Are you planning a guided deer hunt this fall?

[618DOG]

I'm new to the D&D forum.  I just wanted to say that I have no desire to pay for a guided hunt.  To me, the hunt is waaay more than just sitting in a treestand for a couple of days.  It's about shed hunting after bow season, planning food plots, shooting my bow and hanging stands in the spring and summer, glassing for shooters in the summer pattern as well as checking the cameras all year long.  Scouting and preparing IS the hunt. It's the chase that is so addictive.  I grew up in Illinois, but also lived in Tennessee for a short time.  The quantity of quality of deer in Tennessee was nothing compared to Illinois. However, I still had a great sense of satisfaction knowing I did it with my own knowledge and tools. 

[618DOG]

I also have to agree with Cooter.  I lost a farm the same way in which an outfitter leased for $45 per acre.  Illinois has become so commercialized in just the last few years, that many farmers and landowners have turned to leasing their ground for hunting.  Not only that, but non-tillable ground has gone up 300% in the past few years just because everyone wants to come to IL and hunt.  I also am not a big fan of the sharp rise in the number of bowhunters the last several years.  Not only is it difficult to find a decent place to go anymore, but now you have to contend with everyone and their brother who just started.  I fully understand that every tax paying citizen has a right to hunt.  But a hunting partner and I think it seems many people now have taken up bowhunting because it is the "cool" thing to do.  So many times I hear of or see people consistently driving their four-wheelers right up to their stands, no scent control, opening their bowcase for the first time only two weeks before season, and doing their "scouting" smack dab in the middle of prime-time.  It's very frustrating for me and I know it's off-topic, but I just had to vent. 

[sharon_daley]

I agree with you concerning the hunting experience. I've hunted all of my life in the same way you described. However our decision to pay for a guided hunt in another state came from a desire to take a vacation and see what other states have to offer in the way of game. We have mulies and blacktail in Wa. but have never hunted white tail. We have an opportunity to harvest either a mule deer or white tail buck, along with 2 does. That's 3 deer each!  That's a lot of meat in the freezer!
Most people spend $5K-10K on a vacation anyway; why not go on vacation doing something you love to do and bring home something tangible instead of just pictures and an empty bank account.  I respect your opinion and agree with you on the hunting experience, however, keep an open mind to the guided hunt until you have experienced one.
Wishing you a great hunt!

[ranwin33]

ORIGINAL: sharon_daley

I agree with you concerning the hunting experience. I've hunted all of my life in the same way you described. However our decision to pay for a guided hunt in another state came from a desire to take a vacation and see what other states have to offer in the way of game. We have mulies and blacktail in Wa. but have never hunted white tail. We have an opportunity to harvest either a mule deer or white tail buck, along with 2 does. That's 3 deer each!  That's a lot of meat in the freezer!
Most people spend $5K-10K on a vacation anyway; why not go on vacation doing something you love to do and bring home something tangible instead of just pictures and an empty bank account.  I respect your opinion and agree with you on the hunting experience, however, keep an open mind to the guided hunt until you have experienced one.
Wishing you a great hunt!

I need to have you talk with my wife.[:D]

[nhdeerchaser]

ORIGINAL: sharon_daley

I agree with you concerning the hunting experience. I've hunted all of my life in the same way you described. However our decision to pay for a guided hunt in another state came from a desire to take a vacation and see what other states have to offer in the way of game. We have mulies and blacktail in Wa. but have never hunted white tail. We have an opportunity to harvest either a mule deer or white tail buck, along with 2 does. That's 3 deer each!  That's a lot of meat in the freezer!
Most people spend $5K-10K on a vacation anyway; why not go on vacation doing something you love to do and bring home something tangible instead of just pictures and an empty bank account.  I respect your opinion and agree with you on the hunting experience, however, keep an open mind to the guided hunt until you have experienced one.
Wishing you a great hunt!

I agree with you, except that if I went on a guided hunt instead of taking my family to disney world, my wife would have my b*#!s for bookends!
I would love to try a new state, but would have to do it with friends on the cheap, and hunting the big ones out west is gonna be tough!

Mike

[passin through]

Me & my buddies leave tomorrow morning!  We are pretty pumped!  We are taking every weather condition type of camo we have and hoping for the best!  Stay tuned....

[Patriot]

Great question.  I am not planning a guided deer hunt this year.  I've actually never been on one.
 
The only guided hunt I've ever been on was a Spring Bear hunt this year.  I didn't even see a bear, so that kinda stunk.
 
I would like to try a guided deer hunt strictly for a new experience.  I do so much of my own work here in MN, it would be nice to just relax and enjoy a nicely managed outfittter.

[passin through]

Well we have made it back....empty handed but lots of great memories!  All my life i have wanted to hunt around standing corn but now I know when the whole county is still up in corn and beans all bets are off!  We had like 0 deer movement the whole trip...the outfitter tried every thing he knew and we just could not get on them until the last two days....then only a few where seeing deer.  As far as the outfitter the area and all go every thing was top notch...food, lodge, guides ect where great...beyond expectations.  We just did not get on the mature animals that we went for....thats hunting though. 

[bad faulkner]

I can't take vacation time in the fall to travel.

It won't be an option until I retire, and at age 60, I seriously doubt I'll even feel like it anymore.

IMO, it's way more challenging to kill a deer with a bow right here in my home state.

[bmstaaf]

Bunch of guys I know are going on a guided hunt in September for carobue but I had to turn down the offer to go. Like mentioned before its like shooting fish out of a barel. I do plan on going out west in 2 years non_guided hunt, its on a huge cattle ranch twenty guys go mostly my family and have filled every tag for the past ten years. It's not about the success of filling the tag 100% its about the good time.