A new era

The Rafter M Hunting Company was established in December of 2023 by proud owner, operator, and licensed Montana Outfitter, Kyle Mutcher.

In 2018 Mr. Mutcher was hired by Cottonwood Outfitters and his career as a Montana hunting guide began. In December of 2021 his role for Cottonwood shifted to general manager as well as lead guide. In late 2023, Kyle was offered an opportunity to purchase Cottonwood Outfitters, and did just that.

After purchasing Cottonwood, Mr. Mutcher rebranded the outfit to Rafter M Hunting Company with a goal of defining his own era in the outfitting industry. In Kyle's words,

"I had an opportunity to learn from an outfitter that had 60 years of guiding and outfitting experience. That outfitter built Cottonwood from nothing. Those are his boots and his path. I cherished my time working for Cottonwood and everything I learned, I specially cherish all the great clients I met and hunting memories made. Now its time to make my own path."

Riding for the brand

In the old west, a 'rafter' symbol in a cattle brand meant the cowboy was also a craftsman. Growing up building custom homes with his father Kelly Mutcher in Summit County, Utah, Kyle developed a respect for hard work, refined detail, and customer relations. To Kyle, 'rafters' used in construction symbolize strength, integrity, shelter, and the peak. The rafter symbolizes a home.

The Rafter M brand is also an ode to western heritage. Kyle's parents both grew up in ranching and farming families, and Kyle spent, and still spends, much of his time working around the cattle industry. Kyle purchased and registered the 'Rafter M' brand with the Montana Department of Livestock several years ago, and dreams of owning a few cattle of his own.

A new approach

Kyle Mutcher's passion for big game hunting started at a very young age. Growing up in a family that hunted to 'fill the freezer', Kyle learned that hunting was a sustainable means of providing. He learned hunting was not only a family tradition, but a tradition that must be approached with the utmost respect for both the process and the critters alike.

In his guiding career, Kyle has been fortunate enough to work for big game outfitters in multiple states, and also several fly fishing outfitters in Utah. These experiences have been instrumental in developing his ideals, management strategies, and business structure for his own outfitting business. Kyle states:

"Throughout both my hunting and guiding career, I've witnessed a variety of strategies with how outfitters run their operations; some much more successful than others. I've experienced what works and what doesn't, and I've developed my business plan and operations around those experiences.

The goal here at Rafter M Hunting Company is to sustainably manage wildlife populations while providing top-tier hunting experiences for our clients via quality hunts over quantity hunts. We aim to set honest and realistic expectations for our hunts, and be transparent with clients throughout the entire experience. We lease hunting properties long-term and do our absolute best to leave them better than we found them."