Meet the Staff

Get to know the AAE Crew…

Craig Ellwanger, Co-Founder/ProStaff -  Hunting fanatic for over 20 years.  Worked as a guide for Wildlife Systems Inc. in Texas, where he guided hunters on whitetail and exotic hunts (his first hunter ever harvested the ranches largest aoudad ram to date).  Graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Wildlife and Fishery Sciences.  During college, he interned for a summer at the Sawdust Ranch (now the JJJ Ranch) in Sommerville, Texas where he took care of many exotic animals including red sheep, markhor, and bongos.  A long-time interest in exotic game animals led him to create a site that would bring together hunters and outfitters from across the globe.

Michael Madison, Co-Founder/CTO – Michael graduated from a Middlebury College in 2005. He grew up on the East Coast camping and hiking. He began learning web languages when he was 13 and quickly built his first website. After graduation he and his wife moved to Texas where he worked for a media company with Craig. After a couple of years in marketing and advertising, he was approached by his co-worker about creating a site designed to bring the hunting community together. Michael hand-codes AllAboutExotics.com line by line, and is constantly re-thinking and re-developing it in order to bring you, the hunting community, the best possible experience.

Cadye Kilpatrick, Marketing/Photography – Cadye earned her Advertising and Photo Journalism degree from “The Best School in Texas” – Texas Tech University (a view not shared by all staffers). She grew up on a hunting  ranch in Water Valley, Texas with her hunting-obsessed brother and father and has been drawn to the beauty of exotic game and the outdoors ever since. When she is not in the office, she travels the world looking for new hunts and experiences.  Cadye brings a vast amount of knowledge, from advertising and marketing opportunities to promotional products and PR.  Many of the animal pics on our individual species pages came courtesy of Cadye and her camera lens.

Reed Gardner, Contributing Editor/Pro Staff – Reed grew up in San Angelo, Texas hunting the western edge of the Texas Hill Country.  From age 10, when he harvested his first whitetail, his insatiable hunger for being in the field hunting big game has only grown.  Reed’s passion for the outdoors has taken him to the mountains of far West Texas in search for Desert Mule Deer in Presidio and Jeff Davis County, Aoudad hunting in Val Verde County, Axis hunting in McCullough County, South Texas whitetail hunting, Blackbuck hunting in Sterling County, and what seems like a million other places hunting hogs and varmints.

Michael Schultz, Marketing/Pro-Staff - Michael grew up in South Texas where his hunting passion took a turn from whitetail deer to exotic game.  He was successful in harvesting his first exotic in 2009…and has been hooked ever since.  Michael’s appetite for everything outdoors has led him on adventures afar.  From scuba diving in South America to pheasant hunting in Oklahoma and back again, to Texas, pursuing his treasured exotics.  His love for exotics led him to AAE where he hopes to help unite the hunter/rancher and breeder/outfitter, as well as spread the word about the great world of exotics.

Justin Smoot, Marketing/Pro-Staff – Justin was born and raised in Texas.  He killed his first animal at the age of 9 and has been hooked ever since.  His first exotic was an axis buck from the Kerr WMA in 2001.  Hunting is his passion and he loves to hunt and learn about exotics.   He hunts mainly in Texas, but has ventured to Colorado where he harvested a 6×6 bull elk.  Justin currently has 6 of the 10 exotic species of the “Super Exotic Slam” to his credit.   He interned with Artemis Outdoors, where he worked closely with clients in the whitetail breeding industry. His dream is to hunt the “Dangerous 6″ in Africa and Marco Polo Sheep.