RE: A Question for all Hunters
Back to the original question.....
I have been on several guided/semi-guided hunts. Here’s my take:
Accommodations: warm and dry.
We stayed in a cabin, that had plywood flooring and the water pump/pressure tank was right in the bathroom with the toilet and shower. The bed was nothing more that a cot. Didn’t matter, the roof didn’t leak and the wood burning stove worked. My point, all I need is warm and dry after a long day hunting.
Food: We prepared our own. Ate lots of canned soup and sandwiches that week. Didn’t matter, knew we would have to suffer with our own cooking.
Guide: Took us from the lodge to the hunting and back. Worked really hard for us. When we didn’t see game, he convinced us to hang in there. When we still didn’t see anything, he tried different tactics, when we still weren’t seeing anything, he moved us to other areas. When I went with my 11 year old, he let him drive (two different guides, one in TX, on in WI.) In TX we were hog hunting, and he let the kid drive the truck once we were off the main road. Kid only got to drive about 200yrds, but it made his day. In WI, we were musky fishing. We tried six different lakes, but no luck (Cold front came through the night before, and you know what they say about fishing and an east wind) anyway, the guy let the kid drive his boat around on the last lake as we were heading back in, made the kids day.
In all cases, the guides I’ve had have adapted to me and mine. Along with lots of knowledge, and I mean things I already don’t know, a guide has to be able to read people. If you are a good ole boy with an attitude then you appreciate a good ole boy with an attitude. If you are a prim and proper type, then you appreciate a prim and proper guide.
As others have stated here, in the end, truth is all there is. If you tell me that there are thousands of elk out there, but we don’t even see any that says something. If we see many, but just not that shooter, or if they bust us while we are sneaking up on them, well that’s hunting.
I posted this in another forum, but I will share it again here.
Left the house at 7:00 AM crossed the road and walked out into a soybean field. Spotted 3 doe 600 yards down the field and started walking. Walked right down the middle of the field, no cover or anything until I could cross to where there was a small patch of trees between them and me. To make a long story short, I walked to within 60 yards before they made me. Never got off a shot (bow), no guide, and was still within sight of my house, but was one of the best hunts I ever had.
Just my ramblings….