the EXPERTS
Ringneck Retreat emerged from Darik Tschetter’s lifelong passion for hunting and the outdoors. Taught by his father, Harvey Tschetter, Darik grew up in South Dakota and has a thorough appreciation for and understanding of the land and its inhabitants. Today a team chosen for its shared dedication and welcoming nature joins Darik in making Ringneck Retreat an incredible get–away. In the lodge, guests experience warm hospitality and delicious home–cooked meals. Out on the hunt, you will experience personalized attention from professional guides. We pride ourselves on our expert field guides who custom tailor their hunts. Darik and Dean watch each group and the individual group members to get a feel for their needs, and they go out of their way to help someone who may not be getting a shot.
The People Darik Tschetter, Expert Field Guide and Owner Darik has thirty years of experience working the farms at Ringneck Retreat and hunting. Teacher and mentor Harvey Tschetter, who is also his father, showed Darik at an early age the thrill of and respect for the nature that surrounds him. Their shared passion for nature inspired the humble beginnings of Ringneck Retreat, and these roots still hold strong. Darik’s love for the hunt is backed by his clear vision for the strategy needed to hunt wild game. Prior to opening Ringneck Retreat to the public, he enjoyed a career as a big game guide, chasing bear, elk, birds, deer, and other animals. Friends and guests alike often contact Darik for advice on hunting, appreciating his wealth of diverse hunting knowledge. Darik feels a strong sense of pride knowing that he gives each of his guests the very best hunting experience he can create every day, and he has instilled that same spirit in the entire Ringneck Retreat team. Dan Thompson, Expert Field Guide Also known to everyone as "Big Dan", this six foot seven inch South Dakota home grown local brings a true breath of fresh air with his fun loving humor and lighted hearted down home country ways. He is a genuine a jack of all trades and an entertaining storyteller of his adventures in his own unique "Cowboy Poet Style". Dan has been a long life avid, well rounded outdoorsman with many years of experience and knowledge in hunting, trapping, and horse training. Dan always has a smile on his face and a helping hand for everyone. In the off season, Dan owns and runs a Tree Service and keeps busy trapping, fur buying and working with horses. Sharon Tschetter, Meal Coordinator and Darik’s Mother Sharon, Darik’s mother, is a pillar in the community of Hitchcock who is involved in everything from school events to Hitchcock United Methodist Church activities, Sharon still finds time to help out at the lodge but stays busy running the family business, Tschetter Feed Lot. As her three children and past Ringneck Retreat guests will tell you, Sharon has an amazing talent for crafting culinary delights and makes cooking for groups look effortless. Even though Sharon has retired from cooking here at Ringneck, she still helps plan and coordinate meals and we still make all of her traditional Midwestern fare, the home–cooked goodness she is known for specializing in. Our guests’ favorites have been the beef roast dinner with the traditional side dishes of hand–mashed potatoes, thick beef gravy, and glazed carrots (grown in Sharon’s garden),pecan bars and vanilla ice cream. Angie Olmsted, Administrative Assistant and Field Guide Angie grew up in the Huron area not far from Hitchcock. She developed her love for the outdoors, hunting and fishing with her father and all of his outdoor friends. Angie truly loves her time in the field working with our bird dogs but what really makes her days at Ringneck Retreat, is the laughter and friendship that she brings to everyone both in the field and at the lodge. Angie is a very hard worker and wouldn’t have it any other way. She helps with administrative duties and tasks, meals, caring for our elite guide dogs as well as many other behind the scenes duties and making sure everyone enjoys their stay at Ringneck. Angie is a mother to a great young man, Ashton and She and her family all share a love for drag racing and muscle cars. Angie works full time in Sales and Production Planning at a local poultry processing plant and in her off time, she and Darik enjoy competing in Bird Dog Tournaments as well as Coordinate their local Dakota Outdoor Gundog Series. Jane Godfrey, Lead Cook Jane is a retired Nurse who adds a kind, warm and mothering way to the Ringneck team. She is a caring mother and grandmother who taken over the cooking and carrying on Sharon's wonderful home cooked meals everyone has come to enjoy and adds to the Ringneck Family atmosphere we are know for. Jane enjoys traveling and spending time with her grandchildren in the off season. |
 DOGS & BREEDING
Our hunting dogs also play a large role in making Ringneck Retreat a place for incredible hunts. Darik’s first lab, Duke, helped start his guide service years ago, and now Ringneck Retreat has seven dogs expertly trained to accompany hunters. Each breed has its own style, and each dog has its own personality. As each of our dogs offers a different hunting experience, Darik will custom match a dog to each hunter or group.
  
|
|
|