Hunting with outfitter
- Thread starter rollingrock
- Start date
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
pretty much said it all, there is no connection , hunting with or without a guide , you can have hunters and wanna be hunters.
If you are just getting into hunting and have the money to afford a guide I say go for it!!! You can learn alot from an old guide packed with experience and knowledge.... moreso than you will probably learn in a lifetime of hunting on your own. If you start off with that extra edge, it probably wouldn't hurt.
It's not that cut and dry.
Some hunts are lifetime oppurtunities/dreams and can only be done with a guide, can't fault someone for that. I would love to do a Yukon hunt some day. I don't care if I am hunting chickens, I just want to hunt the Yukon!! Can I do it without a guide????
Not everybody has geese, moose, deer etc.
That said, I get great satisfaction from doing the scouting/hunting/load development all myself.
But we can't be too quick to judge other hunters because they don't do it our way.
Some hunts are lifetime oppurtunities/dreams and can only be done with a guide, can't fault someone for that. I would love to do a Yukon hunt some day. I don't care if I am hunting chickens, I just want to hunt the Yukon!! Can I do it without a guide????
Not everybody has geese, moose, deer etc.
That said, I get great satisfaction from doing the scouting/hunting/load development all myself.
But we can't be too quick to judge other hunters because they don't do it our way.
I hunt a lot (at least 21 days per year) and am hardly a "wanna be". I have used guides in the past few years. Personally, I didn't learn much from the guides, but relied more on their scouting and knowledge of the area. Here are my experiences:
I have been on five different guided hunts and all offered different experiences. My first guided hunt was for a big Saskatchewan whitetail. Ground blinds and bait piles. It really wasn't my cup of tea. It felt more like shooting than hunting, but I know that a few of the others just loved it. In my opinion, I did not get the "hunting experience" from this situation and did not shoot a trophy.
My other four guided hunts were for caribou, mule deer and two for black bear. All were incredible and I had no doubt that I was getting the full hunting experience. On the caribou hunt (Nunavut) it took a few days to locate the animals and then we spent a lot of time hiking, glassing and spotting and stalking. I saw little difference to how I elk hunt in the fall except that caribou are a whole lot dumber and completely unpredictable . Also, we assisted the outfitter in all skinning, quartering and trophy preparation.
The Mule deer hunt was in Southeastern B.C. and we worked our asses off for three days looking for a good buck. I didn't find one, but this was one of my favourite hunts. Saw lots of different animals and some amazing country.
On my two archery black bear hunts it was more a matter of convenience. I personally do not have the time (I work fulltime) to set up wall tents, baits and stands as I live fairly far away and in a "no bait" zone. At camp I spent every day checking and refilling baits and getting a lay of the land. A great experience (have not fired an arrow yet but saw lots of bears) and met some great people.
I have been on five different guided hunts and all offered different experiences. My first guided hunt was for a big Saskatchewan whitetail. Ground blinds and bait piles. It really wasn't my cup of tea. It felt more like shooting than hunting, but I know that a few of the others just loved it. In my opinion, I did not get the "hunting experience" from this situation and did not shoot a trophy.
My other four guided hunts were for caribou, mule deer and two for black bear. All were incredible and I had no doubt that I was getting the full hunting experience. On the caribou hunt (Nunavut) it took a few days to locate the animals and then we spent a lot of time hiking, glassing and spotting and stalking. I saw little difference to how I elk hunt in the fall except that caribou are a whole lot dumber and completely unpredictable . Also, we assisted the outfitter in all skinning, quartering and trophy preparation.
The Mule deer hunt was in Southeastern B.C. and we worked our asses off for three days looking for a good buck. I didn't find one, but this was one of my favourite hunts. Saw lots of different animals and some amazing country.
On my two archery black bear hunts it was more a matter of convenience. I personally do not have the time (I work fulltime) to set up wall tents, baits and stands as I live fairly far away and in a "no bait" zone. At camp I spent every day checking and refilling baits and getting a lay of the land. A great experience (have not fired an arrow yet but saw lots of bears) and met some great people.
if you are content to only hunt what you have near your home, you don't need a guide or outfitter. if you want to hunt some other places, hiring a guide/outfitter may be the only practical way.
i can hunt in bc, alberta with a hunter host, as well as various states in the lower 48 US on my own. but outside of that, would need to go the guided/outfitted route. and someday i am sure that i will.
also, there is no substitute for experience, especially in wilderness areas. it is one thing to pile everything into your vehicle, camp at a forest service campground, and hunt. it is quite another to pack 20 miles into the bush with whatever you can carry on your back. let alone carry game out.
so, as riden said, don't be too quick to judge others.
brings to mind other debates. ie: hunting with dogs, baiting, crossbows vs regular bows, inline vs traditional muzzleloaders, etc.
i can hunt in bc, alberta with a hunter host, as well as various states in the lower 48 US on my own. but outside of that, would need to go the guided/outfitted route. and someday i am sure that i will.
also, there is no substitute for experience, especially in wilderness areas. it is one thing to pile everything into your vehicle, camp at a forest service campground, and hunt. it is quite another to pack 20 miles into the bush with whatever you can carry on your back. let alone carry game out.
so, as riden said, don't be too quick to judge others.
brings to mind other debates. ie: hunting with dogs, baiting, crossbows vs regular bows, inline vs traditional muzzleloaders, etc.
If I was out with a guide, covering ground and we were seaching out our quarry as a team, I would consider myself hunting.
if I showed up at a lodge, was driven to a tree stand by a guide, and sat there over a bait bucked untill my "game" showed up. then i wouldn't consider it hunting.
all depends on the situation. to me hunting is seaking out something. has little to do with weather or not I have a guide with me.
if I showed up at a lodge, was driven to a tree stand by a guide, and sat there over a bait bucked untill my "game" showed up. then i wouldn't consider it hunting.
all depends on the situation. to me hunting is seaking out something. has little to do with weather or not I have a guide with me.
rollingrock said:Man I don't have a couple of grand left aside for a black bear. With that much money instead of paying to a guide I'd probably get out more by myself and learn more.I've enjoyed being beaten by the critters too.
For me personally, bear camp is a matter of opportunity cost. I would love to go out five weeks before the season (once per week for 3 days), set up a camp, set baits and develop stand sites, but the fact is that my work and livelihood would suffer. I would far rather be out in the woods than stuck in an office, but that is where I make a life for my family and me.
My bear hunt, including guide/camp costs, gas, licenses, etc. is just under $2,000 for the week. If I were to do it myself (factor in the overhead) with the opportunity cost of lost income and the cost would be a hell of a lot higher... probably closer to $3,500 a week. For me and many others these kinds of hunts are a great opportunity. You still have to be in the right place, manage your scent and visual presence, be confident in your shooting skills and most importantly - maintain your cool when a big bear comes in. Often, you are no more than ten yards from these great animals and it takes a lot of composure to remain silent and let them present a good clean shot.
I enjoy this situation as much as I enjoy hunting whitetail, elk, moose, mule deer, antelope or bear on my own. Hope this helps a bit.
open-sights
Regular
- Location
- Aldergrove BC
Hunting is hunting, don't try to find reasons to split a group that takes enough abuse as is!
I'm a guide and believe me it's a team effort. We don't have hottubs and satellite tv where I go......
I've had fellas see stuff before I did, seen tracks before me, shot before asking me. Some hunters I have to coach and take care of; some just need me around for the legalities of the hunt. Either way, we have a good time. And we usually both learn something.
PS Some outfitters call them "clients".....that's for lawyers. I call 'em by their first name and his job is to hunt. Mine is to help him hunt because I know the area.
I've had fellas see stuff before I did, seen tracks before me, shot before asking me. Some hunters I have to coach and take care of; some just need me around for the legalities of the hunt. Either way, we have a good time. And we usually both learn something.
PS Some outfitters call them "clients".....that's for lawyers. I call 'em by their first name and his job is to hunt. Mine is to help him hunt because I know the area.
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Adrian J Hare
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- NewLowell On. Can.
Hunting is Hunting guide or no guide. A guide does the home work and puts a hunter into the situation that he would be in if he had the firearm. If you don't learn from a Guide about the type of hunt you are on then you have not got a good guide.
Someone can call themselves a guide , but to show what you know about the game in quest is what a guide is about. A guide should work like he owns the buisness that he is working for. The hunter is the shooter and he has the pressure of being successfull or not.
Huntinstuff , said it well....
Someone can call themselves a guide , but to show what you know about the game in quest is what a guide is about. A guide should work like he owns the buisness that he is working for. The hunter is the shooter and he has the pressure of being successfull or not.
Huntinstuff , said it well....
The only type of "guided" hunt I really despise are those canned hunts in the fenced in areas. I guess if the area is very sizeable, where it would take a couple of hours to walk from one side to the other, it wouldn't be as bad, but still....
Sometimes guys don't have the resources or tools to hunt the animal they want. I don't have horses for some of those back country hunts and my tent is better suited for the kids using it in the back yard.
Also, what about going out with a friend or fellow hunter? I have never been duck/goose hunting before, but I may get a chance with a friend this year. Is he guiding me? Some would say yes.
Sometimes guys don't have the resources or tools to hunt the animal they want. I don't have horses for some of those back country hunts and my tent is better suited for the kids using it in the back yard.
Also, what about going out with a friend or fellow hunter? I have never been duck/goose hunting before, but I may get a chance with a friend this year. Is he guiding me? Some would say yes.
- Location
- Lakes District BC
hunting is hunting weather your looking for a remote control to the tv or looking for a moose
Adrian J Hare said:
That's the truth...
It should be said that Guiding is a skill that only a select few are really good at. Very few good hunters make good guides... but all good guides are excellent hunters.
- Location
- Lakes District BC
dumbdawg said:
and now you know how mommabear feels HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
you walked into that one bud !
