As I prepare for a new adventure “a return to the Amazon,” perhaps a final visit to this remarkable and unique part of the world. I say “perhaps final” because the purpose of this visit is for a memorial tribute to my good friend, “brother” and personal hero Phil Marsteller. I’ll join the family to … Read more
by Dan Simmons – We’re wrapping up the season of annual wildlife banquets and conventions. It’s been a time to meet old and new friends as I did at the recent Wildlife Habit Improvement of Nevada (WHIN) banquet in Las Vegas. I shared a table with an old friend, Eddie Pribble, a past president and … Read more
by Dan Simmons – We’re all familiar with the epic adventures of Lewis and Clark. They forged a path across North America for others to follow and create a nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. There were many other trailblazers like Kit Carson and John C. Fremont. Some of us have been fortunate … Read more
by Dan Simmons – There are hunts and there are tough hunts with tents and freeze-dried food on the campfire, all are adventures. Then there’s Spain; it’s a tough luxurious hunting adventure as my friends Commissioner Debra Strickland and Husband Larry discovered on their latest adventure. They signed up for a coveted Spanish Ibex hunt … Read more
by Dan Simmons – It’s a new year with new opportunities and possibilities. Now it’s time to set our priorities and make plans. My friend Bill Wilson did just that this past year as he set his sights on an African Cape Buffalo safari in Zimbabwe. As a former Navy Seal and commander of Seal … Read more
by Dan Simmons – In my last column I wrote about my “successful Elk” hunt with my artist friend Justin Young. It was a great adventure, but my freezer was still empty. I was sitting around my Thanksgiving fireplace with another close friend, Craig Kozeniesky , a retired Marine Colonel in command of Special Ops … Read more
by Dan Simmons – While sitting at my desk, having just returned from a Colorado elk hunt, and eating a plate of elk track stew, I was reflecting on great wildlife artists and hunters. Yes the elk won this time. It was, however, a great hunt, even though it didn’t help fill the freezer. The … Read more
by Dan Simmons – While attending a recent Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn Banquet I was reminded of our outdoor traditions. I’m seeing an increasing number of youth, with their parents, at these functions. I’m seeing a greater emphasis on youth by outdoor and conservation organizations and I’m reminded that it has been the hunters … Read more
by Dan Simmons – You’ve read in this column for many years the stories of fishing on the Amazon River of Brazil. This is the story of a legend, my close friend and lodge owner, Phil Marsteller, a true force of nature. I first met Phil at a Safari Club International (SCI) convention while working … Read more
My fishing pal, Ron Cross, a Pro Bass Circuit fisherman from Pahrump, Nevada, and I just returned from a marvelous adventure to Brazil’s Amazon basin. Not only did we explore the Amazon River’s greatest tributary, the Rio Negro, we searched its backwaters and bushwhacked our way into lagoons seeking the magnificent Peacock Bass. This while … Read more