Rob Kern – President

Vice President of The Hunting Consortium Ltd., Rob Kern attended Massanutten Military Academy for five years and graduated from George Mason University. Rob has been in the hunting industry since childhood and professionally for over a decade. He has hunted and fished on 6 continents for the past decade and is an expert in his field. Rob is a staunch advocate for wildlife conservation around the world and has been instrumental to many hunting organizations.

He is a Life Member of the Dallas Safari Club, Safari Club International, Wild Sheep Foundation, and the International Professional Hunters’ Association and is on the Exhibitor Advisory Group (EAG) for Safari Club International, the largest hunting organization in the world.

Jay Leyendecker

Based in south Texas, Jay is a Professional Hunter, wildlife consultant and ranch real estate broker, he has long had a deep passion for the land and all things wild. Jay started hunting and shooting at a very young age, at six he hunted his first whitetail deer under the guidance of his grandfather. Growing up he always knew wildlife and land would be the the career path he was to pursue, so he volunteered at ranches near his home in Texas to learn the craft of the land and wildlife management, alongside private land biologists.

Fascinated by Africa with its diverse wildlife, Jay’s adventurous spirit first led him to the African continent in the year of 1999. Since that first season he has been traveling to various African countries every year since. He always had a passion for elephants which steered him towards Botswana, where he became one of the very few Americans to become a fully licensed dangerous game Professional Hunter (2009) in the history of the country. He has also held a Professional Hunter’s license in Mozambique. Jay conducts safaris annually with his clientele, both in Africa and Texas. He has been a full time outfitter since 2008 and was guiding many years prior to that.

Jean-Pierre Bernon

General Manager of Fauna Safari Club, Jean-Pierre Bernon has always been committed to responsible sport hunting. After creating his tailor-made hunting travel agency, he took on new responsibilities in the field of big game hunting and became President of the l’Association des Tours Opérateurs Spécialisés Chasse et Pêche (ATOS) (Specialist Operators Hunting and Fishing), Vice President of the l’Association des Chasseurs Professionnels (ACP) (Association of Professional Hunters), and Vice-President of the Conseil Supérieur de la Grande Chasse (CSGC) (Superior Council of the Great Hunt).

He is currently Board Member of the International Professional Hunters Association (IPHA), member of the African Professional Hunters Association (APHA), member of Safari Club International (SCI), official scorer for Rowland Ward and President of the l’Association des Guides de Grande Chasse (AGGC) (Association of Guides Great Hunt).

Dan Frederick

Dan Frederick is the father of 2 daughters and the husband to a wonderful wife.  He has always been interested in the outdoors and everything that is has to offer.  Hunting and fishing became a passion at a very young age as his father took him and his brother on many of the local hunting and fishing trips throughout their younger years. After graduating high school Dan started in the family business of an Alberta outfitter and worldwide Booking Agent.

Now over 30 years later Dan and his brother Nick own and operate Ameri-Cana Expeditions Inc. out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  They take pride in their services that they provide to like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.  Offering only what they consider to be the best of the best in the hunting world.

Danene van der Westhuyzen

Danene van der Westhuyzen

Danene’s passion for fair and ethical hunting has amplified her stand with numerous conservation and anti-poaching organisations over the past years. 

She is the past president of the Namibian Professional Hunters Association (NAPHA), CEO of Operators & Professional Hunting Associations of Africa (OPHAA), Trustee of Hunters United Against Poaching, Board Member of The Nature Conservation Board of Namibia and serves on the DSC Conservation Advisory Board. She was also elected as Director to the Conservation Force board in late January 2020.   She was also voted onto the CIC board in 2023 as African advisor.

She has won the DSC Operator of the Year Award and the APHA OX of Okavango Award for her “immense contribution towards conservation.” Danene served as the ambassador for Southern Africa at the world One With Nature event held in Hungary in 2021, where she also received the the presidential accolade awarded to her by the deputy prime minister Dr. Zsolt Semjén, and the government commissioner Zoltán Kovács, at the Hungarian Parliament. 

She is passionate about Namibia, her family and heritage and has written a beautiful recipe book reflecting all of this called From The Veld. She has also produced a variety of articles and presentations worldwide.

She is an optometrist, dangerous game professional hunter, writer, wife and mother of three. She and her husband Gysbert operate ARU Game Lodges with its conservation initiatives.

Russ Smith

Like most professional hunters, Russ grew up in a hunting family. He guided friends and older acquaintances on hunting and fishing trips when he was still a teenager. It was his passion and for the last 35 years has been his profession. After earning a degree in mechanical engineering and a short pro baseball career, Russ served as a contract engineer in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fuel program.

Russ has been licensed to outfit and guide hunters in Montana for 35 years and for 26 years has hunted personally and professionally on 5 continents. He has served on the Governor of Montana’s Advisory Council and the Montana Board of Outfitters.

A pinnacle of recognition for his professional hunting career, personal hunting achievements and conservation efforts came in 2014 when Russ received the coveted Safari Club International C.J. McElroy Award. And again in 2019 when he received the Safari Club International North American Professional Hunter of The Year Award.

Russ and his wife Irina own and operate “Montana Professional Hunters” and their international hunting business: “Russ Smith – Hunting Worldwide”.

Photo and bio pending. . .

Dave Kidder

David is one of the original members of SCI as I began within the very first year of its existence. He is Life member #916 and has attended every annual convention except 2 since it’s inception and was an exhibitor for over 10 years. He is a CJ McElroy Award recipient which he considers to be the pinnacle in my involvement with Safari Club.
David is CEO and President of Kidder Safari Company Ltd, and we are in our 49th year of operation this year. He is a Full Professional member of IPHA having joined under Don Lindsey in 1985. I have hunted worldwide taking many top trophies and have either guided or arranged thousands of hunts for clients. I was in on the opening of hunts to the former Soviet Union beginning right after Pestroica in 1991 and personally have hunted and taken clients to the Kamchatka, Tajikistan, Krygystan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Mongolia, and China, as well as Europe, and many countries thru ought Africa. I have taken 14 Safaris to the Asian countries and took the last group for Blue Sheep to China just before they closed the country to hunting again, I believe it was in 2005
I am a charter member of the Michigan SCI Chapter and was the 4 th President and I served on the board for over 17 years. I have served on countless committees and conservation programs over the past 50 years
I am a Life Member of the NRA since 1958, and was a member of Kent County Conservation Club for over 40 years..I am a Charter Life member of Ovis/ Grand Slam, and have been a member of the Sheep Foundation since its inception. I have hunted first with my Father in 1955, and have never missed an opening day for Michigans annual deer hunt for 67 years. Now I hunt with my whole family at our Stonehedge Lodge hunting property where I live with my wife Alvera
I have shot skeet and trap competitively for many years and hold the NRA rank of Expert Rifleman, and I shot allmost all my Distinguished Riflemen’s targets before I was 18 years old.
Hunting and Conservation have been my life,
And having Kidder Safari has opened a world of friendships with clients and outfitters all over the world. Safari Club and IPHA are the backbone organizations that have cemented hunters together since they began, and IPHA has literally held the guides and outfitters to a higher standard by holding each other accountable and believing that we can help each other as well as do great conservation efforts that benefit all wildlife. I am proud to be a part of such a fine group of professionals.
I am a very lucky man to have a wife who has allowed me to chase my dreams and share them with clients and friends. I my first career was Lumber Broker, which I did concurrently with my Safari Business for 47 years until 2008. My company was called Kidder Forest Products
Jesus has been my Guide and Savior since I was 8 years old and He has truly blessed me
In so many ways that I cannot even count them

Martin Neuper

I am Martin O. Neuper, a name rooted in a lifelong devotion to hunting, conservation, and the mesmerizing landscapes that bind them together.

**Foundations of Passion:**
Born on February 6, 1979, I was nurtured by business-savvy parents in the oil and waste industry. However, my heart was drawn to the vast outdoors. My grandparents, tending to our Sau Alm mountain estate, initiated my love for hunting. Their post-war foray into offering hunting trips to German hunters in the ’50s lit the fire that would guide my life’s journey.

**A Family Tradition:**
Weekends and holidays found me amid the breathtaking mountains, a stage where my grandfather orchestrated the majestic dance of mountain red stag, chamois, and roe deer. Later, my uncle’s endeavors in Burgenland and Hungary exposed me to wild boar, Fallow deer, and Moufflon hunts. Guiding clients alongside my father and uncle, I obtained my guiding license at 18.

**Africa Beckons:**
Austria and Hungary could not contain my aspirations, leading me to the illustrious Jannie (JPS) Meyer and his Zimbabwean family. At 21, I embarked on an African odyssey, apprenticing as an agent under Mr. Meyer. A partnership with Jannie Meyer Jr. led to the birth of Buffalo Trails, an African hunting company anchored in Zimbabwe.

**Carving a Legacy:**
The thirst for experiences transcended continents. My cousin’s husband, Toni Fuerst, and I ignited FN Hunting, reintroducing Austria to its hunting heritage. A full PH hunter’s license in Tanzania and guiding in the Cameroonian rainforest soon followed. With my unwavering connection to Africa, I partnered with Graham Hingeston to birth HHK SAFARIS ZIMBABWE, a testament to my commitment.

**A Vision Sustained:**
Throughout my journey, conservation has remained a tenet. Companies I’ve been part of have championed anti-poaching units, contributing to the preservation of wildlife. We’ve endured challenges, emerging stronger and more resolved than ever.

**A Legacy Flourished:**
Today, FN Hunting flourishes as Austria and Hungary’s premier hunting operator, boasting abundant game-filled areas. HHK SAFARIS ZIMBABWE reigns supreme with six hunting concessions that teem with life. The verdant rainforests of Cameroon continue to beckon, a testament to the enduring passion I hold.

As I embrace the joy of guiding the next generation, including my own children, into the folds of this noble endeavor, I invite you to join me on this unparalleled journey where hunting, conservation, and family create a legacy that echoes through time.

Sergio Jiménez Lezama

Sergio born in Puebla, Mexico in April 1963; graduated in 1986 as Doctor in Veterinary Medicine by Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana; also certified as Superior Administrative Manager by ITESM in 1993.

Executive Director of Mexico Hunts since 1996 to date.

Avid international hunter.

Member of the National Technical Advisory Committee for Desert Bighorn Sheep Recovery from 1995 to 2012; Director of several Wildlife Conservation Management Units in Mexico.

Has collaborated in many wildlife conservation, educational and management programs in Mexico, highlighting Desert Bighorn Sheep in BCS, Mule deer and Whitetail deer, jaguar, Psittacidae species and Golden Eagle, among many others, in addition to supporting rural communities and students in sustainable use of wildlife.

• Life Member SCI
• Life Member WSF
• Life Member DSC
• Life Member GSCO
• Master Measurer Safari Club Internacional since 1994.
• SCI Official Measurement Course Instructor.
• 2011Outstanding Outfitter of the year. Frank Golata Award by

Wild Sheep Foundation.

• 2010-2014: Safari Club International Vice President, Chapter Monterrey.
• 2016 to date: Member of the Advisory Board for Wild Sheep Foundation, Mexico Chapter.
• 2017 to 2024: President of the Conservation Committee: Chipinque Ecological Park.
• 2002-2003: President of the Wildlife Committee in the State Advisory Council for the Preservation and Promotion of Nuevo Leon’s Wildlife Flora and Fauna.
• 2011-2014: Member of the Advisory Council in the Museum of Fauna and Natural Sciences of Monterrey A.B.P.
• 2021 to date: Member of the City Council in Nuevo Leon’s Parks and Wildlife Agency.
• 1999 to date: Member of the National Technical Advisory Committee for the Recovery of the Mexican Gray Wolf.

Has collaborated in many document publications and wildlife books from 1996 to date.

Kate Allen

Kate Allen

Kate Allen was born and raised in the Dallas, TX area, but considers the Kerrville area her second home.  Kate has long time family ties here and spent many summers “growing up” in the Texas Hill Country.

Kate studied at North Texas State University in Denton, TX, and brings years of program development experience both in the non-profit and private business industries.  Kate’s background includes traveling abroad and has lived in South Africa where she studied the professional hunters course with Gerard Steenkamp.

Kate enjoys sports including baseball (an avid Texas Rangers fan) and hunting.  Kate also enjoys music, social media and learning and using new technology. Kate is a life member of the Dallas Safari Club and has worked and volunteered for the DSC and other hunting and conservation organizations since an early age.