Guided Hunts and Hunting Lodges

[Bindlestiff]

I have two sons that are busy in life, much like the country song Cats in the Cradle, by Harry Chapin that repeats “just like you dad”. I would like them to hunt with me at least once before ….. you know… I can’t do it anymore. I don’t think I have time to guilt them into a hunt this year but by the Fall of 2013 I should have them convinced.

To that end, I would like to find an “outfitter” that can accommodate us on a bird hunt of some type and not break the bank in the process. I do not have a dog but my hunting partner did, so I am familiar with hunting with them and will want my sons to experience the same. Maybe I can get them involved and get them to start hunting?

I was going to ask the readers here for recommendations of guided hunts but decided to start a thread where we can post our experiences with guide services or hunting lodges. I think it would be wise to avoid any negative comments, so let’s stick with the old adage “if you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all”. I think it would be nice if someone posts about a place that they have attended and you were there too and concur with their positive evaluation to say so too, that way we can see if lots of people like it or just one. The more that concur about a place, the less need for any negative comment, the good ones will stand out strong.

Some things that would be nice to learn would be:

• · Their name and location with contact information.
• · What they specialize in.
• · Accommodations, lodging, food, dogs, licenses, game processing, Etc.
• · Relative costs/value.
• · Your experiences while hunting there.

[Bindlestiff]

Miramichi Inn
1100 Halcomb Road,
P.O. Box 331
Red Bank, New Brunswick Canada, E9E 2P3
Telephone: 506 836-7452
Fax: 506 836-7805
E-mail: mirainn@nbnet.nb.ca

http://www.miramichiinn.com/english/english.htm

They specialize in Salmon fishing and upland hunts. They have a large log main structure with bedrooms for some guests or separate log cabins if you want which have a living room and a small kitchen. The main lodge has a large main room for relaxing, amber liquids and a pool table. It also has the main dining room where all meals are served. They have a chef that cooks some great meals. They are rated a four start establishment and they deserve the rating. They have a small kennel and will provide dogs if needed.

My observation has been that the area gets serious hunting pressure and it may be best to book early. Some of the local covers we hunted didn’t produce and had obviously had been hunted hard. We expressed our concerns and they took us off to hunt more distant covers that held more game but at a cost of driving time.

It isn’t cheap but for the quality of the accommodations and the hunting, it was reasonably priced. I did go back.

It has been several years since I hunted with them so this report may be dated?

[Bindlestiff]

Miller Outdoors Guide Service

Miller Outdoors
1185 NH Route 16
Dummer, NH 03588-5323
(603) 449-2333
E-mail

They advertise several types of hunting, deer, moose, bear, coyote, turkey and snowshoe hare but I have only used them for snowshoe hare. They have a camp with separate bedrooms, bath, living room and full kitchen but you must provide your own food, bath towels and bed linen (sleeping bag). The camp lodging is provided at a small cost over and above the cost of the guided hunt. They provided a couple of very nice beagle dogs for our hunt.

The day I hunted with them the snow was very deep and soft. Snowshoes were required but with the soft snow the going was difficult even with snowshoes. The dogs were real troupers, the snow conditions were extreme for the dogs but they did manage to get snowshoe hares running. We had a good day but the results were meager but through no fault of Miller Outdoors or the dogs, the snow conditions favored the hare’s survival.

The cost was very reasonable.

[Bindlestiff]

Shoot-A-Hare Guide Service http://www.shootahare.com

Shoot-A-Hare Guide Service
100 Dutil St
Berlin, NH 03570
Phone: (603)752-2957 or (603) 915 6032

They specialize in snowshoe hare and moose hunts in the Northern New Hampshire woods. They provide nice accommodations in a cabin environment that has separate bedrooms, bath, a living room with TV and a full kitchen offered for a nominal additional cost to the weekend guided hunt. You need to bring your own supplies of food, bath towels and bed linen (sleeping bags). Beagle dogs are provided for your hunt.

They seem to only offer hunts on weekends and the cost is very reasonable. The dogs I hunted with were very good and they hunted in a small pack of four. We had snowshoes running from the time we entered the woods and had to call of the dogs at the end of the day.

They are very reasonably priced.

[Labowner]

This is a great idea Robin, thanks.

[charlie cleveland]

robin how long are you planning to hunt.....i see some pretty good prices for quail hunting in the back of hunting magazines.... them boys would like that... theres usally a lot of action in good quail territory...just a thought ..... charlie

[Bindlestiff]

Hi Charlie,

How long depend on my boys, I would like at least a 5 day hunt but their schedules might reduce that to 3. Anything less wouldn't be of much interest to me.

I have never hunted quail and would love to give it a try. But, I have looked into hunting them many years back and what I saw was on the extreme side of expensive; so I gave up on the idea. What magazines are you reading with the good prices?

I was thinking a trip to the mid-west for pheasant might be nice because I have never hunted there. But, more likely it will be a classic upland hunt for woodcock and grouse in New England or Canada just because its close to home.

Water foul or shore bird hunting in the South sounds like a hoot, somewhere down near the gulf but I haven't been in a wet blind or boat in 30 or 40 years. Also, I am not sure I have the gun(s) for water foul hunting.

My sister live in the Phoenix area and my boys are very close to her and don't see her as often as they would like. A desert quail hunt could be a draw for them because they could stay and visit her too. The last person I talk to about a desert quail hunt in Arizona sort of threw cold water on the idea because they painted a picture where its too dangerous to hunt there because of the border issues. Armed illegals smuggling drugs ...

I am up for about anything that would entice my two boys (they are twins in their early 30's) to go off with the old man for a hunt.

As an aside, I have wondered why there are no hunting guides or lodge businesses advertising in Parker Pages. I would think we would be a great source of clients for them? I suggest that when any of us go on a guided hunt or stay at a hunting lodge, we take along some old copies of Parker Pages for them to read, maybe we can get them to advertise with us and get some good deals for PGCA members too.

[C.O.B.]

Robin while I have not been on a guided bird hunt if you look at the adds in Shooting Sportsman you will find lots of places. They host a Readers and Writers wing shoot at several places each year. These are all commercial outfitters and if you wanted a South Dakota Pheasant hunt for example they have gone to several lodges.

Another idea might be to post your question on their forum as well.

[Steve Hodges]

Robin- I have been on many guided hunts, as many of us have I am sure. What I have learned, as late as my archery hunt last year in Idaho for Elk, is that we “should have been here last week”, or “to bad your are not going to be here next week”. I am talking Alaska to Newfoundland, and a lot of ground in between. That being said, I would not have passed on any, oh, maybe one. The lesson is you have to be really careful on guided hunts, and the majority of the many I have been on have been less that steller, and that is not because of opting for "cheap hunts". That does not seem to matter. My best hunts are "do it yourself" hunts, either here in central NH, in Pa archery for deer, or up at camp in Pittsburg, NH. Caveat emptor.

[Mills]

My wife and I went to Crane's Lochaven Lodge in Canada before the kids came. It is 4 hours north of Toronto on the French River.

http://www.cranes-lochavenlodge.com/