Zink Calls Pro Staff

Steve Heston
Steve "Hest" Heston was born and raised in the waterfowl rich section of North Central Iowa, where he feels very fortunate to learn from some of the best waterfowl "killers" there are or were! Hest grew up in Mason City, where he was the captain of the 1996 State Basketball Championship team, and then took his talents to LUTHER College in Decorah, Iowa where he was a four-year letter winner for the Norse.

Growing up hunting on the famous Eagle Lake Marsh, Hest's "do anything" approach was formed and then was reinforced when hunting in the fields became his passion. "If i die hunting, it will certainly be because I'm too stuborn to give up!" Hest says laughing.

Hest found a true love for Canada geese on their farm growing up since his dad, Dr.Mike Heston , raised and banded geese for over 25 years. "I was just born and raised always hearing geese and seeing the way they acted. Canadas make some of the most beautiful sounds you will hear in nature....PERIOD!"

Growing up, hunting was an every weekend adventure for Hest and his dad. A lot of the people around thought that they were strange for hunting geese in the fields before a lot of people really did, but now that goose populations are booming, everyone knows exactly what they were doing, learning and modifying! "Anyone can shoot geese at 50 yards, it takes a LOT to shoot them at 5 feet!"

In 2000, Hest made his first call to Fred Zink, and the friendship and camaraderie started immediately. Even before ZINK CALLS existed, Freddie and Hest would talk hunting and calling often. Blowing his black SR-1, Hest started competing in calling contest in 2001 and has many top 5 finishes and a few wins. Hest loves going to shows and meeting all kinds of people and making new friends!"

Hest is the Director of Choral Activities for the Rockford Community School District, yes, Hest is a choir teacher! If he is not in school, at concerts, announcing games, or writing music, it's a sure bet he is out chasing ducks and geese, tuning calls, helping others out learning how to call, or just watching geese. Hest has been a guide in Minnesota and Iowa since 2000, and currently guides for Jeff Bruns' Broken Wing Hunt Club in Rochester, Minnesota. "It's like that Mossy Oak Commercial says: God only gave me so many sunrises, I'm not going to miss any of them!"

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