The State is doing great things, there is a ton of leased farmland, but the facts are the facts, the ground is being over hunted and there is quite a bit of inaccurate information being shared to get folks booked! PS. I hunted sunrise to sunset two of the four days. And please don't challenge my hunting skills dalitegobble. I am quite capable of sitting on a stand, all day, and very still!

Omg do not go
 

We had to stay in Iowe. This made for a 2 to 3 hr ride. guide used a G P S all ways got L O S T had to call for H E L P. First day 25 go out3 deer. We got L O S T all three days. Ran out gas in pickup at 4 AM No 24 hr gas. the 3rd day call to Main Office about what was going on No Help. Not a thing at 3am to eat no one there no coffe nothing. guide did not make sandwich. WE had 2 good hot meals in 4. we like many got out so sick!!!!!!!!!!!! of all B S. if you got $$$$$$ you don't need and don't want to get or see a deer. you need to lose some weight. :mad::mad: this is no way all that was bad with I M B outfitters!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another 5 star review!!!!!!!!!;)

Hatcher88 check out ganderoutfitters.com they are in Missouri and are friends of mine. he posts pictures from his trail cameras on the website of the bucks he has on his farms check him out.

Dishonest hunt review....the real story
 

The post above entitled, “RUN DON’T WALK WAY FROM” is a lie. In fact this particular post has now become the centerpiece for a law suit against the man that posted it, unless he removes it promptly. You must understand as you read hunt reviews that sometimes they are true and sometimes they are intentional attacks on one outfitter by another outfitter. Just recently a person was successfully sued for posting exaggerated comments on an outfitter in Wyoming. Persons are responsible for all comments they post in a Court of Law. Sometimes these hunt reviews are just a mad hunter who’s expectations were too high. They can also be the hunt reviews of a hunter that did not do their part during the trip. While I hate outfitters that provide poor hunts, I also do not approve of anyone using a forum section to defame another person with dishonest comments. Here is the real version of what happened to Greg on his hunt.

This hunter hunted in 2003 out of our 5 Starr Lodge in Pike County, Illinois during the 1st Gun season. His hunt review says, “The lodge was overcrowded, overpriced, with lunch meat and hamburgers for meals.” HOWEVER This lodge is really a 5 starr lodge with some rooms containing Jacuzzis. The lodge has a capacity for over 100 hunters. During the first gun in Illinois we normally book 20 hunters. Thus with 100 person capacity you can plainly see the lodge was not overcrowded. The food at the lodge is wonderful with food inclusive of steaks, chops, hams, appetizers, ceasar salads, fresh steamed vegetables, and we even have “theme” food nights, like “Italian Night” etc. WE DO NOT SERVE LUNCHMEAT AS ENTREES AS THIS USER STATES!

This hunter indicates deer stands were hung 30 to 35 feet in the air. This is not true. All stands are setup with 15 foot strap on climbing ladder sticks. These sticks are manufactured at 15 feet. This puts the stand at 15 at it’s highest possible point. Most stands are hung 2 feet below the top of the tree sticks making them 13 feet high. Stands may be higher only if the client requests an additional section of ladder stick be attached. We have never hung a 30 foot stand in our 13 year history. This is not true.

This hunter reports minimal deer sightings, however during this camp despite high winds and drizzle 20 hunters saw 734 deer in a mere 3 days, 41 record book bucks, and had 25 chances to shoot record book bucks at less than 30 yards. The success rate on shots at trophy deer exceeded the number of hunters in camp during this hunt he speaks poorly of. HERE IS A CRUCIAL ISSUE TO OBSERVE. Out of all 20 hunters only 4 of them did not have encounters with record book deer. 3 of those 4 hunters were in this man’s group that is complaining. The truth is while everyone else was having a blast, this man’s group was upset. Sometimes a hunting group will experience bad luck. Other times a hunting group doesn’t know what they are doing and will not listen, and play on cell phones while hunting. My guess is if everyone was happy with the exception of the 3 men in this group that some outside dynamic is present that the hunter is responsible for. On this particular hunting group they did not hunt the last day of the hunt decreasing their odds by 33%.

In the end if anyone has a poor hunt the first step in resolving it is contacting the outfitter for negotiations. This individual did not do this. This shows poor problem solving skills, as I am an honest man and work hard to appease my clients.

By the way we see this person in 2003 states we would not be in business much longer however we are still in business and have won more awards than any other whitetail outfitter in the Nation.

The hunter reports multiple people were written tickets by DNR. This is not true at all.

Note the hunter indicated his expectation was to kill a Booner or a deer over 170 inches. This is not realistic. The Boone and Crockett Club reports the odds of killing a Booner are 1.4 million to 1. Thus this hunter probably passed some good deer thinking he could kill a Booner and ended up empty handed. This is just a guess while all other information is a fact.

The hunter indicates that the owner scores deer inaccurately, however this client is assuming. This client never viewed the owner scoring a deer. This is another fraudulent version of the story to defame this outfitter.

The hunter reports that favoritism was given to a celebrity hunter. This is absolutely not true. Note that the only other hunter that did not see a trophy deer was the celebrity hunter. We have never given special treatment to celebrities and in fact stop taking them on hunts because they expected it. IN THE END THE TRUTH IS, ONCE IN A WHILE YOU HAVE A GUY THAT DOESN’T KILL A DEER. THEY GET MAD. THEY GET ON THE INTERNET AND THEY DEFAME AND LIE INSTEAD OF CALL AND NEGOTIATE AND TALK THINGS OUT. This person is currently being sued for his hunt post.

I am not against hunting reviews. I simply believe they should be accurately reported. I also believe the website would provide a system of safeguards for both hunter and outfitter that are effective. Unfortunately it is my opinion that this system of safeguards may not be present at this location.

So just to be clear...you are who ? The owner ? a guide ? a concerned citizen ? Why did you wait for 4 years to come on here to tell us you are sueing the poster of the "run don't walk" post ? I said it before and I'll say it again I just don't know why anyone would hunt with any outfitter who had so many bad reviews against them when there are a bunch of other outfitters out there with a lot less raps on them.

But whatever...it's just how I feel. If IMB wanted to change the negative perception that people have of them maybe they should work harder to change what so many think and less on worrying about sueing people who post their opinions....

JMHO

Ugly
 

I hunted with IMB and I'll tell you it was 'UGLY'. Darrin is a loudmouth fool who told us about Cracksmokers for an hour during his indoctrination!! Really? It got worse from there. Stands overhunted, no deer. I'm sure they will tell you that it is all my fault. 10 days in different stands and no deer to shoot but where there is smoke their is fire and there sure seems to be a lot of smoke around here.

IMB scam
 

I hunted with IMB a few years ago in Iowa and wish I hadn't. After I had paid I had another hunter from my town tell me their horror story from the year before but I had already paid so my buddy and I went anyway. I will say since then I know of 2 others who went and both had similar results as we all did, a total of 10 hunters over 4 years. Those were all Iowa hunts but I've talked to other hunters who hunted with them in other states and it seems like all their operations are ran about the same.

Well 1st off Darren says he is an outdoor writer, so he has a way with words and he knows what to tell a hunter to get you excited about hunting with them, that he can't wait to meet you personally and will be hunting up there with you.

When we got there he was no where to be seen. He had his son and some other kids (20 something) running the place.( Now I've been hunting for 50 years, have killed several 100 total, including 62 with a bow, and have gotten 2 record book deer, used to trap in my younger years so I know the outdoors.) They sat you down and told you that THEY consider a 125 class deer a trophy. LOL give me a break. But he told us if they put us in front of a 125 class deer they had done their work.

I did see a 125 class deer the 1st morning, but that's NOT what I had told Darren I was after and passed it up. My hunting buddy saw one on the 2nd day, so in my opinion they figured they had did our work and for the rest of the hunt they put us on stands we didn't see but 1 or 2 does the entire day.

The guide we had wasn't from Iowa and had just came there from 5 states away to guide and didn't know the area, he got lost 2 times taking us into our stands which were on the edge of the woods or just 50 yards inside the woods, running deer out of the fields to get to them and then sitting all day waiting for an afternoon deer to come out. The stands were just put up anyway that was easy for them turned the wrong way or leaning forward, dangerous to sit in.

From what I saw they had a lot of smaller farms with little woods (as is normal for Iowa) But what they would do is put the stand on the corner of the property line and tell you to shoot across the line, that they would just jump the fence and get the deer or you. I don't think this is ethical but it just goes to show you the way they hunted the time I was up there.

Several hunters in camp left early when we were up there frustrated with the way the hunt was run. And as far as Darren saying to read their hunter reviews. Well the ones of us who I know of NEVER got a form to review their hunt. Now I know if you get enough people up there, there were about 25 up there when we hunted than even a blind squirrel will find a nut every once in a while, so maybe the ones requested to reply are these or maybe friends of his. That's just my opinion.

Bottom line is Iowa is a great state to hunt in, and I'm sure there some good guides who really want you to succeed, but not these guys.

Everything written in this review is from my personal experiences with IMB outfitters and is my personal opinion.

Iowa also has a lot of game lands you can hunt and a do it yourself hunt out there is easy to set up. Good luck and be safe.

Yeah stay away from imb total liars and crooks. There is a straight up guy up there in the area that is honest and offers great hunts but for imb to big and full of crap hunted with them a few yrs back total disaster enough said. Anyone interested in a great hunt in this same area with a straight up guy I can point u in the right direction. Hunted with him past three years and have had a great time and amazing success to see my success all u have to do is visit his web site at ganderoutfitter or reply back to this I can give u all the info u need

I went last year during rifle season. Beautiful land, but I would not go back. They will tell you that the first rule of thumb is "don't out guide the guide". The only problem is that the head guy admitted that my guide didn't really know alot about hunting and was the boyfriend of his niece. Not a very professional place IMO.

Yes I see they are still up to same old tricks, we need to keep these post going so anyone looking to hunt up there will know better and not get cheated

I looked into a possible hunt with this outfit and just got a gut feeling that it wasn't on the up and up and I changed my mind, thank GOD I did from all of what I have read since then. I go out of state every year somewhere and I do a lot of home work before I book with anyone and so far I have been really lucky and have had good experiences (haven't harvested a animal on every hunt but did see and have chances on all). There is a outfitter in Kentucky that I got a very bad vive from last year and didn't book with him for that reason. May be a great place but the guy seemed to be full of sh**. I really believe that over all most outfitters are honest hard working guys that want you to be successful so you will return year after year!!!!!!!

Hey guys just a quick review...I researched my Iowa tag for years before committing to IMB. My 2013 hunt was a true success! Preston the camp manager did a great job of setting a realistic expectation on what to expect and never over promised on anything. I've hunted all over and these guys really did a good job of taking care of the hunters in camp. By the way...there were only four of us in Iowa for the rut the entire week I was there...far from over crowded. I felt like we had the run of the place.

I suggest anyone call the outfitter and talk with them. Ask questions and feel them out. That's what I did and I had a really great hunt.

You can read my story and see some pics on www.sitkagear.com or here: http://www.sitkagear.com/insight/a-f...s-on-your-mind

All in all: Fair price, good guides, good facilities, good land, good people.

Risk when hunting: weather, other people, yourself and the fact that deer are free will animals who may just as soon turn left as they do right. There are no guarantees.

Good luck this season!

***How about that! This thread starts getting brought to the top with more bad reviews and out of the woodwork comes another IMB shill with a first post saying that IMB is better than sliced bread, LOL! I wonder who this poster is! Maybe Darrin, his wife, a guide, or whatever, but you can bet it's someone closely affiliated with IBM!!! It's a shame an outfit continues to screw people, but the fact is that many hunters think that anyone associated with hunting are on the up and up when in reality there are plenty of crooks out there. This guy can probably fill all his hunts and make plenty of money because he doesn't need to rely on repeat business with the multitude of people out there thay don't do enough on their own before they book and they get fleeced. For every one we read about that comes on a site with the true picture of how this guy operates there are probably 50 more that are too ashamed they got taken to the cleaners and won't say a word.

Hey Topgun I appreciate your concern there I really do but I can assure you my hunting experience is real. Did you read my story? See the pictures? All of that really happened...hard to fudge that.

I see these guys getting beat up a lot )just like all the other outfitters I've ever used) and I believed my experience was a quality one so I shared. If there's something wrong in that then I guess I'll need to be educated on why there can't be two points of view?

This was my first hunt with IMB but not my last.

Like I said, good luck to you guys with whoever you decide to hunt with.

Dissatisfied completely
 

I am sure that IMB already has people standing in line to discredit my response. Go ahead and disparage anyone who has had a bad experience. I'm just telling you I have hunted in several countries on guided and unguided trips for many years and have NEVER had such a terrible experience with any outfitter. It was the worst kind because the owner lied to us and frankly is really weird. If there is a lot of smoke there is some fire. The guide he put us with was working hard for us and a good guy. The owner is a strange duck and during our indoctrination spent an hour telling us stories about a guy who smoked crack in his blinds while he chain smoked himself. Then it went downhill from there. The whole experience was sordid. Take it for what it is worth but buyer beware.

Ok so I hunted with IMB twice this year...I had some success last year in Iowa and I detailed that out above...I hunted in Illinois during the first week of November and I hunted in Mizzou for the first gun season..I think it's only fair that I detail out my experiences and give a review on IMB Outfitters.

Illinois Lodge: Best lodge I've ever been to. 4-5 Star all the way. Lived up to it's billing on the website. Andy does a great job keeping you comfortable and keeping you fed.

My Illinois Hunt: I had a really good hunt but I did not kill. I passed a shooter buck on the first day (130+" 8pt)...really the first hour of the first day. The winds blew 20mph + EVERYDAY I was there. It rained and sleeted during my hunts. I saw Three shooters in Five days, one of which was at 15yds...see above ^^^. The biggest shooter was 145 class 8/9pt (Which is a big buck!). The hunting was tough with the wind. I saw bucks everyday but one and on the day I didn't see a buck the wind was howling over 30mph so I wasn't surprised. There were 12 hunters in camp by my count. Two Killed, Two Wounded, Two Missed and Two like myself did not shoot at shooter bucks that passed within range. So eight opportunities to kill 130 class bucks out of 12 hunters those five days in very tough weather conditions. Guides were great and the properties were awesome. I didn't feel like they were over hunted at all. During the week I was in Illinois the Mizzou lodge killed TWO 190+" bucks! Maybe should have picked Mizzou for bow season. WOW!

Mizzou Lodge: Awesome people, Great place, great food. Very happy with the Mizzou Lodge. I stayed at the Bush Lodge.

Mizzou Hunting: Some of the best I've seen. 26 hunters in Camp...11 Killed on the first day. Including myself...I shot a 168 7/8" 300lb buck. I passed a shooter 8pt before killing the big boy. The woods and properties were awesome...30,000 acres to hunt with IMB in Mizzou...nothing was over hunted from what I could see. At the end of the week 20 bucks out of 26 hunters and EVERYONE had shot opportunities. Some were shot and lost, some missed and some didn't take the shot. My buck was the second largest of the week...a 174" buck was killed on the last day.

Bottom Line: Three hunts in with IMB and I'm batting .666 with over 300"s of bone on my wall... A quality hunting experience for me. I wil be back.

Weather is a HUGE factor in hunting success...your attitude is a HUGE Factor in your success. Go with an open mind and don't think it's a lock...you have to hunt...the deer have to cooperate. It's not a given that you will kill something.

Happy Hunting!

B R K

IMB Missouri NO BETTER
 

It's my own fault, I fell for all the hype and booked my 2019 hunt with IMB for the 1st rifle hunt. Had I done my homework before hand they would not even have gotten the time of day from me, I felt secure as the advertisement was with " Buckmasters", certainly they would not offend there clients by endorsing an outfitter that was not first rate ? wrong again. There were a few positives, so I will start with them.
* The staff at camp did an amazing job keeping up with the place and good food for all meals.
*The guides had to deal with at least 3 hunters each and for the most part did a good job.
That's a fairly short list. Just a short note: I am not a negative person "my glass is always half full" so I made the best of this hunt and hunted hard.
Now for the negatives:
* Full to capacity with 32-33 hunters in camp, I think 20 would be pushing the carry capacity of the available land.
* Let's talk about the land; Mostly micro farms with intense pressure from within and from all sides from adjacent land owners "to think they could QDM these farms is an impossibility.
* Because of the amount of hunters I don't know if there was a stand or micro farm that did not have intence foot traffic every morning and afternoon.
That's enough as I am not a negative person. Moral of the story "Stay away from IMB"

says the guy that works for them, take it from someone who has hunted with them and not work for them, I would not recommend them for multiple reasons. will not go into details here but consider yourself warned.

I have hunted with them and it was not as advertised...I do not recommend them. consider yourself warned. Don't just look at one or two lucky hunters that t posted. Look at the multiple honest posts that did not have a pleasant hunt. It's not about the success, its about how they represent themselves and follow through. 1/2 star aat best on that