Team Southern Deer Stands Pro Staff Biographies

RK Halbert is an avid hunter and fisher. His love of these sports started when he was 4 years old with fishing then squirrels when he was 5 and has continued to grow ever since. He shot his first deer with a rifle when he was 14 and with a bow at 28. He has fished all over the world as he works in the off-shore oil industry and has traveled many places. He has hunted all around east, south, and west Texas. His favorite game to hunt are birds and deer and favorite fish are trout and redfish. His most memorable hunt was the first deer he killed with a bow. He was recovering from an injury to his leg and it was freezing cold and raining. The kill came right at the last light of the evening after he had been sitting and watching for 3 hours. A spike walked into his range and he drew his bow, however he started shaking so bad the arrow fell off the bow. So he grabbed another, let it fly and missed by 10 feet. Then he got control, recollected his nerves and let a 3rd arrow go and hit him perfect. The deer ran about 80 yards before he dropped. RK can be reached at rk@southerndeerstands.com

I am just a man living a dream. I love the outdoors and nature. I am a traveling man when I’m not hunting. The construction life makes it a challenge sometimes to hunt, but everywhere I go I meet new and wonderful people whose land I am able to hunt on.  The outdoors is about one thing…Going back to the way it used to be and being able to take care of your family and show them how to survive, if need be. You take care of nature and she will take care of you. Thank you Mother Nature, you are wonderful!  I have six daughters…from age 8 to 17 and growing like weeds.
- Jadynn, the youngest of the six, is quiet as long as nobody is messin with her. She loves being a girl and riding her bike.
- Kylie loves watching TV and not cleaning her room….with a little hunting on the side.
- Hunter is my killing machine. She is always up for a hunt. If I am not around, she goes with her uncle.
- Payton likes to hunt for the bragging rights to the boys. If they can do it, she can do it! She has held her own in freezing conditions, rain, and snow.
- Presley…. This is the one I’m going to have trouble with. She tells you what is on her mind and how she feels about everything. She is a pretty good shot too.
- Laken is the oldest of the six. She loves to hunt, but boys are the most important thing on her mind at the moment. Hopefully, when hunting season comes back around, she’ll forget about those boys and start hunting again. I may have to sit her down and have a “come to Jesus” meeting, as I call it.
Co-Owner of Up Close and Personal with Boog and Nicole. Founder and Co-Owner of Instant Trail Whitetail deer attractant.  Attractant, nutrient, and cover scent in one liquid form. The only three in one system on the market today.  Boog can be reached at boogandnicole@southerndeerstands.com

Nicole Pretz is Co-Owner of Up Close and Personal with Boog and Nicole. I have redeemed myself~plus 1!! Boog and I started our 2010 turkey adventure in late March and ended in May. We hit MS, LA, OK, AR, KS, MO, and IA. I got my two in Delphos Kansas with Double K Hunts. Great friends, new experiences, and LOTS of footage for our up coming turkey DVD. This is a huge rush and I can't wait till next year! Thank you to ALL of you who stood behind us and supported us through the season!  Nicole can be reached at boogandnicole@southerndeerstands.com 

 

I have always loved the great outdoors. I remember when my Dad use to take me fishing when I was just a child. My Dad was not much for hunting although he did love to fish and always out fished with my brother and me. Then my first taste of hunting was when I was about 10 years old. I was the occasional bird hunter and then my first real hunt for deer came when I was in my late 40’s. That was when my wife and I bought compounds bows and the absolute thrill of hunting with a bow was fascinating, and the closeness with nature makes it great. I love the pursuit of hog hunting and trapping, just almost as exciting as deer hunting. Up close and personal is the way I like to hunt. I will only hunt with a rifle at times, but as a last choice.   Randy can be reached at randy@southerndeerstands.com 

I grew up on Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River fishing and hunting every chance I could get. Some of my best memories are waking up before dawn each morning of Christmas break to head out to the ice S.H.A.K. with my dad to spend the day fishing with family and friends. We shared the ice S.H.A.K. with three other families, the Sperlings, Hincks, and Abrahams so you never knew who was going to show up. Put on your secret decoder ring and you can see we always had lots of fun! Growing up on the Mighty Mississippi gave me a unique perspective on the outdoors and how each one of us has the choice to be a part of the awesome surroundings we are all blessed with or we can let them slip by like that big river flowing past our house every day.  Living in Wausau Wisconsin now with my wife Meghan and children Lucas and Grace, I miss that fantastic wonderland right off my back porch, but moving to Wisconsin introduced me to the ‘serious’ pursuit of the elusive Whitetail Deer. In 2005 I was lucky enough to be invited to join C and S Deer Camp with 5 other friend and their children and it is the highlight of every hunting season. I hunt Pheasant in South Dakota, fish for Walleyes in Lake Erie, and turkey hunt around Wausau, but the trip up to deer camp is the highlight of the year. It is never about the number of deer hanging on the ‘buck pole’ at the end of the week but the memories that we make every year. The fun of seeing a youngster harvest their first deer and then 3 years later being with him on a stalk when he takes a beautiful 10 pointer right at sunset. All I can say is “join us!”  Pat can be reached at pat@southerndeerstands.com

Born and raised in Central WI, I now raise my 3 kids, son Hunter and daughters Riley and Ella, and operate my company, Custom Robotic Wildlife here as well. I have always loved the outdoors and animals. In 1995 I started my own business creating robotic taxidermy mounts that we began selling to Conservation Officers. Through the years we have expanded to mounting just about any animal in all 50 states and the Canadian Provinces. A new avenue has developed in providing robotic mounts to retail stores, nature centers and museums. Since the business takes up so much time during the peak hunting times around here I don’t get out as often as I would like…so I did the next best thing and put up a fence and bought my own deer! Having them in the back yard is the greatest thing I’ve ever done. The kids and I love watching them grow and respond to different things as well as feeding them lots of treats. When not working in the shop or playing with the kids I enjoy very simple things, long walks, reading, working out and cooking.  Brian can be reached at brian@southerndeerstands.com

Randy is a lifelong outdoorsman with a passion for hunting and fishing of any variety. From little on when other kids were playing sports or getting in trouble, Randy could be found at his grandparent’s cottage fishing or sitting on a stump with his first fiberglass bow. Randy was lucky to have a father and grandfather who fed his love of the outdoors. They knew what lay in store when at the age of 8 on an ice fishing trip they turned to see randy up to his elbows in the ice hole trying not to lose a 24” inch walleye. He got it! Randy has hunted elk, bear, deer and turkey and has passed his passion on to his sons Jordan and Josh. He takes great pride in how his sons have matured and developed a love for the outdoors as Randy did with his father and grandfather.
Randy worked for 30+ years in the engineering/commercial construction field and made many friends but with the downturn in the economy he decided to pursue his lifelong dream of working independently in the outdoors. He loves meeting and being with people. Randy lives in Wausau WI with Jordan, Josh, Denise(love of his life) and her two children Mellissa and Anthony. Randy can be reached at randyp@southerndeerstands.com

I have been hunting and fishing in the outdoors since the age of 8.  I am an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing.  I was a founding member of the Frisco Ducks Unlimited chapter and enjoy taking my kids hunting.  I am a huge supporter of getting kids involved in outdoors.  Chad can be reached at chad@southerndeerstands.com

I was introduced to hunting at the age of 12 by my father and uncle, hunting quail in northeastern Oklahoma. It wasn't until later in life that I realized my passion for hunting whitetails, but I have made up for lost time. In the past 10 years I have taken my passion to another level, by starting the first chapter of Whitetails Unlimited in Oklahoma. This has given me the opportunity to sponsor youth and disabled hunts across the state as well as serve as an ambassador for the outdoor life which I hold so dear. I am a firm believer that 1 day in the field with a quality; ethical outdoorsman can change a life for anyone no matter what their age.  Only within the last couple of years have I seen my passion for the outdoors come full circle with the development of Xtreme Welding and Fabrication, a small fabrication shop started good friend Berry Rowan and myself that is devoted to making affordable, high end hunting accessories for everyday outdoorsman. Ryan can be reached at ryan@southerndeerstands.com