What is an outfitter?

This article was first published in my email newsletter in April of 2025. I've added it to my website, because I think the information has some long-term value. If you'd like to keep up with the latest hunting information, including my open dates and available hunts, you can subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of this page.

I’m an outfitter, and I’ve noticed — based on the questions I get — that a lot of people don’t know what that means. They’re not clear on what an outfitter is and what an outfitter does. And without that understanding, it can be hard for you to evaluate and choose the right outfitter for a hunt.

So I’m going to try to explain all that.

At the simplest level, an outfitter is a ‘project manager’ for your hunt. Your outfitter puts everything together — the right ranch, the food, the accommodations, transportation around the ranch, expert help on finding and stalking your game, shooting advice, and even assistance in getting your animal processed and delivered to a taxidermist.

Basically, with a good outfitter, you just need to show up with your gear, and your outfitter will take care of everything from there.

Let’s talk about some of the key things that your outfitter will do for you.

I'LL PUT YOU TOGETHER WITH THE RIGHT RANCH

I often get asked where ‘my ranch’ is located.

But that’s a key difference between a ranch owner and an outfitter. I don’t own a ranch at all. Instead, I’ve got a portfolio of a million acres of ranches. I’ve got half a million acres all across West Texas, the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, and the Texas Hill Country; and I’ve got another half million acres in Mexico.

That means I can pick the best ranch for your hunt, whatever it might be. I’m not restricted to a single ranch. I’ll take you where you’ll get the best results.

In fact, I think one of the most important things I do as an outfitter is to put you together with the right ranch for your hunt.

So that’s something you need to know about your outfitter: What’s your outfitter’s portfolio of ranches? How many acres? Where? High fence, low fence, or free range?

And you want to be sure that the ranch you’re going to hunt is well-managed to ensure that you get good shot opportunities and that you’ll find the trophy you’re looking for.

When I was getting started as an outfitter, I assumed that the toughest part of the business would be getting clientele. I was completely wrong. Getting clients, it turned out, was fairly easy. The tough part was assembling my portfolio of ranches.

I’ve always had high standards for the ranches I hunt. I want land that physically provides a good hunting experience. I want a healthy population of game animals that’s native to the ranch (not purchased elsewhere and released on the ranch). I want exclusive access for my hunters. And I want to see eye-to-eye with the ranch owner and manager on hunting practices that keep producing top-quality trophies and don’t stress the population with over-hunting.

It takes time to build a portfolio like that, but I’ve been doing it for twenty years now, and I keep at it. In fact, I just added a new ranch in South Texas to my collection, specifically because I wanted a good ranch for nilgai hunts.

I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET A GREAT HUNT

Once you’re on the ranch, your outfitter becomes your guide and your advisor. There’s a few parts to that.

First — and this is key — your outfitter should know the ranch you’re hunting and know where to find the game.

In my case, I’ve been hunting most of my ranches for more than a decade, many of them for fifteen to twenty years. I know those ranches, and I know the game population on those ranches. I’m also in regular contact with the ranch owners and managers, and they keep me up-to-date on conditions. That real-time ‘boots on the ground’ knowledge is really useful, and my long-term relationship with those folks can’t be beat.

Second, I’m a teacher and an advisor.

I get hunters with all levels of skills and experience. Some will benefit from a lot of guidance, others just need a tip now and then. But that’s my job. I hunt more than 250 days a year, and I’ve hunted each of my ranches probably hundreds of times. So I bring a lot of knowledge to my job, and I like to share it. I love it when my hunters walk away at the end of our hunt with some new bit of knowledge or an improved technique.

My specialty, by the way, is what I call a ‘real’ hunting experience. Don’t get me wrong: If, for health or other reasons, you want a less rigorous hunt, I can put that together for you. But for the most part, my hunts are ‘fair chase’ hunts that will give you the opportunity to make use of your skills.

I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE DETAILS

Your outfitter should also take care of all the details for you. Here are some examples.

I’ll get your accommodations ready; I’ll have food and drink stocked; I’ll have cooks to prepare food.

Getting a license in Texas is pretty easy, but if you need help, I can help you.

When you bring down your animal, I’ll take care of it. In a lot of cases, the ranch will have a walk in cooler where we can store it until it’s ready for transporting to a processor. Where that isn’t available, my people will skin and quarter it on the spot.

I can also help you get your animal to a processor or taxidermist. I’ve got relationships with some good ones.

And here’s a small detail that you may not appreciate until later: When you bring down your trophy, I’ll get photos for you. I take that seriously, which you’ll see if you check out the photos on my website or social media accounts. My thinking is this: Once that trophy heads off for processing, it could be a year before you see it again. In the meantime, what kind of stories can you tell back home if you don’t have good photos?

If you need it, I can even supply a rifle.

When we book and plan your hunt, we can discuss all this and make sure we cover everything that you need.

I'LL WATCH OUT FOR YOUR SAFETY

If you’re an experienced hunter, you know how important it is to consider safety, and that’s something I take seriously. My number one priority as an outfitter is to make sure you get home ok.

I carry battlefield-style first aid kits, and I’m personally certified to use them (I’ve got Tactical Combat Casualty Care certification). I also carry a satellite phone, so that — no matter where we are — I can call in emergency assistance if it’s ever needed.

Look, in all my twenty years, I’ve never had to use that gear (or that training) in an emergency, but it should make both of us feel better to know that it’s available.

On a less theoretical level, my hunts always start with a safety meeting. I know most of my hunters already practice safe hunting and safe handling of their firearms, but I want to make sure we’re all on the same page and that we all agree on a set of practices that will keep all of us safe.

HOW SHOULD YOU CHOOSE AN OUTFITTER?

So that’s a basic outline of what an outfitter does. Now, how should you choose one?

First, the bad news.

In general, I’m not a big fan of regulation, but this is one area where I wish we had some. There’s no regulation of outfitters in Texas. Want to be an outfitter? Just hang out your shingle. There’s no outfitters association that lays out qualifications. There’s no agency that takes complaints. Unlike in Africa, there’s no intensive education requirement to become a ‘professional hunter’.

As a result, it’s up to you to look closely at your outfitter and make a careful choice. Here are some things to consider.

Experience: Your best bet is always to choose an outfitter with many years of experience. Of course, everybody is a newbie at one point in their career, but you don’t necessarily want to be the test dummy for that beginner.

Ranch portfolio: A good outfitter will have a wide selection of ranches. At a minimum, he’ll have a ranch that’s a perfect match for your specific hunt. A ‘perfect match’ includes the physical characteristics of the ranch (size, fencing, location), the quality of the game population, and your exclusivity during your hunt.

Referrals: I’m not crazy about online reviews (even though my own are really good), because you don’t know anything about the reviewer. But it means a lot if you can talk to some people who have hunted with your outfitter and can tell you about the experience.

Responsiveness: Talk to your outfitter on the phone. Is he knowledgeable? Does he give you straight answers to your questions, including when the answer is negative? Does he explain things well? Do you feel comfortable enough with him to spend several days hunting together?

It also doesn’t hurt to check out your outfitter’s online presence. Social media posts give you some idea of what kind of results he’s getting, and the professionalism and thoroughness of your outfitter’s website is a good indication of how seriously he takes what he’s doing.

BOTTOM LINE

Your outfitter will make or break your hunting experience, by putting you on the right ranch, guiding you to the best shot opportunities, and making all the details of your hunt run smoothly. If you understand what an outfitter does, you’ll be in a better position to evaluate and choose one.