I was just thinking about this and figured I would post and see what everyone else thinks.

I was 15 the first time I shot a deer with my bow. It' s was a year and a half old doe that a I made a clean 12 yard double lung shot on. She only went 40 yards and dropped. After the initial excitement of harvesting a deer with my bow died down, the thing I was most proud of accomplishing was the fact that I had done it myself. I had chosen the area I waned to hunt, I had picked out the tree I wanted to put my stand in, I had hung the stand myself, and I had ultimately succeeded in my goal.

Ever since then I' ve always prided myself on doing things myself - my way. Granted the property I hunt on is only so big, and with other hunters being there I can only do so much. I can' t sit my stands all the time, so I do sit in stands that other people have hung. (There' s only 3 of us hunting - myself, my dad, and the property owner and we hunt together so there' s no problem with sitting their stands if they aren' t using them). But I just never feel the same about sitting them.

The same goes for guided hunts or hunts at ranches/farms where they set stands for you, scout for you, etc etc. I just don' t see myself getting as much out of them as I would if I had done it myself. The off-season scouting, preparation, and dedication that go into harvesting a deer or any other animal for that matter is what makes it wall worthwhile for me.

Now I know a lot of people don' t have private land to hunt on so they are forced into situations where they have to go on guided hunts. That is completely understandable. If there is no other way, it' s better than nothing.

But personally for me, I just don' t get the thrill out of being put into a stand and told to wait and see if something comes by me. For example - I want to go on a fall bear hunt in Ontario next year. The only way you can go is through a licensed outfitter who has a bear managment area. They choose bait locations and make sure bears are coming into the baits before you arrive at camp. Then you pretty much just hang your stand up and wait for the bear to come. Yeah, you still have to watch the wind, and remain still and all the phsycial mechanics of hunting, but without any of the background or " leg work" so to speak. It just seems to cheapen the hunt a bit in my opinion, even though there really is no other way around it.

What about everyone else?

Even though I' ll have to agree with you to some extent on the " do it yourself" theory (I do it myself on 3 different pieces of property that I own) I have to say that I don' t and probably won' t ever have the opportunity to harvest a trophy book whitetail on any of my properties. Factor in the buck to doe ratio, limited access, neighbors shooting anything and everything walking with horns, poachers and road hunters, the chances are slim to none.

Therefore, I usually take at least one guided hunt per year (where the big boys live). The ranch I hunt is 5500 acres, free ranging, whitetails. The guys who run the deer hunting are bowhunters and know their stuff. I show up, I stay in a 4 star resort, there is a full-time cook, theres a 3000sf lodge, they supply anything you want to drink, they cook you steaks, they drag and clean your harvest, they have a 1:10 to 1:00 Buck to Doe ratio and magnum bucks......all for $2000.00.

I' ve taken several do-it-yourself hunts and I' ve always spent that much just buying supplies, tags and licenses.

Don' t get me wrong! I love everything else that goes into the hunt on my properties. Spring planting, scouting, hanging stands, etc. etc

I have to agree with Dalejbrass. We have a real problem with poachers where I hunt/live. People sneaking onto our land, road hunting, spot lighting, etc. I complained about it last year to the Game Warden--and all that got me, was the poachers started throwing the carcasses in my yard! Do you know how hard it is to wake up to see 5 deer laying in your yard with the rumps taken out and the antlers cut off, off and on for 2 weeks (and that is different deer each time--although not always 5). [:@][:' (]

So if I ever want to hunt a trophy buck--I will have to go on a guided hunt.

I totally understand where you guys are coming from. Heck, if put in either one of your situations I would do the same thing. I guess I' m just a lot more fortunate than some people to live in a place with big deer and have the opportunity to hunt them.

The places I hunt experience a lot of pressure from nearby hunters shooting everything that moves, poaches, road hunters, etc etc as well. The one thing we' ve tried to do more and more every year is set aside a portion of our hunting land that we DO NOT go into unless we are tracking a deer. Basically the back 30 acres of our 80 acre hunting grounds is left untouched as sort of a " refuge" for local deer to seek out during hunting season. We find more sign there every spring and lots of good sheds. It might not be much, but every little bit helps I guess.

As for the poachers throwing carcasses into your yard - that is just ridiculous. I don' t know about you guys, but I would stop at pretty much nothing in order to find out who did it and either see them punished by law, or otherwise.

It is really unfortunate that not all of us have the means to hunt trophy whitetails. Some of us lack the place to hunt. Some of us lack the $$$ to pay for a guided hunt. I am pretty lucky. The rifle hunters here out number archery hunters by a large margin. Most of the season I have a few pieces of public land all to myself with the exception of some bird hunters. I also have some in-laws that only rifle hunt. They let me bow hunt on their land. Again, all by myself. As far as taking a trophy, I consider all my deer trophies. Will I ever be able to harvest a " world class" deer on any of the land? Probably not. I don' t mind. I just love the hunt.

im the same way......i rather brag about a little buck i killed fair and square...i scouted for..i worked for and i earned.....then a big buck ive never once seen the stand i was going to hunt and never scouted it and everything.....i put alot of hours into my hunting....even if i bag a doe or just a great memory of a great day in the field...it was all worth it.....to me you cant buy a trophy....and basically if you go on a hunt your buying a deer...most have certain gaurentees ect...so to me thats like shopping...when im out there i dont know whats coming next...heck i dont know if anything will ever come....i try to do all the homework and everything but without living htere all the time you never know......not that guided hunts are bad......their just not my style......i rather do it myself.....it gives me so much more.....whatever floats your boat.......

I think it all depends on how much time you have,and how your finances are.A guide is without question is the way to go if you can get a referal.A good outfitter can usually steer you straight.Hunted in northern Maine years ago,and had a good experience with a guide.But like I said before get references.

Joe

I am a loner. I like to set my own stands, hunt my own way. I really don' t see paying big money to get a big deer. If I can get myself a 100 class buck by myself, I am very pleased, which I have been able to do, and I am yet 20.

I have never been on a guided hunt or anywhere for that matter, besides the woods I call home.

But after busting my arse for 20 yrs just to get one or two decent bucks a year, I would gladly pay for someone to do all the horse work and set me up in a stand in the land of 200" s.

Just once - I think it would be rather fun

I would only consider a guided hunt for species I can' t hunt on my own such as caribu, moose, etc....