Frontenac Fowlers- Jay Barnes NY
 

I Booked a hunt with Jay Barnes of Frontenac Fowlers in Union Springs NY-it's the finger lakes region. I had heard great things about that part of the state due to a number of factors, low pressure, food sources, cover etc. Add to that this year we lost our land to hunt on and I was excited about trying a new place in an area that had potential. I spoke to Jay-the owner and guide and we agreed on a price and days to be hunted. It would be for three days-opening day and the 2 following days. We agreed that no lodging or food would be provided. We agreed that it would be for $450. I sent Jay the deposit and waited till the trip. We spoke a couple of times and Jay seemed nice enough and also seemed to have confidence in his ability to put you on deer and also of the size of the deer. We last spoke a few days before the hunt and it was set that I would get to the area on the day before and Jay and I would hook up. I arrived and checked into my hotel. I spoke to Jay and he informed me he was busy running around and also making sausage soup. We agreed to meet at his house the next morning at 515 where I would follow him in my vehicle to the farm I would hunt. Jay had said, and I think his website says, he has 600 acres for deer hunting. Opening morning I get to Jays house at 515am and wait for Jay to come out at about 525, we chat and load up his polaris and head out. I follow him to the farm where I then get into the polaris and ride about 300 yards to the corner of a cut corn field. Jay then tells me he didnt have time to mark the path to the stand I would be hunting but "its easy to find" I get out and try finding the stand. I cant find the stand since its dark, Im on land Ive never hunted, and its not marked in anyway at all. I am not new to hunting, Ive been doing it for over 30 years and gone on 13 guided hunts...definately not my first rodeo. I call Jay 3 times. He does answer all 3 times but he doesnt offer to come back, afterall it is opening day and I guess its more important that he hunt rather than put a paying customer (me) on the stand and provide the hunt Im paying for. He does say on one conversation that he knows the woods like the back of his hand and the place is loaded with deer-not to worry. I already start to wonder what Im paying for if the owner/guide cant get me to a stand for opening day. I finally find my stand around 8-815 am. I call to tell him and he sounds relieved. I see one small scrappy 3 point buck but I dont shoot since Jay says there are plenty of deer in the area and he has a policy of outside the ears. Im ok with the policy by the way. I want to see deer and shoot a nice sized buck. Thats it for the rest of the day. Jay apologizes and asks what Im doing for dinner I tell him I guess going out. He says he feels horrible about the morning and makes an offer to go eat together-Im alone so why not. Check comes for dinner and Jay offers to treat (total bill with ****tail is $60) I say no thanks-put me on deer and all will be forgotten. Next day-same thing-I meet Jay at his house follow him to farm get in polaris and ride to back of the same field I got lost in day before. I find my stand with no problem (I marked in on way out the night before) See no deer all day. At 245 Jay calls and asks what Ive seen. I tell him nothing at all and he offers to move me. My thinking was no-not at 245- I'd maybe in my stand for 315 and sundown is at like 435 440 so I didnt want to move for an hour and a half...See nothing for rest of that day. Totally frustrated at this point. I meet Jay who proceeds to tell me about himself and his 2 friends who have been seeing big deer over the last 2 days, 1 of his friends got a monster 10 pointer. I start to wonder why me-the paying customer is sitting in the same small woodlot in the same corner of the same cut cornfield for 2 days when Jay is supposed to have 600 acres to hunt on and him and his buddies are seeing deer and shooting deer. Jay offer to go to dinner again but at this point I realize Im paying for Jay and his buddies to hunt while I watch bluejays and dont see deer and Jays remedy is to go to dinner together. I tell Jay Im leaving a day early. He doesnt seem upset but does offer to "give me a great price on a duck hunt next year" yeah right I'm figuring. I leave the next morning, a day early after seeing only 1 deer-the 3 pointer and about 10 acres of the supposed 600 acres he has all the while him and his friends are shooting deer. I did everything I was supposed to do. I peed in a bottle, kept my movement to a minimum, I dont smoke, in short I know how to hunt. I e mailed Jay exactly how I felt and what I thought and gave him time to reply to see if we had different views of what happened but he has not, in my follow up e mail when I told him I would post up my story about the hunt I also told him I thought it was ridiculous and avoiding the problem by not getting in touch with me to discuss it but he still doesnt respond so Im doing like I told him I would and post up about my hunt and I would also e mail him the links to where I posted so if he want to respond he can. Sorry this is so long but I wanted to get all the facts and the story straight.

In short STAY AWAY FROM JAY BARNES AND FRONTECAC FOWLERS unless you want to pay for Jay to hunt while you tree watch

Sab

I feel for you but what did you expect for the price you paid. Sounds like you were charged 150 dollars a day. That is very cheap and you should know this if you have been on alot of hunts. I'm not trying to provoke you I wish you would have got a deer but I've been on a few guided hunts and never came close to paying 150 a day. Hope you have better luck next time.

No,,not provoking me at all. It was only $150 cause I was providing everythign else like lodging and food. Overall the hunt cost another $360 for the motel and food. Total was then $810 for a 3 day hunt here in NY...thats a bit steep I think

You still only paid Jay $450 for a 3 day hunt and you can't expect much out of a 3 day $450 hunt these days. I am not going to take sides on this one way or the other but the 2 mistakes I see that you made is not moving to another spot when he offered to move you and leaving early. No one can control deer movement. If they are not moving in one area you move hoping they may be moving in that area. He shoudl have had the stnad marked and should have made sure you were safely in it. Sounds like another local hunter making a few bucks on ths ide selling hunts while he hunts. If your guide/outfitter is going to be hunting when your hunting that to me is a warning sign.

I feel for you. I had a similar experience with two different guides from two different states. I'll go DIY from now on.

What really sucks about this story is that the good guides get a bad rap do to guys like that .not all guides are created equal and you should check them out first ask for references.talk to as many people that has hunted the place as possible. We do not hunt the same ground we guide on at all in fact I have not killed a deer in four years how ever our clients have killed some bruisers.it sucks you had a bad hunt and he will not work with you.I would suggest checking out the outfitter no matter what you pay whether its 400-4000 its YOUR HUNT.