Guided Hunts and Hunting Lodges

[6pt-Sika]

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 the Gun Guy]

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.