Are guided hunts a good thing?

E

elks

New member
Since somebody got overly attacked for a lope hunt. The real question is are guides good for hunting or bad for hunting?

I have my opinons, but not enough time to express them.

What do you think? I want to know what everyone else thinks....
 
Guided hunts have their place just as any hunt does. If I want to go hunt MT and I don’t know jack about MT, I can expect to still go if I use a guide. And it would be very time consuming to travel up there to hunt on my own not knowing where anything is, especially the game Im looking for that is common knowledge for the locals.

I am quite embarrassed as to some of the prices Ive seen lately when it comes to whitetails in Texas. In my mind no deer is worth over 4k. That goes for those that have so much antler the drop tines drag the ground. And I can find you prices all day that range from that to 25,000k. Its ridiculous, and has only given others the gall to raise their prices.

Texas law in particular, looks at whitetail as being owned by the people of Texas, noone should be able to privatize that deer and charge me 4,000k-25,000k for a deer I already own. I agree they should charge for the overhead provided and up to what I said was reasonable, but noone gives any deer that much attention.

To me its criminal, that’s my rant.
 
He wasn't overly attacked.....its a rip off. I don't like rip offs, never will, never have. (apparently the five guys who backed out realized that as well)

for $1750 I can bring in an out of state hunter of my choice, give him a voucher/license, he buys his own gas and food, we go out and shoot an antelope, he can have it processed, take pictures, call friends, drive home with it, frozen in packages and at the end of the day he's still got $1000 in his pocket. In CO $1750 for a guided antelope hunt that does not provide transportation, lodging, food etc. would be considered a joke...and it is. (for 30 bucks I'll go shoot mine and stop at Wendys on the way home)

I don't care much for guys trying to hawk their stuff to the unsuspecting.

Never used a guide, per se, I have a friend who is a guide and yes I have went with him and yes I paid him but to me it was more like covering his fuel costs for the day.

Being born into hunting in a rural area provided me with lots of 'lifetime' places to hunt. Not interested in paying somebody to drive me around my backyard and take me for armed hikes.
 
Sometimes a guide is the only way to go in order to get access to game. Texas is a prime example. Sometimes it may be more costly to do it yourself if you include time like bear hunting in Minnesota. You are almost farther ahead to hire a guide to do your baiting and such. By the time you buy gas and bait to do it yourself and then add in your time, a guide could be a good buy.

But, with that said, it also depends a LOT on the guide. Some are lazy crooks who only want your money and aren't willing to do the work it takes to earn your money. I'd suggest really doing your homework before hiring anyone.
 
First let me say I've never been on a guided hunt, but If I planned to go after Brown bear in Alaska Water buffalo or Lion then a guided hunt is about the only way that's ever going to happen.

I grew up here in Idaho and have several friends whom guide elk hunters, bear hunter and deer hunters on fair chase hunts. Many of the folks that come out here to hunt elk would never be able to experience that kind of hunt without a guide. Most simply don't have the time to do the scouting required to hunt elk and other big game unless you live here.

Folks that take guided hunts vary from people that simply work to many hours a year to spend the time scouting or folks that live far away and save up for a few years to come and hunt elk here.

Another plus to guided hunts is the boost it does for our economy. Those out of state hunters spend lots of money here and it's welcomed.

So I'm for guided hunts, now canned hunts in fenced in enclosures, I'm not even going to get started on how much I Dislike that situation.
 
I could suggest that if it costs you $4000 to hunt for a skinny Texas deer that I could take the $4000 buy a truck, drive to CO,KS or WY, buy an out of state license, knock on three doors, ask three questions, shoot a really nice large deer, package it up, take pictures, call friends, write letters, go to a Bronco game, go shoot some prairie dogs, drink some beer and meet new friends and drive home. When I get home sell the truck and I'd be out $2000 and have more to show for it.

but thats just me...............
 
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If you can afford the extra cost of a GOOD guide its a great way to hunt,especially if you want a trophy animal,guides know the land,they have the access you need to get the good animals and they what a good animal is for the area.The other thread wasnt attacked for being a guided hunt it was attacked for being a WAY overpriced hunt and offered as a great deal and 100% gauranteed hunt.
 
It may be way over priced for your state, but id bet it is a descent deal for a texas antelope hunt. All the 100% sucess rate means is that every person who has hunted there so far has filled their tag. In Nevada, it would cost you betterthan $2000 for a guided lope hunt and that doesn't include the cost of your non resident lisence ($142) and the cost of the tag if you get drawn , which I believe was over $1000 for nonresident.
 
Quote:
I could suggest that if it costs you $4000 to hunt for a skinny Texas deer that I could take the $4000 buy a truck, drive to CO,KS or WY, buy an out of state license, knock on three doors, ask three questions, shoot a really nice large deer, package it up, take pictures, call friends, write letters, go to a Bronco game, go shoot some prairie dogs, drink some beer and meet new friends and drive home. When I get home sell the truck and I'd be out $2000 and have more to show for it.




Give it time, and those states will be about the same as Texas.

In Kansas for example, non-residents must get drawn for deer and if they do, the tag is expensive. Not many residents are giving their buck tags away since they can sell them for over $1000.

My understanding is a a resident only gets one buck tag per person.

Western states are fortunante to have LOTS of public land, some states as much as 90% if the state is public. Texas is 98% private.

Guided hunts can certainly be good. Some people just can't afford to do it. It all boils down to supply and demand. If a guide can sell a hunt for a certain price, he will. If he can't, he will lower the price until he does.
 
You can only get one buck tag per year here in MT and it has been that way for 30+ years.Non residents can buy one OTC for about $250.
 
Just did a search for antelope in Montana and it looked like Jeff's deal might actually beat a Monatana hunt. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

2 Hunters - 1 Guide $1,700 per hunter
1 Hunter - 1 Guide $2,200 per hunter

WHAT IS INCLUDED:
3 Full Days of Montana Antelope Hunting with Professional Guides
Exclusive hunting on ranches while hunting (unless you are teamed up with another hunter)
Field care of game and delivery to meat processor

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
Montana Antelope Hunting License, Tips (Amount of the tip is totally up to the hunter, a rule of thumb is 10% of hunt, less than what you would tip a waiter/waitress)
Meals and Lodging
Rifle and Ammo
 
I know 2 guys that will do 1 week,with cabin amd meals,transportation and access to several thousand acres of private ground for $1100,if interested for 2008 let me know and Ill give you a number.
 
The idea of paying $2000-$4000 for any hunt gives a sick feeling in my stomache. I could afford it but it would take ALL the "fun" out of it. I can't justify leaving for three days, coming home several grand poorer for "fun". I may not EVER shoot a 180+ class mulie but I do have a CHANCE. The other problem I have is say you pay $2000 for your lope hunt with 100% success rate. Whoopeee! You are some hunter. A half blind idiot could of done the same. I look at the super wealthy with their african mounts, exotics, 6pt bulls and they think they are good hunters. How hard is it to follow a hired man around and wait for him to say, "OK, shoot that one, wait... wait, not now...OK now, shoot him right behind the shoulder. Good JOB! High fives around, now watch the hired man field dress, pack and butcher your TROPHY! You must be so proud of yourself. What an acomplishment! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

For me hunting is about tradition, "sport" and God's creation. Big dollars just doesn't seem to fit.

DD
 
Sounds to me like you have never experienced Africa. If you had, you would think much differently. Yes the hunting can be alot like what you explained. But you are forgetting about the whole Experience. Getting to see all different types of game, hearing the Lions Roar at night, eating what you shoot for dinner, Fishing in the river and catching exotic fish, watching the crocs and Hippos swim around. Please dont take something away from a hunt that you have never experienced. If you have then, I apologize.
 
Fair enough and to each their own. I never have hunted Africa nor do I really care to.(except I would like to shoot a wart hog with my bow) I am a guy that is quite content with what I have infront of me. I don't like to travel (except to hunt), never want to go to Paris, Italy, Hawaii, or other upitty places when there is so much in this state I haven't seen (and I have seen a lot of it). My wife doesn't see things exactly the way I do. I have a brother in Alaska who has his own fishing business. I can easier justify spending out of state tags, airfare etc. in Alaska than I could paying for a guided hunt. I see the guided hunts for brown bear for 12-20K. I think that is nuts! We are lucky out west to have the oppertunity to hunt just about everything.

I guess in short my problem with guided hunts is that it seems, IMHO, that the guide is doing more of the hunting and you are there to standby and do the shooting.

Just my .02

DD
 
Quote:
I could suggest that if it costs you $4000 to hunt for a skinny Texas deer that I could take the $4000 buy a truck, drive to CO,KS or WY, buy an out of state license, knock on three doors, ask three questions, shoot a really nice large deer, package it up, take pictures, call friends, write letters, go to a Bronco game, go shoot some prairie dogs, drink some beer and meet new friends and drive home. When I get home sell the truck and I'd be out $2000 and have more to show for it.

but thats just me...............


i know of plenty off plases here in tx that you can go on day hunts for 100.00 and kill has many has 5 deer.you can also spend 15000.00 on a trophy buck. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
I can load my own rifle and I know where and what type of animal I want I don't need to have someone hold my hand and tell me when to do these things.
 
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