California Hunting Stories, Guides, Gear & Expert Advice

Veterans, Brotherhood, and the Healing Power of the Outdoors

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:58:39 GMT

Supporting Veterans Through Outdoor Experiences and Shared Brotherhood

SMC Williams Guide Service Partners with Brave Souls United for a Meaningful California Wild Pig Hunt

This spring, SMC Williams Guide Service LLC had the privilege of hosting a special California wild pig hunt alongside Brave Souls United — a growing veterans nonprofit dedicated to supporting former service members through community, healing, and reconnecting with the outdoors.

Set against the rugged landscapes of California’s Central Coast near King City, the hunt became far more than a successful weekend in the field. It became an opportunity for veterans to share stories, build friendships, and experience the kind of peace that can only be found outdoors.

About Brave Souls United

Brave Souls United was founded with a powerful mission: to create a safe space away from the noise of everyday society where veterans can reconnect with nature, share their experiences, and find support while navigating trauma, PTSD, and the burdens often carried after military service.

The organization works to build a strong network of support for veterans facing physical disabilities, mental health struggles, and social isolation — all while helping combat one of the most urgent issues facing the veteran community today: suicide prevention.

Created by hunters and outdoor enthusiasts who understand the therapeutic value of time spent in nature, Brave Souls United believes that healing can often begin in the outdoors — around campfires, on mountain ridges, and in conversations shared far away from daily distractions.

Learn more about their mission at:
https://www.bravesoulsunited.com/

A Hunt Built Around Brotherhood

The hunt brought together four veterans — Tim, Steve, Patrick, and Javier — representing multiple branches of the United States Armed Forces, including the Air Force, Marines, and Army.

For many veterans, opportunities like guided hunts are difficult to access due to the financial costs involved. More importantly, events like this provide something much deeper than simply harvesting game. They create an environment where veterans can spend time with others who understand similar life experiences, challenges, and transitions after military service.

Over the course of the weekend, what started as a hunting trip quickly became something more meaningful. Watching complete strangers bond through shared experiences, conversations, and time in the field was one of the most memorable parts of the entire event.

By the end of the hunt, lifelong friendships had been formed.

California Wild Pig Hunting on the Central Coast

Hosted in California’s Central Coast region near King City, the hunt took place during the spring under threatening weather conditions. The group managed to beat the rain just in time, creating nearly perfect conditions for spot-and-stalk wild pig hunting.

The results were outstanding.

All four veterans successfully harvested respectable meat pigs, giving the hunt a 100% success rate. But while the hunting itself was exciting, the real success came from the experience shared between everyone involved.

Moments spent glassing hillsides, hiking together through the terrain, sharing meals, and sharing stories became the true highlights of the weekend.

Why Veteran Hunts Matter

For the team at SMC Williams Guide Service LLC, hosting veteran benefit hunts is deeply personal.

Guide and co-owner Colby Williams has long felt a strong connection to the veteran community through both his father and grandfather, who served in the military themselves. Having witnessed — even from the outside — some of the mental and emotional burdens many veterans carry, he has always hoped to create opportunities where the outdoors could provide peace, healing, and connection.

This hunt marked the beginning of what both SMC Williams Guide Service and Brave Souls United hope will become an ongoing partnership dedicated to serving veterans through outdoor experiences.

The outdoors has always offered something unique that is increasingly difficult to find in modern life: quiet, focus, purpose, and a genuine connection to nature. For many veterans, hunting provides a temporary escape from the mental exhaustion of everyday life while offering a therapeutic environment that encourages reflection, camaraderie, and healing.

Looking Ahead

This event may have been the first partnership between SMC Williams Guide Service LLC and Brave Souls United, but it certainly will not be the last.

As Brave Souls United continues building its reach and expanding opportunities for veterans, SMC Williams Guide Service is proud to support their mission and help provide meaningful outdoor experiences for those who have sacrificed so much in service to our country.

For everyone involved, the weekend served as a reminder that hunting is about far more than harvesting game. At its core, it is about connection — to nature, to tradition, and most importantly, to one another.

Meet the Owners of SMC Williams Guide Service

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:45:38 GMT

The Story Behind One of California’s Premier Hunting Outfitters

A Legacy of California Hunting, Guiding, and Outdoor Tradition

Founded officially in 2025, SMC Williams Guide Service LLC represents the partnership of two highly respected California hunting guides whose experience in the outfitting industry spans decades. While the company itself is new, the reputation behind it has been built over generations of guiding hunters across California’s most rugged and productive terrain.

Owners and professional hunting guides Sam McGuire and Colby Williams have worked together since 2014, combining the strengths of their former operations — SMC Guide Service and Williams Hunting Service — into one premier California outfitting company. Today, SMC Williams Guide Service LLC is recognized for delivering high-quality guided hunting experiences throughout California’s Central Coast, Central Valley, and Sierra foothills.

Sam McGuire — Experience Built in the Backcountry

For Sam McGuire, hunting and the outdoors were a way of life from the beginning. Raised in a family deeply connected to California’s backcountry, Sam spent much of his childhood exploring the Sierra Nevada mountains alongside his father and grandfather, a longtime forest ranger. Those early years developed the foundation for the skills he still relies on today: wilderness navigation, horse packing, camp management, firearm safety, and tracking trophy California mule deer in challenging terrain.

Sam’s professional guiding career began after experiencing his first guided hunt as a client with Cal Quest Outfitters. Seeing firsthand what it meant to create a successful and memorable hunt sparked a passion that would shape his future career in the outfitting industry. Shortly afterward, he joined the operation as a guide and quickly earned a reputation for hard work, leadership, and field knowledge.

Over the years, Sam expanded his experience guiding a wide range of California game species, including wild hogs, blacktail deer, turkey, mule deer, elk, and antelope. His career later brought him to Native Hunt Enterprises near King City, where he served as lead guide and gained additional experience with exotic game species including bison, fallow deer, and rams. It was there that Sam first met future business partner Colby Williams.

In 2012, Sam launched SMC Guide Service and began building a reputation as one of California’s premier hunting guides. In addition to operating hunts throughout California, he also guided seasonally in Wyoming with Rawhide Creek Outfitters, helping hunters pursue trophy mule deer, elk, and pronghorn antelope.

Beyond guiding, Sam is also the founder of McGuire Ballistics and developer of the Copper Rose bullet line. His extensive field experience and understanding of lead-free ammunition and ballistics provide clients with valuable insight into shot placement, rifle performance, and ethical hunting practices in real-world conditions.

Colby Williams — Continuing a Multi-Generation Guiding Tradition

Unlike many guides who discover the profession later in life, Colby Williams was raised in the hunting industry from childhood. His father, Mark Williams, spent more than 40 years as a California hunting guide and was among the state’s earliest licensed outfitters.

From an early age, Colby was immersed in every aspect of the business. By six years old, he was already helping process game for successful clients, and by age ten he had begun assisting with guided hunts. Those formative years gave him extensive knowledge of California wildlife, hunting behavior, and client care long before most hunters ever stepped into the field.

After an accident forced his father to step back from daily operations, Colby assumed greater responsibility within the family business during his teenage years. The guide service was eventually rebranded from Hogwild Hunting Service to Mark Williams and Sons Hunting Service as Colby became increasingly involved in the operation.

Following high school, Colby balanced guiding for the family business with guiding professionally for Native Hunt Enterprises, where he worked alongside Sam McGuire. When his father retired, Colby officially took over the family operation and continued building the respected Williams Hunting Service name.

Today, Colby continues a California hunting tradition that dates back to the 1970s, helping preserve one of the state’s longest-running hunting guide legacies while delivering modern, professional hunting experiences for clients from across the country.

Premier Guided Hunting in California

Today, SMC Williams Guide Service LLC offers professionally guided hunting experiences across more than 100,000 acres of private land throughout California’s Central Coast, Central Valley, and Sierra foothills.

The outfitter specializes in guided California wild pig hunts, trophy wild boar hunting, blacktail deer hunts, turkey hunts, and other premier hunting opportunities throughout the state. Hunters of all experience levels — from first-time hunters to seasoned outdoorsmen — benefit from decades of combined guiding experience, deep local knowledge, and a commitment to ethical and successful hunting.

Known especially for producing exceptional trophy-class wild boar opportunities, SMC Williams Guide Service has earned a reputation as one of the top California hunting outfitters for year-round wild pig hunting adventures.

Whether clients are searching for an unforgettable California hog hunt, a professionally guided trophy deer experience, or a trusted outfitter with deep roots in the hunting community, SMC Williams Guide Service LLC continues to deliver authentic, high-quality outdoor experiences built on generations of expertise.