looking for outfitter

[xbowguy]

What's wrong with an outfitter hunting while clients hunt?

Because it looks like the outfitter is using clients money to lease land. Then hunts the best bucks off of that land. A friend just came back from Canada bear hunt. Their Outfitter WILL NOT HUNT until all clients are done for the year. They said it's just not good business.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Client first. Should be that simple. Ever notice when you see a lot of the big name outfitters hunting on a video, it's late season? That's because they understand proper business etiquette and "perception". Every minute an outfitter sits on stand is a minute he's wasting for his clients. So an outfitter who hunts while his clients hunt is short changing his clients and like Rick said, it looks like he is just cherry picking a couple suckers to pay for leases so he can hunt for free.

But we diverge. Contact SOO if you want to see how Ohio outfitting is done right.

 

[Steelheadtracker]

I think of it in 2 different scenarios. Scenario one the client is in the stand and the outfitter starts hunting while the client is in stand. The client shoots a deer and needs help with tracking and or recovery. However, the outfitter just shot the buck of a lifetime at about the same time or a little before and is having a hard time tracking as well. This would lead to a conflict of interests, potentially leading to the client getting pushed to the wayside. Scenario 2 the client shoots a deer and needs help with recovery and or tracking. He calls the outfitter who is hunting as well. However a minute or so prior to calling the buck of a lifetime walks into view of the outfitter who is also hunting. Will the outfitter answer and bust himself and spook the biggest buck he's ever seen or will he ignore the phone call for a shot? As I said it's a conflict of interests which could lead to the client not getting what they pay for.

 

[themedic]

In the end it comes down to trust. I'm sure many outfitters cherry pick, hold out on "the good" stands and wont be there ehen they need assistance. But if you trust the person you book with you would have faith they are not doing that kind of stuff. As for a guide not hunting, if they have more access to land then they can reasonably scout then yes.....they should be out looking for new,fresh sign and checking cams. But on limited acreage I would rather my guide stay out and put me in a fresh proven spot everyday day.

 

[Jackalope]

I think of it in 2 different scenarios. Scenario one the client is in the stand and the outfitter starts hunting while the client is in stand. The client shoots a deer and needs help with tracking and or recovery. However, the outfitter just shot the buck of a lifetime at about the same time or a little before and is having a hard time tracking as well. This would lead to a conflict of interests, potentially leading to the client getting pushed to the wayside. Scenario 2 the client shoots a deer and needs help with recovery and or tracking. He calls the outfitter who is hunting as well. However a minute or so prior to calling the buck of a lifetime walks into view of the outfitter who is also hunting. Will the outfitter answer and bust himself and spook the biggest buck he's ever seen or will he ignore the phone call for a shot? As I said it's a conflict of interests which could lead to the client not getting what they pay for.

The other scenario is the clients sit in their stands for a week and don't shoot anything. However the outfitter is also out hunting and kills a big buck.

 

["J"]

Bottom line as an outfitter you owe it too you clientele too make sure their hunting experience is the best it can be. If you want too hunt you either wait until the clients leave or in between clients.... If you're hunting the same property at the same time as your clients then you've crossed the line and in the end this is why outfitters get a bad rap.....

 

[themedic]

The other scenario is the clients sit in their stands for a week and don't shoot anything. However the outfitter is also out hunting and kills a big buck.

You know as well as I do Joe, that deer hunting is about oppertunities and taking advantage of them. Guys that typically hunt with an outfitter are the ones that aren't as good at taking advantage or making things happen even if given the opportunity.

 

[brock ratcliff]

You know as well as I do Joe, that deer hunting is about oppertunities and taking advantage of them. Guys that typically hunt with an outfitter are the ones that aren't as good at taking advantage or making things happen even if given the opportunity.

Seriously?

 

[finelyshedded]

Because it looks like the outfitter is using clients money to lease land. Then hunts the best bucks off of that land. A friend just came back from Canada bear hunt. Their Outfitter WILL NOT HUNT until all clients are done for the year. They said it's just not good business.

I totally agree and this is why I couldn't be a outfitter! Plus, IMO, the clientele of any outfitter should have access to all property that the outfitter has his hands on to eliminate any potential conflicts or troubles which we are talking about now.

Plain and simple, I couldn't have a outfitting business because I just like to hunt TOO much to give it up till most of the season is gone and the most exciting days in a tree are long gone.

 

[Kaiser878]

I have two guys that come every year. If I'm not done I hunt when they are here...I show them all the pictures and give them the MRI. I let them decide what stand they want to sit in, I also tell them where I think they would be most likely to see a buck they wanted to kill. So where ever they are not hunting that's where I go..... two years ago I killed mine and one of them killed theirs on the same night. The other had a 130s 8 and didn't get a shot the same night.... it is what it is.... they don't have to come hunt with me.... if they said they didn't want to come back it wouldn't make me mad..... they kill nice deer every year, or atleast have the opportunity to kill a nice deer. Last year one of them had a 140 at 30 yards and got busted doing the hokey pokey in the tree. It's hunting.

 

[danf26]

You know as well as I do Joe, that deer hunting is about oppertunities and taking advantage of them. Guys that typically hunt with an outfitter are the ones that aren't as good at taking advantage or making things happen even if given the opportunity.

would be explain this comment? are you saying that a out of state person that would choose to hunt with a outfitter, does not know how to hunt? not everyone that chooses a outifitter is a inexperienced hunter. i have been hunting for 27 years with a lot of deer under my belt, i usually fill all of my tags every year, that was the reason i was wanting to come to ohio. in my opinion if i was a outfitter i would never talk down or question any persons hunting ability if i made money from them

 

[themedic]

would be explain this comment? are you saying that a out of state person that would choose to hunt with a outfitter, does not know how to hunt? not everyone that chooses a outifitter is a inexperienced hunter. i have been hunting for 27 years with a lot of deer under my belt, i usually fill all of my tags every year, that was the reason i was wanting to come to ohio. in my opinion if i was a outfitter i would never talk down or question any persons hunting ability if i made money from them

I'm simply saying from my experience (and i would say the greater percentage of these individuals) that go with an outfitter have less experience shooting big deer. With that they fail to execute when s chance arises. I know my success rate as a guide would be much higher if the guys I've had in stand shot every mature buck that was with-in 40 yards.

I knew this comment would come under criticism and I'm not taking anything away from you... I'm sure you have lots of experience. But in general this is not the case with people that go on fully guided hunts. So in regards to Joe's comment about who has a deer at the end of the week.....it's very relevant who has the better chance if being tagged out.

 

[xbowguy]

would be explain this comment? are you saying that a out of state person that would choose to hunt with a outfitter, does not know how to hunt? not everyone that chooses a outifitter is a inexperienced hunter. i have been hunting for 27 years with a lot of deer under my belt, i usually fill all of my tags every year, that was the reason i was wanting to come to ohio. in my opinion if i was a outfitter i would never talk down or question any persons hunting ability if i made money from them

I thought the same thing when I read it.....SMH.....

 

[themedic]

I totally agree and this is why I couldn't be a outfitter! Plus, IMO, the clientele of any outfitter should have access to all property that the outfitter has his hands on to eliminate any potential conflicts or troubles which we are talking about now.

Plain and simple, I couldn't have a outfitting business because I just like to hunt TOO much to give it up till most of the season is gone and the most exciting days in a tree are long gone.

I agree that they should have total access to properties thst the outfitter controls. But they can not hunt all properties! In my case, clients can not hunt my uncles farm or my grandmas farm because it makes my cousins mad.

It is very hard being an outfitter and having a deep passion to hunt. But that's why I do it....because I love sharing my passion. I try to walk that line but TOO many people want to throw me under the bus for other reasons.

Again, if you don't trust the outfitter.... I wouldn't hunt with him. That goes for my operation or any outfitter.

 

[finelyshedded]

I have two guys that come every year. If I'm not done I hunt when they are here...I show them all the pictures and give them the MRI. I let them decide what stand they want to sit in, I also tell them where I think they would be most likely to see a buck they wanted to kill. So where ever they are not hunting that's where I go..... two years ago I killed mine and one of them killed theirs on the same night. The other had a 130s 8 and didn't get a shot the same night.... it is what it is.... they don't have to come hunt with me.... if they said they didn't want to come back it wouldn't make me mad..... they kill nice deer every year, or atleast have the opportunity to kill a nice deer. Last year one of them had a 140 at 30 yards and got busted doing the hokey pokey in the tree. It's hunting.

Zach, IMO, you're an exception to the rule. You put your two buddies on some great setups for some high quality deer and they have taken some of them on nearly a regular basis. You also give them first choice to any spots you have available.

The other thing that would frustrate me as an outfitter is hunters flubbing up opportunities and wounding deer. We all have done it ourselves sometime in our past but when it effects your business and it's future it changes things a lot.

 

[Kaiser878]

Zach, IMO, you're an exception to the rule. You put your two buddies on some great setups for some high quality deer and they have taken some of them on nearly a regular basis. You also give them first choice to any spots you have available.

The other thing that would frustrate me as an outfitter is hunters flubbing up opportunities and wounding deer. We all have done it ourselves sometime in our past but when it effects your business and it's future it changes things a lot.

Last yesr was the most frustrating year for us.... both of my guys struggled last year to make it happen. Between the two they had 4 opportunities on 135+ deer. And only one was killed. And it wasn't but a 130 6yo that had been a ghost for 3 years.

It's very frustrating having to burn stands up because opportunities are not capitalized upon. But it's the way it goes. All i can dons put them in front of the deer. After that its out of my control. Same goes for people who do this for a living. I personally couldnt do it for a living. .

 

[giles]

A true outfitter would be out scouting for his client, not hunting.

Those guys on TV sure seem to be able to hunt and they use outfitters...

Back on topic, I know the area Brock is hunting out of and I can tell you there is no shortage of deer in that area. It also has a great potential for giant bucks.

 

[Kaiser878]

There's three ways to scout.... and one of them is taboo because of trail cams. That would be putting the boots to the ground. And I don't like that method anyway. Glassing from the road isn't always an option. In my area, it mostly never is. So that leaves you with two scouting options. Trail cams and sitting in a tree.

 

[Big_Holla]

No way can an outfitter call themselves a 'fully guided hunt' if they are out hunting themselves. Whether it's one client or 10 you are there for their beckon call. What happens when one of your hunters gets hurt and you are in a treestand and have to take a half hour or more to get to them because you have to get out of your stand and over to them. A true outfitter would be waiting at a moments notice to come to that hunter(s). That's what you do after you get them to the stand and you have nothing else to do....because THAT's what they paid for!

On the killing side of things if I were paying to hunt anything at all and at the end of the week I didn't get an opportunity to take a shot and the outfitter tagged an animal I would be one pissed off person and I would guarantee I would do everything I could to keep people from going to that outfitter again.

 

[Boarhead]

I hunted Saskatchewan Canada yrs ago and a guide is required so their are hunters out there that have lots of experience but have no choice but to go with a guide if they want to experience hunting there.Riding around with my outfitter Abe one day after i tagged out checking on stands and other hunters i asked him about his hunting.
Now he has access to over 80,000 acres and said he has not hunted half of it over the yrs,he said his guides and himself absolutely will not hunt until all his clients are done for the yr and then they hit it hard in the bitter cold.
Said it is just bad business to ever do that with paying customers in camp even if they say the dont mind,it just would not be right to bring a big buck in camp while they are still hunting.
He said he could drive 30 or 40 miles away and hunt a stand but it still would not be right while his clients are in camp.
They always run their hunters through the week after Thanksgiving and then they will start their hunting.