Years ago in Stonewall Colorado, I sat high on a hill late one morning and watched through my binoculars as the "new kid", Justin Lucero, led his hunter after a herd of rapidly ascending elk. From my distant, elevated vantage point, I could see everything going on- Justin gliding effortlessly across the big country like smoke in the breeze, while his hunter rambled awkwardly behind doing his best to keep up. I could see the herd, a few hundred yards ahead, moving quickly through the timber and up the mountainside toward their bedding area, at the command of the big 6x6 bull in charge. Minutes later, Justin called that bull off of his herd and back down the mountain to within 50 yards of his hunter, and that's precisely when I nicknamed him "El Indio."

Growing up in Colorado amidst a family of hunters, Justin has been in the mountains hunting and collecting monster sheds since he was a youngster. Guiding professionally for the Crazy French Ranch, Full Draw Outfitters, and Sierra Grande Outfitters for the last decade, Justin has built a long list of happy clients that witness annually the ease with which he successfully operates in the mountains. In 09' he personally took a 378-inch bull during late rifle season on public ground, while his best personal mule deer buck scored 213-inches- a 10x 5 with an 11 inch drop tine. Ask anyone who has hunted with El Indio, and they'll probably agree that his nickname is perfectly fitting.

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