utvol5
Well-Known Member
My dad and I are have saved money to go on a guided deer hunt this year but can't afford to pay $3000-$6000. Does anyone have an outfitter that you would HIGHLY recommend? Looking for a hunt from Oct 22-26
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Suggestions for guided hunt (Illinois, Ohio, KY)
- Thread starter utvol5
- Start date
bass56
Well-Known Member
Hadley creek is awsome but is a little expensive
David1475
Well-Known Member
Cornbelt Whitetail Outfitters
Pike County Illinois
First class operation with 5 star accommodations and food.
Hunted there for the first time last year and I am going back first week of November this year
Pike County Illinois
First class operation with 5 star accommodations and food.
Hunted there for the first time last year and I am going back first week of November this year
fredfred
Well-Known Member
David1475 said:
x2,
What did you kill?
bass56 said:
I know a guy that has been going there the last 5 yrs and not had a shooter buck in bow range yet. He says it is a great place and sees lots of deer but they are usually no where near his stand.
BowGuy84
Well-Known Member
If your going to pay why not push back dates a bit? JMO believe me I know how schedules can dictate when you can hunt.
Haven't looked them up lately, but I did some work with Central Illinois Outfitters in college and they have tons of good land, and the Grigsby is continuous acreage with 140 minimum.
Also I'd think about Bufallo County in WI...
And the Iowa draw. KY is ok, I love hunting here, but it isn't on par with the "real" midwest unless you are in the river bottom areas.
Haven't looked them up lately, but I did some work with Central Illinois Outfitters in college and they have tons of good land, and the Grigsby is continuous acreage with 140 minimum.
Also I'd think about Bufallo County in WI...
And the Iowa draw. KY is ok, I love hunting here, but it isn't on par with the "real" midwest unless you are in the river bottom areas.
My experience with Cornbelt was abysmal:
I paid about $2K to see 7 does during the 2009 opening shotgun hunt. The accommodations were excellent (plush beds, nice shower), food was crap (Krystal is better- housekeeper goes to town and buys your dinner from a local. No food cooked onsite - you know, because of "scent"), and the guides all killed nice deer.
Two in our party shot (out of 7) - one killed a 150" deer. The owner of the place lost my other friends 170" deer by pushing it (owner was hungry for lunch). I was guaranteed a shot PRE-HUNT at a 140" deer by one of the guides named Chris. He could not "hunt" his way out of a paper bag - he killed a nice 155" deer the day we arrived though. On the last day of the hunt -when I had not seen but 5 does, they stuck me in an afternoon food plot at 5am. I saw the first of 2 does that afternoon at 4pm. They want to know what you have seen and then they say I've seen such and such deer over here....
They have a 130" minimum (which is fine by me), but they do not tell you that until you are onsite and paid in full. One boy shot a doe (he had a tag for two) and the guides berated him.
Most all of the pictures from 2009 are guide kills. 2009, 2010, and 2011 kills - you can find guide kills and the owner's kills.
Owner lives here around Knoxville and is a great salesman - he got $ 2,000 out of me.
I paid about $2K to see 7 does during the 2009 opening shotgun hunt. The accommodations were excellent (plush beds, nice shower), food was crap (Krystal is better- housekeeper goes to town and buys your dinner from a local. No food cooked onsite - you know, because of "scent"), and the guides all killed nice deer.
Two in our party shot (out of 7) - one killed a 150" deer. The owner of the place lost my other friends 170" deer by pushing it (owner was hungry for lunch). I was guaranteed a shot PRE-HUNT at a 140" deer by one of the guides named Chris. He could not "hunt" his way out of a paper bag - he killed a nice 155" deer the day we arrived though. On the last day of the hunt -when I had not seen but 5 does, they stuck me in an afternoon food plot at 5am. I saw the first of 2 does that afternoon at 4pm. They want to know what you have seen and then they say I've seen such and such deer over here....
They have a 130" minimum (which is fine by me), but they do not tell you that until you are onsite and paid in full. One boy shot a doe (he had a tag for two) and the guides berated him.
Most all of the pictures from 2009 are guide kills. 2009, 2010, and 2011 kills - you can find guide kills and the owner's kills.
Owner lives here around Knoxville and is a great salesman - he got $ 2,000 out of me.
utvol5
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the information. My dad and I have been on one paid hunt in south Alabama a few years ago, and that was a terrible experience. We paid several thousand dollars each, and I didn't even see a buck during the 4 days. My dad saw one decent buck, but that was about it. I didn't feel like the guides put a lot of effort into making sure we got at least a chance at a descent buck. They didn't do any extra scouting or work to put us in a good spot. They just stuck us in some shooting houses without in prior scouting or work (at least thats what it seemed like) I'm a little hesitant to spend that kind of money again...I know there are no guarantees when you go on a guided hunt, BUT if I'm going to spend my hard earned money I would at least expect to see some descent deer.
Do you think the guides HOLD OUT on some of their better hunting stand for the RUT?
Do you think the guides HOLD OUT on some of their better hunting stand for the RUT?
turk870
Well-Known Member
if your gana pay for a hunt i would recomend pushing it a week or three later.your alittle on the front of the best buck activity
we have 6 properties leased in wayne county il. i have killed 136" average the last 2 yrs (the only 2 yrs i have hunted0 despite horrible weather.
for much, much less that 2k
utvol5
Well-Known Member
I am a high school teacher and head basketball coach..... our fall break is October 22-26. We start basketball the week of November 1st so its impossible for me to go on a hunt in November....i wish i could!
fredfred
Well-Known Member
If it gets cold early you would be ok but the 2nd week in November is normally the best time to see a big buck in Illinois
utvol5 said:
i am a high school teacher as well and run a business, but there is always time to hunt in november for a big fat illinois buck. it is a 3 day gun season- fri-sun. dont yall have subs?
fredfred said:
there gun season fall at or near peak rut
redblood said:
If he has not already put in for the firearms hunt, the chance of getting a tag may be pretty slim. And, I read somewhere in their news release something to the effect that they will not sell any ES (buck) archery tags over the counter this year after their season opens. Don't anyone take that as gospel as that was my reading and interpretation. But, with some of the issues they have had on non-resident hunters going up there and buying an anterless tag and then purchasing after the fact a ES/buck tag if they shot one, I can see why they might have made that change. We had a nice deer posted on here a while back that had been illegally taken under that scenario up there.
tnhunter83
Well-Known Member
I have had more sucess on government land in Ohio and Illinois than outfitters I have took and seen some good deer just my two cents Plus half the cost plenty of government land in both places
BigSatt
Well-Known Member
scn said:
Plenty of tags left in most counties this year, scn.
BigSatt
Well-Known Member
Shoot me a PM, utvol5.
Maybe I can help.
Maybe I can help.
BigSatt said:
After the second lottery drawing for their shotgun hunt?
According to the IL DNR website the last date listing available permits was June 30, 2012. That was the deadline for the second (nonresident) lottery and would not reflect the permits issued in those drawings.
