The Other Guys
Emily Ann Bosler for SPLIT REED
What started as a joke over beers shared between buddies, became the name of a waterfowl outfitter that has since set itself apart in a heavily hunted area of the country. When hunters returned from a subpar experience with another guide service in their region, Kraiger Ebbers and Matt Wolfe (co-owners of OGO) laughingly imagined them saying “hey next year, let’s go hunt with those other guys.” In 2018, they became just that- Other Guys Outfitters, located in Gering, Nebraska. When asked what most waterfowlers picture when they book a hunt in this area, Wolfe replied “a BUNCH of birds.” According to Wolfe, even in a slow year, OGO faces no shortage of big groups of Canada geese and mallards. While the experience of hunting a dry field with an enormous spin of birds overhead is enough to entice any avid wing shooter, this is not all that sets the “other guys” apart.
Owner Kraiger Ebbers began guiding at the young age of 13, “it’s a little funny when you’re the guide and your Mom still has to drop you off at the blind” he quipped. While Ebbers remained incredibly humble about his 10 plus years of experience as a guide, Wolfe credits their hunting success entirely to his co-owner, “everything I know is from Kraiger” he added. The friendship between these two sets the scene for exactly what you can expect when hunting with OGO, genuine relationships both in and out of the blind. “You’re not gonna book with us and then never see us again,” said Wolfe. In fact, you can typically expect to have both owners in the blind with you on any given hunt. As two guides, their ability to successfully share a blind can be attributed in part to their opposing passions, “I’m in love with geese” said Ebbers, while Wolfe’s dreams are made of “fifty stacks of all greenheads.” In this instance, opposites really do attract to create one heck of a guiding duo.
Another type of relationship also allows Other Guys Outfitters to stand out amongst the rest, this one being their relationships with local landowners and farmers. “Pay upfront, respect their land, and keep them happy,” said Ebbers. These connections have been in the making since the pair’s high school days and have garnered OGO the ability to access an incredible amount of land. This allows them to both scout and hunt more ground than most, “we are scouting the fields day and night, Kraiger will drive 70 miles one way and 70 miles another to ensure we are giving you the best chance at a good hunt,” said Wolfe. One thing you can leave at home when hunting with Matt and Kraiger is your waders, “we hunt dry fields almost exclusively, probably because I absolutely hate waders,” said Ebbers. When planning your hunt with OGO, you may wonder what part of the season presents the most ideal hunting conditions. While there is no shortage of birds throughout their entire three-month season (November through February), Wolfe suggested that in Nebraska, the colder the weather the better, “if there’s snow on the ground, you’re gonna pound” he added.
When asked to paint the picture of a “good season” for OGO, Wolfe defined success as “fifty days of double-digit mallard field hunts.” What about geese, you ask? Geese are nothing short of guaranteed with Other Guys, “we can always find geese,” said Ebbers. The true measure of a successful season for OGO though is the connections made between themselves and the folks they take hunting. “People come to kill birds, of course, but relationships will always come first for us. We want people to come back,” said Wolfe. It is rare to find an outfitter in which you share a blind with not one but both of the owners, and while you may book a hunt with only big bird numbers in mind, I can confirm that you’ll leave convinced you’ve been hunting buddies with Kraiger and Matt all of your life.
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