colorado scouting service
 

I am considering offering a scouting service to hunters that plan to hunt in Colorado but are unable to scout themselves.
It is my plan to hire off season guides to assist in the scouting reports.
I am thinking 1/2 mile x 1/2 mile area per report or a drainage or ridge ( to be deturmined)
The information I would make available would be;
topo maps
arial photos
game stats
success rates
suggestions from DOW agent
plus ?

A scouting report after a location visit consisting;
ansewers to questions asked of client
vegitation status
game sightings ( with gps )
rubs,scrapes, scat ect.
active water holes
food sources
a 8mm video tape
I understand this is not for all but may be helpful to some.
What do you think?

RE: colorado scouting service
 

Heres my honest take. First I can get all the topo maps, success ratios etc you describe in the first part by clicking on the website for free. Secondly, I don't know how valuable your field scouting report is because animals are pretty dynamic, as is vegitation etc. Elk can be there one day, and miles away the next. Personally, I wouldn't pay for the information you are providing. Having said all that, it is an intresting concept, and perhaps it would appeal to DIYer out-of-staters. However, if your hiring off season guides, your report would have to be fairly old be the time season rolls around. Also, states regulate outfitting pretty closely, and you may be crossing the line, or maybe not I don't know. Finally, how much clientel can you possible get for one area? Would it even be worth you time? Expanded you area would be difficult and probably beyond your logistical capabilities. Again, it is an intresting idea, and an outfitter could probably give you a better idea of the logistics and clientel.

RE: colorado scouting service
 

Hey thats my idea, i will be doing the same things but will not hire other people to scout for me.I will also keep people posted by e-mail and scout closer to season since things change often.

RE: colorado scouting service
 

While you are at it, why not just tranquilize some, tie them to a tree, and put a big 'X' on the spot. Of course, some people would still get lost, better drive them to the tree yourself!!


I swear to God, hunting has degenerated to this, what a joke

RE: colorado scouting service
 

ok so this may not be a good idea.
I would like to come up with something that would allow me to work in the outdoors without employees
If you are in biz you know what I mean.

RE: colorado scouting service
 

not trying to get into it with anyone just trying to help a little for the people that want it.

RE: colorado scouting service
 

I don't know. My take on the whole thing is that you are taking away from part of the hunting experiance.
I enjoy the scouting, research and such. I guess for some it might prove helpfull. For those who don't have access and time or want to just avoid that part of the experiance.
My opinion anyway:D

RE: colorado scouting service
 

I hear ya. I think we would all like to make a living like that! Man, I got a degree in Resource Conservation from the U of Montana and I'm a contractor. Very few people in this world get to do what they love for a living. Frankly, I just wasn't willing to make 10 bucks an hour working from 9-5 so I started my own gig, but even that gets old after awhile. Maybe you could work at a sporting goods store or something? Just keep those wheels in your head turning and you'll get something figured out.

RE: colorado scouting service
 

Well it's not to different from a guided hunt, at least the clients are doing their own hunting. How ya been anyway Montana Bob? You headin up to Alaska soon?

RE: colorado scouting service
 

If the hunters had a bit more knowlege about the area they plan to hunt they maybe would not stumble around the woods as much and screw up the hunting for others.

RE: colorado scouting service
 

Still no positive plans have been set. Talked with some guy's working up in Anchorage who are locals and said I didn't need a guide and they would take me out anytime.
There is about 2 years worth of work in Anchorage and Wasilla and I will probably take them up on their offer when I go up to work.
Trying to get a day off here in Billings and brush the dust off the 22-250 as the gophers here need some attention.
When I get home I'll look you up and maybe look for a Bear or 2.:)

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RE: colorado scouting service
 

Not trying to take out of peoples hunting experince just trying to help with a little knowledge of the area that people want to hunt and they can't get out to do any scouting, they are still going to have to hunt the animal on their own they just won't know the area with out being able to come out and do a little scouting.

RE: colorado scouting service
 

I see nothing wrong with the service.

There are different variations of this for different areas and states.

Personally, I have never used one...

However, there are a few things that I would do a little differently.

1) The scouting report would be for the unit.

2) Pictures and/or Video of the bigger bucks found in the Unit.

3) Road closures, road conditions, trial conditions and etc.

4) GPS #s of the glassing sites.

5) GPS #s of good campsites.

6) Any other important info about the unit.

7) Provide an addition 'back up area' in the unit that will get them away from other hunters.

8) You would provide topo maps w/ all the info on them.

9) I'd sell only one per unit and have it up for auction (starting price based up deer quality).

This is nothing new...

Heck, the stuff I listed above is pretty much what Tony Grimmett provides for Arizona Antelope...

RE: colorado scouting service
 

Yes I would have to agree with SpyroAndes. I wish I would have had somebody just piont me in any direction 10 years ago it might have saved me alot of time.

I think there might be some pepole that would use this service I think first time NR that have never been out west could real use some one like you to just fill in there blanks and give them some confidence on an area.

RE: colorado scouting service
 

Now thats what i talking about

RE: colorado scouting service
 

Sorry Alaska, but I couldn't dissagree more. Have you ever had a friend find or scout out an area and give you the heads up? Tell you the best trail to use, game he saw and lend you the maps he used? Not really any difference. Or have you always found all your hunting spots without any help from anyone and not helped anyone else?

Personally I think it is a great idea that is catching on. I used a service in Colorado for a mule deer early season wilderness hunt. From the service, I got a location of a "honey hole" that the guy had found for big bucks. He supplied me with some maps and a detailed description of how to get there and where to concentrate my efforts. From that point, I was on my own. My brother and I backpacked into the wilderness and set up our own camp 4 miles from the truck. We arrived 2 days early and did some scouting on our own. I then killed a 29" 8x7 mule deer over 5 miles from the truck and carried him out on my back.

A far cry from someone tying him up to a tree for me near a road, don't you think?

If you want see an already successful business doing this, you can visit the website of the guy that helped me. His business is called antlerquest: http://members.aol.com/antlerquest1/.../business.html I think he still has a picture of my buck. I am the one with the goofy grin, a thumbs up, and a velvet buck. And by the way, all the game at the top of his website (live animals). Those are pictures he took himself.

I knew where to go, but it was certainly not a guaranteed hunt, and I had to get it shape, figure out what I could carry in in the way of tent, sleeping bag, groceries, etc. I still had to be a good enough hunter to find a mature/wary buck above timberline, shoot it and get it back to the truck on my own, well, with a little help from my brother!

I burned 8 preference points for that hunt and didn't want to waste my time stumbling around trying to find a good spot. I wasn't dissapointed.

Yes, I think it is a great idea. Go for it. WHat areas of Colorado would you be concentrating on?

RE: colorado scouting service
 

One more point. I think you would absolutely have to be exclusive with the info each year. In other words, when you sell info to someone, you agree not to give this same info to anyone else that season. Of course, you can provide info on the same area for each different season (archery, gun, etc) but only one person per season gets the info on that area.

I think the real forte of this kind of service is the hunts that take a few years to draw. If you do it for normal areas that are OTC (in the case of elk) or deer units that can be drawn every year, sooner or later, the 'honey hole" will become well known and overrun with hunters. At least that is a potential problem I see.

Not sure about hiring the guides either. First, I am not sure you can make enough money to justify paying them unless you charge way more than what is already being charged. And second, it may be a conflict of interest for the guides. As an outfitter, would you want your guides to be giving out info about the areas that he/they hunt? This kind of business probably works best as a 1-2 man show.