I live in the small town I grew up in. I had the desire to hunt at a very young age even though nobody in my family did. I would go door knocking and ask localfarmers for permission to huntin which some of them owned 10's of 1000's of acres. I was rejected and told they didnt want anyone hunting on them. I respected that because it was their property and their right to say no.Iended up findingout 1 of my buddies dad had 80 acresthat I could deer hunt on.
I hunted this property for many years and let them know I was grateful.When I got marriedmy wifes father farmed and I gained some pretty good hunting grounds. Not alot in terms of major acres. When I started hunting HIS property I run into all these rednecks who tell me to get off their ground. I beg to differ with them and tell them they are on priviate property. They tell me they have hunted this property for years and they were not going to stop. These are also the ding dongs who shoot with the spot light because they stink to much to get into the woods with a mature buck.Anyway I happen to persuade them ina different direction on their thoughts. Now they just sneak in on the neighbors property who dont allow hunting and claim it as their own.
I started a hunting club and leased up quite a bit of property around Wayne and Clay County IL. I have fellow hunters from within the state and outwho pay me yearly dues to hunt the property. I have built a nice place for them to stay while they are in hunting and we have a blast managing the properties. We take an average of 40 deer a year and usually about 8 to 10 bucks.I dont profit from the club just have a decent place to hunt.
I know what it is like not having a place to hunt due to all the priviate property butI am not going to complain at a person for securing a place for himself and others to hunt by outfitting. I am not going to complain about a landowner making extra money for himselfand his familybecause they leased to anoutfitter.I will complain at the redneck who thinks just because he has hunted someones property forseveral years that gives him control over it. Maybe those losing hunting property should have offered to pay the property taxes or spend countless hours in a tractor to compensate the farmer on his losses for his hand out. Its like the hunter welfare system. Some people are willing to go outand work hard for the ground they have to hunt. They seem to appriciate it alot more than the person who wants it given to them. Just typicalUSA I guess.I know a farmer who completely shut down hunting on his property. If a person was decent enough to ask for permission he would give it. Several people started bickering and running his own family out of his woods because it was their hunting spot.
Which is worse? An outfitter who has paid money to a landowner to legally have hunting rights onthe property, boosted the local economy, help maintain a healty deer herd, prevent trespassing and poaching(one in the same) or some poor excuse of a redneck hunter who thinks he should have access to ever chunk of timber to wack every deer he can so he add to his stack of illegal antlers nailed on his garage wall.
Guess I better get back to the question! I have been on severaloutfitted fishing trips. If I didnt I would not have had a clue where to begin. I have not been on an outfitted hunt. When I can afford it I plan on taking a fully guided bou hunt. So I will hunt with an outfitter.