Need some help
10-06-2016, 03:21 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 290
Need some help
Is there any honest outfitters out there. When you pay for a bow hunt for $4.500 and your tag. The outfitters don't wear camo and he sit next to me. I ask him do you think I should be 20 yards from you. I feel he was a rifle hunter or don't want no one shoot his elk.
10-06-2016, 08:46 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
OK let me ask you this, HOW Much research did you do on HIM before you hired him
DID you ask HOW he sets you up?
a guided hunt, sadly doesn't mean a quality hunt, at ANY price range
its up to YOU to ask and get answers you want and then CONTACT previous hunters from them both successful and NOT
and from a few yrs back to present
lack of doing your part, is YOUR fault
but YES lots of GOOD outfitters out there if you work to find one
My suggestion is THIS
maybe rather than Hiring an outfitter
go hunt yourself
been doing DIY hunts across the USA for 20+ yrs, and never had a BAD one yet
I make the added effort to do a LOT of home work
not sure why folks rather anti up and pay a guy to sit with them to hunt?
sounds like cheating to me?
or lack of willingness to do some honest hunting!
might as well just go to a high fence and shoot a pen raised critter? , if all your after is a kill?
Sorry
but hunting isn't that hard if you TRY to lean and be good at it!
like all things in Life, you get out of them what you put into them!
DID you ask HOW he sets you up?
a guided hunt, sadly doesn't mean a quality hunt, at ANY price range
its up to YOU to ask and get answers you want and then CONTACT previous hunters from them both successful and NOT
and from a few yrs back to present
lack of doing your part, is YOUR fault
but YES lots of GOOD outfitters out there if you work to find one
My suggestion is THIS
maybe rather than Hiring an outfitter
go hunt yourself
been doing DIY hunts across the USA for 20+ yrs, and never had a BAD one yet
I make the added effort to do a LOT of home work
not sure why folks rather anti up and pay a guy to sit with them to hunt?
sounds like cheating to me?
or lack of willingness to do some honest hunting!
might as well just go to a high fence and shoot a pen raised critter? , if all your after is a kill?
Sorry
but hunting isn't that hard if you TRY to lean and be good at it!
like all things in Life, you get out of them what you put into them!
10-07-2016, 12:57 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
Posts: 2,722
Turk: tell us more about your hunt. Where did you hunt, and did you see elk or have any shot opportunities? Did they pack you in on horses, or was it private land etc. Public vs private land hunting can be a lot different. No, it doesn't sound right if the outfitter was not dressed in camo, and while different people have luck with different strategies, generally the outfitter will stay with you until you locate some elk, then he will separate from you, with you getting closer to the elk and him trying to call a bull in for you.
Do you want to try another outfitter in the future or has this soured you on that avenue. As stated, there are plenty of do it yourself opportunities in the west, and some people online can be very helpful in helping you figure out where to start.
Last edited by txhunter58; 10-07-2016 at 12:59 PM.
10-07-2016, 02:25 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,230
If you don't like my comments, don't read them. After all, nobody makes you and the comment wasn't directed to you in the first place was it?
10-07-2016, 07:19 PM
#7
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
Play nice everyone.
Turk, I've never used an outfitter. But if I ever do, I think doing allot of research is a good idea before paying $$$$. Get references of others who have used them. Even references from other unsuccesful hunters. Do your research. A good guide will have faithful and loyal clients. Also, a good guide will still get *mostly* positive reviews from unsuccesful hunters as well. Because the people will see how hard they work and how committed they are to the hunt. You can't guarantee a kill, but a good guide will put the effort in to do the best they can.
-Jake
Turk, I've never used an outfitter. But if I ever do, I think doing allot of research is a good idea before paying $$$$. Get references of others who have used them. Even references from other unsuccesful hunters. Do your research. A good guide will have faithful and loyal clients. Also, a good guide will still get *mostly* positive reviews from unsuccesful hunters as well. Because the people will see how hard they work and how committed they are to the hunt. You can't guarantee a kill, but a good guide will put the effort in to do the best they can.
-Jake
10-09-2016, 12:55 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 290
So helpful! And without really knowing why he chose to hire an outfitter.
Turk: tell us more about your hunt. Where did you hunt, and did you see elk or have any shot opportunities? Did they pack you in on horses, or was it private land etc. Public vs private land hunting can be a lot different. No, it doesn't sound right if the outfitter was not dressed in camo, and while different people have luck with different strategies, generally the outfitter will stay with you until you locate some elk, then he will separate from you, with you getting closer to the elk and him trying to call a bull in for you.
Do you want to try another outfitter in the future or has this soured you on that avenue. As stated, there are plenty of do it yourself opportunities in the west, and some people online can be very helpful in helping you figure out where to start.
Turk: tell us more about your hunt. Where did you hunt, and did you see elk or have any shot opportunities? Did they pack you in on horses, or was it private land etc. Public vs private land hunting can be a lot different. No, it doesn't sound right if the outfitter was not dressed in camo, and while different people have luck with different strategies, generally the outfitter will stay with you until you locate some elk, then he will separate from you, with you getting closer to the elk and him trying to call a bull in for you.
Do you want to try another outfitter in the future or has this soured you on that avenue. As stated, there are plenty of do it yourself opportunities in the west, and some people online can be very helpful in helping you figure out where to start.
10-09-2016, 01:39 PM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 16
Guided Hunts or DIY Hunts?
I would like to comment on mrbb's position on guided hunts as opposed to DIY hunts. He makes some excellent suggestions concerning the need to do thorough, in-depth research before booking an outfitter or guide. And DIY hunts can offer a sense of satisfaction and achievement that can be missing on guided hunts. However, some of the comments on guided hunts were troubling. These comments included:
- "not sure why folks rather ante up and pay a guy to sit with them to hunt?"
- "sounds like cheating to me?"
- "or lack of willingness to do some honest hunting!"
- "might as well just go to a high fence and shoot a pen raised critter? , if all
you are after is a kill?"
I have been hunting big game for over forty years and have taken over seventy animals in North America, Canada, Africa, and New Zealand on both guided and DIY hunts. Some of my guided hunts have been far more difficult and challenging than DIY hunts: lung busting climbs at 6,000-8,000 foot elevations for mountain sheep and goats, overnights on freezing mountain tops with just a space blanket for shelter, 10 hours straight of tracking through thorn brush for cape buffalo, etc.
There are some excellent reasons for hiring guides and outfitters. If you are a non-resident and want to hunt Dall or Stone sheep, mountain caribou, woodland caribou, grizzly, and many more species, by law you must be accompanied by a guide. This is especially true across most of Canada, and Africa. Even in the U.S., Wyoming, for example, requires non residents to have a guide when hunting in designated wilderness areas even when hunting common species such as deer or elk. If you insist only on DIY, you will be foregoing the opportunity to hunt many species and many prime hunting areas.
Further, guided hunting offers some excellent learning experiences. Beginners can often gain enough hunting knowledge through reading, local experience, the internet, etc. to be successful on species like whitetails and antelope. But on many other species it is difficult to pre-scout hunt areas and learn game habits if you live a thousand miles away. In these cases, going on a hunt with a competent guide will allow you to watch, ask questions and learn firsthand from an expert with years of experience. After you have such a hunt under your belt you will be in much better position for a successful DIY.
Guided hunts may have other attractions. Often they are held on private land or exclusive use areas. Strict harvest practices can yield a much higher quality experience without competition from mobs of "if it's brown it's down" hunters. Also often guides have horses and pack animals to access remote areas and pack out your game. If you are on a DIY hunt, you'd better think twice before you drop that 700 pound elk several miles from where you can get to it with a truck or atv. Back packing game in road less terrain is an experience only for the extremely fit.
In summary, by all means consider DIY hunts; but if you can afford them, don't write off guided hunts. They are definitely not cheating, dishonest, or akin to hunting a high fenced, pen raised critter.
- "not sure why folks rather ante up and pay a guy to sit with them to hunt?"
- "sounds like cheating to me?"
- "or lack of willingness to do some honest hunting!"
- "might as well just go to a high fence and shoot a pen raised critter? , if all
you are after is a kill?"
I have been hunting big game for over forty years and have taken over seventy animals in North America, Canada, Africa, and New Zealand on both guided and DIY hunts. Some of my guided hunts have been far more difficult and challenging than DIY hunts: lung busting climbs at 6,000-8,000 foot elevations for mountain sheep and goats, overnights on freezing mountain tops with just a space blanket for shelter, 10 hours straight of tracking through thorn brush for cape buffalo, etc.
There are some excellent reasons for hiring guides and outfitters. If you are a non-resident and want to hunt Dall or Stone sheep, mountain caribou, woodland caribou, grizzly, and many more species, by law you must be accompanied by a guide. This is especially true across most of Canada, and Africa. Even in the U.S., Wyoming, for example, requires non residents to have a guide when hunting in designated wilderness areas even when hunting common species such as deer or elk. If you insist only on DIY, you will be foregoing the opportunity to hunt many species and many prime hunting areas.
Further, guided hunting offers some excellent learning experiences. Beginners can often gain enough hunting knowledge through reading, local experience, the internet, etc. to be successful on species like whitetails and antelope. But on many other species it is difficult to pre-scout hunt areas and learn game habits if you live a thousand miles away. In these cases, going on a hunt with a competent guide will allow you to watch, ask questions and learn firsthand from an expert with years of experience. After you have such a hunt under your belt you will be in much better position for a successful DIY.
Guided hunts may have other attractions. Often they are held on private land or exclusive use areas. Strict harvest practices can yield a much higher quality experience without competition from mobs of "if it's brown it's down" hunters. Also often guides have horses and pack animals to access remote areas and pack out your game. If you are on a DIY hunt, you'd better think twice before you drop that 700 pound elk several miles from where you can get to it with a truck or atv. Back packing game in road less terrain is an experience only for the extremely fit.
In summary, by all means consider DIY hunts; but if you can afford them, don't write off guided hunts. They are definitely not cheating, dishonest, or akin to hunting a high fenced, pen raised critter.
Last edited by Ramhunter71; 10-10-2016 at 06:09 AM. Reason: mis-spellings
