A Hunter's Quest

At first light, we glassed more than 100 wild pigs spread across the rolling hills of Central California. What followed was fast-paced action that ended with two tremendous old boars and another unforgettable morning in the place where my hunting journey began.

Long before I traveled the world in pursuit of wildlife, I was chasing wild boar through these hills. Decades later, nothing gets my heart racing quite like matching wits with a big, old boar. 🐗

This ranch is also a perfect example of something I’ve believed for years: when wildlife has value, it is protected. Hunting gives ranchers an incentive to share their limited grazing land with wildlife alongside their cattle, creating a future where both can thrive.

This hunt was even more meaningful because it was with Blaine of Carrisa Plains Outfitters (Carissa Plains Outfitters). His father was a close friend and someone I shared many unforgettable hunts with. Watching Blaine carry on that legacy with the same passion, integrity, and respect for the land is something I know would make his dad proud. He’s doing an incredible job, and the future of Carissa Plains Outfitters is in great hands.

Some of my greatest hunting adventures have taken me to the farthest corners of the world. Yet these rolling hills of Central California will always have a special place in my heart. They’re where it all began... and every time I return in search of another old boar, it feels like coming home.

For generations, the fishing villages along Zimbabwe’s 🇿🇼 Chara River have depended on these waters to feed their families. But every so often, an old crocodile grows large enough-and bold enough—to turn a lifeline into a place of fear. This 14-foot-plus Nile crocodile 🐊 had been terrorizing local fishermen for quite some time, making every trip onto the river a dangerous gamble.

While in Zimbabwe on a leopard hunt, we were called in to hunt this notorious problem crocodile. For nearly a week, traditional baiting failed. Smaller crocodiles came to the bait during daylight, but this old giant never made a mistake. Knowing we had to outsmart him, we moved both the bait and our shooting position nearly 200 yards away. The change finally worked.
When the old bull committed, two well-placed shots ended the reign of one of the river’s most formidabie predators.

Human-wildlife conflict is a reality across much of wild Africa. As predators lose their fear of people or begin targeting areas where communities depend on natural resources, difficult management decisions sometimes become necessary. When conducted legally, ethically, and under government authorization, regulated hunting can be an important wildlife management tool—not only for conserving healthy populations, but also for protecting the people who live alongside them. Apex predators, like all wildlife, require responsible management to maintain a healthy balance between people and nature.

‼️We documented this incredible adventure from start to finish for A Hunter’s Quest. If you’d like to experience the full story of tracking and hunting this massive problem crocodile in the wilds of Zimbabwe, head over to my YouTube channel and watch the complete episode. It’s an unforgettable look at one of Africa’s greatest apex predators and the realities of conservation on the front lines.

Some trophies tell a story far beyond the inches of bone.

This remarkable old free-range axis buck from the island of Maui was one of the most unique deer I’ve ever had the privilege to hunt. His heavy antlers were extraordinary, but what truly set him apart was a brow tine stretching more than 20 inches—an incredibly rare feature that made him a once-in-a-lifetime trophy.

As special as this buck was, what makes him priceless to me is the person I shared the adventure with.

For more than two decades, I was fortunate to hunt Hawaii alongside my dear friend Pat Fisher of Hawaii Safaris. Together we pursued every huntable species the islands have to offer, and Pat played a tremendous role in my early years as a hunter. There was no one I enjoyed sharing camp, the mountains, and the adventure with more. His passing left a void that can never truly be filled.

Every time I see the mount of this incredible buck, I’m reminded that the greatest trophies are not measured in inches, but in the memories, friendships, and adventures behind them. This old warrior will always bring me back to the countless hunts Pat and I shared together.

Originally native to the Indian subcontinent, axis deer have declined in parts of their native range because of habitat loss and other pressures. In places where they are carefully managed—such as Hawaii and Texas-they have flourished. Their success is another example that when wildlife has value through responsible, regulated hunting, people protect habitat, invest in conservation, and healthy populations thrive.

And as anyone who’s had the opportunity to enjoy it knows, axis deer is among the finest wild game meat in the world.

Great animals leave memories. Great friends leave legacies.

This old Blanford urial represents far more to me than a trophy. 🐏

Many years ago, I spent two unforgettable weeks in the remote mountains and deserts of southern Balochistan, Pakistan. It was a land of endless ridges, unforgiving climbs, and breathtaking beauty. Every day tested us, but that’s exactly what made it so rewarding.

What I remember most, however, are the people. Three local guides from nearby villages knew those mountains better than anyone. Together, we climbed, glassed, and shared an adventure that proved we didn’t need a common language to work toward a common goal. Looking back, it’s those friendships and experiences—not just the hunt-that have stayed with me.

They are why hunting has enriched my life in ways I never imagined. Pakistan 🇵🇰 remains one of my favorite hunting destinations anywhere in the world.

This hunt also reminds me of one of conservation’s greatest success stories.

Pakistan stands as one of the finest examples anywhere that when wildlife has value, wildlife is protected. This old Blanford urial is a reminder that the greatest rewards of hunting are the people, the wild places, and the conservation successes that make experiences like this possible.

One of North America’s ultimate predators. One unforgettable adventure. 🐻

Years ago, outside of Juneau, Alaska, I spent eight days covering countless miles by boat and skiff, glassing shorelines and navigating unpredictable weather in one of the last truly wild places on Earth. On the final days, we found this old coastal brown bear tucked into an isolated pocket of shoreline.

A careful stalk to keep the wind in our favor gave me one opportunity at 250 yards with my .375 H&H. The shot was true, but the follow-up into the dark timber was every bit as intense as you’d expect with a mature brown bear. Thankfully, the first shot had done its job.

Alaska’s thriving brown bear population is a testament to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation-where science-based management, regulated hunting, and hunter-funded conservation have created one of the greatest wildlife success stories in the world.

When wildlife has value, it is protected.
That’s not just a slogan-it’s why incredible animals like this old boar continue to thrive for future generations

‼️See full bear hunts on our YouTube channel A Hunter’s Quest

Deep in the wilds of the Central African Republic, I followed the spoor of this tremendous old Central African savannah buffalo 🐃 from sunrise until the final hours of daylight. A solitary old bull, wise from years of surviving predators, poachers, and the unforgiving African bush, he finally gave us one opportunity in a dense thicket. When the wind betrayed us, there was no time to waste.
A frontal shot through a narrow opening was followed by two quick finishing shots before this old warrior finally fell.

CAR remains one of the most unforgettable places I’ve ever hunted. Even amid civil war and relentless poaching that devastated elephant populations, regulated hunting created one of the few economic incentives to protect wildlife and preserve vast wilderness areas. It was far from perfect, but where wildlife has value, wildlife has a future.

Nothing from this buffalo was wasted. The meat fed the local community and our camp staff, turning one old bull into a meaningful source of food and support.

This is exactly why I started Hunter’s Quest—to share the truth that conservation is far more complex than slogans. Across much of Africa, legal, regulated hunting has been one of the most effective tools for funding wildlife, protecting habitat, supporting local communities, and giving wild animals a reason to be worth more alive than lost to poaching.

The Central African Republic may be closed to hunting today, but I’m grateful I had the chance to experience one of Africa’s last truly wild frontiers and one of its toughest buffalo.

A look back nearly 20 years...

Forty to fifty below zero. Endless Arctic ice. Nearly two weeks traveling with Inuit guides across one of the harshest environments on Earth. This was one of the most physically and mentally demanding hunts I’ve ever experienced.
Every day tested my resolve, and it wasn’t until the final day of my extension that everything finally came together.

But as unforgettable as the hunt was, the greatest lesson came from the people who call the Arctic home.

The Inuit have lived alongside polar bears for thousands of years. They understand these animals better than anyone, and their future is directly tied to the future of the bears. Through a strictly limited, science-based quota system, only a handful of tags are allocated to each community. The revenue from just two or three hunters can provide income that helps support an entire village for much of the year.

THAT IS CONSERVATION

When polar bears have value to the people who live with them every day, they are protected. Habitat is protected. Poaching is discouraged. Local people become the strongest advocates for maintaining healthy bear populations
because their livelihoods depend on it.

Unfortunately, politics often ignores
this reality. For nearly two decades, Americans have been prohibited from importing legally harvested Canadian polar bears, even when the hunts were conducted under regulated quotas approved by Canadian wildlife managers. While the hunt itself remains legal in many areas of Canada, removing the ability to import a trophy also removed a major source of conservation revenue for Inuit communities-communities that have done more than almost anyone to safeguard polar bears across the Arctic.

Conservation succeeds when local people benefit from living with wildlife-not when decisions are made thousands of miles away without providing viable alternatives.

I will always be grateful for the opportunity to experience the Arctic with the Inuit people, whose knowledge, toughness, and respect for the land left a lasting impression on me.

Over 1 million views 👀

When I started A Hunter’s Quest, I had one goal: to share the truth that hunting is one of the world’s most valuable tools of conservation. Reaching more than a million people with that message isn’t just exciting—it’s proof that people are willing to listen when they’re shown the full story.

This 16-foot Nile crocodile, taken on the Kwando River in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, was an old dominant male responsible for repeated human-wildlife conflict around local fishing villages. Standing nearly three times the height of three grown men, it was an incredible animal and a reminder that conservation is rarely simple. Sometimes protecting both wildlife and people requires difficult, carefully managed decisions.

Namibia continues to set the standard for how sustainable hunting can fund conservation, protect habitat, create value for wildlife, and help local communities live alongside dangerous game. When wildlife has value, wildlife is protected.

If you haven’t seen it yet, watch the complete documentary on our YouTube channel, A Hunter’s Quest: “The Kwando River Monster.” It’s the story of an unforgettable hunt for a once-in-a-lifetime crocodile-but more importantly, it’s the story of why hunting and conservation will
always go hand in hand.

The truth is worth sharing.

This was my first lion, taken after 30 unforgettable days in Tanzania. What started as a 21-day hunt turned into a once-in-a-lifetime adventure after I called my wife to ask if I could stay longer. Without her support, this moment never would have happened.

The people who believe in your dreams are often the reason those dreams become reality. I'm forever grateful for a wife who has always encouraged me to chase my passion, and thankful that those adventures have also allowed me to share the message that hunting, when done responsibly, is one of conservation's most valuable tools.

Thanks Lone Star Outdoors Show for the great conversation

Free range old male lion taken by our friend Matt Ward of A Hunter's Quest. He had to call the boss lady (wife) to extend his hunt for another 10 days after coming up empty for 3 weeks straight.

You can hear more about Matt's global hunting adventures and his passion for big game conservation on our recent podcast.