Controlled Shooting Area
02-08-2002, 01:21 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Spearville KS USA
Posts: 4
Controlled Shooting Area
I'm in the process of setting up a controlled shooting area on my farm. This allows the hunting of pheasants and quail till March 31. I guess my question is, what would attract you, as hunters, to hunt on my farm? This is my first experience with a controlled shooting area, I would just like some constructive advise on how to get this thing off the ground! Thanks
02-08-2002, 03:25 PM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Colorado Springs COLORADO USA
Posts: 52
RE: Controlled Shooting Area
Like any other business a preserve can be set up to cater to different types of clients. A place like the Flying B Ranch in Idaho has a tremendous amout of land, a very strong wild bird population(chukars and valley quail) and uses mostly early release birds (huns and pheasants) so that even the pen raised birds are pretty wild from having been released weeks or months before being hunted. Their lodging, food and prices reflect this expensive set up.
Then you have a guy with a few acres who raises some birds and goes and "plants" however many you pay him for when you show up. Some of these birds are not even raised in a flight pen and their flying ability generally ranges from fair to non-existent. This is is much less expensive place to go however. Most preserves are somewhere in between. If you want to attract people from some distance you need to have enough land (at least hundreds preferably thousands of acres) open to hunting. If you don't have much sometimes you can lease some additional. You need to have good populations of birds preferably both wild and early release that are acclimated and very strong flyers. There are preserves in Kansas where it is difficult to tell the pen raised birds from the wild ones. You need to have good cover both to protect the birds from predators and to hold them in the hunting areas. Cover needs to be broken up in blocks so that pheasant will flush rather than running forever. Sometimes shooting lanes need to be mowed to have open areas that pheasants are reluctant to run across. You also need to realize that different hunters want different things.
I saw an offer on ebay where a guy in SW Kansas was offering guided pheaant hunts. You were "allowed" to bring a dog but only if it stayed within 20 yards. When I questioned him on it he was vehement about it. This guy had no clue what most people were looking for and did not understand pheasant hunting with dogs. Even most flushing dogs cannot stay within 20 yards all the time and it would totally stupid and unpleasant for everyone to try to keep a pointing dog within that range. Yet probably the majority of people interested in a hunt have dogs or want to hunt over dogs.
Probably more people than not already know how to hunt birds, they just want a place they can go with their dogs and maybe some friends and be assured of getting into birds. From what I've seen it's not easy to provide a quality experience and get people to pay enough for you to make money. Remember, that a lot of early release birds will "disappear" before human hunters get a chance at them. You may have to release 2-4 times as many as you expect hunters to take which makes it much more expensive. Hunters are not much interested in driving any distance to shoot relatively tame, poor flying, recently released birds.
Then you have a guy with a few acres who raises some birds and goes and "plants" however many you pay him for when you show up. Some of these birds are not even raised in a flight pen and their flying ability generally ranges from fair to non-existent. This is is much less expensive place to go however. Most preserves are somewhere in between. If you want to attract people from some distance you need to have enough land (at least hundreds preferably thousands of acres) open to hunting. If you don't have much sometimes you can lease some additional. You need to have good populations of birds preferably both wild and early release that are acclimated and very strong flyers. There are preserves in Kansas where it is difficult to tell the pen raised birds from the wild ones. You need to have good cover both to protect the birds from predators and to hold them in the hunting areas. Cover needs to be broken up in blocks so that pheasant will flush rather than running forever. Sometimes shooting lanes need to be mowed to have open areas that pheasants are reluctant to run across. You also need to realize that different hunters want different things.
I saw an offer on ebay where a guy in SW Kansas was offering guided pheaant hunts. You were "allowed" to bring a dog but only if it stayed within 20 yards. When I questioned him on it he was vehement about it. This guy had no clue what most people were looking for and did not understand pheasant hunting with dogs. Even most flushing dogs cannot stay within 20 yards all the time and it would totally stupid and unpleasant for everyone to try to keep a pointing dog within that range. Yet probably the majority of people interested in a hunt have dogs or want to hunt over dogs.
Probably more people than not already know how to hunt birds, they just want a place they can go with their dogs and maybe some friends and be assured of getting into birds. From what I've seen it's not easy to provide a quality experience and get people to pay enough for you to make money. Remember, that a lot of early release birds will "disappear" before human hunters get a chance at them. You may have to release 2-4 times as many as you expect hunters to take which makes it much more expensive. Hunters are not much interested in driving any distance to shoot relatively tame, poor flying, recently released birds.
02-09-2002, 07:01 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Troy MI
Posts: 44
RE: Controlled Shooting Area
I have hunted several preserves in the last 15 years; here are some of my pet peeves:
1.) Even though I might not put out as many birds as that other hunter who dropped $2500 as opposed to my $75, I am still a paying client and that doesn't make him "better" than me! While I am willing to accept the fact that I will be put in a smaller field, I expect that cover to be just as decent as the cover the next guy is hunting in....not some stubble field with a couple of Christmas trees for cover.
2.) If you are charging a "membership fee", I will expect something in addition to just birds. I don't really care what: a $1 off per bird, free hot dogs, a news letter...but I DO expect something for the extra money I pay for a membership as opposed to a preserve that I can go to for a day with no membership.
3.) If possible, I expect to be as far away from other hunters (and unruly dogs) as possible....I hunted one preserve where three unmanageable dogs came in and flushed birds out of my field into the other hunters....when I complained, there was little done about it.
4.) I want to know up front if it is a half day hunt or a full days hunt, and what are the hours; I don't like being chased out of a field because "the other group came early, and they have a lot of birds". My dog can't tell the difference between "thier" birds and "my birds".
4.) If I dish out $125 for a hunt, I certainly don't expect a detailed bill with "50 cents for coffee" tacked on...roll it into the price of the birds if you have to.
5.) If you advertise something, I expect you to have it! I understand sometimes there are shortages for various reasons, but if you advertise quail or Chukars, I expect you to have quail or chukars....I had one preserve owner who SIX TIMES I booked a chukar hunt with, and each time the day before I was told "no chukars"...for various reasons. He offered to put out the same number of hen pheasants for the same price, but I later found out that he no longer wanted to deal with chukars (from another client).
6.) healthy birds: I realize that just because birds are missing a few tail feathers doesn't mean they aren't healthy, but I want birds that will run and fly as much like wild birds as possible. I have had hen pheasants so scrawny they looked like pigeons, and I have also had the opposite extreme....birds so full of fat that they could barely get off the ground.
I quess in summation I would have to say that what will attract me is fair treatment, fair prices, and good cover. I willingness to be flexible helps, too! Good luck with your preserve.
1.) Even though I might not put out as many birds as that other hunter who dropped $2500 as opposed to my $75, I am still a paying client and that doesn't make him "better" than me! While I am willing to accept the fact that I will be put in a smaller field, I expect that cover to be just as decent as the cover the next guy is hunting in....not some stubble field with a couple of Christmas trees for cover.
2.) If you are charging a "membership fee", I will expect something in addition to just birds. I don't really care what: a $1 off per bird, free hot dogs, a news letter...but I DO expect something for the extra money I pay for a membership as opposed to a preserve that I can go to for a day with no membership.
3.) If possible, I expect to be as far away from other hunters (and unruly dogs) as possible....I hunted one preserve where three unmanageable dogs came in and flushed birds out of my field into the other hunters....when I complained, there was little done about it.
4.) I want to know up front if it is a half day hunt or a full days hunt, and what are the hours; I don't like being chased out of a field because "the other group came early, and they have a lot of birds". My dog can't tell the difference between "thier" birds and "my birds".
4.) If I dish out $125 for a hunt, I certainly don't expect a detailed bill with "50 cents for coffee" tacked on...roll it into the price of the birds if you have to.
5.) If you advertise something, I expect you to have it! I understand sometimes there are shortages for various reasons, but if you advertise quail or Chukars, I expect you to have quail or chukars....I had one preserve owner who SIX TIMES I booked a chukar hunt with, and each time the day before I was told "no chukars"...for various reasons. He offered to put out the same number of hen pheasants for the same price, but I later found out that he no longer wanted to deal with chukars (from another client).
6.) healthy birds: I realize that just because birds are missing a few tail feathers doesn't mean they aren't healthy, but I want birds that will run and fly as much like wild birds as possible. I have had hen pheasants so scrawny they looked like pigeons, and I have also had the opposite extreme....birds so full of fat that they could barely get off the ground.
I quess in summation I would have to say that what will attract me is fair treatment, fair prices, and good cover. I willingness to be flexible helps, too! Good luck with your preserve.
03-07-2002, 03:20 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lawrence ks USA
Posts: 13
RE: Controlled Shooting Area
A preserve I could recommend would be Ravenwood Lodge in Topeka, KS. The people there were VERY friendly and hospitable.
I hunted there a week ago and the dog was unable to retrieve two birds. When I arrived back at the lodge, the owner asked me how I made out. I told him, "I killed 5 and only managed to find 3, but then again...that's how it goes sometimes." He immediately responded, "Well let me compensate you for those birds." I said, "You don't have to do that, it goes with the territory." He then refused, "No, it's my dog, and I insist on you letting me do that for you."
I don't spend alot of money, however I was treated as though I did. That same day, I put a deposit for another hunt. The owner's name is Ken, a very nice gentleman (though don't tell him I said that =P ).
What you'll find more than anything, is that hunters want friendly service and to be treated like a king. Most customers don't expect or want you to lose your shirt on the deal because they want you to be in business next season. Keep your customers happy and maybe I'll be hunting on your preserve someday.
I hunted there a week ago and the dog was unable to retrieve two birds. When I arrived back at the lodge, the owner asked me how I made out. I told him, "I killed 5 and only managed to find 3, but then again...that's how it goes sometimes." He immediately responded, "Well let me compensate you for those birds." I said, "You don't have to do that, it goes with the territory." He then refused, "No, it's my dog, and I insist on you letting me do that for you."
I don't spend alot of money, however I was treated as though I did. That same day, I put a deposit for another hunt. The owner's name is Ken, a very nice gentleman (though don't tell him I said that =P ).
What you'll find more than anything, is that hunters want friendly service and to be treated like a king. Most customers don't expect or want you to lose your shirt on the deal because they want you to be in business next season. Keep your customers happy and maybe I'll be hunting on your preserve someday.
