BAR BAR 2
Well-Known Member
Before I get started, I want to say that I am not trying to advertise anything. I am seriously considering changing directions in regards to how I host and guide antelope hunters here on the ranch and I am looking for some input from hunters who are into long range shooting and hunting. Many hunters enjoy the do-it-yourself type hunts, but I am aiming my questions more toward the men who utilize guides, or like to hunt private land.
We ranch in northeast Wyoming and have , what I consider to be, an ideal set up for antelope hunting. The ranch has a river running the length of it and there is almost always a healthy and robust population of pronghorns. We are only about 25 miles from a town with all the amenities, and only 12 miles from a smaller town that has the necessities.
Being a rancher, I am not required by state law to be a licensed guide or outfitter. Some people ask, but this is one of the perks of having our own place. I am in the process of getting my guide license, so that I am able to guide mountain lion hunts, but I only guide antelope hunts on our place. I have set prices that are reasonable and commensurate with the other private ranches in the area. It has always been my practice to cater to the working man. A guided hunt does cost more than a DIY hunt, but when a party of hunters shows up, they can count on having the ranch to themselves and me knowing where the antelope are and how to best go about getting a person a good shot. Never once have Is sent someone home with a tag, but there has been a time or two when a hunter's lack of practice at the range stood in the way of him harvesting a real trophy.
Most of the hunters I host are from back east and they want to have a fun, affordable and successful hunt. Alot of times, I am hosting fathers and sons and a few times I have even hosted three generation hunts. Most who show up out here are more interested in having a good experience than they are in harvesting a monster. Usually, alot of attention is given to make sure the kids harvest a good buck and develop a stronger interest in hunting.
The hunts I guide always start off down the road at a friends range, so that we can check "0" on rifles and I can get a feel for the capabilities of each hunter. Many seem to think that large calibers equate to great skill and I need to know what kind of shots I can reasonably set a shooter up for. You would be surprised at the number of hunters who feel it is a waste of time to go and check "0", because they did it before they flew out here. Remarks along those lines usually tell me all I need to know and I will try and get those guys within a couple hundred yards.
Anyhow, all that being said, the hunts I guide have always been working man type hunts for parties of two or three people and I have always been very successful. What I'm contemplating is a complete change in direction. Instead of taking small parties of average shooters and harvesting average antelope, I am thinking of gearing my hunts toward the long range shooter who is interested in taking an animal that is better than averagewith a shot that requires more than average skill. The prices would still be geared toward the working man, but I would only have one hunter at a time. Rather than trying to get in close to compensate for an average skill set, we would work as a two man unit strategizing to make sure we connect with a quality animal eventhough it may be at an extreme range. Should I go this route, I would also set up some shooting stations in key locations around the ranch.
This change would mean that I guide less hunters each year , but it would allow me the opportunity to put a more serious shooter on better animals. Rather than the six or eight hunts I normally guide, I would probably be pushing it to get four or five. I could get more, but I usually end up spending about half the month guiding wounded warriors and I will quit guiding hunts for the public before I stop taking those guys out.
Doing this will require some investment to make it into something a serious shooter would really appreciate, so for you guys who hire a guide and hunt private land, would you be willing to pay a little more to have someone knowledgeable of long range shooting all to yourself so that you could go for that one good animal with that shot of a lifetime?
Before anyone asks, I will not discuss any prices here. Just know that a hunt like I am talking about will take more personal attention from me and will require considerably more time, so it will cost a little more than the average hunt.
Tex
We ranch in northeast Wyoming and have , what I consider to be, an ideal set up for antelope hunting. The ranch has a river running the length of it and there is almost always a healthy and robust population of pronghorns. We are only about 25 miles from a town with all the amenities, and only 12 miles from a smaller town that has the necessities.
Being a rancher, I am not required by state law to be a licensed guide or outfitter. Some people ask, but this is one of the perks of having our own place. I am in the process of getting my guide license, so that I am able to guide mountain lion hunts, but I only guide antelope hunts on our place. I have set prices that are reasonable and commensurate with the other private ranches in the area. It has always been my practice to cater to the working man. A guided hunt does cost more than a DIY hunt, but when a party of hunters shows up, they can count on having the ranch to themselves and me knowing where the antelope are and how to best go about getting a person a good shot. Never once have Is sent someone home with a tag, but there has been a time or two when a hunter's lack of practice at the range stood in the way of him harvesting a real trophy.
Most of the hunters I host are from back east and they want to have a fun, affordable and successful hunt. Alot of times, I am hosting fathers and sons and a few times I have even hosted three generation hunts. Most who show up out here are more interested in having a good experience than they are in harvesting a monster. Usually, alot of attention is given to make sure the kids harvest a good buck and develop a stronger interest in hunting.
The hunts I guide always start off down the road at a friends range, so that we can check "0" on rifles and I can get a feel for the capabilities of each hunter. Many seem to think that large calibers equate to great skill and I need to know what kind of shots I can reasonably set a shooter up for. You would be surprised at the number of hunters who feel it is a waste of time to go and check "0", because they did it before they flew out here. Remarks along those lines usually tell me all I need to know and I will try and get those guys within a couple hundred yards.
Anyhow, all that being said, the hunts I guide have always been working man type hunts for parties of two or three people and I have always been very successful. What I'm contemplating is a complete change in direction. Instead of taking small parties of average shooters and harvesting average antelope, I am thinking of gearing my hunts toward the long range shooter who is interested in taking an animal that is better than averagewith a shot that requires more than average skill. The prices would still be geared toward the working man, but I would only have one hunter at a time. Rather than trying to get in close to compensate for an average skill set, we would work as a two man unit strategizing to make sure we connect with a quality animal eventhough it may be at an extreme range. Should I go this route, I would also set up some shooting stations in key locations around the ranch.
This change would mean that I guide less hunters each year , but it would allow me the opportunity to put a more serious shooter on better animals. Rather than the six or eight hunts I normally guide, I would probably be pushing it to get four or five. I could get more, but I usually end up spending about half the month guiding wounded warriors and I will quit guiding hunts for the public before I stop taking those guys out.
Doing this will require some investment to make it into something a serious shooter would really appreciate, so for you guys who hire a guide and hunt private land, would you be willing to pay a little more to have someone knowledgeable of long range shooting all to yourself so that you could go for that one good animal with that shot of a lifetime?
Before anyone asks, I will not discuss any prices here. Just know that a hunt like I am talking about will take more personal attention from me and will require considerably more time, so it will cost a little more than the average hunt.
Tex
