| Here are some of the friends, outfitters, and companies that we do business with and can easily endorse as the best we know of. |
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| Gun Club Labs: Paul and our dog Vivi |
Gun Club Labs and Paul and Julie Knutson, Orchard, CO, do all our dog training and are simply our source of dog knowledge and ability. I can't say enough about what they do overall for us, our dogs, and our ability to offer great hunts. They have trained more Grand Master Pointing Labs than all the other trainers put together, have now done books and video's on Lab training and handling dogs from puppies on.
Both Paul and Julie train, and we have dogs trained by both of them. They do not raise or sell puppies, or dogs, making them almost unique in the dog world, and giving them an unbiased position to select and work with only the best dogs. They are not afraid to send a dog home that won't make the cut, and we have had that happend ourselves. No one wants an average dog, and I can trust them to sort that out early on in training. We have total trust and faith in them, and have asked that they take our pups we sell to clients also, client willing.
Paul and Julie now also offer one-of-a-kind dog boarding, giving clients the choice of daily activities for their dog, an option not available or possible with simple boarding.
They have been a great source for all things involved with Labs, training, care, problem solving, and so on.
Contact them at Gun Club Labs
, or view their websites at www.gunclub-labs.com and www.riverviewboarding.com , or by phone at (970) 645-2654.
Both Paul and Julie train, and we have dogs trained by both of them. They do not raise or sell puppies, or dogs, making them almost unique in the dog world, and giving them an unbiased position to select and work with only the best dogs. They are not afraid to send a dog home that won't make the cut, and we have had that happend ourselves. No one wants an average dog, and I can trust them to sort that out early on in training. We have total trust and faith in them, and have asked that they take our pups we sell to clients also, client willing.
Paul and Julie now also offer one-of-a-kind dog boarding, giving clients the choice of daily activities for their dog, an option not available or possible with simple boarding.
They have been a great source for all things involved with Labs, training, care, problem solving, and so on.
Contact them at Gun Club Labs
, or view their websites at www.gunclub-labs.com and www.riverviewboarding.com , or by phone at (970) 645-2654.
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| Muy Grande Outfitters, Sonora, Mexico |
Sonora, Mexico has some of the greatest hunting in the world, and my friend Sergio with Muy Grande Outfitters has helped me take one of the best collections of desert Mule Deer and Coues deer anyone has. Sergio is the largest outfitter in the Mexican state of Sonora, just south of the border from Arizona. Sergio's main business is dove, quail, and waterfowl hunting, but he also does desert Mule Deer and Coues Deer hunts.
I've hunted with Sergio for years and we've become great friends. Going to Mexico, taking firearms in, and hunting there is a safe, predictable, no-hassle trip with Sergio. I've done it a couple dozen times and never had a problem.
Desert Mule deer are like ghosts: hard to find, hard to shoot, and tough to hit. I love it, and it's my favorite hunt of all the hunting I've done. I've also taken some record book Coues deer with Sergio, and on Mule Deer hunts!
Hunting in Sonora is best in January and February, with the deer hunting starting in December and going into January. The bird shooting is incredible, and that goes on through February. Sonora is the winter grounds for the Pacific flyway waterfowl, as well as an enormous number of dove.
Hunters fly into Hermosillo, Sonora (HMO), and are met there by Sergio's crew, and taken care of throughout their stay. Needless to say, the hunting/shooting is only part of the fun: The great food and cold Mexican beer is a fun part of the hunt too.
You can contact Sergio through me, or directly at Sergio and Muy Grande Outfitters
I've hunted with Sergio for years and we've become great friends. Going to Mexico, taking firearms in, and hunting there is a safe, predictable, no-hassle trip with Sergio. I've done it a couple dozen times and never had a problem.
Desert Mule deer are like ghosts: hard to find, hard to shoot, and tough to hit. I love it, and it's my favorite hunt of all the hunting I've done. I've also taken some record book Coues deer with Sergio, and on Mule Deer hunts!
Hunting in Sonora is best in January and February, with the deer hunting starting in December and going into January. The bird shooting is incredible, and that goes on through February. Sonora is the winter grounds for the Pacific flyway waterfowl, as well as an enormous number of dove.
Hunters fly into Hermosillo, Sonora (HMO), and are met there by Sergio's crew, and taken care of throughout their stay. Needless to say, the hunting/shooting is only part of the fun: The great food and cold Mexican beer is a fun part of the hunt too.
You can contact Sergio through me, or directly at Sergio and Muy Grande Outfitters
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| Art and a Wy elk taken with Cameron Garnick, Triangle C Ranch |
Wyoming Elk Huntingdoesn't get any better than the camps run by our friend Cameron Garnick and the Triangle C Ranch at Dubois, WY. I've hunted for years with Cameron and we have taken a number of our clients on these hunts over the years. Most of my best 6pt bulls were taken with Cameron, in high-country, public land. Cameron runs the best of camps and has guides and staff unusual to hunting. The Triangle C Ranch is a summertime guest ranch, so the knowledge and style Cameron has in handling people is unique to elk hunting. Expect the best of tent camps, safe horses, and guides that leave their 'real lives' each fall to help guide.
Each year we have friends and clients that request to go along on this hunt, and we apply as a group and usually draw license. This is the classic, high country, horseback elk hunt. While these public land hunts don't usualy produce 400B/C bulls, they do exist. The biggest elk I've ever seen while hunting was here, with Cameron, just after I shot the elk pictured above. I like this hunt, and no longer do horseback hunts with anyone else. You can contact us about these elk hunts, or call Cameron direct at 307.455.2225
Each year we have friends and clients that request to go along on this hunt, and we apply as a group and usually draw license. This is the classic, high country, horseback elk hunt. While these public land hunts don't usualy produce 400B/C bulls, they do exist. The biggest elk I've ever seen while hunting was here, with Cameron, just after I shot the elk pictured above. I like this hunt, and no longer do horseback hunts with anyone else. You can contact us about these elk hunts, or call Cameron direct at 307.455.2225
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| Mike Wyatt and First Shot Outfitters, Coleman, TX |
Texas Quail Huntingwith Mike Wyatt and First Shot Outfitters is the best I've seen in 30+ years of quail hunting. All wild birds are expected in Texas, and Mike has ranches with unusual amounts of quail on them. We usually just hunt coveys, and maybe follow up one or two singles so we aren't too hard on the numbers. Frequently I hunt the last days of the long Texas season with Mike, and we still put up 20+ coveys of bobwhites a day, and easily take our limit. Mike has his own lodge to house hunters, and hunts guys in groups of 2-3/guide. This is the real deal, and very hard to find these days.
Mike also does wonderful spring turkey hunts, and whitetail in the fall. We've hunted turkey with him, and Char took a nice tom the first day. All Texas hunting license can just be bought over the counter for non-residents. A non- resident license for everything walking or flying in Texas still costs less than $350! (When I was a kid it was $37.50 for the same non-resident license, that includes tags for multiple deer, turkey, quail, doves, etc.. !!) Mike hunts near Coleman, Texas, and can be reached at 325.280.3676, or call us and we'll put you together with him.
Mike also does wonderful spring turkey hunts, and whitetail in the fall. We've hunted turkey with him, and Char took a nice tom the first day. All Texas hunting license can just be bought over the counter for non-residents. A non- resident license for everything walking or flying in Texas still costs less than $350! (When I was a kid it was $37.50 for the same non-resident license, that includes tags for multiple deer, turkey, quail, doves, etc.. !!) Mike hunts near Coleman, Texas, and can be reached at 325.280.3676, or call us and we'll put you together with him.
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| Superior Ammo, Sturgis, SD |
Superior Ammunition in Sturgis, SD does my rifle ammuniton, and Larry can create handloads for your rifle that easily outshoot factory ammo, including the newest 'factory custom' ammo offered. Rifle ammo, on expensive big game hunts, is not the place to cut corners. It doesn't cost much more to go first class and have the best.
For 30yrs I did my own reloading, and reloaded for others. I shot 2,000 rds a week for years, and loaded more than that. After those hundreds of thousands of rounds or reloading, I had all the equipment, and plenty of experience. Why do I have Superior Ammo load now? Simple, easy answer:
Every hunting trip, for years, would leave me scrambling to get the rifle ready, and load ammo. I was always working on the newest and latest load, so things kept changing. I'd work up a load, but then be out of the powder or bullets, or cases (I will only use new cases on hunts) needed to load the 40 or so rounds I'd need on the hunt. At times it was impossible to quickly obtain the particular powder or bullet, and sometimes impossible. The added stress of going through that every hunt, for several different rifles, animals, situations, simply wore me out and it wasn't enjoyable any more. I went to Larry. Here is what I found out:
While I knew great loads for bullets I had, and powders I chose, I could not possibly have Larry's experience 'per caliber'. In other words, if I bought a new caliber, like my .338 Ultra, I found I could go to Larry and he would have already learned the likes and dislikes of a particular caliber, having most likely already loaded for dozens of customers in that caliber.
Another good example was my .500 Nitro Express double rifle. If you know double rifles, then you know that you have to 'regulate' them, or find the perfect load that makes both barrels shoot the same point at a certain distance. A single grain of powder will move both barrels maybe an inch. I had my .500 close, but could not for the life of me get it together. I went to Larry, met him at the range, and with loading equipment and components with him, he fixed it. He first suggested a different powder, and then was bold enough to work up, a grain at a time, above where I had stopped. Knowing it would work, and had worked in other rifles, he did what I probably wouldn't have done. Every grain moved the barrels together, and I now have a load that shoots 3'' groups at 100yds with open sights, AND is a maximum, shoulder pounding, vision blurring load!! I think about Larry every time that rifle goes up on dangerous game. Here's it's more than dinking with a load and finding an accurate one: here it matters what happens when you pull the trigger.
I switched to Larry and loads are now an email away, and show up by UPS, to my door, always. He keeps all the records for each rifle and load. You can find him at www.superiorammo.com , or email him at superiorammo@iw.net, or phone at 605.347.9192. Tell him Art sent you.
For 30yrs I did my own reloading, and reloaded for others. I shot 2,000 rds a week for years, and loaded more than that. After those hundreds of thousands of rounds or reloading, I had all the equipment, and plenty of experience. Why do I have Superior Ammo load now? Simple, easy answer:
Every hunting trip, for years, would leave me scrambling to get the rifle ready, and load ammo. I was always working on the newest and latest load, so things kept changing. I'd work up a load, but then be out of the powder or bullets, or cases (I will only use new cases on hunts) needed to load the 40 or so rounds I'd need on the hunt. At times it was impossible to quickly obtain the particular powder or bullet, and sometimes impossible. The added stress of going through that every hunt, for several different rifles, animals, situations, simply wore me out and it wasn't enjoyable any more. I went to Larry. Here is what I found out:
While I knew great loads for bullets I had, and powders I chose, I could not possibly have Larry's experience 'per caliber'. In other words, if I bought a new caliber, like my .338 Ultra, I found I could go to Larry and he would have already learned the likes and dislikes of a particular caliber, having most likely already loaded for dozens of customers in that caliber.
Another good example was my .500 Nitro Express double rifle. If you know double rifles, then you know that you have to 'regulate' them, or find the perfect load that makes both barrels shoot the same point at a certain distance. A single grain of powder will move both barrels maybe an inch. I had my .500 close, but could not for the life of me get it together. I went to Larry, met him at the range, and with loading equipment and components with him, he fixed it. He first suggested a different powder, and then was bold enough to work up, a grain at a time, above where I had stopped. Knowing it would work, and had worked in other rifles, he did what I probably wouldn't have done. Every grain moved the barrels together, and I now have a load that shoots 3'' groups at 100yds with open sights, AND is a maximum, shoulder pounding, vision blurring load!! I think about Larry every time that rifle goes up on dangerous game. Here's it's more than dinking with a load and finding an accurate one: here it matters what happens when you pull the trigger.
I switched to Larry and loads are now an email away, and show up by UPS, to my door, always. He keeps all the records for each rifle and load. You can find him at www.superiorammo.com , or email him at superiorammo@iw.net, or phone at 605.347.9192. Tell him Art sent you.
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| Terry Ray's West Lives on Gallery, Jackson, WY |
Terry Ray's West Lives on Gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is the source of all the paintings and sculptures in our lodge. I met Terry years ago in Jackson Hole, and instantly became friends with him. A few years and many pieces of art later I found out he was an avid pheasant hunter and excellent shot. Now we see Terry and Margene here hunting as well as when we're in Wyoming.
Terry is discriminate in the art work he shows in his gallery, chosing the best artist doing wildlife, old west, and landscape art. He knows the artist personally, and we have met many of them over the years ourselves. Nothing makes the 'feel' of a room the way an oil painting or bronze sculpture does. Far from 'pictures' or art prints, Terry sells original, one of a kind art work, all over the world. We continue to collect, with his help and guidance. You'll find Terry and Margene at www.westliveson.com , or 800.883.6080. Many of our clients and friends have stopped to meet him at the gallery in Jackson Hole, across from the Wort Hotel. Stop in and tell him hi, and he'll share great hunting tales with you. If it's the right time of day, he might even take you over to the Wort's Silver Dollar Bar for cocktails!
Terry is discriminate in the art work he shows in his gallery, chosing the best artist doing wildlife, old west, and landscape art. He knows the artist personally, and we have met many of them over the years ourselves. Nothing makes the 'feel' of a room the way an oil painting or bronze sculpture does. Far from 'pictures' or art prints, Terry sells original, one of a kind art work, all over the world. We continue to collect, with his help and guidance. You'll find Terry and Margene at www.westliveson.com , or 800.883.6080. Many of our clients and friends have stopped to meet him at the gallery in Jackson Hole, across from the Wort Hotel. Stop in and tell him hi, and he'll share great hunting tales with you. If it's the right time of day, he might even take you over to the Wort's Silver Dollar Bar for cocktails!