One of the keys to a successful new business is finding and filling a niche that others may have missed. For San Antonio hunter and guide Reis Ladd, he began to notice a pattern when he went to drop off animals taken with him during a hunt at a number of taxidermist shops around Texas.
“I started running meat and animals to different places and started asking the taxidermists what issues they were encountering,” Ladd said. “We all travel to hunt, from DFW to Houston to San Antonio. And we usually all find a way to get our animals to the taxidermist at the end of a hunt. But picking it up becomes problematic. The taxidermists were always sitting on a lot of finished animals that a hunter had no way to get home. It’s an issue for the hunter and a big issue for the taxidermists, who want those trophies moved out of their shop.”
Ladd decided to pursue a new business opportunity, and Check In Transport was born. If the past is any indication, Ladd probably won’t fail.
Raised in San Antonio by parents who still live in his childhood home, Ladd grew up playing sports only in the spring so he could hunt all fall.
“Growing up, I just thought everyone sat in a blind to deer hunt or shot dove in September and that was it,” he said. “When I got to college at Texas A&M, I just fell in love with the west and that spot and stalk type of hunting. I met my wife my freshman year and her family were big waterfowl hunters.”
Ladd was involved in many outdoor groups while at school, including being president of the Texas A&M Chapter of Texas Trophy Hunters Association and vice president of the local Ducks Unlimited chapter. Upon graduating, he became a general contractor for several years, but it never felt right. He needed a job in the outdoor industry, so he began guiding for Texas Hunting Resources, focusing on big axis and aoudad in West Texas.
“I made it five years in the construction industry,” he said. “But I really wanted to be a good elk hunter. I was going to Colorado every year and finally killed a bull in 202. I met a friend from Colorado who introduced me to THR and I started guiding there full time in Auguust, 2021.”
Ladd said guiding up to 40 hunters annually has been the most fun he’s had, and you never know the experience level of the hunters when they arrive.
“Half of the guys know exactly what they want, and half don’t know how to use binocs,” he said. “And that’s great. I enjoy teaching new hunters.”
But when the hunt ends, many of those hunters have an issue getting their animals home from the taxidermist.
“When I asked taxidermists how many of their clients could use direct delivery shipping, they said, ‘lots.’” Ladd said. “That’s the idea. Help Texas hunters solve a logistical problem.”
Ladd modified a 16-foot trailer to accommodate taxidermy, which he pulls behind his ½-ton pickup truck.
“The trailer is fully enclosed, and we can get between a dozen to two dozen mounts depending on size,” he said. “We try and fill it for runs to minimize costs. I’m trying to stay small and not get ahead of myself. Demand will dictate how fast we can grow. Our mission is to deliver the culmination of your hunting experience to your door. Promoting respect and appreciation for wildlife, conservation and our hunting heritage.”
For more information, go to checkintransport.com.
