My Friend Mike

I met Mike Sutsos in my early twenties and we became immediate friends. His dad owned a pheasant club in Sonoma and I grew up hunting pheasants and ducks with my dad, so visiting the club and hanging out with Mike on weekends became a ritual that extended past hunting season. Mike's love of the outdoors, all shooting sports, fishing and hunting birds- particularly ducks- was infectious.

Soon we began traveling the country, up into Canada and Alaska and then to South America in search of new hunting adventures. Our children were close in age, and every chance we had to take them in the field or out to the duck blinds was an added treat. We both had duck trailers that to us were known as the Taj Mahals. Mike even joined me for one of my long safaris to Tanzania where he had the opportunity to save my life one dark, scary night out in the bush.

In South America, we started in Uruguay and migrated to Argentina where we both fell in love with the country, the people and the hunting and fishing. One day I came up with the idea to start a South American-focused adventure booking company and Mike seemed the perfect partner. Some of the memories of events during those trips are so vivid and so warm and comfortable. That's why we started Traditions- to turn our friends and clients on to something we just could not replicate anywhere else, and for them to have their own Traditions and memories there.

My friend and hunting partner has flown west now. It leaves an unfillable hole in my heart and I think of him always as the ducks are setting up or the sound of quail flushing reaches my ears. Mike taught me so much about the outdoors. He loved animals and hunting dogs, fishing for bass and calling in mallards to the set. He was a faster, better shot and always seemed to know which side of the field to walk on to get the first birds.

I love you Mike.