Just wanted to start this thread in order for you guys to share your experience hunting here in Sonora, I am a rookie outfitter and have been lucky to have two successful seasons so far, but I want to expand and be able to bring in more clients, so far I have had only positive comments by my clients but I have only guided two gentleman, so I want to know the positive and the negative you have experienced in order to get better at it and use this info to improve my operation as rookie or not I want to provide hunters the best experience I can. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

P.S Honestly I do not wish to discuss the security issues of Mexico in this thread, rather I wish to know your experience and what you enjoyed or what you would have changed.

I hunted Sonora in '06 and '07 and have just great memories. I shot two mule deer, one coues and a coyote in one morning.

Flying in was easy- I'd have no issues doing that again but I'd never drive across the border again.

The food in Hermosillo was fantastic and the food in camp was amongst the best I've ever eaten. The language barrier was never really an issue and the guides always have a smile on their faces. I'd have no reservations hunting the high desert again.

The only thing I'd call negative was the "temptation" to hunt another ranch or hunt a desert bighorn for cash. Even though "trust me, it is ok."

FMC:
Great bucks! I've never seen such a lump as that from a bullet. Is that the exit? What was under that lump, an air bubble maybe?

Manuel:
What all game do you have access to hunt down there? Just where is your place and the costs, offerings you can provide?

Best of luck with your operation.

George

FMC:
Beautiful animals and that coues deer is a monster! glad you have had a good time hunting here!

georgeld:

I am basically an outfitter but do not own any land, I have however befriended several landowners and some of them have allowed me to manage and hunt exclusively some of their ranches which means they don't charge me much for their tags and also allow me to pay only if we kill their animals.
I also know landowners of whom I can buy tags with anticipation in usually premier ranches but those are at a premier price and have to be paid before and it doesn't matter if we kill or not.
I personally prefer the firs scenario in which everybody wins if the hunt is successful.

I try to keep my prices lower this way, and offer some fine hunting at what i believe are fair prices to the hunter, a fair price to the tag paid to the landowner and a fair price for my outfitting and guiding services.

On the areas I can manage, i have two ranches
One has 5 coues deer permits and a mule deer permit, it is a great area and i hope to sell hunts there this year.Specially as it has not been sport hunted before except for friends of the landowner who usually took one coues deer every 1 or two years.

The other one has 6 coues deer permits and 2 mule deer permits, and the situation hunting there is about the same, except mule deer here are pretty scarce and can only be shot as targets of opportunity and only paying the permit fee. Coues deer hunting here is great and we shot a fantastic buck there last season.

I can also arrange hunts for mule deer in other ranches and fenced bighorn sheep but they have to be paid at higher prices.

I usually charge $3500 for coues deer with a refundable $1500 in case a deer is not killed or wounded.

And $6500 for mule deer with a $2500 fee in case no deer is killed or wounded.

Thanks for your interest!