Our Story

Hi, I'm Aldo.

I own Venator Hunting, and I live in Texas. Every article on this site carries my name, so you should know who's behind it.

Aldo Antu holding a rainbow trout in a drift boat on a Montana river
Rainbow trout from a drift boat in Montana.

Where it started: worms and a bank spot on Lake Austin

I got my start fishing fresh and salt water. Some of my favorite memories are of my father and me digging up worms and finding a bank spot along Lake Austin in the '70s and early '80s. We didn't catch much. Those are still core memories I'll carry with me forever, and they're a big part of why I care about getting people outdoors.

Hunting came later, and it stuck

I started hunting late in life, after friends invited me on some dove hunts. I fell hard for it. Since then I've hunted:

  • Texas: whitetail deer, hogs, ducks and dove
  • Maine: moose and black bear
  • South Dakota: pheasant
Aldo Antu kneeling with a South Texas whitetail buck
South Texas whitetail.
Aldo Antu with a bull moose taken in the Maine woods
Bull moose in Maine.

And fished for:

  • Texas: bass, catfish, and coastal redfish and speckled trout
  • Montana: trout
  • North Carolina: tuna and amberjack
Aldo Antu holding a redfish on a lip grip on the Texas coast
Coastal redfish, Texas.
Aldo Antu holding up a largemouth bass caught in Texas
Texas largemouth.

I hope to hunt and fish as many states as I can and enjoy what each one has to offer. A lot of what we write about here comes from that same curiosity: what's open, what's changing, and what you'll need when you get there.

Why Venator Hunting exists

I want to provide quality products for other outdoorsmen that will work in the field. That's the whole idea.

Here's how we do it, plainly:

  • We're a small online store. Most orders ship directly from the brand or supplier, which is how we carry a wide range of gear from makers like Mora, WESN, Mule, Twisted Iron and Paramount.
  • We pick gear for the job, not the catalog. I look at what a product is built for, who makes it, and what hunters and anglers actually need for the season ahead.
  • We tell you what we haven't used. We don't field-test everything we sell, and we say so. When I've used something myself, I'll tell you where and how it held up.
  • We write for people who already hunt and fish. Season dates, regulations and gear guides, with sources, not filler.

Family first

I've been married for 31 years and we have three adult children. Like a lot of you, the best days outdoors for me are the ones shared with people I care about.

Get in touch

Questions about a product, sizing, shipping or an order? Email info@venatorhunting.com or call 281-984-3312. You'll get a real person.

Thanks for being here. See you out there.

Aldo Antu
Owner, Venator Hunting

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