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Post by Freeborn on Mar 30, 2022 14:20:48 GMT -6
I have and will again pay for guided hunts. Most of mine have been western hunts but I would pay for a bear or whitetail hunt in the right place. I have 4 points in Iowa now and plan on probably going on a guided hunt or waiting until I retire so I can spend enough hunting time in Iowa to make it worthwhile.
One thing I have learned about the guides, area and guide reputation is key. Cheap hunts ($2k) will most often get you an animal under your expectations.
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Post by Sandbur on Mar 30, 2022 14:23:23 GMT -6
[quote author="@be careful making your passion of hunting and fishing a business!!
Many years ago I read a similar comment from an Outdoor Writer. For some reason, I think it was Ron Shara.
‘Make it your business and it isn’t fun anymore.’ Or something similar.
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Post by Sandbur on Mar 30, 2022 14:26:27 GMT -6
a friend of mine went on a guided archery hunt in WI last fall the week before Minnesota rifle. All he saw was 2 small bucks and was held to a 140" minimum so couldn't shoot either one. Well back at home in Minnesota he had cam pics of 3 bucks well over 140" all over his property during the day. All 3 got shot by his neighbors during rifle season. I don't think he'll be going on any paid hunts anytime soon 😅 Two local guys went on guided bow trips to IL last season. I think the minimum was 125". One guy brought nothing home. One guy brought home a buck right around 140". Think they each paid about $2K. I shot a buck right around 140" in the back yard. Of course, my property taxes are a hell of a lot more than $2K. . But for your taxes, you have a home, a place to enjoy your habitat and apple hobby, and a place to hunt how and where you want. You can shoot whatever you want and you have the satisfaction of doing it based on your own knowledge and work.
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Post by Sandbur on Mar 30, 2022 14:35:08 GMT -6
Just a question for thought. If you compare a guided hunt on private land where someone sets the stand and tells you where to hunt to a fenced hunt, what determines the real difference?
Compare that to a family member who you give the best stand to and they do nothing else on habitat or stand prep? Just show up to hunt? In this case, there is love for a family member.
Is hunter satisfaction the same in all three above cases?
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Post by kooch on Mar 30, 2022 15:34:54 GMT -6
I’ve hired a fishing guide once or twice. Each time the premise of the day was “teach me to fish this lake” not “put me on fish all day”. The result was a chill day on the lake with a guy that knows what he’s doing. We caught fish, but the expectation was just to have an enjoyable day and to learn something. I may not be the regular customer. When you said "teach me to fish this lake and not put me on fish all day" the guide heard "take me to your shitty spots". Meh. Maybe. Fished there a few days later and saw him out and about in the same zones. I was clear with them that I’d be fishing the spots again someday. I was happy. He had a chill day. We caught fish.
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Post by benmnwi on Mar 30, 2022 17:48:52 GMT -6
When you said "teach me to fish this lake and not put me on fish all day" the guide heard "take me to your shitty spots". Meh. Maybe. Fished there a few days later and saw him out and about in the same zones. I was clear with them that I’d be fishing the spots again someday. I was happy. He had a chill day. We caught fish. That would be a good way to get some spots in a new lake you aren't familiar with. I've heard some guides get pissed if they see you at the spots they showed you and some even used to ban cell phones that could mark off shore spots. I'm guessing that has changed over time since nobody leaves their phone now. My only guided fishing trip was for halibut in Alaska. I caught one nice one that we sent home, but I could have bought a halibut and 1/4 of beef for what my wife and I paid for that one day trip and the next day air postage home for the fillets.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Mar 30, 2022 18:15:31 GMT -6
If I was going to book a hunting trip with a B&C buck as the target, I'd be looking at Kentucky. I'm not going to book such a trip, so I don't really give a shit I guess. I think my best odds at shooting a 160" or better are right here at home. Mainly because I know this place better every year...and because I spend all of my time hunting here. I doubt a week long trip somewhere else would up my odds much. a friend of mine went on a guided archery hunt in WI last fall the week before Minnesota rifle. All he saw was 2 small bucks and was held to a 140" minimum so couldn't shoot either one. Well back at home in Minnesota he had cam pics of 3 bucks well over 140" all over his property during the day. All 3 got shot by his neighbors during rifle season. I don't think he'll be going on any paid hunts anytime soon 😅 It happens. I hunted Missouri and it was 70 degrees for highs during the rut and the action was slow … then it got cooler back on my Swift Falls/MN farm and a couple good bucks were on cell cam . The day before I got to Missouri there was a 145-150 incher under my best stand an hour before dark. To top it off I was going to hunt that night and the wind was right.
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Post by kooch on Mar 30, 2022 18:22:16 GMT -6
Meh. Maybe. Fished there a few days later and saw him out and about in the same zones. I was clear with them that I’d be fishing the spots again someday. I was happy. He had a chill day. We caught fish. That would be a good way to get some spots in a new lake you aren't familiar with. I've heard some guides get pissed if they see you at the spots they showed you and some even used to ban cell phones that could mark off shore spots. I'm guessing that has changed over time since nobody leaves their phone now. My only guided fishing trip was for halibut in Alaska. I caught one nice one that we sent home, but I could have bought a halibut and 1/4 of beef for what my wife and I paid for that one day trip and the next day air postage home for the fillets. That’s why I was up front with him. “Teach me how to fish this lake. “ I didnt ask for his secret honey holes. I did it on Lac Seul once and Vermilion once. Gave me a place to start.
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Post by smsmith on Mar 30, 2022 18:23:28 GMT -6
Two local guys went on guided bow trips to IL last season. I think the minimum was 125". One guy brought nothing home. One guy brought home a buck right around 140". Think they each paid about $2K. I shot a buck right around 140" in the back yard. Of course, my property taxes are a hell of a lot more than $2K. . But for your taxes, you have a home, a place to enjoy your habitat and apple hobby, and a place to hunt how and where you want. You can shoot whatever you want and you have the satisfaction of doing it based on your own knowledge and work. Yep. For me, I'd much rather hunt here at home. I like it here. I've done my best to build it into what I wanted it to be. It certainly isn't perfect, but for as long as I choose or until I die...it's mine. Will I ever shoot a Booner? Who knows
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Post by kooch on Mar 30, 2022 18:26:09 GMT -6
I went on an elk hunt on private land in CO a few years ago with a group of guys from WI that I didn’t know. Friend of a friend type thing.
Long story short. First elk hunt, shot a 4x4 bull on the first morning from a plastic deer blind 1/4 mile from camp. I sat right where I was told to sit and saw probably 100 elk walk by, all spikes and cows aside from this one. So I shot it.
Lamest hunt of my life.
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Post by Catscratch on Mar 30, 2022 18:38:31 GMT -6
I went on an elk hunt on private land in CO a few years ago with a group of guys from WI that I didn’t know. Friend of a friend type thing. Long story short. First elk hunt, shot a 4x4 bull on the first morning from a plastic deer blind 1/4 mile from camp. I sat right where I was told to sit and saw probably 100 elk walk by, all spikes and cows aside from this one. So I shot it. Lamest hunt of my life. I've set friends up like that but usually show them where all my stands are, then explain wind direction and thermals, then let them decide where to hunt. They seem to have the most fun when they learn something and make choices that end in success. They feel invested. Charter fishing is that I want to learn from the guide, want to catch something new, and I want to "borrow" their boat and electronics (which I will never buy for myself). Funning thing about it is that my boys and I always end up with the biggest fish on the boat and we usually end up friends with the captain. Kept in touch with several though messenger throughout the years. Well worth the money in my mind.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Mar 31, 2022 9:22:41 GMT -6
I can't imagine 601 will allow rifles in the metro. Please god I hope they don't. I wonder what the proposal is on this zone? Statewide? That is also many of the votes in the legislature? You’d think they would not be in favor of rifles on small 5 -10 acre plots.
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Post by caveman on Mar 31, 2022 11:01:22 GMT -6
I can't imagine 601 will allow rifles in the metro. Please god I hope they don't. I wonder what the proposal is on this zone? Statewide? That is also many of the votes in the legislature? You’d think they would not be in favor of rifles on small 5 -10 acre plots. The people that I know that live on 2-5 acre properties where all the neighbors can hunt already choose not to hunt there with a sluggun. Don't suspect they would suddenly grab a rifle if it became legal.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Apr 15, 2022 10:18:10 GMT -6
According to the Outdoor News, the statewide rifle bill is in the Senate bill but not in the House bill? So what happens, who knows ?
There’s been letters to the editor against rifles from Southern MN readers. One guy suggested having town hall meetings to get a feel for the support or opposition.. which I thought was a good point !
**On a side note the 6 walleye limit reduced to 4 didn’t make either the House or Senate.
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Post by batman on Apr 21, 2022 11:01:55 GMT -6
Interesting graphic from a rifle zone in northern MN. Clearly rifles are more danger than shotguns. They have been killing more hunters than deer in this area for years.
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