Guided Hunts and Hunting Lodges

[Robin Lewis]

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.

[Robin Lewis]

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 (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?

[Robin Lewis]

Miller Outdoors Guide Service

Miller Outdoors (http://www.milleroutdoors.com/index.htm)
1185 NH Route 16
Dummer, NH 03588-5323
(603) 449-2333
E-mail (contact@milleroutdoors.com)

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.

[Robin Lewis]

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.

[E Robert Fabian]

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

[Robin Lewis]

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.

[Rich Anderson]

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.

[Stephen 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 Morrison]

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/

[Linn Matthews]

Robin
I would suggest Riverview Plantation in GA (Quail Hunting at Riverview Plantation | Southwest Georgia ...)
Contact is Cader Cox 111 or IV.
Quail is hunted, they had 200 dogs the last time I was there.
Large lodge where meals are served, several smaller lodges on the property for guests
You can hunt morning and afternoon or pretty much any combo. There is a large trout pond on the premises if you need more relaxation
First class service. Gun safety is a priority with the family. Game is packaged for you to take with you. Airport pickup is available. This is the best place that I have ever hunted!

Linn

[Mills Morrison]

While on the subject of quail hunting, my wife and I go to Morrison Pines Plantation in Moultrie, Ga, every year and we highly recommend it.

http://www.morrisonpines.com/

[Craig Parker]

http://www.falconsledge.com/
http://www.pvhunting.com/

I'm thinking a cast and blast would be a great getaway, passing this on.
I moved from the area last year and do miss this place a lot, did even use there birds during the open bird seasons to keep dogs seeing birds to improve there drive or maybe it was just me. They have fields to fit each guys fitness and needs, the birds are strong, dogs might have to pin a bird and/or hunt him up. I did not try the fishing but planning a trip back up in couple weeks and maybe then. Keith and Brent are really good guys. Might have look for work while there cause it's damn hot here in Okla,had been gone for 4yrs and enjoyed them highs in the 85's there.

Craig

[CraigThompson]

My first guided hunt was in 1991 to Zortman Montana . We killed mulies on the C.M.Russell NWR . The guy who guided us there was a transplanted Virginian and to be honest I don't even know if he's alive anylonger !

My second guided trip was with a fellow in Lincolnville Maine for deer . I know for a fact he is no longer in the buisness as he has since sold his bear hunting operation he had around Old Towne to another fellow .

My next semi guided try was White Oak Plantation in Tuskegee Alabama . They have also closed up shop as of a couple years ago now .

After that I hunted with a couple fellows in Dorchester County Maryland for Sika deer . One bunch has closed down but Muddy Marsh is still going but bowhunting only . These Sika deer guys I like , they take you to a treestand tell you where the deer typically come from and then leave you to yourself . I mainly deerhunt now and hunting to me is alot about solitude and being to myself .

I suppose my days of guided hunting are past . Nothing against it I just don't want some stranger sitting beside me in a blind or treestand . Now I opt for do it yourself or paying a tresspass fee to hunt on some place or what I call semi guided where they tell you whats what and send you on your merry way .

Now if I ever get the inclanation or the time to shoot an elk or moose that WILL BE guided as I don't wanna have to worry about getting that big SOB outta the where ever by myself !

[Larry Stauch]

For guys who haven't hunted too much, I think it's necessary to get them into a lot of shooting. They need to see what this hype is all about. They don't want to go on a nature walk with a gun in their hands and not see or shoot anything. To me, to do that you have to go to South Dakota on an "out of this world pheasant hunt". You have limited time and you can't go on a 2 week scouting trip first. Some of my friends try to do the "do it yourself thing" by getting the state publications and finding the walk in areas, but they are mildly successful. You want to go to the operations that have wild birds and lots of them, and they advertise that way. It really is unbelievable if you've never done it. It's something that they'll never forget and it will hook them. The great thing is you can shoot these Parkers that we're all wrapped up in and really experience what they were meant to do. Go to Dakotawildhunt.com or look at their ad on pg. 138 of the Sept/Oct Shooting Sportsman, that's no exaggeration of what it's like. A lot of the other commercial places like Firesteel Creek Lodge or Buffalo Butte or a host of others that have ads in this magazine or in Sporting Classics and are just as good. This really isn't hunting, it's shooting. But for people new to the sport they need to get a full injection right up front and these places will do it. I grew up in Idaho and I’ve hunted all kinds of game, trust me this will be a hit.

Good luck and please report back as to how it went, whatever you decide to do.

[Mills Morrison]

Very helpful information. We have been looking for a good pheasant hunting operation in South Dakota

[Craig Parker]

Maybe this is for the Mid-Con guy's. Headed to up Utah for upland and fishing in the Uintah's in 1 week but looking for maybe some prairie chickens on way back. Thanks Robin for starting this thead. So N.Kas, S.Neb and Bruce, Calvin and PGCA guys any help would be great. I'm going to try to get my Dad to come up and meet me for the hunt back, he just will not leave for very long, damn he should retire but that's him. Left Utah last year and enjoyed the 3 yrs there, I'm going to make this run so next year I can load up grandson's to add to the enjoyment, which they only made it up during spring break so bird farm and ice fishing was the norm. And yes I'll have to work on there Mom's being school is runnig but this is School too= right, Any thoughts would be helpful.:bowdown:

Thanks, Craig

[charlie cleveland]

craig some of the best schooling i ever got was in the woods and wilds of our great land... with a little help from others... charlie

[Craig Parker]

Charlie,
That's the how I look at it too, the times in the field on quail hunts w/ dad and grandpa was things that hang w/ me. And the holiday hunts w/ family well seem to be gone as they say but sand hills and plum thickets are always there. But I plan to leave my kids and grandkids w/ some thoughts of times gone bye or to think on later. My son and daughter are in busy part of there life but if I can steal the grandkids away I do. So not leaving till dove season starts on the 1st and we get a couple day in.

Craig

[Daryl Corona]

Just to add to Jent's post about Sandy Cedars these are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. I've hunted S. Dakota for 15 years now and I started with a group of 16-17 hunters in a typical pheasant drive where 14 or so walkers course the field, usually standing corn, sorghum or CRP and flush the birds to 3 or 4 blockers. Ok if you don't have a dog. But if you have a dog as I do you want to work your dog in a more controlled setting. That's when I found Sandy Cedars and Mike and Jim Puffer. These are all wild birds, no planted or released birds as there was in the prior operation I had hunted. You don't rely on sometime 100yds away flushing a bird and maybe you'll get a shot at it. It's you and your dog. If your dog does his job and you do yours you will end up with a bird. That's bird hunting in it's truest form whether it's pheasant, woodcock, grouse, etc. We hunt at our own pace on small parcels of cover. The lodge is very nice, food is great. Tell them Daryl sent you.