Gunless Professional Hunting Guides
The guides at Ringneck Ranch are atypical in that we borrow them from a variety of professions. Local farmers and ranchers, bankers and businessmen, with some commercial and military pilots added to the mix, comprise our guide staff. All share a love and interest for the hunting dog companions that are one of the most significant elements of our upland gamebird hunting experience. At Ringneck Ranch, we train a variety of breeds that are mostly offspring from our own canine staff. By using our seasoned dogs as mentors, the new pups become skilled veterans, normally within their first season. Seems almost like cheating!
Craig Dilley
Craig Dilley is a semi retired adrenaline junkie on snow and wake boards. He first came to the ranch in a support role in fall of 2009. Growing up in the Greely, Colorado area, most of his hunting experience came from waterfowling on the Eastern slope of the Rockies. Craig is now a first-class uplander with a great bunch of German Shorthair Pointers, an English Pointer and a couple of Labs. He is a skilled shotgunner, and competed nationally in 4-H shooting sports. Craig’s shooting skills have been very helpful with introducing new shotgunners & hunters. Craig married our long-time weekend cook, Sara, in 2015.
Mitchell Gourley
Mitchell Gourley When Mitch is not guiding pheasant hunts at the Ranch he can be found guiding waterfowl hunts anywhere from Northern Canada down to Arkansas. Mitch is also an avid fisherman and frequently can be found on his Ranger Boat on Glen Elder Reservoir just north of Tipton. He often has his daughters in tow as they enjoy trips on the boat. Mitchell can also be found with a camera in his hand enjoying his passion for wildlife photography. In the summer he works construction for a local contractor. With Mitch come a team of hard working German Shorthairs and a Black Lab.
Parker Eck
Parker Eck joined Ringneck in 2023 as a Hunting Guide. He has a full team of German Shorthairs and Cocker Spaniels. In one season Parker has already risen up the ranks as one of our most popular and requested guides. Parker graduated from Pratt Community College with a degree in Wildlife Outfitting and Operations. While Parker is a new resident of Tipton his family heritage dates back 5 generation's as his Great-Great-Great Grandfather was one of Tipton areas first residents in the mid to late 1800's.
Reagan Gochis
Reagan is originally from Texas prior to a stop in Oklahoma where he played collegiate baseball. During the summer and early fall Reagan migrates to Wyoming to train dogs and guide pheasant hunts. When winter starts to set in up North he makes his way back to Tipton to guide hunts from November through the end of the season. Reagan has hunted many breed's of dogs at the ranch including German Shorthairs, Brittanys, English Pointers, German Wirehairs, Labs and Cocker Spaniels.
John Peckham
John Peckham’s family has ties to the ranch that go back John Peckhamto his grandfather and Keith’s dad, Clifford. Grandpa Peckham and Clifford hunted birds, deer, and raccoon day and night! John graduated from the University of Kansas (we let him on the ranch anyway!) with a degree in Environmental Sciences. He is a seasoned outdoorsman with one of the most well-mannered & well-trained German Wirehairs, Belle. John’s wife is from Ames, Iowa, and they have young daughters who quiz him every evening about that day’s hunting!
Virgil Jeardoe
Virgil Jeardoe – is an asset to Ringneck Ranch and the Tipton community. Virgil Jeardoe with the contribution of his many skills, talents and gregarious personality. He formally managed the infrastructure of the city of Tipton, plus he has worn the hats of firechief, EMT, ambulance driver and 4-H leader. Virgil’s farm is one of the few wonderful rural places where you can still see one of just about every creature. All of the Jeardoe family, including wife Tanya, have helped us provide the other services at the ranch over the years. Virgil used to follow the hounds at night, but now is confined to his high energy bird dogs . Virgil has been guiding with us for 37 years!
Avery LaCombe
Avery LaCombe first came to Ringneck Ranch, Inc. as an intern from the Kansas State University, Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management curriculum in 2015. Avery agreed to stay on full time as the Operations Manager starting in the fall of 2016. In the summer of 2022 Avery and his wife Audrey purchased Ringneck Ranch, Inc. from the Deb and Keith Houghton. He is the owner of Post Rock Kennels and raises high-quality German Shorthaired Pointers from champion bloodlines. Avery originally came from the East Coast but has found a home in Kansas since 2011.
Braden Voyles
Braden is the son of a hunting guide and has a passion for the outdoors. He has a team of German Shorthair Pointer's and a Cocker Spaniel named Reagan that is a fan favorite with our guests. Braden guides full time for Ringneck Ranch during the hunting season.
Zach Miller
Zach Miller is a local Beloit, Ks, native who grew up fishing and hunting all of North Central Kansas. Zach is certified by the Ks Law Enforcement Academy and has five years experience as a city canine officer and county deputy. With Zach you may see combinations of Setters, GSP’s and Labradors. Zach is one of our resident waterfowler, likes to call the turkeys and during the summer months is an avid softballer.
Aaron Christensen
Aaron Christensen is a heavy equipment mechanic during the week day and loads up the Labs and Shorthairs on the weekends and heads west an hour to the Ranch. Aaron has spent his whole life in North Central Kansas chasing upland game and brings with him a great blue collar work ethic, stopping at nothing to get a bird.
Mike Johnson
Mike Johnson has moved back home to Junction City, Kansas and Mike Johnsonis transitioning into retirement mode! He has worked forty years in the medical supply business in rural central and western Kansas. Mike has utilized Ringneck Ranch for educational training meetings for many of his medical supply clients, at the same time offering an outstanding hunting experience for those guests. He is a Kansas Certified Hunter Safety Instructor that enjoys teaching, guiding with his German Shorthairs and giving people a great hunting experience.
Steve Struyk
Steve Struyk has been through the airline experience with Keith at Ozark, TWA & American. Retired from the airline business at age 60, he now flies a Beechcraft Hawker for a St. Louis corporation. A bird chaser and Brittany enthusiast, Steve & his wife, Lin, and their family live in St. Louis and have been regular visitors to the ranch for many years. The days that he helps guide each season allow us an opportunity to rest up & regain our sense of humor. Steve & his son have built and fly a Vans RV-8 aerobatic home-built aircraft. Steve was featured in the Cabela's IT'S IN YOUR Nature ad's which were filmed at the Ranch.
Brett Clark
Brett Clark grew up hunting on the ranch, his mother is Keith’s first cousin, his dad is a retired nutritionist that worked for Hill’s Science Diet. His degree is in chemistry and he works for a laboratory in Kansas City, Missouri. To help us out, Brett loads up his Brittany dogs, Sadie & Kya, stops in Topeka to pick up his dad’s Brits and then drives to the ranch to help guide guests. When Brett’s Brits hit the ground, you’ll see three colors: liver & white, orange & white and black & white! With him, you may just learn some of the family secrets!
Keith Colter
Keith Colter first came to the ranch years ago to hunt with some of Keith (Houghton)’s airline buddies. Keith is a “good ole Missouri farm boy”. He uses some of his vacation to sneak out to the ranch whenever possible, along with his canine hunting buddies. Keith is a real people-person and wingshooting enthusiast, who can tell plenty of stories around the fire!
