We had a great time last weekend hunting turkeys and visiting with all of you! It was great to have some time with Harrison. He is getting away from me too fast. Craig and I need to see more of each other too. I looked at the pictures; they are very good. I can not believe he put the oil pipe pictures on the website(haha). You have a great family environment. I hope to come back to Texas sometime in the future. I need to bring all of my boys out. Tell Colt "Hello and Thanks" for me and Harrison. - Lee Thompson, AL

Great time Jim. Thanks for everything you and Melony did for us. Great food, great turkeys, wonderful family experience. - Craig Lariscy, FL

Thank you so much for the wonderful experience! My family and I had a blast. The food was fantastic and I loved the land and wildlife. I hope to come back soon. Everyone was really nice and it was a great adventure! - Bailey Lariscy, FL

This was my first turkey hunt with Magnum and I can promise it won't be the last. Plans are already being made for next year. Jim & Melony were wonderful hosts. The guides Rick & Glen were knowledgeable and the accommodations were second to none. Melony & Sandy tried to fatten everyone up, the food was great. I would highly recommend Magnum to anyone. Thanks for everything! - Tim Rutherford, MS

I seldom write thank you letters unless my wife makes me, but I was motivated to reach out to you both and thank you for such a great time. I had no understanding of how the guide service business worked, and was very pleasantly surprised by the operation you have put together. The house was clean and spotless, which is a foreign concept to most hunters. And the planning of the hunts was all worked out. It made it very easy to let go and follow your lead. My kids are so tired of being lectured by me, it was good for them to spend time with a group and see the example of faith, family, and ethics ya'll provide. It is also good for them to see new people that they respect who are guided by the same moral compass. I will have to admit, I am a little miffed at Melony for feeding me too much. I will be billing you for the tailor to let out the waistline on my pants! We are coming back next year for sure, and Thomas wants to make sure Miss Melony will be there too. Proof that the way to a man's heart is thru his stomach. Ryan wants a 'turkey gun' for his birthday, and it seems he just might get it! Thomas wants to be like Colt and be a professional guide when he grows up. I guess the muddy bird did not taint his respect for Colt! It was a great experience. Father son weekends are priceless, and this was one of the best. I will have to say, the 'Call and stalk ' was some of the funnest hunting I had ever done. For Ryan to be there when that Gobbler was all around us was an experience most ten year olds will never have! He can't wait to do it again. Next time with a Camo ten gauge and 3 1/2 shells! West Texas safari will happen sometime, we will be coming back for turkey and possibly deer as well. So I hope you can tolerate us, because we intend to come back. Thank you again for such a great time. We are truly blessed! - Lewis, Thomas & Ryan Talbert, TX

Our sincere thanks to everyone at Magnum for yet another outstanding hunting adventure. Once again we have returned home with a truckload of pleasant memories that we can recall with joy over the years to come. And of course, those four big Rio Grande turkey gobblers in the freezer will only add additional flavor to those recollections! It is not at all uncommon in today's world for highly successful businesses to become somewhat complacent in their level of performance over time and start a slide into mediocrity when they have lost track of what made them such a success in the first place. We have been clients of Magnum for many, many years, sometimes with several hunts per year and have never noted even the slightest reduction in the efforts of your staff to provide the best overall hunting experience that is within their ability to provide. It is usually hard for any enterprise to keep up such a high level of performance for so long, but apparently not for Magnum Guide Service! Our just finished turkey hunt is yet another example. Our little core group of hunters have been coming to this session for so many years it almost feels like an annual "family reunion" and you and your staff provide the atmosphere that makes that possible. There is something we have mentioned before, but it is worth repeating. We often hear horror stories about outfitters from others at hunt camps. On this hunt, one of the first-time Magnum hunters told us about his four previous high-dollar turkey hunts at what he called "big-name hunting operations" where he not only didn't harvest a single bird but felt he got ripped-off each time due to lousy service and accommodations. We understand he has already booked next year's hunt again with you. We have NEVER heard anything bad like that anywhere about Magnum. Well done and thanks again to you all. - Bob & Sally Lowder, NM

I can hardly believe that this was my thirteenth turkey hunt with Magnum Guide Service! Yep, 12 years and 13 hunts! Once more it was very successful and culminated with me getting my largest gobbler yet with 1 ½” spurs, what a dandy!! It is always a pleasure to come down and hunt with you and your employees. The guides are great and Rick and I had a fine old time. The ranch is beautiful and the food good. I now have 23 gobblers out of a possible 26 from those 13 hunts. I say that is quite some average. I would never think of hunting Texas with anyone else. I look forward to more good times! In the meantime, be well! - Dan Flynn, PA

I just wanted to tell you thanks for the hospitality you have shown us while we are at Magnum. We had a great time this year. I think it was the best one yet! I know Larry and Mo had a good time too. Mo was “giddy” all the way home. He broke out of his slump in a big way this year. Larry scored here opening week so he has tallied 3 birds this year. He wants me to do a fan and beard mount on one of his rio’s and his eastern. Mickey and I didn’t care if we got birds or not. We wanted Larry and Mo to get theirs. We got to take home 7 birds. That was awesome! I also wanted to brag on Glen and Sandy. They did an excellent job for us this year. They always do a good job, but this year, they went above and beyond for us. I’m not much of an early breakfast eater, but around 9 I start getting hungry and those biscuits Sandy packed for me really came in handy. If you ever need a reference for your service, feel free to give my number. I will be glad to tell them that Magnum is a wise choice. - Gary McCartney, AR

Arrived back home without any problems and just wanted to say a big "thanks" again to you, Jim, Neil, Glenn and the rest of the staff. We all enjoyed a great time. You certainly run a first class operation from start to finish. Once again, it was great to meet you folks and thanks for such a memorable hunt! - Steve Cumming, MA

I just wanted to say thank you for the great weekend! We always have such a great time with the folks at Magnum and I look forward to hunting with you again. Thanks for everything. - Ben Carmichael, MS

I just want to thank you all for everything. Mo, Larry & Curly, oops I mean Gary & I had the best time this year. Mo & Larry got their first Rio. Boy, was I proud of them! We all are so proud to have a place called Magnum that cares about other people. It's always a little sad for me when the hunt is over. It's like a good movie, you just don't want it to end, so there is always next year to look forward to. I thank God for Magnum and crew. So many prayers have been answered through Magnum. Thank you again, Jim & Melony, and may God bless you all. - Mickey Fortner, AR

Jim – we loved it! Best hunt we have ever had. Rick and Carolyn took very good care of us. Granted - several chips fell our way w.r.t. the birds, but we were able to capitalize on them. Rick put us in the right spots. You guys really know how to treat a customer. We are a very discriminating bunch, and wouldn’t repeat it if the hunt didn’t meet our expectations. Keep up the good work! Thanks – we will definitely be back. - Mike Morrell, VA

This was one of the best times I've ever had while on a turkey hunting trip. The guides were very knowledgeable, the food was excellent, and Jim & Mel were perfect hosts. The fact that there were turkeys everywhere didn't hurt, either! We will positively be making the trip every year from now on (as long as you'll have us!). I would recommend Magnum over any/all other outfitters out there! On a scale of 1-10, I give Magnum a 12! Thanks & God bless. - David Darwin, MS

I was more than pleased with my recent turkey hunt with Magnum. They were recommened to me by a hunter I met while hunting the Oscelated in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. His description of their hunting area made Magnum sound so impressive I thought he was exaggerating but upon hunting there, I was surprised how accurate his description was and think he underestimated the number of turkeys because there were so many! Again, thank you for a great hunt. - Lowell Byers, GA

This Spring marks my eighth year hunting with Magnum and my 26th Tom harvested! No other guide service, ANYWHERE can top that! This year, I booked another 3 bird hunt and convinced two friends to join me. Both were very impressed with the awesome ranch and the number of big birds we saw. But, most of all, they were impressed with the first class service and professionalism delivered by the Magnum staff. Our guide Steve was awesome! The first morning I heard many birds gobbling on the roost as I built my blind in the starlight. Then, after a gorgeous, grapefruit colored sunrise, some 20 hens invaded my set up followed by NINE big Toms! When the hens stopped to look at my decoy, all NINE Toms broke into full strut gobbling! I picked out the biggest and BOOM! What a bird! BIG, HEAVY with a thick rope and long sharp hooks! I could have easily tagged out as the remaining Toms, quickly returned gobbling and fighting around their fallen comrade. And all in easy gun range. That afternoon I let my friend Dennis Noel hunt in my blind as he had not yet killed a bird! Steve dropped me off in a new spot and I went about building another blind. Then, I settled in. But, I guess settled in a tad too much. My snoring must be attractive to the sheep because when I awoke there were at least 100 of the pesky creatures surrounding my blind including several that were actually chewing on my freshly clipped branches. No bird for me that hunt. But, when Steve picked me up I was relieved to see my friend Dennis tagged out in one hunt. Perfectly legal in Texas! Both birds were big, but one was an exceptional 4 year old with long, curved spurs. Next morning I returned to the same blind but didn't see a feather. Steve picked me up for lunch, but I had a feeling that birds were close, so I asked him to take me back. 40 minutes later I heard a loud gobble from directly behind me. Then, 4 big Toms walked RIGHT BY MY BLIND! They were so BIG and TALL they looked like Emus with blood red heads! I froze. I just knew I was busted, but they walked on past. I picked out the biggest and aimed where meat meets feathers. The big bird dropped in a heap and much to my surprise, the others turned and ran straight toward me. I let two pass, but the third wasn't so lucky! BAM! He fell just a few feet from my blind! I was TAGGED OUT with three beautiful Toms! I take great care and considerable time building my blinds. And on this trip, Dennis and I had killed FIVE big Toms out of one! Now, that's a fine blind! This year ranked among my most memorable trips ever. Not just for the big birds I harvested. But, because ALL in our party tagged out! 15 hunters scored 35 Toms! And that makes for one festive camp site! And you know, a festive camp site is very important to me! Seriously, in an industry notoriously "flaky," Magnum Guide Service always delivers with consistency, quality and integrity. From the moment you arrive, every detail is carefully planned and executed. All you have to think about is hunting and having a good time. I'm still perfecting my hunting, but I'm an expert at having a good time! - Kevin Neathery, AR

Thanks again for a great weekend and for your wonderful hospitality. Jim took some pictures of me with my 3 bearded turkey in the field, alone, and some with Craig and his gobbler. Is it possible for you to email those to me? I would love to have them as well as any others you might have with the other guys. I hope to see you again and thanks for all you do! - Jim Ford, OK

Thank you for such a wonderful hunt. This was a hunt to remember for my dad and I. My dad is not an experienced turkey hunter, but has found a new passion in the past five years which has allowed us to spend more time together. Your ranch was warm and inviting. The food was top notch. I have been on many hunts, but have never experienced the fellowship with other hunters as you have at your ranch. We had an exceptional week of food, fellowship, lodging – and yes, turkey hunting. In my dad’s own words; “the turkey hunt was a bonus.” He loved just being at the lodge with all the other guys. It was a week that I will never forget spending with my dad. I hope to return and bring my wife and kids in the future. Dad wants to know what days Donny R. is hunting next season, if we have the opportunity to go again next year he would love to go the same time as Donny. Thanks again for all that you did and God Bless. - David Lee, NC

We just returned from hunting Rio Grande Turkeys in Texas and had another successful hunt with Magnum. This was our second hunt that we booked after our first experience, hunting for antelope in New Mexico. The word family keeps popping up every time I think about how to describe our experience with Magnum Guide Service. Everyone that we met on this trip was a repeat customer or had been referred. Jim & Melony and the entire staff are all first class people that put in countless hours to ensure that everyone's experience is a positive one. I would highly recommend Magnum to anyone looking for a first class outfitter. I can say that after this trip we will look to Magnum again for our next adventure! Get out and enjoy the outdoors and take a youth with you! - Kevin O'Connell, AZ

I just wanted to thank you and your staff for a wonderful hunt, Melony, Vicki, J.P. and Mark did a wonderful job. Jim, hearing some of your testimony was great, God has blessed you. This was my 2nd trip to MGS and each hunt continues to get better. There's something about a hunting camp environment that I can't explain or how you can make friends in 3 days, but I will remember this hunt for a lifetime. The turkeys were a bonus. I look forward to bringing my son to share God's creation. Thanks again for a trip I will never forget. - Kevin Dye, TN

I have so many fond memories of my hunts with Magnum that I often times don’t know where to start these letters. I can remember eight years back, I was hunting free range aoudad sheep with you in the Davis Mountains when I found out I was going to be a father for the first time. A year after that trip Sarah, my daughter, was born. This trip was a first for me in that I got to hunt Rio’s for the first time but, more importantly this was the first hunting trip with my daughter. I can’t think of a better place to start my family hunting than with you guys. The experience from the turkey hunt has stayed with me and Sarah every day since we left. She and I talk constantly about the trip and how much fun we had and all of the new friend (my old friends) she made in Texas. We are waiting on pins & needles for the end of March so that we can come back and do it all over again. Jim, I also wanted to thank you and all of your staff for the attention you gave me and Sarah. I know having a young hunter in camp can be a challenge when you mix them in with all of the older hunters but, yall did it flawlessly. The girls in camp took care of us just like being at home. I have never seen so many bowls of ice cream and cookies come from nowhere to keep Sarah smiling. You went out of your way to make her feel special and for that I owe you more than I can put into words. Also, thank you for allowing us to hold back from some of the hunts when Sarah was too tired to go out. We really enjoyed riding the Rangers and looking around the ranch. I am now the proud owner of a Rhino because of that trip. I owe ya’ buddy! Last, I want to thank you for pairing us up with Glenn as our guide. I cannot say enough good things about Glenn. He was so patient with me and Sarah. He went well out of his way to make sure we both had a good time. I am sure he got frustrated with us but, to look at his face you would never know it. He was a prince of a gentlemen and he played such a key role in making our trip what it was. Thank You Glenn. In closing, you have reminded me why all of my hunting trips start and end with you and Melony. The two of you have become distant members of our family and we cherish each and every time we get to hunt with you. I look forward to the many new hunting opportunities with you and my family. - Steve Howell, AL

For yet another fall turkey season I am really thankful that you put me in old turkeys. If I can't kill them, then that is my problem. I killed one near the first spot you showed me. Tried to call his two buddies back but they called each other back up and left me. I went back to the lodge and put the bird in the shade and Carolyn fixed me a quick sandwich which I ate on the way to the windmill. I parked at the windmill right where you said, put on my ghillie suit and hat, and eased in the woods towards the pond. Just as I could see from the trees above the pond, a whole drove of turkeys saw me and started fast walking up the draw. The lead bird was big gobbler. I gave him a load of #4's and down he went. The others flew and ran up the draw. I got the big bird by the head and dragged him with me up the draw to a good hide and commenced to calling them back. Got one bird gobbling towards me and closing so fast that I had the safety off.......then another gobbler started yelping up the draw and that was the end of that. Went back to the woods beside the pond that the birds ran out of and built me a good brush blind and started gobbler talking with the trumpet caller. Gobbler clucked some with the old bone. More gobbler talk with the trumpet. Sat there about 30 minutes and clucked some more with the trumpet caller and heard a reply to the left. Looked and there coming around the side of the pond were 8 longbeards. They came on around the corner of the pond and I shot at one and killed 2. I was done. It is not often that this old turkey hunter has had the opportunity of 4 old gobblers in the same day. If killing turkeys ever quits making me shake and breath fast, I'll know it's time to take up golf or fishing or some other mundane pursuit. Lord Willing, I would like to try those Jones Ranch turkeys again the same time next year. Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to get into that big drove of birds. I was in turkey hunter's heaven. Hope to see you all in Nashville. The NWTF has asked me to do a fall turkey hunting seminar at the convention this year. Know for sure I will tell them where to go in Texas for Rios. Thanks again for another great turkey hunt! - Larry Proffitt, TN

I can hardly believe the hunt is over already! I anticipate this hunt beginning in December and it is just a flash. This was my tenth year with Magnum and although the hunt was the toughest one to date, I managed to get two beautiful huge gobblers, one 20 lbs and the second one 19 lbs+. The hunt went well even though the jakes ruled the woods. I can't wait until next year as the 2 year olds will be going nuts! You two always manage to make it all worthwhile. At the Jones Lodge; Rick, Steve and Greg were each doing their utmost to get everyone into birds. I had the privilege of hunting with Rick this year and we had a "hoot" as usual. Thanks again for providing me with a fantastic experience. You will always have my business. Best wishes for the rest of this year and have a super summer. See you guys next Spring! - Dan Flynn, PA

Just wanted to say thanks again for a great time and a great trip, we really appreciated our first trip to Texas. It was a special time for Ethan and I as a father/son, thanks for making it even more memorable!! I also appreciated the awards ceremony, I have hunted all over the world and and have never seen that done, the power of a ceremony is absolutely huge. It's all Ethan could talk about on the way home. You definitely run the best camp I have ever seen, thanks again, we really appreciated it. Hopefully, we can sneak back down next year and hunt again, thanks very much. - Shay McGowan, NE

Thanks for the great time. As usual, I enjoyed it immensely and it was nice to have Carol there to see everything that I've been talking about for years! Thanks Jim, for getting her onto a turkey. She didn't particularly think she wanted to when we were talking about the trip, but she really enjoyed it. Thanks again for everything. - Jay & Carol Gilchrist, MD

Hope things are going well in Texas - I sure had a great time! Thanks for the good hunt and hospitality. Yall seem like family, your guides are good guys. I have guided deer, bear, waterfowl and turkey and your guys get along very well! Have a great week and God Bless! - Jay Adcock, NC

ATTENTION: PLEASE!!!!! Anyone reading this testimonial --if you are not sure about hunting with Magnum just give me a call. I'll gurantee you Magnum will do everything possible to help you bag that tom your looking for. Russ and Glenn are two of the best guides ever. Jim and Mel the owners will take you in just as if you were family. What a great hunt. The food was also exceptional. I met some great guys from all over the United States--some of which will stay with me forever. Earl I hope you are reading this!! Hunting has always put me on Cloud 9, so thank you for a wonderful trip and I am looking forward to a return trip! One more high point of the trip was the engraved box call that I won!!! It is top notch just like Magnum. - Mickey Fortner, Arkansas

Jim, I would just like to thank you guys for an awesome time me and my son of 16 years had with all of you. It was a great bonding experience that he and I will have for the rest of our lives. After leaving your camp I traveled to Nebraska for a Merriam Turkey hunt. The outfitter there did a fine job too. What separates you guys is the professionalism at ALL levels; lodging, food, knowledgeable guides that do it all for you from guiding you, teaching you their tricks that make you a better hunter, doing everything it takes to make sure you have the best shot opportunity and taking care of your game as if it were theirs. I have used you guys in the past, have referred you to many of my friends and will continue to do so as well. Thanks again Melony for putting together the cd of great photos. - Bob and Bobby Burns, PA

Thanks once again for hosting such a great hunt. This was my 7th year returning to Magnum for spring turkey and each year I look forward to it as if it were my first! Your guides, cooks and yourselves are top notch and have become my extended family over the years. Once again, thanks and I look forward to next year. Enclosed find my contract and deposit for 2008 and a cd of pictures from this past season. - Marianne Hosty, NJ

I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you what a great time Mickey and I had turkey hunting at "Magnum" this year. We are already planning to come back next year with a couple of our buddies. I brought mickey down this year to reward him for the business he had done with me the past year. I don't know which idea was better, deciding to take him hunting or choosing Magnum Guide Service. He had the time of his life and that will result in increased sales for me. What a win/win! Bringing home 3 huge birds didn't hurt things either. All the guides were eager to help at any time. I enjoyed meeting Russ and Glen especially. Feel free to use my name as a reference. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone looking to reward a customer or client. - Gary McCartney, AR

Jim, Melony! This year I booked one of your new three bird hunts and IT WAS INCREDIBLE! Three twenty pound plus, limb hangin' long beards! This marks my 6th year with Magnum bringing my total to TWENTY Toms harvested since '02! Only an expert of the highest caliber could achieve such a feat! Of course, I'm talking about you Jim, your lovely wife Melony and your expert staff at Magnum Guide Service! Just like last year, upon our arrival at The Finklea we received good news and bad. The bad news was drought and low or no hatch for the second year in a row. That meant few, if any, gobbling two year olds running to our calls. No doubt, in years past, we have been spoiled at this awesome ranch! The good news was that the remaining birds were BIG, OLD and SMART with long curved hooks and drapery tassel beards! Trophies every one! In my opinion, Magnum guides, J.P., Gerald and Glenn rank among the finest in the country and I'm always optimistic when hunting under their guidance. But, hey, even if they were just mediocre guides, I'd still hunt with them because Gerald is such a great cook! Try his Pineapple cream pie. It's the bomb. Bird #1: J.P. suggested the waterhole where I smacked a big Tom last Easter Sunday in 102 degree weather. This year was much more pleasant but the wind was HOWLING! I pulled out my big, boat paddle box call to cut through the gusts. At about 4:30 p.m. I thought I heard a gobble, but wasn't sure. Then, I heard it again, and there was no doubt, it was a big, long, full, gobble and very very close! He gobbled one more time as he emerged from some brush about 15 steps to my right. BOOM! And what a bird, 21 lbs. 10 inch beard, 11/2" spurs. Bird #2: On this hunt I got lost in the pre-dawn starlight and couldn't find the blind I built the day before. So, I found a little patch to stretch out and wait until the sun climbed high enough to find my way around. I used my butt pad on my vest as a pillow and drifted off... I woke to the sound of clucking and spotted a hen walking straight toward me! Prone, on the ground, I froze as she passed by about 20 steps to my left. Finally, I opened my eyes and much to my surprise, spotted a HUGE TOM following in her footsteps, but completely fixed on her sexy tail feathers. Flat on the ground, I rolled to one side and lifted the gun for an easy 20 yard shot! When I made this little maneuver, he caught my movement and gave me a look that said: "Uh oh! KABOOM! Too late! This was my biggest bird of the trip, 22lbs, 10 inch beard, long sharp spurs, but most of all, a HUGE meat head! His neck looked like a stove pipe! A toad! Bird #3: Possibly my most exciting Texas hunt EVER! This boss Tom was a long way off when I first heard him gobble on his own. I replaced the box call with a slate and began to cluck, purr and yelp. No matter how often he gobbled I waited at least 15 minutes between calls. This drove him crazy! He kept gobbling and just like any smart old turkey, he circled around and came up behind me. RIGHT BEHIND ME and gobbled his waddles off at least FIFTY TIMES! He was so close, I could hear a deep, bass tone every time he gobbled, like a Kicker subwoofer! My fun meter was pegged! Finally, he grew tired of this stuck up hen and sauntered on by and I stoned him at about twenty steps. Deep in my blind, he never saw me. Another huge bird with oh so long spurs. But, it was only 4:30 and I was tagged out, so rather than wait for J.P. to pick me up in the truck, I picked up my bird, my gun, my bulging vest and WALKED proudly back to the cabin! And dude, it was a long walk! Upon my arrival, without a word, Glen opened the cooler and handed me an ice cold adult beverage. Now, that's Magnum service! Because I bagged all my Toms in this one special pasture, I have re-named it "Dick Cheney Draw" and I'm confident I'll shoot 'em up there again next year! You see, unlike ordinary hunters, I have three competitive advantages: natural athleticism, cat like reflexes and the good judgement to BOOK WITH MAGNUM GUIDE SERVICE YEAR AFTER YEAR! So, Jim, Mel, for all you do...God bless...and here is my deposit for next year! - Kevin Neathery Jonesboro, Arkansas