The HARDEN Biography
Gus and Tom Harden are second generation wild pig hunting guides. They developed their knowledge and skill under the tutelage of their father, Ray Harden. In or around 1970, Ray (basically a farmer and rancher) began guiding hunters in an attempt to recoup losses resulting from the wild pigs' eating and damaging his barley crops.
What started out as an enjoyable way to recover losses, soon turned into a full time business. Ray leased a ranch adjacent to his own, on which to hunt pigs, and was soon as busy as he wanted to be, hunting and learning wildlife management skills through practical application. Ray's lifelong love affair with nature became a way of life that provided an income for the Harden family. He operated his business (Harden's Wildlife Management, Inc.) for many years and gained a great deal of respect in hunting circles, as one of the best and most productive guides for Wild Boar hunting in California.
In the mid to late 1980's wildlife populations in the area began to dwindle -- the result of years of drought conditions and declining cropland acreage. As farmers took their land out of production, for various economic reasons, wild pig numbers started to drop, due to the loss of available feed. Ray decided that it was a good time to get out of the hunting business until such time that the hog population started to increase again. So, he took a job at (nearby) Fort Hunter Liggett, in their wildlife management unit, where he has functioned successfully ever since.
Gus and Tom (together with their brother, Warren, who passed away in 1987) grew up hunting hogs and learning wildlife management skills. Their constant exposure to hunting and wildlife has helped them to become ethical hunters with a great deal of respect for the game they hunt and protect. Coming from a long line of hunters and outdoorsmen, Tom and Gus felt the need to carry on a family tradition of sportsmanship, ethics and a respect for the outdoors.
After much consideration Gus and Tom decided that it was time to get back to their sporting roots, so they formed Cross Country Outfitters, Inc. in early 1997. Wild Pig numbers in the area were on a sharp increase, so the timing was perfect. They had operated a self-guided hunting club on the family ranch for many years, so they were never completely out of the business. But, they wanted to return to guiding hunters for wild pigs, and do so now, on over thirty thousand acres of private ranchlands in the Paso Robles area.
Their operation is based on the family ranch where their father started guiding his first hog hunters, nearly thirty years ago. They now enjoy using their extensive knowledge of wild hogs and their outdoor skills, as they provide valuable services and carry on a family tradition.
Gus and Tom Harden --- Your Courteous and Friendly
Cross Country Outfitters' Staff.
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