Member Turns Guided Hunts Into Profitable Business and SAE

Kaden Atwood refills a deer feeder before setting off for a guided hunt.

A few miles west of Eufaula, Okla., in the hills and the valleys between the North and South Canadian Rivers, lies a 22,000-acre plot of land home to some of the greatest guided hunts you will find anywhere. Kaden Atwood, a senior at Eufaula High School and a member of his FFA chapter’s officer team, operates his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) on those 22,000 acres. He sells guided hunts for Whitetail deer, waterfowl and feral pigs.  

While the preparation for waterfowl and feral pigs is minimal, preparing for the Whitetail hunts is not. Atwood spends the majority of the summer preparing food plots and managing feeders to give the Whitetail deer the nutrition they need to reproduce efficiently and fully develop to their genetic potential. 

Creating Solutions

In addition to the guided hunt portion of his SAE, Atwood designed his own unique deer feeder. With the need for several feeders in his hunting area, Atwood built his feeders using his dad’s plasma cam. He took the features he liked from various other deer feeders he had previously owned and designed a new type of feeder that would cater to his needs. 

With the rising cost of materials, he built some feeders to sell to pay for those he planned to utilize in his hunting operation. Typically, he purchases enough metal to make 10 feeders, then sells five of the feeders to pay for the cost of materials and keeps the other five for his own use. By doing so, he’s been able to add 47 feeders to strategic locations scattered around his more than 34 square miles of hunting land.   

Atwood carefully studies the behavior of the deer so he can best place his customers for the current weather conditions. He uses 120 trail cams, most of which he accesses via an app on his phone, to learn the deer’s daily behaviors and give him the knowledge to put his customers in the best location to experience a successful hunt. He has installed 62 deer stands in strategic locations to ensure he can always put his customers in the ideal place for the conditions. 

Looking to the Future

As his business continues to grow, Atwood’s business plan has also adapted. He now operates with five side-by-sides to transport hunters during their guided hunts.

“I am providing the entire experience for my hunters,” he says. “From rides to the stands, putting them in the right spots and helping after a successful hunt, when they hire me, they’re getting the entire experience. If they’re successful and enjoy the experience, they’ll be back.”

After graduation, Atwood plans to continue growing his business while continuing his education. He loves the adrenaline rush of a successful hunt, but more than that, he enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors with his customers and seeing their enthusiasm.