Guiding and Outfitting

I have been guiding and outfitting for nearly 20 years, I have had the pleasure of guiding in several states.  Listed below is a brief outline of my professional guiding experience.

Alaska: Alongside master guide Justin Johns, I guided for moose in the Wood-Tikchik Park.  In addition, I guided for brown bear in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.  Years ago, I also worked as a deckhand on a fishing boat on the Kenai Peninsula.  I loved the rugged beauty and challenge of guiding in Alaska, but the lack of internet and phone access made it difficult to communicate with clients if they had questions or concerns about the hunting and fishing trips they had booked with me.

Colorado:– For several years, I spent falls in the mountains of Colorado guiding with some of the state’s premier outfitters.  During this time, I guided both archery and rifle hunters for elk, mule, deer, and antelope. There is no doubt that some of my favorite hunts took place during the elk rut.  Nothing compares to a big, amped-up herd of bulls during the peak of the rut!

Nebraska: My first guiding/marketing position took place in Nebraska.  The ranch I worked for consisted of over 50,000 acres of prime hunting ground which was owned and leased.  Located in the heart of Nebraska’s Sandhills Region, the area teamed with numerous species of wild game.  At the time, I had well-trained labs to assist in the pursuit of pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie chicken.  The area was a real sleeper, as the upland and waterfowl hunting could be spectacular!  Mallards and Canada’s loved the area potholes and warm water sloughs.  Needless to say, there were numerous fond memories made here.  Soon after this position, I started at Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures. While at Cabela’s, I guided numerous clients on my days off at the famous Camp Clarke Ranch, near Bridgewater, Nebraska. It was the same story here: great upland, waterfowl, and deer hunting.

The last operation I guided for in Nebraska was several years back when I spent one spring assisting an outfitter with his turkey hunts.  The next spring, I started my own camp in South Dakota.

South Dakota: For five years, I operated a highly successful turkey hunting camp in South Dakota.  Myself, along with my dedicated team consisting of Lance Tangen and Jake England, saw to it that many people bagged their first Merriams turkey!  Our team also ran a very small archery deer camp during the last three seasons.  I have turned over the reins to Jake and will continue to go out every year to hunt for myself if time permits!

Oklahoma: I founded O-Kan Outfitters in Oklahoma.  The hunting was good for trophy whitetails, but after two years, the cost of land leases went up drastically.  I felt I could no longer offer a quality hunt at a fair price.

I will continue to look for new guiding and outfitting opportunities.