First off, i want to say i am not trying to start an arguement but just really curious. What i was wondering do you feel the same sense of accomplishment when taking an animal that you were set up on -as opposed to one you scouted all year and worked for on your own? Again, i am not trying to start a pissing match, i have been debating taking a guided trip and sometimes think while i could shoot a big deer it might not be as satisfying as getting one on my own. Thoughts?

Why do you want to start arguments? [8D]

Have you ever hunted on a friend’s property? That all ready had stands hung up? The only difference is all in your head. Ton’s of people hunt with outfitters and it great nothing wrong with it at all.

That is still you out in the woods hunting knowing when to make a call or blind rattle or telling the outfitter that the day movement was all on the next ridge. You make what you want to make out of every hunt. Just because someone doesn’t have family or friends in a state like Illinois or Wisconsin doesn’t take anything away from hunting with an outfitter and harvesting a big buck.

In Canada a guide is required for bear hunting soI have always had to have a guide. My wife and I went on our own self-guided archery wilderness elk hunt in CO last sept and although we couldn't get shots off on any bulls we saw one 4X4,2 6X6's ,and one 7X7 and we were offered cow shots but did not want them. I myself for a whitetail hunt would do it on my own. Farmers and landowners generally like bowhunters and there is also have a lot of public land that gets little or no pressure during archery season. Most locals hunt private ground during archery and this leaves a lot of public open for non-residents. Gun season is a whole different matter though. It all gets hunted hard. If time is a factor and food and lodging go with a hunt than an outfitter may not be too bad of a deal though.
HCH

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hardcore didn't exactly state it, but I agree with what I think he was saying... it depends on a lot of factors. For some on here whitetail hunting is not available right out the back door but maybe mule deer are or whatever. The point is, going with an outfitter can do many things for you starting with guarenteeing you a tag in some instances. Without that hunt over. In other instances, they can control land that holds some real trophy animals that you would otherwise be very hard pressed to even lay eyes on. In other instances, they are mandatory. If you want to hunt Canada (I think for anything but I could be wrong there) you need one. If I can do it myself then that is how I prefer it, but I certainly feel no less accomplishment when I am hunting with an outfitter and get something with my bow.

I guess let me change the scenario alittle. I can understand going and using an outfitter to hunt something that you wouldn't have the oppurtunity in your own area like bear or elk. I was just worried that if i use a guide to hunt whitetail and shoot one, that i am not going to get the same sense of accomplishment i would if i did it on my own. I'm not knocking people for using outfitters because it still takes a special skill to put a lethal shot on an animal, I just feel like i would be missing out on all the other stuff.

The quick answer is, if I'm able to shoot the same quality buck on my own or in a stand hung by an outfitter, I have more of a sense of accomplishment doing it on my own.

When I was growing up in Florida, however, hunting those pygmy deer, I dreamed of being able to hunt bigger bucks. So hunting with a guide, in Alabama, on a greenfield, is just something entirely different. You could hunt 50 years in Florida and never see deer like the ones they have on that property. So, it's like a present you give yourself for hunting so dang hard every year.

Also, we hunt what I would consider a 'semi-guided' hunt every year in Texas; we've got a lease with pre-set stands that have been part of the countryside for 40 years. We know what kind of deer come to each stand, and where we want to sit, but ultimately, we're sitting predetermined locations. That definitely gives me the same thrill, because the hunting is still really hard, just in a different way from the scouting and stand placement you do on your own.

A whitetail outfitter can't do a whole lot for you other than help with stand selection and tell you where he thinks you should hunt. No baiting allowed here so it is still up to your ability to get into a stand without spooking the deer and getting a shot off. Your skill still got it. I just like doing my own thing and can't see the need for a whitetail guide unless it is required like Canada. We interviewed elk guides and you were paying for a horse ride and help with game and his knowledge of the area. $4000 apeice seemed like a lot. I have talked with guys that have hired guides and have never seen an elk so I thought that our hunt was a total success. We seen lots of elk. We were told that only 10% of bowhunters in CO get their elk and seeing that we had close shots at cows and all the bull sightings we were very successful. I myself would ditch the guide, do the hunt on my own, meet farmers in cafes in the AM and get to know some locals and you may fall into some great places and land to hunt for years if you want to come back. Another great way to hunt is bring a flatbottom boat and use the river or lakes to get into places that are public huntingbut nobody hunts. You can use the boat for storage and hauling your gear in to get to your location. Bring a wall tent and make a cool camp and have a great do it yourself hunt. Pm me if you need info on public places that a boat would work great in.
HCH[/align]

It's very simple, if you don't think you would get the same enjoyment and memories from an outfitted hunt, then don't go on one.

You have to look at it as two different experiences altogether, because that's what it is.

Consider it a hunting vacation, a get away, not just another week hunting.

I would agree that the "sense of accomplishment" would obviously be different, but then again, you shouldn't be going on an outfitted trip to get that sense. You should be going for the love of hunting and the desire to do it in an exciting and different place.

If you're hunting for a sense of accomplishment, then stay home. Odds are you'll come home empty handed and feel miserable, rather than having enjoyed the experience.