Dr. Copps was born and raised in the Driftless Region in the city of La Crosse, WI. He grew up hunting and fishing in the coulees of the Driftless and on the Mississippi River. His passions include bowhunting for whitetail, waterfowl and upland hunting, and fly fishing for pretty much anything. He also was an alpine ski racer in his past life, and spent a few years on the US Development Team. Prior to med school, he spent a year as an elk hunting guide in Colorado. He attended medical school at the University of Minnesota, and then did his EM residency at Mayo. The lure of the Driftless called him back to La Crosse, where he settled down with his wife Melissa, also a La Crosse native and his high school sweetheart. They have two amazing adult daughters, and two mischievous labradors.  He has worked in the ED at Gundersen in La Crosse for over two decades, and his particular interests include Wilderness Medicine, orthopedic trauma, and regional healthcare logistics.