guided hunts?
 

i would like to know a few things that are most important to each one of you on booking a guided hunt. Is it the length of time the guide has been licensed? or is the size of game his clients take? how about the price of his hunts? do you go with him becuase he is in the state you want to hunt?
Just looking for a few OPINIONS here.
My reasons would be, what do i get for my hard earned money, and what is the chance of getting a very nice specimen.
LETS HERE ALL OF YOURS!

RE: guided hunts?
 

I have never taken a guided hunt. That said I live in a very small northern town which is home base to 4 or 5 guide concessions. Over 30 years one of these outtfits passed from father to son.
Another has been bought and sold, split and rejoined 4 or 5 times.
Others sold several times.
A single outfit has stayed with one owner.
New owners tend to hang their shingle up and advertise like everything is just like before. Often ( I've seen this several times), the new outfitter arrives from Texas (or Germany)for the first time only 2 days before his hunters. Seems like the hunters know only slightly less than the new guide about the area.
Often, just before an outfit is sold the old outfitter tends to overbook and clean up on species that have unlimited tags etc.
I suppose some old time outfits may get a bit tired and new owners just may try harder.
For my money I would go with expierience and look for an outfitter that lives where he hunts.

RE: guided hunts?
 

Excellent insight.
I would add that one of the most important criteria (once you're in your price range) is how long the outfitter has been working the area he is selling to you. If the outfitter knows the area very well, he knows the whys and wherefores to pass along to the guide and ultimately the hunter.
I've wirked as a guide for an outfitter. The Outfitter and the guides were for the most part from here and already familiar with the area. BUT! One of the most successful guides was a guy that came down every fall from his home in Alaska. Reason? The outfitter knew the hunt area and the animals habits within that/those areas. Every evening the outfitter and guides would get together andour conversation would be: "You take your client here" (and what to expect), and "you go there", etc. That way, we all had good habitat and opportunity for the client. AND were not in each others way. It was all private land too.
Two things you are paying for: Oportunity to harvest whatever it is you are looking for, and 3 squares and a cot. After that, things become less important.

RE: guided hunts?
 

I would make sure he would give a reference list of hunters that were successfull and unsuccessful! Call a good percentage of the hunters and see what there feedback is. If an unsuccessful hunter is giving a good reference then the outfitter must be doing something right.

RE: guided hunts?
 

Couple of things that make a difference to me:

- how long have the guides been with the outfitter? You don't wanta guide learning the land with you along.

- how long have the guides been guiding bowhunters for this animal?

- how long has the outfitter himself been bowhunting

- how long has the outfitter had this land

- I like to meet the outfitter, usually at sports shows, I get a better read of them this way than over the phone.

RE: guided hunts?
 

Here is my insight....probably not very popular, but here goes. Where is the sport/enjoyment in paying someone to set up your camp, cook for you, lead you out into the mountains/woods and point out the animal he has prescouted for you to shoot. I find so much enjoyment in planning a trip, setting up camp, cooking, scouting, and then the self satisfaction of harvesting an animal I put so much effort into locating.

When you are showing your "trophy" off to your friends back home do you think that it took alot of skill and cunning to harvest the animal or just a large billfold.

Don't get me wrong I know some people have to go this route due to personal limitations and time constraints, but I just don't see the enjoyment in it or the ability to take credit for the harvesting of the animal. Sorry, I think the Outdoor channel has made me this way.

RE: guided hunts?
 

BGHUNTER00,

Well in my case, I hunt for Elk in Oregon. Oregon is run on a preferance ponts system. That means it takes about 5 or 6 years to get enough points to draw for a branch antler bull elk tag. The rest of the time (if you draw) you can only hunt spike bulls only which is a very tough hunt. The average for elk success in Oregon is one elk per hunter every 7 to 10 years. That sucks!! So in 2007 I am going on a guided elk hunt in Montatna. And by the way, any elk harvested by means of guide or not is a Trophy.

RE: guided hunts?
 

Most important elements for me.

[ul][*]If possible I want to KNOW someone who has been there already, gives me someone I know who I can relate to in terms of expectations.[*]Hunter Density, part of the "pay" part is to have purchased the right during my hunting not to have to worry about other hunters.[*]Quality of the game herd in the area we would be hunting[*]The guide's idea of hunting and my role in it. I would not hunt with a guide who expected me to follow them and sit where they say sit or felt that driving roads was hunting. I would be looking for people interested in partaking and aiding in MY hunt, to include pouring over maps together, glassing, field dressing, calling and packing together.[*]$$$$$ - Paying for access and accomodations is not a problem for me, expecting me to pay for success or animal quality and I would never hunt with that outfit even if it were free. The idea of buying animals makes me sick. I don't mind paying for equipment rental, guide's time, access rights to a farmer or landowner. I do that in almost areas of my life already.[/ul]
These would cover it and they aren't necessarily in order.

RE: guided hunts?
 

I agree with checking the references. You should check with successful and unsuccessful references. There's nothing better than word of mouth from other hunters. If an outfitter is a fake or a crook- these are the guys that would know. They'll tell you what they liked about the hunt, but be sure to ask what they didn't like as well. This way, maybe you can better prepare yourself for something that you're expecting. There should be no suprises!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

(No surprises financially, ethically, lodging, meals, etc. Check everything out!!!!!!!! A lot of guys have been burned!!!!!!)

RE: guided hunts?
 

BGHUNTER00, please don't limit yourself to this perspective! I don't mean any offense, but as you "evolve" as a hunter you may, one day, want to try hunting in another area that may require a guide. For instance, this past fall I booked an elkhunt in the Thorofare of Wyoming. By Wyoming law, a non-resident must hire a guide to hunt any wilderness area. I know I could've hunted another area, but thisarea is steeped in history, and a place I wanted to visit. I didn't harvest an elk but I had a lifetime experience that I will never forget.

Maybesome day, you might want to hunt in Alaska. Some species can only be hunted with a guide. To some people it may be a chance to buy a trophy. For me, it's an opportunity to hunt in an area that otherwise I could not legally hunt.