Of course everybody wants big antlers.

But if you go to Canada you sit for days in the cold for one deer, probaly a big deer.

How much does the enjoyment of the hunt matter or are we just after antlers anymore.

What about a place where you know you will see deer almost every time you are on stand. Where you can watch them interact with each other.

What if you could go to place where you know you will see deer and have a chance to shoot two or three in a couple of days. Is this worth the same as a hunt up north. yeah the buck won't be as big but you got to pull the trigger more.

I am just wondering what people out there are expecting from their paid hunts.

In the above example what if you paid $1000 to hunt three days where you could kill 2 does and a buck and the buck would probaly score around 125 and be a decent 8 point w/ food and lodging included. Also, included would be three or four friends or your family to share in the expierence.

I know there are people who will pay thousands to go kill a big deer in Texas, Canada or other places but that is usually not an every year thing. I am talking about an affordable hunt with an excellent chance of harvesting mutiple animals on a year in, year out deal. A place where you would want to come back to and the price wouldn't stop you.

Just wondering

I'll give a go at replying. I've been to Sask. twice for deer, once for bear and Quebec and New Brunswick for bear. Also, WY for mulies.
New Brunswick - cheap hunt, 5 friends, 0 for 5. No fish. Great trip.
Quebec - cheap hunt, Dad & I, 1 for 2 (Dad got a bear), no fish. Worst hunting experience of my life. Cut the trip short by 3 days just to get out of there. Guides and outfitter were crooks.
Saskatchewan - Bear - Mid to upper priced hunt. Went on my own (with 8 guys in camp). No bear but passed on 15 legal bears including all color phases (I know, I Know ). Awesome fishing. One of the best trips I been on. Deer - Mid to upper priced. Uncle and I on one trip and Father-in-law & I on other. Got good bucks (Uncle's grossed 173" typ - hunted 3 hours). Great trip. Saw many things not normally seen in Pennsylvania.
Wyoming - mid to upper priced, 3 friends, all shot best mule deer seen. Hunt was a disappointment compared to what was expected. Accommodations and guide/rancher took alot away from this hunt. After corresponding with the outfitter, we made arrangements to go again this year. Kinda like letting him make it up to us, I guess.
I dont need the Taj Mahal, but decent meals and guides that are experienced and willing to work with you are expected.

This kinda gives you an idea what I've done and what mattered in the hunt. More the experience than the size of the trophy.

why do you know of such a place montana???

Montana,

I think I know what your getting at...

Anyhow, I would expect the reality to match the advertising. If the game (any type) is not trophy quality, then don't advertise it as such. You'd only be setting yourself up for lot's of unhappy clients, bad reports (at places like here), and ultimately failure.

If the game is good quality, and plentiful, then that would be just fine for me. Probably just fine for most hunters too, and they're willing to pay the cost, without being lied to about trophy game behind every tree.

In other words, you should be able to put hunters in areas where they WILL see game. If they fail to connect, either because they screwed up, or their standards were too high, that won't be your fault. No honest hunter would blame the outfitter in a case like that, unless your advertising was misleading.

I would expect warm, dry, safe lodging. A place to dry out my gear at night. Lot's of good food, with plenty of variety between meals. Nothing fancy, as I don't need to be experimenting with my 'innerds' (diarea, constipation) when away from home on my 'hunt of a lifetime'.

Any gear provided should be well maintained, and adequate for the enviroment it's expected to operate in, and the tasks it's expected to perform. I can understand if an ATV is not the newest, most powerful, model out there. But, it should work and not die on me. Boat engines, by nature, should be fairly new. They should start on the first or second pull. The hulls can be worn, but shouldn't leak too much, and be suitable for the waters I'll be fishing. Proper safety equipment is a must!

Well, that's it.

I look for a good experience. Something I probably couldn't get on my own...

I wouldn't pay to hunt spot and stalk black bear hunt. I can do that at the end of my driveway, for big bears, too.

Alot of guys from the USA are willing to pay top dollar to hunt BC's black bears. On the other hand, I'd pay to hunt pigs, and alot of American guys would scoff at the idea of paying for boars.

The rest, food, equipment etc. is important, but you've got to start with deciding what your goal is, and what do you want to accomplish.

I expect the advertising to match the hunt. I got in a discussion some years ago regarding elk. The booking agent fed me a lot of hype. After I plunked my money down the outfitter told me the truth. We sorted it out to my satisfaction. All I expect is a little honesty. Tell me what to expect so that I can make an informed decision.

I don't expect a 100% guarantee, or a world record anything; but I do expect a quality experience with no bait-n-switch type surprises.

I expect the people I "employ" to work me into position to take the shot. If I screw up or miss, my-bad. I can live with that. What I wouldn't be happy with was if they couldn't get me and the game on the same side of the mountain. I'm paying for their knowledge and expertise. I expect them to have some.

I want to see game. I can find lots of areas that have no game without the expense of a guide.

I am happy to provide my own tent and food for the hunt, and I do not need a guide to walk with me and entertain me, so he is free to tend the cattle, mow the lawn or whatever. He does not even need to help me pack out the meat.

I just want to be in an area with game.

That's a good question. The hunt you mention would definitely be a fun hunt and at a reasonable price.

If I were to pay big $$ for a hunt, it would $$ spent on:

#1 Hunting an area that contained trophy quality animals.

#2 A guide for safety, locating game, helping to process and transport game, the use of quality equipment, appropriate food, lodging, etc. Hopefully, the guide would have good people skills to add to the enjoyment of the trip.

A hunt like the one you mention would be fun and affordable. Sounds like a good idea.

[ 02-11-2003, 01:08: Message edited by: Nebraska ]

Interesting topic. I spent quite a little time at SCI talking to outfitters about antelope hunts. I'm not looking for trophy goats just nice representitive animals and a good hunting experience for my son and I. Some of the guides I talked to couldn't get past "book class" animals. If you weren't looking for that forget it. Some of the guys got it right away and were tickled with the idea of guiding for people who just wanted to have a good time and shoot a couple "nice looking" antelope. The outfitters who understood what I wanted also seemed to be guys who would be more fun to hunt with as they were a lot easier-going too.

I've been quite happy with all of my paid hunts except one, and it certainly wasn't terrible.

Alberta deer hunt, the outfitter said we'd hunt by spot and stalk, taking stands & occasionally push bush. Although we did a bit of each, most of the hunt was an F-150 road hunt. Not much of a way to hunt in my opinion. So the thing that was lacking was "HONESTY".

Good food, equipment, and lodging should be a given. Most guides I've had have been good people and seemed genuinely interested in trying to help me get game, but just like people elsewhere, there are those you hit it off with better than others.

Spend lots of time talking to the guy up front, and check references.

A $1000. is a good price for the type of deer you describe, about 125 B&C... if you can do it year in and year out on private land, and make everyone happy with good food and accomadations...

Horns are not the holy grail to most hunters believe it or not...Most of my clients just want a good representiver head, here or Africa....

I could sell all your hunts for that, if I liked your set up and felt you could do the job...

Just my call.

I've always hunted for the experience rather than a body count. I want an honest appraisal of what I can expect including a realistic idea of trophy potential and percentage of reasonable shooting opportunities. I expect quality equipment and a guide who knows what he is doing. When I take a guided hunt it is in a type of country or for an animal I'm inexperienced with. In that case I'm interested in learning how to hunt the country and/or animal. I'm also interested in the local history, flora/fauna, etc. I go into a hunt with the attitude that I'm going to bust my butt to be successful but that I am going to come away with a great experience no matter what. If the outfitter has been honest and we each know what to expect from each other up front then I have always realized the second goal and generally the first as well.

Jeff

Hunted Montana last May for Black Bear with muzzleloader (My first guided hunt). A spot a stalk hunt in the Cabinet Mountains. Outfitter made it clear up-front if the weather was good, we'd get a bear....3 inches of snow the first day is not good. Went back in Sept. (special price, special hunt. Right now, its Bear-2, Whisler-0. Had the opportunity to stalk a small bear...I did not want a 150lb bear...Food was good, accomodations good...and they worked me hard trying to find a bear. Saw lots of elk, mule and whitetail...and sows with cubs. Would I go back.....probably not, but not because of outfitter or hunt.
Hey Gatehouse, got a spare room, I'll come up and remove one of your bears....

Whisler,if it was legal for me to "sponser" a non Canadian to hunt bears in BC, I'd do it for almost anyone on this forum.

Unfortunately, it's not...sorry.

On guided hunts my preferences
1 Limited access,quality area.Could be private ranch or remote wilderness.I do not want competition from anyone.I get enough of that here.

2 Good experienced guides

3 Limited to my wife/myself in camp

4 Good gear/accommodations.

5 Good effort

The rest usually falls into place
Jeff

1. NO BS - I want the truth.
2. Clean, comfortable accomodations.
3. Good food.
4. A good chance, not a garuntee, that I will havethe chance to get a shot.

As to your suggested hunt, I find it very appealing.