Alex Russo, Owner/Guide
I was born in Aberdeen, SD, and brought up in the hunting community. I attended high school at Aberdeen Central and then pursued service in the United States Marine Corps following graduation. I was enlisted in the Marine Corps for a six-year contract, but only made five due to a back injury. I served one tour to Afghanistan for an eight-month period training Afghan National Army personnel. We carried many other roles during our tour, but our main objective was to train Afghan National Army personnel Marine Corps tactics.
Upon return of Afghanistan I pursued construction in my hometown. I continued to serve in my reserve unit out of Wahpeton North Dakota. During the first months of my return from overseas, I sustained a back injury that dated back from deployment. I had surgery and was released of my duties in the Marine Corps. Post-surgery I could not perform military service or construction roles.
I then looked into opening up what is now Flatland Flyways. I grew up around hunting and fishing my whole life. It was second nature to me. My family has always been one with the outdoors. I was let down I couldn't continue my military service, but looked forward and thought of an alternative service I could do to provide for people around the United States.
Flatland Flyways is a waterfowl guide service built off of passion, family, and respect of waterfowl hunting. We understand hunting is not based off of killing, but the entire experience of the hunt. We strive to provide the absolute best all-around hunting trip a person could dream of. If you are looking for a guide service to just go kill a limit every day, that is not what we only set our minds to. We want to provide excellent food, family comforting lodging, and top notch ethical waterfowl hunting.
We only accommodate a maximum of 12 hunters in our lodge at one time. We do this to ensure we can have a real personal connection with our clients first off. We also do this so we can truly provide quality hunts. We prefer that our max group of hunters is six individuals. Meaning, two groups of six. This increases hunting opportunity, success, safety, and that when you depart, you will feel part of the FF team and not just another client.
Our mission here at Flatland Flyways is not to build our lodge up and expand into a huge outfitter. We want to maintain small groups with a quality hunt at the end of the day. We will provide excellent customer service, fine dining, and hunting memories you will never forget.
Our guides have an abundance of waterfowl hunting knowledge. We understand the time that needs to be put into successfully hunting waterfowl. We are always on the move scouting and finding the next best location. We will not put you in the same spots past clients have been unless hunting remains successful. Every guide on our team has overflowing passion and love for waterfowl and will make sure you are in the best location possible. Our team will never stop striving to be better, we will never settle. Some days you are humbled. Hunting is hunting, not killing. Our staff will work harder and harder to provide for our clients.
"Flatland Flyways will provide the highest quality waterfowl hunt as a whole" -- Alex Russo