Pro-file
Wild Times Guide Jim Szemenyei

by Bill Mays
Wing and Clay Editor

When it comes to hunting the Klamath Basin, Jim Szemenyei of Wild Times is one of the best guides in the Basin. This writer has personally hunted with Szemenyei and all the hunts have been fantastic. He not only is a great caller, he knows how to set a pond or a grain field for ducks and geese and works hard to make sure his clients have the best shoot possible.

It all started for Szemenyei at the Salton Sea in Southern California where his father took him and his brothers duck hunting at the age of nine. His father would pass shoot off the peninsulas and didn’t call at all. Then one day his brother found a bag of decoys and young Szemenyei was fascinated with the way the birds would work into the decoys and was hooked after that. The new found waterfowler could not get enough of the sport, he wanted to learn how to call, buy more decoys, and eventually as he got older, he hunted the other refuge’s in California.

As a teenager Szemenyei started hunting Kern and Mendota Refuge and met a young minor league baseball player that was also successful hunting these refuges and they would compare stories and talk about duck hunting, his name was Kevin Gross. As their friendship grew so did Gross’s baseball career, he ended up signing with the Phillies. Not long after signing his first major league contract he contacted Szemenyei, said he was going to lease some property from a farmer named Sterns next to the White Lakes closed zone in the Klamath Basin and would he like to guide for him.

Jim Szemenyei on lower right, continues to give his clients quality hunts and is an expert caller.

Szemenyei guided and managed the duck club for 3 years before bring his friend and business partner Phil Brown up from Southern California. Szemenyei and Brown guided for another 8 years for Gross until the farmer Sterns decided to sell his property. “It was offered to Gross for a million-two,” said Szemenyei. “Gross considered buying the ranch, but was advised by his financial adviser to pass, Gross said if he would have signed one more major league contract he would have bought the Sterns ranch.”

Sterns sold the duck club to the Klamath Refuge and Szemenyei was able to obtain his Klamath refuge guides license. The next year, friend and business partner Phil Brown, obtained his guide license and the Wild Times Guides Service was formed. Szemenyei and Gross still hunt together in Mexico and whenever they get a chance. Gross has a hunting TV program and is now busy hunting all over the world.

“All you have to do is get me close to the ducks and geese,” If I can get to where they can hear me, I can bring’em in, said Szemenyei. He has a new calling DVD coming out soon and if you want to learn to call ducks and geese, this will be the DVD to buy. Or if you would like to have a fantastic hunt in the Klamath Basin call Jim Szemenyei or Phil Brown of Wild Times Guides at 541-892-5008.