A Conversation with Ray Livingston, Big Horn Armory Brand Ambassador and “Mountain Men” Season 12 Cast Member
The rugged landscapes of “Mountain Men” have long captured the imagination of viewers, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who thrive in the wild, facing the challenges of the untamed wilderness head-on. Season 12 introduces a new face to the cast, Ray Livingston, an elite hunter and outdoor survivalist who brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for wildlife conservation to the show. As a Big Horn Armory Brand Ambassador, Ray Livingston’s journey into the wild is amplified by his choice of firearms, particularly the Big Horn Armory Model 90.
In this exclusive interview, we dive deep into Ray’s background, his approach to predator and nuisance animal abatement, his partnership with Big Horn Armory, and the vital message he hopes to convey to both seasoned hunters and newcomers to the outdoor lifestyle.
Interviewer: Could you tell us a bit about how your background as an elite hunter and outdoor survivalist led you to become a part of “Mountain Men” Season 12?
Ray Livingston: I was introduced to hunting at about 13 years of age. While my father and I went fishing, hunting wasn’t an activity he engaged in. After moving out from inner city Portland, OR to rural Gresham, OR, I met my (still) best friend, Jim Calcagno. I began hunting with him and his family and harvested my first Elk, with a bow, at 14; I’ve been hooked ever since.
As a world-class athlete, willing to go wherever I thought the animals were, without care for terrain, I found myself hunting alone a lot. So, I decided to teach myself the relevant wilderness skills to try to prevent an untimely demise in the backcountry, if that fate could at all be avoided. I was never really a dedicated primitive survivalist, I was always more of a mountain man, willing to use whatever means necessary to be able to stay out in the forest longer.
Interviewer: Living in an area surrounded by abundant wildlife, including predators like cougars, wolves, bears, and coyotes, must be both exhilarating and challenging. How do you approach predator and nuisance animal abatement without using traditional methods like hunting with dogs or baiting?
RL: For most of my hunting life I’ve lived in areas where hunting predators with dogs or baiting was prohibited. Until recently, I had very little interest in harvesting predators. I’ve had many opportunities to take bears, cougars, and coyotes, but passed on them because I didn’t think they were good eating and I didn’t understand the management needs for harvesting them. Once I understood the management need and that many of them are great table fare, I refocused my hunting effort on predators, mostly on cougars as I think they are the best tasting of all wild game animals.
So, my predator-hunting journey began without ever having the ability to use dogs or bait. I spent a great amount of time researching how best to approach hunting these animals, which are among the hardest animals to harvest, without those tools. Calling with a predator call is my key, basic strategy, but understanding where, when, and how to set up and call was a steep learning curve. I feel I’ve had an uncommon success due to the research I did as well as lots of time in the field figuring out what works. I can say it’s quite exciting when an apex predator comes into your calling setup. Thus far I’ve called in Cougars, Bears, Coyotes, and Wolves.
About Big Horn Armory:
Big Horn Armory was founded in 2008 with the expressed intention of designing a Browning-type lever-action gun chambered in 500 Smith & Wesson Magnum. The Big Horn Armory Model 89, made in America, closely follows the work of John Browning with refinements courtesy of modern metallurgy and machining capabilities. The first rifles began shipping in September of 2012 and since then, BHA has added to their big bore lineup with a Model 90 Carbine in 460 S&W, the Model 90A in 454 Casull, the Model 90B in .45 Colt, the Model 89A in 500 Linebaugh and the Model 89B in .475 Linebaugh. In 2017, Big Horn Armory took a departure from its lever-action series and developed the AR500 Auto Max, the most powerful short-range, semi-auto based on an AR .308 platform.
