About us
I have been a resident of the great state of Arizona for 20+ years and am an avid hunter. Upland hunting is my passion. Arizona bird hunting all started for me with dove, then gambels, scaled, 'til you hit the top of the upland hierarchy (at least in my humble opinion) the Mearns. After bird hunting afoot on my own for a few years, I started working with dogs, training them, etc. until my hobby had slowly consumed my life. ...And I have never been happier.
The idea for the company started over a conversation with the wife. It was (strongly) suggested that I need to develop a plan for retirement and I should do what I love. Not to try and earn a living, just fill the time and keep me out of her hair. This followed a day of hunting with friends that had used guide services and said they were more successful and had more fun hunting with me and my dogs (their words, not mine). A couple of years later, here we are - LunaRita Outfitters, LLC - and the opportunity to share my passion for upland hunting with others.
LRO started in the 2013-14 hunting season and have had great seasons with plenty of satisfied clients from across the states and internationally. We do a lot of scouting all over southern AZ, Utah, and New Mexico. A great deal of time is spent scouting, If you're willing to put in the boot time, we can all but guarantee to put you on birds. We know all the right spots and our pups are pros at finding and returning the birds to you on demand. Can't guarantee that you can hit 'em............They are wild birds and don't always cooperate with our plans for them.
LROs business practices are founded on understanding that guiding and outfitting is a service industry with heavy ties to the hospitality side. You are our customers and we are providing a service. We ensure that service to be a cut above the rest. We aren't doing you a favor, you are paying us for quality and good customer service. Listening to horror stories from clients around the country about guide services and outfitters helped us build the solid practices LRO operates on. We strive to provide our clients with a quality wild game hunt experience, regardless of quarry sought or experience level.
In 2016 we added Utah grouse to our list of services. We received our Utah Outfitter license and are proud to offer Blue and Ruffed Grouse hunts in central Utah
In 2018, we secured a private property in New Mexico and expanded our services to include upland hunts, limited Antelope, and mule deer landowner tag hunts. We also added Big Game hunts for Coues whitetail, Mule Deer, Elk, and Javelina in Arizona. We brought on guides specifically to lead our big game hunts.
If you are looking for a fun, safe, wild, upland hunt, working over well trained dogs and shouldering up for some flushes, come on out and lets have a great wild hunt experience and make some memories.
If you are looking for a quality big game hunt with some of the hardest working and best guides available, give us a call to set up your guided or fully outfitted hunt
As we have grown and developed relationships with repeat clients, we have also added guides to expand our services. Our guides are screened, trained, and work under contract strictly for LRO under a code of conduct and performance expectations. All are very experienced with well trained dogs. See "The Guides" page for more information on who will be taking you out.
What LRO isn't
LunaRita Outfitters isn't gun or dog snobs. Don't care if you bring an auto loader, pump or a fine break action as long as you hunt safe over the pups. I have a lot of respect for fine guns, well bred/trained dogs, and the sport of upland hunting. I just don't subscribe to some of the stereo-types surrounding the sport. I run "meat dogs", meaning they are strictly hunting dogs. I don't compete them in field trials, I don't belong to any dog clubs. I don't need a trophy or ribbon to know what my dogs can do and am very proud of them. The only people that my dogs need to prove themselves to are me and our clients. What LRO runs are well trained and fantastic hunting companions. LROs dogs are all rescues, adopted, trained, and live in my home.
On the big game side, we don't do canned or high fence hunts. We offer true wild hunting experiences. This requires work on your part. We are going to hike and hunt these animals as it is meant to be done. No UTVs, No feeders. You will earn your take and have a true western wild game hunt with great experienced guides.