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Customer Testimonials

I have had the pleasure of hunting with Vaquero Outfitters on several different occasions for a number of species including elk, mule deer, and antelope. Each hunt has been handled in the most professional manner possible. The quality of the guides as well as the areas, both private and public, have been tremendous.

Sometimes, paying a landowner's fee to have exclusive rights to hunt for a particular species without interference from other hunters can make all the difference in success when you have drawn a once in a decade tag. Great tags get harder to draw everyday. Vaquero Outfitters has arrangements with some of the very best private ranches. I highly recommend using their services the next time you draw a great tag!

- Jack Brittingham

If your looking for a true trophy, you have to find an outfitter that is serious about making your goals become reality. Chad and Shawn Smith of Vaquero Outfitters are in business to do just that. With private ranches and knowledge of the honey holes in the public areas, Vaqueros guides are animals when it comes to scouting and helping their clients put big critters in the back of the truck. When I get trophy tags, I pick up the phone and call Vaquero.

- Michael Waddell
Realtree Roadtrips/Bone Collector

Chad Smith, Vaquero Outfitters, is among the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic big game hunters and outfitters in Arizona, possibly the whole country. A tall claim, no doubt, but it's backed by the number of world class trophies Chad's clients have claimed over the years, including 90+ pronghorn, 200+ typical mule deer, 240+ non-typical deer, 400+ elk and a Sonoran mule deer that busted SCI records handily. The point to be made is that trophies like those, and a gaggle of lesser animals that most hunters could spend a lifetime in the pursuit of, are Chad's stock and trade. The key to his success, if I might boil it down, is his intimate knowledge of trophy class big game and the willingness to do whatever it might take to get the hunter in the right place at the right time, even if it means packing them on his back – which he did once. Of course, it probably helps that Chad was born and reared in central Arizona and knows as much about judging trophy animals as he does in hunting them. This is not to ignore the guides, mostly local men who have lived and worked on some of the best big game land in the entire United States. They are, without a doubt, some of the best in the business, and I've hunted with enough outfitters and professional hunters in North America and Africa to know when folks are just filling space in the saddle.

- Dave Scovill
Editor in Chief Wolfe Publishing Co.
Handloader, Rifle, Successful Hunter

Chad, I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to hunt your property for elk this past September. I've had 20 good to great elk tags over the last 18 years and have killed some really nice bulls but my goal of taking a 400" bull with my bow always seemed to elude me until I hunted with your outfit. It's very rare to find a place where after harvesting a 405" bull you can still say "Yes, but you should have seen the bigger one that got away!".

Oh well, maybe we'll get him next year!

Good hunting,
- Rusty Ulmer

For the last 5-years my father and I have done a considerable amount of hunting with Vaquero Outfitters. During that time, we have harvested multiple species of exceptional trophy quality. Chad and Shawn Smith have earned a reputation for quality that encompasses all facets of their outfitting business. At Vaquero Outfitters, hunting is not only their passion but it’s their profession.

- Jason Gisi

Assessing an outfitter and his staff is usually pretty easy, particularly when you have harvested a magnificent trophy that will last with you for your lifetime. Accolades abound when the photos are being taken and stories about that successful hunt begin around a campfire. I however offer a different perspective. As painful as it is to write, I am not one of those happy souls that has a trophy of a lifetime. I will be haunted forever by the images of spent shell casings, long hours and a disappointed staff that tried its hardest to help me be successful.

Chad Smith (Vaquero Outfitters) was the most highly recommended outfitter when I was drawn for that once in a lifetime deer hunt on the Arizona Strip. The location of the camp was over 50 miles south of known Utah civilization so luxury was not part of the equation. The camp however was extremely well run. The food was plentiful, hot and after any day in the field tasted damn good. The staff did everything in their power to make the hunters feel welcomed. Chad does not overbook and he had almost 2 guides for every hunter.

Would I recommend Chad and Vaquero Outfitters again?….. absolutely. Would I prepare differently for this once in a lifetime hunt?......Well, let’s put it this way. Chad and his guides put me in front of at least three Boone & Crockett animals in a 7 day period. There were also several other deer that could have been harvested, but I chose to hold off. Missing animals because you haven’t practiced at long range or from shooting sticks can never be blamed on the guide or outfitter and I will not do that now. Vaquero Outfitters knows their business and I cannot think of a better group to try and hire for that once in a lifetime opportunity.

- J. Koleszar

I had the privilege of hunting with Vaquero Outfitters and I was really impressed! Great guides, food and attitude! Oh yeah, the hunt was awesome as well!

- David Blanton
Realtree

During my deer hunt in Mexico with Vaquero Outfitters, I got to witness firsthand highly specialized glassing strategies that all but ensure Vaquero clients will get an opportunity at the very best trophy animals an area has to offer. Our guides were equipped with the most high-tech long-range optics currently available, and all of them proved highly skilled in using those optics. What really stood out, though, was their dedication to devoting hour upon hour, day after day to glassing every inch of the ranch. If an animal moved they knew about it, and because the guides had arrived a few days before my partner and I got there, they had identified several—and probably every last one—of the bucks we would consider shooters. In my experience, this combination of focus, effort and talent gives hunters in big, wide-open country their very best chance for success. While it may not be unheard-of for an outfitter to do some pre-hunt scouting, these fellows did far more than the norm.

Moreover, Chad Smith and his Vaquero guides demonstrated expertise in understanding deer behavior, in executing stalks, and in giving us the advice we needed to make long-range shots. I also appreciated their willingness to be flexible in pursuing tactics other than the long-range spot-and-stalk that is their obvious specialty. Best of all these folks are great company and are very helpful to clients who ask a lot of questions and want to take a lot of pictures. Our hunt was conducted in an ethical, safe manner, and the amount of energy expended by the Vaquero was very impressive and much appreciated. In an effort to maximize my trophy chances, Chad arranged to move me to a second ranch even though he was in no way obligated to do so.

Attention to every last detail on our hunt was top rate. All the groundwork had been done to make clearing our firearms into Mexico a routine procedure. Our lodging was very clean and comfortable—the best I have experienced in five hunts in Mexico—and the food was gourmet quality. Especially high marks go to all the people involved, to Chad himself for tending to all the many arrangements, to our guides, to our point of contact at the Hermosillo airport, and to the cook and camp staff. Other times in Mexico I have felt a bit on edge because of the language barrier and various other uncertainties. This time felt more like a comfortable hunting trip with friends.

- John Zent
Editorial Director, NRA Publications

Recently, I drew a very coveted permit to hunt mule deer on the famous Arizona strip. Without hesitation I knew who I wanted for an outfitter, that being Chad Smith of Vaquero Outfitters. I have hunted with Chad before and I consider him one of the finest and most competent outfitters in the business. He totally knows his business and that knowledge is passed on to his staff who are also totally dedicated to helping you find the animal your after. Hunting is most often good hard work and my last hunt with him was no exception.

Chad and his staff had scouted the area and knew there were several good trophy bucks in the unit. Persistence and staying with it, will so often pay off for a dedicated hunter and his guide. We had stayed at it and finally on the evening of day 7 of a 10 day hunt I got my opportunity at a trophy buck. Chad Smith knows his game and represents the finest in outfitting and is committed to making your hunt not only a successful one but also just a great hunting experience. He and his staff are good people and fun to be with and you will finish up your hunt with some new friends.

- Buck Pope
Outdoor Writer

I recently had the privilage of hunting the Arizona strip with Chad Smith and his guides. I was one of the few archers drawn for the "first-time" archery hunt for huge mule deer. The strip is legendary for it's monster deer. Vaquero Outfitters did an exceptional job showing me some great bucks. Their knowledge of the area combined with great equipment and years of experience help me take a buck of a lifetime. Chad had actually watched the big non-typical for nearly 4 years. I not only brought home a tremendous trophy, but I also left the strip knowing I had made some great friends. It truly was a remarkable experience. Vaquero Outfitters use top quality optics and equipment and have the reputation of putting their clients on the big ones! Good hunting!

- John May
Tucson, AZ

Thanks for the great late November Elk hunt in 2007 on unit 10. You and your staff were extremely friendly and made every effort to make my hunt an experience to remember. The late hunt was challenging as you stated but my guide made every effort to make my hunt a success. He put me on numerous bulls every day and I was able to pass on a number of nice 6 point bulls looking for the bruiser the unit is known for. I ended up taking a great 6x7 bull on the second to the last day of the hunt. Thanks Vaquero Outfitters!

- Mark Becker, Purchasing Director
Richmond American Homes of Utah

Our hunting group, which consists of family and friends all of which you now know, has been very fortunate to have been able to hunt some of the finest venues North America has to offer. Since our first hunt with your team many years ago our perspective and expectations have changed as it pertains to a hunting experience. Although we believed we were hunting some incredible areas, and we were, the opportunities that have been afforded us by your group are unparallel. The investment of time that you have put into securing private Ranches and facilities for true hunting enthusiasts is more than obvious and is a glaring example of the kind of operation and service you provide today. We have now been involved with you on Brown Bear, Black Bear, Elk, Deer, Lion and Bighorn Sheep hunts and we can all say with absolute certainty that we were given the best opportunity we have ever had to consistently take a trophy animal. The quality of the game is of the utmost importance; however you have managed to put a very powerful team together from the highly organized camp site prep people along with expert food prep personnel to the highly skilled and always highly prepared and area knowledgably guides. We are very happy and proud to be clients of yours and look forward to the next hunt….Keep up the great work.

- Bub Bowen CEO N'GENUITY
Bo Jackson NFL and MLB Hall Of Famer

I have hunted with Vaquero Outfitters in the U.S. and Mexico. They run a great camp with both knowegable and capable guides who know their area and can field judge as good as anybody. I have had several friends hunt with them with great sucess and many have rebooked. We are sending our production manager to hunt elk with Vaquero this year and I know he will be well taken care of. The camps I have been in are top notch and I don't have any reservations recommending them.

- Randy Brooks
President Barnes Bullets

I have been hunting with Vaquero Outfitters for four years. They have helped me harvest several trophies including a 41 1/2 inch wide, 268 inch monster Mule Deer. If you are hunting Arizona or Mexico this is the outfitter to go with. You can be guaranteed if you book with him that you will get a professional and extremely knowledgeable guide, and that he will put forth the maximum effort to get you the trophy of a lifetime. Your hunt will be an unforgettable experience from start to finish. I look forward to many more years of hunting trophies with Vaquero Outfitters.

- Pax Prentiss

I want to say how much I enjoyed my hunt with you and your crew of topnotch people! I have hunted elk all over the west, and taken a few great bulls but nothing like the 410 gross bull that I harvested with your outfit! The camp was run great, your cook was first class and the it was a pleasure to be around you and your crew. My guide knew the area intimately, and his kownledge of the terrian helped make the stalk and retrieval of my bull alot easier. Thank you agian for a GREAT HUNT.

- Chris Lacey