Hunting rates
 

I notice a lot of people here have their own land to hunt, but if you don't, do you all contact an outfitter like I did? If you do what is the average rate of a hunt per day?

honestly I have only used a outfitter when legally it was needed and that was in Canada, as a non resident
other wise I have never paid for a guide to take me hunting,
most every state(not all)
have a LOT of public lands
and I would bet 90% of folks that don;'t own there own, tend to use it, OR they hunt off friends lands they have permission on!

Yes there are a LOT of outfitters out there, but the percentage of hunters to outfitters, is SMALL
Most cannot or will not PAY what most outfitters charge
when you do the math, an outfitter is a costly adventure, all the more so if your looking for meat, a fully guided hunt can cost a lot of money, making the price per LB of meat CRAZY costly!

there is NO standard price for a outfitter either, as a lot depends on what they offer, Location, STATE /providence/country,how much land they have, quality of land, reputation, clientele they have, and a LOT of other variables, like success rates, quality of game taken and so on.
an example, a outfitter for a whitetail deer hunting in say PA< can get maybe 1500( Or more or even less) for a weeks hunt, and one in a say Texas can get 10 grand (or more , or less too)
and thats a HUGE Difference in per day costs?

SO< species is a big part of things, HOW hard it is to draw a tag

a high end hard to draw sheep hunt can run 100 grand, and talk about PER day cost?? LOL
NUTS

SO< maybe you should ask, based more on where and WHAT your hunting, and weapon type too, as that matters also??
and se what others in your area and after like game pay? if you want to know if you got a deal or not

wow thanks for the reply, that was great info.
i am simply looking to hunt whitetail deer, in Ga. since i am inexperienced i was looking to have a guide. guess i have to do my research..:):)

having a guide isn't bad, but its like cheating> also at same time
your being told what to do and NOT really learning HOW and WHY to do things

GA I think has a LOT of public lands, might be worth your time to talk to a few game wardens in area's you like to try, might find you some FREE hunting land

having a guide also DOESN:T always mean getting a deer too

so, be prepared just in case!

I would think about leasing my own land before I hired a guide, personally, I like that arrangement much better.

A guide is often for somebody who has a busy life, work, responsibilities or whatever and doesn't have the time to invest in scouting etc.

I've had good experiences with guides. IMO, really the way to go when you are in new to you territory.

A good guide is usually a referral from somebody who has used him or her before.

Guide packages come in all flavors, the Hunt, the party etc. I go to hunt, the food, entertainment and comfort level are secondary to me.

The best guide IMO is the one who drives you out and drops you off in game country at 3 A.M. and comes to pick you up after dark. Gives you detailed instructions on where to look and where not to go.

So don't want to cheat... But could use pointers :)

I guess I just really got to get my feet wet.

Well I am definitely new to the entire hunting territory. Lol

Ga., like many areas with alot of acreage owned by big timber have hunting clubs. This way you lease large tracks of land but dont take the whole hit yourself. Many of them post in the classifieds when they have openings. As stated before, the game wardens will be able to tell you where some of the better ones are. Good luck.

What part of GA are you looking to hunt? If it's really far north, I could point you to some really good places just over into TN.

I think you'd be better suited finding a mentor to take you and show you the ropes.

Depends on where you live. Is there a lot of public ground around? A lot of landowners will let you hunt if you just ask permission and follow their directions of where not to go.

Having a fully guided hunt isn't a bad option, especially if you don't have any experience or time to do any scouting. However, be sure to do some research on a particular outfitter. There are plenty of outfitters out there and many price ranges.
I have done the semi-guided hunts before, but it can be difficult if you don't get a chance to scout the area prior to the hunt.
I have also done guided hunts and they were fun; you can also learn a lot from guides especially if you're new to hunting. Good luck. Hunting is fun, frustrating, and rewarding.

When I was just starting out I tried going by myself for a few years to public land with out success. That's why I went with a guide. I opted to hang out with him throughout the hunt and picked his brain on how deer act and what to look for. We ended up becoming friends and I became a better hunter because of it. I went my first 7 years of hunting without tagging a deer and after hunting with him for that 1 week I now come close to tagging out every year with averaging 4 deer a year off public land. I may not see as many quality in rack size but I do see enough to keep me from paying money for a lease. The only way now I would get a guide would be if I only was able to take one trip in my lifetime to a certain state or country. If you don't have anyone to show you the ropes there is nothing wrong with paying the money as long. It will save you time in the long run.

Nothing wrong with using a guide, if you don't have the time to scout, don't have a mentor, and can afford the fees. Georgia has a lot of clubs you might be able to join, as sort of a compromise. Just an off-hand figure, but a fully guided deer hunt runs about $300/day, obviously it could be more or less, depending on location, service provided, etc.

I think MOST guides are NOT there to TRAIN you HOW to hunt, so I think anyone going into a guided hunt that is looking for that, is in for a disappointment
Most guided hunts consist of a guide walking you to a stand, and leaving you on your own(whitetail deer hunts)
as MOST guided hunts, its NOT a one on =one deal, that costs MORE
NEXT MOST guided hunts happen on (or should) on prime lands, a totally different hunting situation, than on public land, and HOW you would hunt both are different!

I have NO idea how anyone would learn anything in this way? other than hunting cost"X" a day for a guided hunt

I am NOT saying SOME Guides are NOT willing to show you the ropes more and teach, but saying that is NOT the norm! and its NOT there JOB really.

there there to get you on game, not teach you how, doing so, kinda isn't good for there business?
so I wouldn;'t be surprised if some game out BAD info, too keep you coming back when it doesn't WORK for you else where?

learning how to hunt , again is like all things, the more you learn, by reading studying and DOING< the better you will be, some learn faster and some slower

I grew up in a NON hunting family, and am 100% self taught, started hunting public land by my self, and have never NOT filled a tag, unless I chose to pass on things
BUT O worked a LOT harder than most, because I had a strong desire to learn and put the hrs in BEFORE season to KNOW where critters were, so when hunting started I was WAY ahead of the curve.
if your trying to learn HOW to hunt IN hunting season, you missed the point of learning HOW TO HUNT

your learn WAY more in the off season if you apply yourself to do so, than you ever will in the hunting season!
Guide or NO guide
learning is up to you!

I think Superman 70 hit it right on the head. Find a good hunt club in your area that is willing to take you in as a new member and most will pair you up with someone of experience to help you and watch out for you while you get familiar with everything. The members usually help out with the processing of the deer and you can learn a whole lot. Thats how I learned as my father is not a hunter and did not have anyone to take me. I joined a club with a friend about twenty five years ago and still a member. Good luck!

Here in Virginia I lease a 100 acre plot of land and could drag deer from it every day. I pay about $9.40 and acre and it is worth it. If you go this route, get hunting lease insurance. pay another $200 for it, but it is worth it. This would be the best way to go IMHO!!