more specifically, here's the scoop: for the last 3 years or so, i have been taking different groups out for turkey. i have never collected a fee, nor tried to, but had the understanding that my intent was to be able to use these people for references if i decided to go into the guiding bit full time. i don't usually get any property that i can line up where we are the only ones on it, yet haven't been bumped personally by others, yet. i semi-guide you, which for me means that i will take you to known areas that hold birds, note i didn't say monsters, some of these may be jakes, while others may hold birds with 6-10"+ beards. you do the calling, decoying, etc( this may change in the future.) i have had good hunts, and not so good hunts with these parameters. if the birds don't show, and you truly insist on leaving, we go( some guys blew a nice seven inch beard like that on me last year). i have been told a few different things, including to try to get more private land( seems to be a problem, most people i contact view them as pests that they wish they had never seen, and want every last one destroyed), more birds( lack of patience with that request) . i can set up whatever type of lodging that they request, within reason. some want trophy beards, some don't care, and those are the good guys, because this is more like hunting with your friend type thing for me, that kind of looseness. they just want to put a tag on a critter, if they can, and enjoy the outdoors first and foremost. i know, this is long, but when going on a guided hunt, what do you look for?
Pat

Well Pat , I don't often go on a guided hunt, but here is my opinion on your question:

Exsperence is a factor on a guided hunt , and Can I learn just something that may make me a better hunter at the game we are hunting.

Population of birds, in a area ,, they don't need to run me over , but as long as there is birds there. Taking me for a walk in the woods to hear the wrong birds sing just is not going to cut it.

Private land is also a factor as alot of public gets presure, the best chance possible towards a trophy the better.

Have a Backup , just in case Plan 1 Bombs, more property the better chance I have and you do too incase we get visitors on the same land as we are.

Success rate, is another don't really mean as Gobbler to jakes , that something you can not control. But if a Jake comes infront of my gun I have the choice to either Take it or pass it up and have the chance of walking away with out a kill and still paying money.

What all is included in the hunt. As many options as possible that is included the better.

If I can't call , can you call for me and I'll be the shooter //aswell if I want to call then allow me to do so and you offer advice along the way.

Never tell me I did wrong , but mearly let me know that I may want to try it this way.

Always be polite to me and offer to help me carry some equipment.

Spend as much time exsplaining different things to me about the hunt so I can learn at least if I don't get a bird then I walk away with a little for the money I just paid you.

Never Quit or become frustrated because things are not working ,, always make my hunt enjoyable and hunt to the last second ,, unless I call it quits first.

Make friends with me , because I just may want to come back next year , and thats one up that you can use.

Hope thats some help towards your question ,, Now You and me ,, Just give me a Track ! and get out of my way lol j/k ...BT

thanks adrian, i guess i should have added a few things to the above post, but figured it was pretty long. here goes,

i love to run and gun. i can't sit still unless i am made to. if i don't see/hear anything within a reasonable amount of time, i have left it up to the guys, but generally we are gone. however, if i know that that area is being worked, i stress that we stay. in the end, the decision is yours.
i usually have upwards of a thousand acres in different locations that i hunt, so if something doesn't work out for whatever reason, i always have a backup, even if it means twisting my uncle's arm to get us into his private farm.
i enjoy sneaking up on the birds, but if that's not their bag, i can call them in, but i by far am not a pro at it. i prefer to call for myself( kind of like the singing in the shower type thing)
usually we start and spend the day together, scouting after hunting hours, unless you care to take in the local sights. fishing is always an option with me, especially for rainbows and steelheads.
lodging can be a regular hotel, b+b, or a remote cabin on top of a mountain, with enough warning.
the friends part was right on, i have made fast friends with my first bunch of out of state guys, and we trade turkey hunts for bear hunts each year.
can you think of anything i might have missed?
Pat

Good advice Adrian. This is pretty much what I would have listed as well.


Pat - I have also thought about doing the same thing, turkey hunting is such a hidden gem in Vermont.....most people don't understand or know of the quality of turkey hunting we have here and the people I find that do pursue them have a difficult time with repeated success. I see a lot of guys hunting the field edges around here, that don't get aggressive enough and won't go into the thick stuff that I think would pay to learn a bit. I plan on taking 3 different guys out this spring down near Rutland that will hopefully end up as good references for the 06' season where I would actually like to see if I can make some money offering quality hunts, or possibly trade for deer hunts in NY where I live during the week. I really hope to get access to some deer hunts in NY this way the most though, I don't know anyone around here and don't want to hunt public land if I don't have to. I am fairly confident that I can call birds in to them and can have a pretty good success ratio if they do their part. Last season, I ended up calling in 6 different legal birds in 4 days of hunting......2 of them were huge including my first of the season. I also have access to probably 2000 acres total through various farmers I have known since I was a kid, that all hate the turkey infestations they have. I would be hesitant to continue buying VT licenses if it weren't for the turkey hunting......can't wait for the opener.

hi Rick,
I think that you are right about the birds here, although i find more and more vehicles i " my " spots every year. last spring i had two different groups in from maine, both trying to make new hunting videos. one group didn't have the patience to stick it out( or perhaps conifidence in my spots), the others were inexperienced that didn't want to listen to where i was suggesting to go, but they still had a good time and are looking at giving it another try this spring. ( if they had listened, i wouldn't have gotten my first ever double, lol) . and i think that most people here turkey hunt like they deer hunt, they find one place that they like, and don't move from that area, even if the birds aren't there that day. me, i am gone if nothing happens in say an hour, hour and a half, because i know that just down the road is another bird or two just waiting to be slid in the back of the truck.. i can range in one days time from barre to danville to stowe, whatever it takes to get the job done is the way i look at it. if you do it, don't overlook the mainers... they have to draw tags for another year or two until it goes open statewide, and they are just itching to hunt fairly close to home.

I agree with you as well, if I don't hear birds, I tend to move a good bit. I will cover 2-3 miles of ground on foot if I don't hear birds. The Vermont hunters do tend to stay still......when I was in PA the pressure from experienced turkey hunters taught me well and it seems like shooting fish in a barrel up in Vermont where the guys setup a flock of decoys and stay put all day on the edge of the field. It almost makes the birds more predictable....they alway go to the same spots when under pressure. Hopefully my turkey hunting experience will earn me a few spots in NY for deer season.

Keep us posted on your hunts this spring, and if you ever get the itch to hunt further south shoot me a private message or email and I would love to meet up and show you some Rutland County birds. I usually don't hunt much the first week (My girlfriends b-day falls on April 30th [:@] and we usually do something that first weekend every year which means no hunting) but the second week most of the hunters are out of the woods and the birds start talking again.

sounds good to me.. say, if you are interested, i have awriter from realtree that wants to come over and hunt, and i don't know yet the time. i learned last year the hard way to not over book myself, had two film groups in on the same weekend. if i can't commit to him for the days he has off, you interested in taking him out? he lives in maine and has his own business, so he isn't sure when he can take time off, depends on scheduling. oops, forgot to as, that far south of the vermont border( ends around barre someplace,lol) do i need to buy an out of state license, and for which state, mass or ny?

I would absolutely love to take anyone out, I think it would be pretty awesome to get with someone like that to call some VT birds with. I would probably give him priority of places to hunt and rest these spots if they were serious about getting some of the action on film. If you would be willing to put me in touch with this person, I would love it and guarantee I would do my best to bring in some birds. I think it would be pretty sweet to try and get someone to film one of my spots and hunts and would do anything possible to make this happen. The places I hunt are actually in Vermont, just about 1 hour south of Barre, and within 1/2 an hour of Killington so you wouldn't need to get any additional tags. It is Rutland County that I do all of my hunting in. Anyhow, let me know if you would be able to refer any video crews down my way or if you would like to come yourself, I have always wanted a chance to get involved in something like this.

Another thought that comes to mined is Scouting and learning your areas. This helps out yourself and your Clients. Knowledge of your hunting areas , give you that added touch that you know what the birds are doing in the area your hunting with out you seeing them at the time.

I posted my reply above in a manner of a Client , only because I am a guide and spend about 40-45 days a spring in the woods offering the above info. A number of guys on this board have hunted with me and see how I work. The thing always to keep in mined is You as ahunter aswell will need that extra day just to go on your own or with a friend and take the presure off of having to produce for others. This is important, I've did it for almost 15 years and at one time near gave it up because of the presure of being a job. The sport is to be fun, something to enjoy for yourself but Guiding is a job , and you can't let the presure take over you enjoyment.

I always set aside some days , just for me to enjoy without any Clients , this has worked great over the years. Vermont , thats one place I have not had a chance to go as of yet , maybe , just maybe I may get a chance sometime ...BT

Come on down to Vermont!! I would be glad to show you some VT birds!