CONFESSIONS OF A WHITETAIL OUTFITTER
It is perhaps most fitting to preface an article on out-of-state deer hunts with a quote from one of the greatest champions of fair-chase, Theodore Roosevelt.
Roosevelt was not only our 26th president, he was one of the first true conservationists, naturalists and the organizer of the Boone and Crockett Club. The American statesman said it best when he said, “It is not often that a man can make opportunities for himself. But he can put himself in such shape that when or if the opportunities come, he is ready.”
Mr. Roosevelt surely wasn’t talking about whitetail-hunting when he said that, but I think it’s safe to assume he would have agreed. After all, making the most of your opportunities is a tenant of our American lifestyle.
I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity to hunt whitetails across North America in my 25 years here at Deer & Deer Hunting. And over the course of those travels, I’ve met dozens of incredible hunters and really impressive guides and outfitters. It has been their wisdom — and their selfless willingness to share it — that has helped me achieve more success than I had ever dreamed possible.
Near the top of that list is my friend Ralph Dampman, a soft-spoken whitetail
