Ray brings his operational talents gained through 20 years of managing construction projects throughout the US.

Ray is a native of Dilley and began working on South Texas ranches as a young man. After working on several well-known ranches he left for a career in the construction industry specializing in synthetic turf products.

After you meet Ray, I’m sure you will agree that he’s dedicated to customer satisfaction. Ray oversees the day to day ranch operations including personnel and equipment resources.

Aldo is a native South Texan with over 30 years’ experience working on ranches. He is an experienced turkey and whitetail guide whose specialty is rattling in big whitetail bucks.

Aldo is a superb heavy equipment operator and keeps the ranch infrastructure in fine shape.

Lee Mitchell graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches Texas with a degree in Forestry with an emphasis in Wildlife Management in 1995. From there Lee worked as a Wildlife Biologist for the Department of Defense at Fort Stewart Military Installation where he worked with both non-game and game species for almost a decade. While working full time Lee earned his Master’s Degree in Biology from Georgia Southern University. Additionally, Lee worked as a private lands Bobwhite quail biologist in northern Missouri working with private landowners to enhance their property for many species of wildlife. In 2005 Lee took a position with the US Army Corps of Engineers as the Lead Natural Resource Specialist for the Environmental Stewardship department at Lake Shelbyville in central Illinois. Lee oversees the management of the fisheries, wildlife and forest management on the 34,100-acre flood control project.

In 2011, Lee began working with Ron Horton, Sr. on Wildwood Farms in western Illinois managing for trophy whitetails. In 2012, Ron purchased the original 3,000-acre Great Horizons Ranch in the famed Golden Triangle of South Texas in La Salle County. In 2017, Ron added another 10,000 acres to Great Horizons Ranch! Coupled with Lee’s love for BIG whitetails as well as his passion for habitat management working with Ron has been a dream come true! Lee spends 2 – 3 weeks each year on Great Horizon Ranch working with the team to make it the best it can be!

Bob is one of the most recognized and respected whitetail deer biologists and naturalists in Texas and throughout the country. A certified wildlife biologist, he holds a B.S. in Wildlife Science and a M.S. in Range and Wildlife Management. His management programs have been recognized as some of the most successful in the country. Bob was awarded Texas Conservationist of the Year by the Texas Game Warden’s Association for his work with underprivileged youth hunting activities in 1985. In 1994, Bob was awarded the Game Biologist of the year by the Muy Grande Deer Contest. In 2002, he received the Col. Jimmy Doolittle Award from the Buckmasters American Deer Foundation. In 2011, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society. He also received the Deer Management Career Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to White-Tailed Deer Management in the southeastern United States by the Deer Committee of the Southeastern Section of the Wildlife Society.

Bob is also an official scorer for the Boone and Crockett Club and for Buckmasters Trophy Records, Former Field Editor for the Texas Trophy Hunters Association, White-tailed Deer Editor for Texas Outdoors Journal and Southern Field Editor for Deer and Deer Hunting and professional contributor for Tracks Magazine and huntingnet.com. His 800 plus publications on deer and deer management have been recognized as one of the reasons deer management is what it is in Texas today. His photographic skills have also been widely recognized.

Since 1976, Bob has authored and co-authored over 26 scientifically peer reviewed articles. This includes his master’s thesis which at the time was one of the initial free-ranging white-tailed deer supplemental feed research projects in the state.

In 2008 - 2010 Bob published two books with Krause Publications on white-tailed deer titled Whitetail Advantage and Whitetail Racks.

Over the last 30 years Bob has mentored over 50 undergraduate wildlife management intern students from various universities including Mississippi State University, Texas Tech University, University of Georgia, and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Bob has afforded students the unique opportunity to gain hands-on, practical experience in the day-to-day operations of ranch and wildlife management on ranches he managed throughout the state. Many of Bob’s interns have continued on to successful wildlife management careers with various entities such as private landowners, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Oregon Fish and Game, Arkansas Fish and Game, King Ranch, Burnt Pine Plantation, and many others. Currently Bob continues to provide landowners with responsible, well-educated undergraduate interns from the S.W.T.J.C. wildlife management program.

In-the-Field Experience:

Bob is just as likely to be found conducting aerial game surveys as he would be participating in professional speaking engagements throughout the United States and Mexico.

• 2004 – current: Department Chair of Wildlife management at SWTJC.
• 2004 - Established Zaiglin's Wildlife Resource Management, a consulting firm for discriminating land stewards on 150,000 acres of habitat throughout Texas and Mexico.
• 1983 - 2004 Wildlife/habitat/fisheries/cattle manager on approximately 200,000 acres for an individual landowner, that included landholdings in the south Texas Plains, Trans Pecos, Edwards Plateau, and Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Eco-regions of Texas.
• 1976 Wildlife management consultant for a few select ranches throughout Texas with emphasis on trophy deer management.
• 1979 – 1983 Wildlife/habitat/fisheries manager of approximately 30,000 acres in the Pineywoods eco-region.

Accomplishments:

• 2010 - Co-Authored Second book titled Whitetail Racks with Dr. David Samuel.
• 2010 - Guest Lecturer: Texas Wildlife Short Course hosted by Texas Agrilife, College Station, Texas.
• 2010 - Program speaker: 12Th International Symposium on White-tailed Deer, Monterrey, México.
• 2009 - 2010 - President for Texas Deer Association Region 4.
• 2009 - 2008 - Invited Speaker: ANGADI Wildlife Convention, Nuevo Laredo, México.
• 2008 - 2011 - Member of Board of Directors for Texas Deer Association.
• 2008 -- Co-Authored Whitetail Advantage - Understand Deer Behavior for Hunting Success with Dr. David Samuel.
• 2007 - Featured Speaker: King Ranch Leasee Field Day and Workshop.
• 2007 – Official Measurer, Buckmasters Trophy Records.
• 2006 – Professional Contributor, Huntingnet.com
• 2003 – 2005 – Advisory Board Member: Texas Tech University Department of Range, Wildlife and Fisheries Management.
• 2000 – Present – Wildlife Consultant, Buckmasters American Deer Foundation.
• 2000 – 2004 – Representative for Buckmasters American Deer Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Partners Organization.
• 1999 – Present – Southern Field Editor, Deer and Deer Hunting Magazine.
• 1996 – Board of Advisors, Quality Deer Management Association.
• 1995 – Present – Southeast Deer Study Group Committee.
• 1995 – Lecturer – White-tail University, hosted by North American White-tail Magazine.
• 1993 – Present – White-tail Deer Editor, Texas Outdoor Journal.
• 1989 – Lecturer – North American Deer Foundation.
• 1987-1992 - Advisory Board Member: Texas Tech University Department of Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management.
• 1976 – 2009 – Field Editor, Texas Trophy Hunters Magazine.
• 1987 - Present – Official Scorer, Boone and Crockett Club.
• 1985 – Conservationist of the Year, Texas Game Warden’s Association.

Memberships:

• The Wildlife Society
• The Wildlife Society Southeastern Section
• The Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society
• Texas Wildlife Association
• Outdoor Writers Association of America
• Texas Outdoor Writers Association
• National Rifle Association
• Boone and Crockett Club
• Safari Club International - Life Member

Bob Zaiglin M.S., as a hunter

Bob has taken two whitetails and one stone sheep that qualify for the Boone and Crockett all-time record book. Bob has also successfully harvested black bear, mountain grizzly, mountain caribou, elk, mule deer antelope and other notable species. Bob’s desire to experience true hunting experiences have taken him from Texas to Alaska the Northwest Territories into Mexico, and more recently to Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Zambia.