I am looking into hunting opportunities for this fall and was wondering if anyone has ever booked a hunt with the recommended outfitters from Carter's hunting fool. The prices seem high always but if it is a good outfit it may be worth the extra cost? Been burnt a few times and now gun shy. FYI I don't have a particular species in mind.
hunting fool magazine hunts
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midwesthunter
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A amish nieghbor of mine went on a elk hunt last year in Utah from one of those outfitters. Shot a 330 I belive. I think he paid $8,000 which I think was way high, but I think they were 100% on a 300 class or bigger the last couple years, they hunted all private land, he also shot a upper 60" antelope but don't know how much that hunt was I know he bought the tag at a sci fundraiser.
Topgun 30-06
Well-Known Member
$8K is a chunk of change for that hunt, even if it included the antelope, which didn't sound like a barnburner if it was in the 60s.
eshorebwhntr
Well-Known Member
My taxidermist drew an AZ kiabab tag and went with a huntin fool recommended outfitter. He killed a decent buck but nothing like what usually comes out of that area and wasn't at all pleased with the outfitter. From what he told me he was a 100% road hunter
Topgun 30-06
Well-Known Member
They pay to advertise and get recommended most of the time solely for that and not on how good they are. I would do even more followup on someone like that before I went with them because just being listed in a hunting magazine you like doesn't mean they are on the up and up.
shortpants
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I would love you to pm me the name of that outfitter.
Topgun 30-06
Well-Known Member
shortpants---Is that so you can avoid that outfitter or is that the way you want to hunt and would like to book with him for a trip?
eshorebwhntr
Well-Known Member
I've never hunted the area and don't know anything about what the road access is like. I was just trying to relay the truth as I was told it by what I consider to be a very honest person. He hunts the west as much as he can and I take his opinion very seriously. I know that doesn't necessarily hold much water on a public hunting forum where anyone can say anything...just my $0.02.
I've also got a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth about the Huntin' Fool. Not saying they're bad people or dishonest, they're just not my personal "go to" like they are to some and the main reason being the experience of my taxidermist that I posted earlier.
Topgun 30-06
Well-Known Member
There are way too many people that think just because we are talking hunting that there are no worries---NOT! There are a number of unscrupulous people in the outfitting/guiding business, as well as ones that might be honest and are just getting into it and can't do the job of a seasoned veteran. I can give the latter the benefit of the doubt, but the former is a plain out and out thief and should be dealt with accordingly. That's why a person should contact as many people that hunted with an outfit the previous year or two as they can, with as many or more contacts with ones that were'nt successful as ones that were. If an outiftter took you into a known decent area, provided good equipment, livestock, food, and his guides did their best to put you on animals, that is about all that can be asked of them. They can't control the weather, for example, which plays a big part in success. Finding out from unsuccessful clients whether they would go back and how their hunt was is the key because it may be a lousy operation and get a good review from a person that lucked out and killed a great animal just by sheer luck. They would be a lot more prone to overlook negative things because of their success that may have had nothing to do with who they booked with.
eshorebwhntr
Well-Known Member
I'm on board with what topgun has said here. Hardwork and preparation should be the standard that everyone judges outfitters by in my opinion. I shouldn't have listed the quality of the deer killed as the only reason my buddy had a bad experience.
I should have also stated that he said the guide would jump out from the truck when a deer was spotted, glass it for a few seconds, and then holler "shoot" "kill him" and stuff to that effect. Several times this happend on very young deer and he passed. Towards the end of the hunt they finally did this with a 160 type buck that he decided to shoot.
Just my opinion, but I don't think that after applying for 10-12 years for an AZ deer tag with all the work and money that requires you should get that kind of effort from your guide. And if Huntin' Fool is endorsing outfitters like this in a quality draw unit like the Kiabab then what are they endorsing in other units? Plus the outfitter endorsed tags and hunts they traffic are a little high priced to me.
I should have also stated that he said the guide would jump out from the truck when a deer was spotted, glass it for a few seconds, and then holler "shoot" "kill him" and stuff to that effect. Several times this happend on very young deer and he passed. Towards the end of the hunt they finally did this with a 160 type buck that he decided to shoot.
Just my opinion, but I don't think that after applying for 10-12 years for an AZ deer tag with all the work and money that requires you should get that kind of effort from your guide. And if Huntin' Fool is endorsing outfitters like this in a quality draw unit like the Kiabab then what are they endorsing in other units? Plus the outfitter endorsed tags and hunts they traffic are a little high priced to me.
I was a hunting fool member for a few years. I never used any of the recommended outfitters so I don't know how reliable they are. I think the hunting fool crowd try hard to do a good job. I do think they don't check everything out as good as they could. It made me drop their service. They do have nice photography.
I agree with what Fredogs said. I have talked to a group of hunters in Newfoundland that went with endorsed outfitters. All of them were ****ed except for the guy that got a big moose. They were ****ed at the fact that the guides had horrible equipment and didn't seem to know where to go.
I have also used them 1 time for a recommended outfitter in Oregon and I have since hunted with him for bear, deer and elk 2 times. The guy is absolutely great. While hunting with him I've heard a lot of stories about another single outfitter, which is endorsed, that is a scam artist.
During one of my hunts in Oregon with this outfitter I met a guy in camp that lost his deposit by an outfitter that HF recommended to him. Never did get his money back. He supposedly complained to HF and they did nothing to help him out or tell him they would remove him from the list. Who knows if they did anything.
I believe HF is great for providing you a list of hunters that have drawn the tags before. They also help you understand the regs and I do like reading the stories. If I really need an outfitter just read their stories, you will find who has been successful and some of the same outfitters come up multiple times. Then start your search on the internet and past clients.
I have also used them 1 time for a recommended outfitter in Oregon and I have since hunted with him for bear, deer and elk 2 times. The guy is absolutely great. While hunting with him I've heard a lot of stories about another single outfitter, which is endorsed, that is a scam artist.
During one of my hunts in Oregon with this outfitter I met a guy in camp that lost his deposit by an outfitter that HF recommended to him. Never did get his money back. He supposedly complained to HF and they did nothing to help him out or tell him they would remove him from the list. Who knows if they did anything.
I believe HF is great for providing you a list of hunters that have drawn the tags before. They also help you understand the regs and I do like reading the stories. If I really need an outfitter just read their stories, you will find who has been successful and some of the same outfitters come up multiple times. Then start your search on the internet and past clients.
Wingnut
Well-Known Member
You must also be aware of the reason they are recommended outfitters. Huntin fool staff member are taken on these hunts first and have harvested animals. If you have seen some of the animals they have harvested over the years it is apparent that they are being shown or taken to the best the outfitter has to offer. Also remember that it is a business as well. Huntin fool is compensated by some means for telling people about the outfitters. This in itself creates some bias. Nothing beats researching on your own. I personally think it is a great place to start looking, but I would never book an expensive hunt on someones word.
