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Hunter Comments

Sunrise outfitting is synonymous with Lloyd Nielson. Lloyd is the owner/operator and has been hunting mountain lions in the southeast corner of Utah (Blanding) for almost 30 years. Lloyd is arguably THE most experienced guide in Utah. He has lived and hunted this area his entire life and knows the local roads, geography, habitat, weather conditions, wildlife, and regulations better than anyone in the area. In fact, during our 6 day trip there were occasions when game wardens would consult with Lloyd to clarify little known policy fine-print regarding multiple hunting issues. Lloyd's dogs are superlative trackers and I could give multiple examples of salvaged chases because of the dogs (one of which took us about 10 miles from the truck). Also, because of the quality of the dogs and the guide, Lloyd enjoys great success rates because he can run lions with or WITHOUT snow. So his lion hunts are not as 'weather dependent' as many other outfitters who seem to have snow make or break their hunts. Lloyd is one of the few guides in the state (as well as his brother Leroy) who have taken and passed the arduous and competitive guide certification examination administered by the state of Utah. As impressive as Lloyd's fourteen carat gold pedigree is, more important and impressive is his integrity, honesty, work ethic and dedication to his family and craft. It's difficult to put this into words. Suffice it to say that my 19 year old son and I were on this hunt together, we neither killed nor even saw a cat--but so impressed were we both with this hunter/guide (and friend), that we both intend to return on an annual basis as long as we are able. This brings up 2 important points. 1. Sunrise has a high success ratio (>80%) on cougar--although we did not kill an animal, we were hunting in very difficult (dry/frozen ground conditions) and yet we still had several exciting chases 2. This is a physical hunt; my son is 19 years old, plays division 1 lacrosse and has single digit percent body fat--and he was feeling it....needless to say, some of our chases got my attention to say the least. It's a good thing that Lloyd is also a certified EMT, as I felt that at times I may have required his services from that standpoint as well! The terrain is rough, steep, and sometimes impassable. The only terrain I've been in that required more of my attention was my goat hunt in British Columbia. But this was a close second. You will need to be in decent shape and bring sturdy (broken-in) waterproof boots. What this is NOT is a guaranteed hunt. If you're looking for a guarantee to kill a lion, I'm sure Lloyd would recommend that you look elsewhere....but there is no one that will work harder and until the last tick on the clock has expired, to get you your cat. In fact, Lloyd is so confident that he has a "bounce back" policy that if you are unable to fill your tag, he will have you return for half-price. The reason I ranked the quality/quality of the animals so highly is that although we didn't kill or even see a cat, I learned more about lion biology and tracking than I ever could have dreamed. Lloyd is a one man graduate course for your mountain lion masters degree. As far as the logistics, Lloyd works through Mark Buehrer of bowhunting safari consultants. Mark is another superstar in my world of bowhunting and I rarely book a hunt without his input. When you are ready to hunt your cat, contact Mark and he will make all of the administrative arrangements for you as well as give you information in terms of gear, travel and other necessary elements to make your adventure a success (and no, I don't have any financial affiliation with Mark or bsc). Finally, Lloyd's operation is quarterbacked by his CEO and wife, Sylvia. Beside her multiple "other" responsibilities, Sylvia is a 5 star chef and provided amazing evening meals to us upon our return each day. The scenery and majesty of southern Utah is spectacular, and you will see plenty of it. Second only to his family, Lloyd loves hunting and the outdoors. He will make your trip worth every penny of your hard earned money and one that you will always remember. I know that for my son and I, this was epic, and we will be back. If you have any further questions about the details of our hunt, feel free to contact Mark Buehrer or me at any time. -japjr

Outfitter's Response

Thanks John for the great report. We hope that the weather and lions cooperate on your next visit with us. Lloyd Nielson Sunrise Outfitting