Meet the GCO Team
Meet Your Osceola Turkey Guides
Meet the Osceola Turkey guides! These guides can do it all, from scouting to using the call, these guys are the main squeeze here at God's Country Outfitters. We have the the best turkey guides in the business, by far, and we're not just blowing smoke. These guys are the real deal and know just what to do to make it happen for our hunters. Most of these wonderful gentlemen have been with us for all 16 seasons and that shows their sincere dedication to the hunt! We were blessed with the best!
Austin Hamilton A.K.A. Hami
He grew up on a potato farm in St. Augustine, FL. Austin has been an airframe mechanic for over 12 years. “ I am a guide at GCO and I’ve been doing this for 10 years, and what a blessing that has been with the friends that have turned into family that I have gained from it!” Austin AKA “Hami” enjoys turkey hunting, bow hunting, fishing, and golfing here and there. “I quote way too many movies, more than I should and I'm big on sports, Go Gators!”
Wesley Parker
He’s 33 years old, born and raised in Palatka, Florida. He guides turkey hunts and some gator hunts at GCO. When he’s not guiding he does HVAC - air conditioning work. He loves spending time with his wife, Tanya, and daughter, Grace, and chasing deer and turkeys around the Florida swamps.
Steve Sparkman A.K.A. Sparky
He’s 40 and from Bunnell, Florida. He guides turkey hunts for GCO. He works as a water plant operator. He also enjoys hunting, fishing and is a dad to the most awesome 13-year-old daughter.
Jake Baggett
He’s 24, born and raised in San Mateo. He’s worked for God's Country Outfitters for 13 years helping with cattle and guiding hog hunts, turkey hunts, and gator hunts. Currently, he helps run a gutter business as well as welding. In his off time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He loves to do anything that involves the outdoors but deer hunting with hounds is his main hobby!”
Dillon Motes
He is from Palatka, Florida. He has known R.T. and Charles since he was in diapers himself. He is a master electrician and when he's not at his real job, he guides turkey hunts here at GCO. He and Samantha just welcomed a handsome baby boy named Stetson into the world. He enjoys hunting and spending time with his family.
Mike Durrance
He’s 50 years young and from Haw Creek, Florida. When he’s not guiding he works for Flagler County. Here at GCO Mike is a turkey guide! He loves hunting, fishing, anything outdoors, cookouts, and meeting and hunting with new people, friends, and family.
Dustin Hayes
He’s 25 years old and from Mandarin, Florida. He guides turkey and hog hunts for God's Country Outfitters. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He says getting to enjoy the outdoors while doing so is a plus. Turkey hunting and hog hunting with dogs are two of his obsessions.
Raymond (Ray Ray) Schmidt
He’s 35 and from St. Augustine, Florida. He’s a Gator and turkey guide when he’s here at camp and does Marine construction when he’s not. He says his favorite hobbies and things to do are, “Getting my son (Briar) outside and doing anything outdoors!” We are grateful for what Ray does here at GCO and are lucky to know him!
Hog Hunting Guides
Meet your hog hunting guides! These boys have a passion for hog hunting especially with dogs and enjoy taking clients out on these exciting hunts. They are excellent at tracking and putting clients on hogs, whether it be via thermal spot and stalk, preserve spot and stalk, in the stand or ground blind, or with the dogs. These boys know what it takes and enjoy sharing these fun experiences with clients.
Alan Vizcaino
He is 34 years old and lives in Elkton, Florida. He guides the hog dog hunts and also helps guide gator hunts. He shoes horses (farriers) full time, partnered along with his brother. His passion is raising pups and watching his dogs work. He says that catching a hog is just a major bonus. He is married to his better half, Kelsey, and has a one-year-old baby girl with a little boy on the way! He is looking forward to teaching them about all the things in the woods.
Austin & Erin Cline
Austin
He’s 24 years old and was born and raised in St. Augustine, Florida. He guides hog, gator, and turkey hunts and when he’s not at God's Country he runs heavy equipment for St. Johns County. He enjoys fishing with his wife, running his hog dogs and hanging out with friends.
Erin
She was born and raised in St. Augustine, FL. She works at St. Johns River Water Management District as a hydrology data specialist! She helps us out at GCO with organization and keeping track of our GCO merchandise. She loves to travel with her husband and being on the water!
Hunter & Miranda
Hunter Blasingame
He is 22, and grew up in St. Augustine, FL. Hunter guides turkey, gator, and hog hunts. When Hunter isn’t at work he loves to saltwater fish, deer hunt, and he’s also into racecars!
Miranda Cline
Born and raised in St. Augustine, FL. She cooks and cleans at GCO. Outside of GCO she is a dental assistant. She loves to do any kind of hunting and fishing and just loves being outdoors in general. Along with cooking, She also loves to bake! She loves anything that has to do with a dog, dogs are definitely her best friend!
Braxton & Kylee Heaton
They are 23 years old and originally from southern Utah. Braxton guides mule deer hunts back home for the majority of the year, but during the winter he works full time here at God's Country. He guides hog hunts, gator hunts, and preps for turkey season. He enjoys rappelling canyons and team roping. His passion is mule deer for sure. He married his wife Kylee 1 1/2 years ago and has recruited her to Florida to work for GCO for a while! GCO definitely got a bonus when Braxton scooped up Kylee! She is an excellent cook in the God’s Country kitchen and runs all of our Social Media platforms and interacts with our online community! Kylee says, “I love being in the mountains, being active, and being in the sun as much as possible!”
Jaxxon Swallow
He’s 22 years old and from Utah! Here at GCO, he guides Hog hunts and preps for turkey season. Horses are his passion, he loves doing anything he can with them, from breeding and training to riding. It’s good to have Jaxxon here and RT and Charles are trying to keep him from going back to Utah!
Meet Your Alligator Hunting Guides
These guys know all the back creeks of the St. Johns River and the best hunting lakes around here. These guides know how to drive a boat and cast for an alligator better than they know the back of their hand. To say we have the best in the business when it comes to catching an alligator is an understatement. These guys have never sent a client home empty-handed, need I say more?
Austin Starling A.K.A. Babyface
He's 32 years old, born and raised here in Palatka, Florida. Austin is one of our guides for gators and turkeys, he's been around GCO for quite a while. When he isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time with his family. “I love spending time with my wife and kids outdoors.”
Matt Holbrook
He was born and raised in Palatka FL. At GCO, Matt guides turkeys, hogs, and gators, he also is in charge of keeping RT straight! When Matt isn’t working you can find him hunting, bass fishing, dirt racing, and staying involved with his church.
Taylor Rains
He grew up in East Palatka, FL. At GCO, he guides gator hunts and helps when they need a hand with anything around the camp. Taylor enjoys fishing, hunting, and anything outdoors. “My kids love the outdoors which makes it so amazing to enjoy it with them.”
Nick Johnson
He was born and raised right here in San Mateo, Florida. At GCO, he is a hog and gator guide. Nick was one of the original few when we first started! His passion is hunting and fishing. When asked about a species in particular he said, “I like hunting and fishing for anything really!”
The Rest of the Dream Team
Our guides and their families are all a part of the heart of God's Country Outfitters. We know if it wasn't for their continued support that GCO would not be what it is today.
Jeanne Johnson
Ms. Jeanne is a lifelong Putnam Countian. She runs the kitchen here at God’s Country Outfitters and does a fine job at it. When GCO doesn’t have her cooking up a storm in the Lodge she enjoys traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.
Kady Tincher
She’s 19 and from San Mateo, Florida. Kady is the Executive Assistant here at God's Country Outfitters. If you’ve booked a hunt, you have probably talked to her! When she isn’t at work, Kady likes to spend time with her family, friends, and boyfriend. “ I have loved working at GCO, the people, the environment, everything is perfect!”
RT & Natalie Herrington
R.T. & Natalie are the original founders of God's Country Outfitters. They were just dating when R.T. started guiding Osceola Turkey hunts and hog hunts with dogs. It was just a side gig for several years while R.T. focused mostly on their cattle and storm cleanup businesses and Natalie taught elementary school. Fast forward sixteen years and they still raise cattle, but God's Country Outfitters is a full time entrepreneurship for them. Their oldest daughter, Charlie, is 10 and loves to hunt Midwest Whitetail deer just like her daddy! She has a trophy wall all of her own here at the GCO Lodge. She is always willing to jump in and help with whatever is needed here at God's Country Outfitters. Salem is 8 and definitely takes on the entertainment and comedian role here at GCO. She is always up for a fun time and loves to entertain! Rhett is 2 and loves all things outdoors. He loves animals and going with Daddy. He's already following right in his footsteps. We are so blessed to be a part of GCO and humbled to see how far it has come over the years. We give all the glory to God and look forward to see what beholds in the future for GCO!
Charles and Sally
As GCO grew, R.T. invited his brother Charles to be a partner and make GCO an official business. Charles accepted the offer and has been the brains behind the scenes of God's Country Outfitters since 2012. He married his beautiful wife Sally in 2019 and they welcomed a precious baby girl, Elzie Kaye to their family in 2020. Outside of GCO, Charles runs the majority of the family cattle operations and squeezes in a whitetail hunt here and there. Sally loves to hunt as well and is an excellent cook. Sometimes GCO gets the benefits of her fine cooking. We are so grateful they are a part of the GCO backbone.
Justin Tillis A.K.A. Drone Guy
He was born and raised in East Palatka, Florida. At GCO, Justin is our camera and drone guy, he films hunts, edits them, as well as posts on our Youtube Channel! He’s an all around tech guy! Justin has a passion for drones, anything from working on them to racing them, he also loves working on cars and going to church. He said, “I also love flying and would love to get my pilot's license one day!”
