Boone Smith was raised on a cattle ranch in southeast Idaho, where his father and grandfather helped him develop an understanding and love of the outdoors.

He left ranching to work as a river guide on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in central Idaho for several years while attending Brigham Young University and Utah State University.

After completing his B.S. from Utah State University (Fisheries and Wildlife) he began work for the Hornocker Wildlife Institute in 2002, as a field technician/houndsman on the Teton Cougar Project (TCP).

Boone is currently completing his M.S. at Utah State University where he is studying cougar predation and prey selection in Jackson Hole Wyoming.