Our Colorado Hunting Guides

Adam VanVaulkenburg - Guide

Adam’s family homesteaded their ranch in the late 1800’s. Since that time, his family has ranched in the North Park region of Colorado. He is a fifth generation rancher and has hunting the area since he was old enough to handle firearms.

Adam is married to his wife Kari who helps him and his parents (Chris & Carla) ranch near Coalmont Colorado. 

Adam is also the owner of Rabbit Ears Rifle, has served as the President of the North Park Stockman’s Association since 2020.

Adam is an accomplished big game hunter, long range shooter, gunsmith, high country snowmobiler, and an avid furbearer and small game hunter. He goes by the nickname “North Park Mountain Man.”

Adam and Earl have been friends since Earl started outfitting in North Park. He has guided for Ivory & Antler Outfitters since 2017 and outside of ranching he guides on our Early Season Cow Elk Rifle Hunts, Bull Elk Archery Hunts, and late season Bull Elk Rifle Hunts.

Austin Gray - Marketing/Guide

Austin grew up in West Texas before attending Colorado State University to play football as a starting Safety. Upon graduation, Austin stayed in Colorado and worked several jobs in the outdoors to enjoy all Colorado has to offer. 

Austin is married and has a beautiful daughter he and his wife Bailey were blessed with in 2022.

Austin grew up hunting all over Texas and venturing to Colorado to fly fish with his father. He is an accomplished fly fisherman and is known for having incredible luck and great skill as a big game archery hunter. 

Austin has guided for Ivory & Antler since 2017 and although he runs his own construction company, joins the team to guide Archery Bull Elk Hunts in September to keep his connection to the North Park area.

Austin also helps Earl with the company marketing platform which has turned into a huge success. Through their collaboration over the last decade, Ivory & Antler books out 2-3 years in advance.

Caleb Luikens - Guide

Caleb’s family worked in the North Park Ranching community for most of his childhood life. His father moved to NW Nebraska for ranch work and took his family to Scotts Bluff. Today, Caleb and his family own and operate a well drilling, ranch pump, and septic business that operates in the Scotts Bluff area and sometimes ventures into Wyoming.

Caleb is married to his wife Melissa and has 5 beautiful children, so he spends his off season working his well pump business and being a great father. Caleb retired from the Marine Corp and has guided for Ivory & Antler Outfitters since 2016. 

Caleb is an accomplished waterfowl hunter but loves to spend October and November guiding our Late Season Bull Elk Rifle Hunts.

Earl Oesterling - Owner & Lead Guide

Earl Grew up in the Upper Midwest and was an avid whitetail and small game hunter since he was able to walk.  After College he went to work for the Toyota Motor Corporation and had an accomplished career for the next 18 years. In this time, he was able to pursue big and small game all of North America.

He left Toyota in order to make Tony’s dream of a successful outfitting company come true and that is what he accomplished. 

Earl guides all seasons and coordinates the rest of the team on the daily and weekly plans during the very busy guiding season.

Earl sits on the board of the Colorado Outfitters Association as it NE Director and is extremely involved in political and other events that threaten hunting, conservation, and other recreational activities in Colorado.

Ryan Perdue - Guide

Ryan grew up on the Front Range of Colorado. He started hunting with his father as a boy, mainly for Turkeys and waterfowl. 

Ryan spent time working as a police officer in the Denver area, he was in the Army until a accident repelling from a helicopter ended his career in the army. He then went to work in the oil fields in North Dakota. Ryan has hunted every fall since he was a boy and loves to ice fish and snowmobile around North Park in the winter months.

Ryan was instrumental in Hero Expeditions for several years. HEX is a non-profit who hosted Wounded & Retired Vets, First Responders, and kids of age on hunting and fishing trips all over the west. At their hay day, they serviced over 500 participants throughout the year. The work they did helped so many people, its hard to understand the reach. 

In the off season, he works at a water company in Loveland Colorado.

Ryan has guided with Ivory & Antler since 2018. He mainly guides for Moose and Late Season Bull Elk Rifle Hunts.

Shelby Garrett - Guide

Shelby grew up in Granby Colorado and has guided big game clients since he was 15 years old. Working for his father in the Middle Park Region of Colorado he learned the ropes and became a very accomplished big game guide and hunter by the time he was 20 years old.

Shelby is married to his wife Lila, and they have several adopted children. 

Shelby runs a septic contracting company outside of hunting season but spends a lot of time above tree line hunting on his own during archery season. 

Shelby has guided for Ivory & Antler since 2016. He currently guides during our Bull Elk Archery Hunts, but also helps out during the Late Rifle Bull Elk Rifle Hunts when needed as well.

Tony Cesario - Founder

Tony grew up outside of Pueblo Colorado. He learned to hunt in the wilds of Southern Colorado with his dad and a close network of friends. Tony was an extremely talented high school football player who went on to start for the Colorado State University Rams. After his 5 years in Fort Collins, he was drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tony played in the NFL for 4 years before injuring his left knee and retiring back to Fort Collins.

Tony operated an outfitting company that operated on some of the same leases we use today as well as a traffic control company along the front range of Colorado.

Tony passed away from a rare disease while guiding elk hunters in 2010. 

He and Earl became close friends during a waterfowl hunt in 2008. Together they hunted all over the state. 

Tony was our founder, brother, and friend and he is missed every day! His memory still lives in and around the Ivory & Antler Outfitters streams, hay fields, timber fringes, sage flats, and mountains that we call home year-round!

Rest in Peace old friend!