feedback sought: hunting with an outfitter for whitetail

[TheBenHoyle]

So I have a friend who is trying to get me interested in hunting next season though a hunting lodge with an outfitter. It would be a $2K+ price tag for a 4 day outfitted hunt (fair chase) on private land with food and lodging provided.

I'm not necessarily against the idea and I feel like I could learn a bit from the experience, but I really don't know much about guided hunting or working with an outfitter.

I would appreciate any feedback from folks who have tried this. If you would rather PM me so your thoughts and experiences are private that is fine. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[sneakypete]

I’ve been on two guided hunts with the same outfitter, these were not whitetail hunts either. Here’s my advice, do your homework! Ask the outfitter for his reference list that you can call or email, caution be respectful when calling, especially if different time zones. My hunts were either moose or combo hunts in BC, so I went to the WSF show in Reno. I thoroughly went over the outfitters attending the show & there websites. I had specific wants, to bring back my meat, to drive there.
While attending the show I met with the top three or so and made my decision. The outfitter I chose and his family have now become life long friends! Remember, do your research and spend your money wisely!
Good luck

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Is it tree stand hunting? Doesn't seem like there is any learning there... I guess aside from getting multiple shot opportunities and therefore maybe getting a few more mulligans than you would DIY.

My 2 cents if you're looking to go on a successful hunt with your buddy, do it. If your going hinges on learning a bunch or being able to recreate success on your own I think you will be disappointed.

I've hunted private, and done some guided outdoor stuff... kayak tours, skiing, etc. It's all type 1 fun, and not really applicable to DIY, but it can be a great way to spend time with friends and family.

 

[rwc101]

Seems pricy for whitetail. What location?

 

[Gellar]

I have spent some time around whitetail outfitters when I lived in West Central Illinois. I have never actually used one but I will give you what I have learned from interacting with them and some questions I would be asking if I was looking to hunt with one.

Whitetail outfitting is a broad term. Some places are full service and they provide you with meals, beds, transportation to and from the stand, help getting a deer out, etc. Other whitetail outfitters are just providing you with private land to access.

Are they going to have treestands up on that land for you already? If they do have treestands in place are you allowed to set your own if you choose or do you have to stay in theirs? If they have stands set for you will you be able to hunt different stand locations on that farm or on entirely different farms all together or will you be stuck in that same stand no matter what?

How many hunters does the outfitter have throughout a week, and throughout the season? If an outfitter has stands set up for you, every hunter that has been there during the season before you arrived has sat in that stand to.

What is the size limit? Most outfitters are going to have a minimum deer they want you to shoot. Depending on the outfitter it may be 130" it might be 160", it just depends. If you shoot a deer smaller then they want they will "fine" you. How much is that fine? Many outfitters it depends on the size. If their minimum is 130 and you shoot a 125" deer it might not be much, if there minimum is 160" and you shoot a 125" deer it might be a lot.

Try to find out about the atmosphere of the camp. Will it just be you and your buddy staying in a farmhouse or will there be 10 other guys who you don't know there too? Are those other guys first timers to this outfitter or have they been returning for 12 years, the same time every year. It is fun interacting with the other hunters, but some of them may not be there for the same reasons as you. They may want to stay up late, drink, socialize, etc. or they may want to be in bed right after supper to get up early the next day. There is nothing wrong with either atmosphere, but if you are expecting one atmosphere and get the other its going to be a long hunt. The outfitter sets the tone for the camp and how the guests behave.

I will think of more questions, but I would be very leary. I have met a lot of whitetail outfitters who are the scum of the earth trying to make a quick buck and I have met some who are salt of the earth do anything to make sure you are a happy client and return.

 

[Wild Bill]

wllm beat me to it, but if it's tree stand hunting I don't know if there is a lot to learn about. Maybe you could really pick their brain about stand placement and properly identifying bedding areas, scrape lines, etc. if you're brand new to whitetail hunting otherwise I don't know. If the learning take away is super important to you there are so many resources like that for free on YouTube.

 

[SPDSpappy]

As someone who spent almost $3k on a "semi-guided" whitetail hunt this year, just be careful and ask a lot of questions. I gave this new outfitter a chance as a guy I know was supposed to be mentoring him. I even drove to scout the property w/ the outfitter in March and things looked pretty good from what I could tell w/o any trail camera photos -- good deer sign. Unfortunately, I found out not everything told to me (e.g., "nobody has hunted this property for years", and "there won't be any problem seeing bucks while you're hunting that meet the minimum") was true. I spent 10 days in different stands/ground blinds across 2 different properties (80 & 120 acres) and never saw a "legal" deer. The biggest buck either my buddy or I saw the entire time was shot by my buddy after I passed on him as I knew he was too small. He ended up measuring 132", so 3" short of the 135" minimum, and it cost him almost $500. This didn't stop the guy from posting the photo on his website (https://livinglargeoutfitters.com/rates/) (never says anything about how this cost my buddy (the bald guy in the photos) an extra ~$500). He also had a clause in the contract of no does to be harvested before you harvest a buck. Some might say not seeing a deer to shoot is hunting, but I can hunt public land and not see deer, so if I spend all this money (for me), I want to at least have an opportunity. In the future, I think I'll hunt public land for whitetails and save my cash longer to go on a guided elk hunt or at least an elk/muley landowner tag.

 

[brushcreek]

if he's got plenty of ground to hunt that is a pretty good price since food and lodging are included. definitely check references

 

[TheBenHoyle]

Is it tree stand hunting? Doesn't seem like there is any learning there... I guess aside from getting multiple shot opportunities and therefore maybe getting a few more mulligans than you would DIY.

My 2 cents if you're looking to go on a successful hunt with your buddy, do it. If your going hinges on learning a bunch or being able to recreate success on your own I think you will be disappointed.

I've hunted private, and done some guided outdoor stuff... kayak tours, skiing, etc. It's all type 1 fun, and not really applicable to DIY, but it can be a great way to spend time with friends and family.

It would be stand/blind hunting. The main impetus for doing this is that we don't have great access. I am willing to put in time trying to learn a piece of public, but he is new to hunting and wants a higher percentage opportunity at success.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

Seems pricy for whitetail. What location?

It is in Western Illinois.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

wllm beat me to it, but if it's tree stand hunting I don't know if there is a lot to learn about. Maybe you could really pick their brain about stand placement and properly identifying bedding areas, scrape lines, etc. if you're brand new to whitetail hunting otherwise I don't know. If the learning take away is super important to you there are so many resources like that for free on YouTube.

I try to learn from every experience.

I am interested in how the deer operation manages their land, but I doubt I would learn as much as I have in 6 years of doing it myself.

 

[kansasdad]

I’m guessing that price is average/low compared to Kansas rates with lodging/food. 4 days seems shorter than most whitetail hunters plan for a hunt. Weather/wind direction/ag fieldwork can all directly affect deer behavior, and you are out of luck with little recovery time to turn it around.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I'm not necessarily against the idea and I feel like I could learn a bit from the experience, but I really don't know much about guided hunting or working with an outfitter.

I’m not sure you would learn much. Good private land midwest WT hunting is letting bucks grow + altering the habitat to meet the deer’s basic needs. As mentioned above, everything you’d ever want to know about the latter is on YouTube.

I have never been on a guided big game hunt, but I have hunted thousands of acres of Midwest private land for whitetails, 20+ farms, some of the properties were huge. Personally I would find zero value in going on a guided WT hunt.

The main impetus for doing this is that we don't have great access. I am willing to put in time trying to learn a piece of public, but he is new to hunting and wants a higher percentage opportunity at success.

I hear ya. IL and IN access can be tough. No way I would throw $5k between the two of you to address that problem though. You are far better off sharing a lease.

 

[SummersOff]

My first thought is that $2000 is either a screaming good deal for an all inclusive guided whitetail hunt. OR This is a scam. Do some research. How many other hunts like this for this price are available from other outfitters?

 

[SummersOff]

Also, nothing wrong with using an outfitter. It’s your money. Do what makes you happy. Enjoy the hunt.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

I've never done a guided WT hunt, and outfitting/guiding isn't allowed for them in MN where I hunt. That said, I would say it depends on your goals. If your goal is to get a giant, going outfitted with the right outfitter is probably your best bet. If you would be happy with the opportunity at a smaller buck or does, then I wouldn't waste my money.

At least where I hunt, there are boat loads of deer. Getting a deer shouldn't be difficult on public land. Going DIY would also allow more time to get it done as well. I don't think you'd be learning a lot by going with an outfitter, and whitetails in the midwest aren't too difficult to figure out.

Either way you choose, I would personally be running away from the outfitter you mention. As mentioned by somebody else, that seems like too cheap for a good outfitter. Owning (or leasing) land is expensive. Add to that maintenance and any extra work done such as food plots, and it would take a number of hunters at $2,000 just to break even. Adding in food and lodging, and I would assume they want to actually make some profit....they may be planning on having an excessive amount of hunters on the property..or it's a scam.... I haven't looked into prices, so maybe I'm off. But that's how I would see it with the costs we have into owning and maintaining hunting property.

Definitely do your research if you do decide to go outfitted.

 

[tillicant]

WI here, southeastern. I could guide you here,(public land), there's the woods, see the tracks. Now look in these thick woods for deer. Oh, by the way, that'll be $2000.00.
Just kidding, wouldn't guide you. I'm sure it's good private land but I think bowhuntrben is close.

 

[mdcrossbow]

I have a friend in Kansas who guides, big deer a great camp if your interested.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm leaning more towards combining our funds to find a lease, but I think my buddy is drawn to this idea as a way to get his first deer without having to do a lot of ground work.

I think it could be a good option for him, but I'm not sure I want to spend my money to go along with him.

On the other hand I have been looking for leases in Illinois that aren't 4-5 hour drive away and in 3 years I haven't seen anything that was realistic...

 

[Mallardsx2]

I could never justify $1000/day to hunt whitetails in Illinois. Thats a lot of money to shoot a deer. Some of these outfitters are charging even more than that.