OUTWEST GUIDES IS FEATURED IN SHOOTING SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE
Editor Ralph Stuart pens 6-page feature article on high-country Colorado blue grouse hunting
 The best way to network in the outdoor hunting and fishing world is to go to the SHOT show in Las Vegas. Hosted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the SHOT show (Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Traditions) is where Colorado outfitter, writer, and photographer Gary Hubbell got the opportunity to meet Ralph Stuart, editor in chief of Shooting Sportsman magazine.
Known as perhaps the premiere magazine for high-end shotgun hunters and enthusiasts, Shooting Sportsman has a circulation of over 46,000 dedicated wingshooters who each own, on average, at least four double shotguns. These are the kind of guys and gals who are very, very serious about fine shotguns, great hunting dogs, interesting adventures, and upland bird hunting.
“My goal was to get some more articles and photographs published in the magazine,” Gary said, “but Ralph wanted to talk about mule deer hunting and blue grouse hunting.” You always want what you don’t have. “We struck up a friendship, and Ralph mentioned that he’d always wanted to go after a big mule deer buck. I told him that he’d find plenty of blue grouse while he was stalking around in our mountains, and that piqued his curiosity. One thing led to another, and Ralph ended up joining us for a blue grouse hunt last fall.”
To round out the party, Gary invited his friends from South Dakota who had hosted him for a pheasant hunt in 2004, dog trainer John Luttrell of Oak Tree Kennels in Clark, South Dakota, and John’s assistant, Brad Vail. “It ended up being a great group,” Gary remembered. “Our dear friend and steady wrangler, Dan Brumbaugh, helped us with the hunt, and we had a ball. Everybody got along great, the mood was relaxed, and we found some birds.”
“Ralph understood the spirit of blue grouse hunting,” Gary recalled. “He portrayed it for what it is—a challenging, physical hunt where you might get a couple of birds, you might not. It’s not a released-bird pheasant shoot or a dove shoot in Argentina where you shoot piles of birds. You work for every bird you get, but the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction is tremendous. It’s truly a unique experience to be hunting a challenging game bird on horseback at 11,000 feet, in God’s most beautiful surroundings.”
The result was a gorgeous 6-page article in the March/April, 2006, issue of Shooting Sportsman. “I thought Ralph did a very nice job with the article,” Gary said. “It flows nicely, it was accurately reported, and it reflects how much fun we had! It’s an honor to get such great coverage in such a well-respected magazine.” There was another bonus, as well, Gary added. “I brought my camera along just to pop off a few shots, nothing serious. Ralph called me up and asked me to submit some photos from our hunt, and four of them ended up making it into the article. My wife checked the mail one day and asked why we had gotten a check from Down East Enterprises. That was a nice surprise!”
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