Joe Hutto is a critically acclaimed and nationally recognized naturalist, author, and wildlife artist. Learn about his wife and personal life below.

Joe Hutto was born an animal person who loved anything and everything about wildlife creatures. He spent the majority part of his childhood with animals, growing an extraordinary ability to understand and bond with them.

Growing up outside of Tallahassee, Florida, he would often wander around the backcountry and interact with different animals as a child. His time with wildlife did not just end with small interactions though. 

He would end up bringing up them to his house and eventually his room. These animals would include foxes, squirrels, hawks, raccoons, and others. 

Deep in the wilds of Florida, writer and naturalist Joe Hutto was given the rare opportunity to raise wild turkeys from chicks, and the rest is history. You do not want to miss @PBSNature’s “My Life As a Turkey” tonight at 8/7c. ?

— Kansas City PBS (@kansascitypbs) November 24, 2021

Joe Hutto Wikipedia: Who Is The ‘My Life As A Turkey’ Author?

Naturalist Joe Hutto was born and raised in Florida as a single child of his parents.

His parents were very understanding and allowed him to bring home animals. He would often grow a bond with young animals, particularly those who had just been born, as per PBS. 

He built numerous cages and built a small pond by the time he was 11. His passion for wildlife eventually led him to study wildlife biology and archaeology at Florida State University. 

He published his first book titled Illumination in the Flatwoods in 1995. Afterward, he went on to publish several more books, all of which were based on his personal experiences with animals. 

His second book, The Light in High Places, was based on his six years of living on and off among Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.

Hutto developed a nine-years of relationship with a mule deer whose territory overlapped with his Wyoming property. His third book Touching the Wild was based on his time with the mule deer. 

Experience the wild true story of naturalist Joe Hutto, who spent each day living as a turkey mother, taking on the full-time job of raising sixteen turkey chicks. ??

Watch @PBSNature “My Life as a Turkey” TONIGHT at 8pm ET. #ScienceNight

— detroitpublictv (@detroitpublictv) November 24, 2021

Meet Joe Hutto Wife Leslye Hutto

Joe Hutto was previously married to his first wife Leslye Hutto. 

Leslye supported his work with wildlife and even participated in the mule deer project. She conducted her own research on local wildlife and remained active until her death in 2014. 

She died of terminal cancer. After her death, Hutto settled in rural Florida and continued to work with wildlife. 

He has since remarried to his college sweetheart and second wife Rita Coolidge, who is a two-time Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter. The couple tied the knot in 2018. 

Hutto and Coolidge first met in college but went their separate ways and married other people before reconnecting after four decades. 

Joe Hutto Age- Where Is He Now?

Joe Hutto, age 75, is working on the Emmy award-winning television series My Life as a Turkey as a co-writer alongside Rachael Teel. 

The series is based on Hutto’s book Illumination in the Flatwoods and first premiered in 2011. He was also a part of PBS’s second documentary, Touching the Wild. 

What Is Joe Hutto Net Worth?

The verified net worth of Joe Hutto is not disclosed at the moment. 

As a successful author and wildlife artist, he may have earned a sound income from his books and works. So, he may have a net worth of at least a few hundred thousand dollars to a million.