Inside Ricko DeWilde's life, from his Alaska roots to reality TV
Ricko DeWilde is an Alaskan subsistence hunter, activist, and reality television personality best known for his role on the National Geographic series Life Below Zero and its spinoff, First Alaskans. Over the years, he appeared in more than 100 episodes, becoming one of the show’s most respected cast members.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Ricko DeWilde is a Koyukon Athabascan Native born and raised in the Alaskan bush.
- He is best known for his role on Life Below Zero, where he shares his lifestyle, family life, and cultural traditions in Alaska.
- Ricko owns HYDZ Gear, a clothing and apparel company that is popular among Alaska Natives.
- He is a vocal advocate for Indigenous rights and has been a prominent supporter of the Fairbanks Four, a group of men wrongfully convicted.
Profile summary
Full name | Ricko DeWilde |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 7 June 1975 |
Age | 49 years old (as of January 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Gemini |
Place of birth | Huslia, Alaska, United States |
Current residence | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height in inches | 6'1'' |
Height in centimetres | 185 |
Weight in pounds | 165 |
Weight kilograms | 75 |
Hair colour | Black |
Eye colour | Brown |
Father | Lloyd DeWilde |
Mother | Amelia DeWilde |
Siblings | 13 |
Relationship status | Dating |
Spouse | Rona Vent |
Children | Five (Simone, Skarlett, Maya, Skyler, Keenan) |
Education | Homeschooled |
Profession | Reality TV personality, hunter/trapper, entrepreneur, cultural educator |
Ricko DeWilde’s biography
The reality television personality was born on 4 July 1975, making him 50 years old as of 2026. Born and raised in the Alaskan bush, DeWilde grew up in a remote cabin 40 miles from the nearest village, Huslia.
His parents were Amelia DeWilde, a native Koyukon Athabascan born and raised in Alaska and Lloyd DeWilde, a white man of Welsh descent originally from San Francisco. Ricko DeWilde’s family lifestyle is centred on traditional subsistence practices, including hunting, fishing, and trapping.
Source: Original
Does Ricko DeWilde have siblings?
The reality television personality grew up alongside 13 siblings in a remote cabin, 100 miles from the nearest village, Huslia. Some of his siblings include brothers Lee, Victor, Brian, and the late Alan. During a 2019 interview with Indian Country Today, Ricko shared insight into his roots and early life, saying:
I’m an Athabascan Indian from the North Fork of the Huslia River. I grew up 100-miles upriver from Huslia with my late mom and dad, who raised 14 of us children out there in the remote wilderness. My late dad and mom were very strong and independent from society and the welfare or industrial system, so you can say, ‘there were times we had it tough.
Like his siblings, he was homeschooled in the wilderness and did not attend a public school until his senior year of high school. He said:
We were home-schooled and grew up in our camps, living off the land, hunting, trapping, and fishing.
Inside Ricko DeWilde's career
Source: UGC
Ricko DeWilde is a hunter, activist, and reality television personality. He is best known as a featured cast member on the National Geographic series Life Below Zero. He joined the show in November 2018 to showcase the traditional Athabaskan subsistence lifestyle, including moose hunting, fishing, and trapping. Ricko has also appeared in the spinoff Life Below Zero: First Alaskans (2022). He told Indian Country Today:
I enjoy being on the show. They basically follow my time in the woods back home and film me doing things like trapping, hunting, fishing, along with the many chores that one must do to make it possible to live out in the bush and maintain one’s cabins, smokehouses, caches, etc.
He added:
I’ve been on this show since November 2018 and am very excited to continue working with them to try shed some light on our Native culture and how important it is for us as Natives today to keep practising our way of life. Our traditional methods of survival and hunting are how we are here today, but I feel this ancient knowledge is in jeopardy as we get more and more comfortable with today’s technology.
Source: UGC
Beyond television, Ricko has ventured into entrepreneurship. He founded and manages Hydz Apparel, an apparel company that incorporates traditional Native designs and is popular among Alaska Native youth. The brand features designs influenced by his heritage and is frequently sold at events like the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention.
DeWilde is also a vocal advocate for Native American rights. He was a strong advocate for the Fairbanks Four, speaking at rallies and using his platform to address disproportionate rates of Native people in the justice system. He also actively speaks out against projects that threaten traditional lands, such as the Ambler Road project.
Is Ricko DeWilde married?
Source: UGC
As of now, Ricko DeWilde has not officially confirmed a marriage. He is reportedly in a long-term relationship with a woman named Rona Vent, but it remains unclear whether they are legally married or simply partners.
The pair shares five children: three daughters, Simone, Skarlett Haze and Maya Denae and two sons, Skyler Blue and Keenan Nulitna. Ricko DeWilde’s children are frequently featured in his social media posts and on the National Geographic show Life Below Zero.
FAQs
- Who is Ricko DeWilde? He is an Alaskan Athabascan subsistence hunter, activist, and television personality known for his appearance on the National Geographic reality TV series Life Below Zero.
- Where is Ricko DeWilde from? He was born and raised in Huslia, Alaska.
- What is Ricko DeWilde’s age? Ricko DeWilde is 50 years old. He was born on 4 July 1975.
- Who are Ricko DeWilde's parents? His parents are Lloyd and Amelia DeWilde. They are both deceased.
- What is Ricko's cultural heritage? He is of Koyukon Athabascan heritage.
- Is Ricko DeWilde still married? Ricko DeWilde is still reportedly married to a woman named Rona Vent.
- What happened to Ricko DeWilde’s wife? There is no information suggesting that anything negative happened to Rona Vent.
- Who are Ricko DeWilde's children? The television personality has five children: Simone, Skyler Blue, Skarlett Haze, Keenan Nulitna, and Maya.
- What happened to Ricko DeWilde? According to Cowboys and Indians Magazine, in 2019, after moving from the bush to the city, he struggled with addiction and later served two years in prison on possession charges.
Ricko DeWilde is an Alaskan Athabascan subsistence hunter, entrepreneur, and prominent television personality. He is a featured cast member on National Geographic's Life Below Zero and its spin-off, Life Below Zero: First Alaskans. Born and raised in Huslia, Alaska, Ricko lived a traditional Native lifestyle away from civilisation for 18 years.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
