The Full Story
Guide Grade is a media brand built on one simple belief: hunters deserve transparency, honesty, and accountability when choosing a Lodge or Guide.
We travel the country going to lodges and hunting alongside outfitters and guides, documenting the entire experience — not just the highlight reel. From the first phone call to the final handshake, we evaluate every hunt using a consistent, structured grading system that looks at professionalism, ethics, effort, success rates, accommodations, local knowledge, and overall value.
Our mission: We Hunt Guides — So You Don’t Have to.
Every episode includes a real lodge, a real hunt, with real outcomes, real conditions, and a real review. No scripted praise. No paid reviews. Just boots-on-the-ground evaluations that help hunters make informed decisions and help great guides and lodges stand out in a saturated industry.
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Guide Grade exists to elevate the hunting industry as a whole — rewarding integrity, spotlighting excellence, and pushing standards forward for future generations of hunters.
Sean Vogl
Sean is a hunter at heart — not just because he enjoys the pursuit, but because he respects everything that comes with it. Learning from his best friend about the early mornings ( slept in a few times on accident), the long miles, the patience, the misses ( most of the time), and the memories (especially) that stay with you long after the hunt is over.
It’s about the people you share the hunt with, the stories told around the fire, and the responsibility we carry to do things the right way. That mindset is what led Sean to create Guide Grade.
When Sean's not in the field, he's usually planning his next trip, working on building and networking for Guide Grade, or spending time with the people who matter most to him.
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Some hunts end in success, some don’t. But every hunt is approached with respect, effort, and honesty — and that’s what Sean aims to share with anyone who follows along.
Guide Grade is a reflection of who He is: show up prepared, put in the work, tell the truth, and leave things better than you found them.
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( DO NOT SLEEP IN)
Gabriel "Gabe" Colon
Gabriel (Gabe) isn’t your typical content specialist. An Army veteran with 11 years of service and a lifelong outdoorsman, he’s equal parts disciplined and unhinged — strict when it counts, but laid-back enough to keep things fun.
With more than five years of experience managing social media marketing accounts for businesses and brands, Gabriel has built a proven track record of delivering results. He knows the tools inside and out — Lightroom, Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Canva — and uses them to craft media that’s clean, cinematic, and always on-trend. His approach is simple: give the audience what they want, in a way that feels authentic.
When he’s not behind the screen, Gabriel is usually behind a fly rod, chasing ducks through the marsh, or drawing back a bow. He spends more than 200 days a year in the woods or on the water, guiding, hunting, and filming. And when the adventure slows down, you’ll find him right where he wants to be — with his wife and daughter.”
Chris Balcom
And
Cash
"Cash Money"
After a professional baseball career, I found another passion to add to my list: HUNTING. What started as a way to unwind turned into something more—early mornings, quiet moments, and time outdoors with great people. It gave me that same sense of focus and purpose I’d always found in sports.
Since introducing Sean to hunting, we’ve reconnected in a way that’s hard to find anywhere else. We’ve been friends since the 6th grade, and time in the field has only added to that—shared mornings, good conversations, and plenty of stories. Whether the hunt goes as planned or not, it’s the memories we make and the people we meet that stick with us.
Hunting has given me the opportunity to slow things down, reset, and refocus. Just like in sports, every opportunity is earned—nothing is handed out. In life and in hunting, it’s about preparation, patience, and showing up the right way. Hunting has shown me the true meaning of values, work ethic, and tradition, which I strive every day to pass down to my kids.
Jeremiah "Jeb" Wheeling
I’ve spent most of my life outdoors, learning the hunting world the way it’s meant to be learned—through early mornings, long days, and time earned in the field. From duck hunts at first light to chasing whitetails across changing terrain and seasons, my experience has been shaped by both success and failure. Those moments taught me that hunting isn’t just about the outcome, but about preparation, effort, and respect for the land and the game.
Over the years, I’ve developed a clear understanding of what quality looks like in a hunt, whether it’s the way a day is planned, how conditions are handled, or how people are treated along the way. I value honesty, hard work, and accountability, and I believe those principles matter just as much off the hunt as on it. My perspective comes from being on both sides of expectations—knowing what hunters hope for and what it actually takes to deliver a great experience.
At my core, I’m driven by a commitment to authenticity. I believe in doing things the right way, learning constantly, and holding myself to the same standards I respect in others. Whether I’m in the field or building something tied to the hunting community, my goal is always the same: to contribute something real, dependable, and rooted in firsthand experience. This isn’t about hype—it’s about earning trust through consistency and time spent doing the work.
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