A Hat Turns 10 Basement Hats Into 8,000 Shipped to All 50 States

A Wisconsin hunter who never quite fit in on a work trip built a simple buck hat of his own. Two
seasons later, he and his wife still pack every order by hand.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, WI Nov. 3, 2026 - In 2024, Evan Philibeck embroidered 10 hats in his brother’s basement. Two hunting seasons later, his company, Buck On A Hat, has sent more than 8,000 of them to hunters in all 50 states. Evan and his wife, Kasie, still pack every order themselves, each with a handwritten thank-you.

The idea started on a work trip to North Carolina. Philibeck was surrounded by colleagues from big cities like New York and Los Angeles, and he didn’t fit in with their styles. They joked about it, and he realized that was okay. He was happy being a simple man. He also didn’t like the buck designs he saw on hunting hats, so he drew his own: a plain rutting buck.

“As a simple man, like most hunters who appreciate simple things, I decided to create the logo that represented that,” Philibeck said. “A simple rutting buck that connects you back to that one hunting memory.”

Orders took off on Sept. 22, 2024, the day Philibeck’s son was born. Ads were scheduled to restart that day, right after he picked up 1,200 hats from an embroidery shop, and he was at the hospital with his wife when the orders began to arrive. Back home, the basement was a mess as the family worked out a system to stay organized.

“What started out as a simple hat with a simple name blew up into a lot of people wanting our hats,” he said. “We were selling more hats in a day than I could embroider.” The company calls them “lucky hunting hats,” and its customers seem to agree. Buck On A Hat’s website shows more than 670 reviews, and its best seller, the Coyote Brown & Black hat, holds a 4.97-star average across 273 of them.

That growth earned Buck On A Hat a spot in the Startups Built Simply Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Accelerator, a six-week program run in partnership with the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC). Philibeck worked through the numbers behind every hat: cost, price, and what it takes to reach each customer.

“It has helped in so many different ways, from the support of the program team to hearing from other founders in the group,” Philibeck said. “The big one is the courses and talking with Lee about getting organized for future orders and truly breaking down profits and the nitty-gritty numbers.” The goal is a business that keeps growing without losing the personal touch that built it. With Wisconsin’s gun deer season opening Nov. 21, Buck On A Hat is heading into its busiest stretch of the year. On Dec. 1, just in time for Christmas, the company will release a Winter Realtree Xtra Classic snapback, one of the only hats in that camo and style on the market. A turkey-themed hat, Gobbler On A Hat, is in the works for future seasons.

“At Buck On A Hat, we value three things above all: God, family, and bucks on hats,” Philibeck said.
Buck On A Hat hats and beanies are available at www.buckonahat.com, priced $20 to $30, with free shipping on orders over $75.

About Buck On A Hat
Founded in Wisconsin in 2024 by Evan Philibeck, Buck On A Hat makes simple hunting hats and
beanies built around one rutting-buck logo. Evan and Kasie pack every order from their home in a
small Wisconsin town and include a handwritten thank-you with each one. Learn more at
www.buckonahat.com.

About Startups Built Simply
Startups Built Simply helps entrepreneurs build scalable businesses through practical education,
mentorship, and implementation-focused accelerator programs. Its Consumer Packaged Goods
(CPG) Accelerator equips founders with the tools to strengthen positioning, improve operations,
refine financial models, and prepare for sustainable business growth.

About the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation
The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) is a countywide publicprivate partnership dedicated to improving the economic well-being of Sheboygan County through
business retention, expansion, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. Working alongside
community partners, SCEDC provides technical assistance, capital resources, and business
support that help entrepreneurs launch, grow, and succeed.