Guided/outfitted hunts

[Bobcat]

Anyone care to share their experiences with guided hunts?

Usually, I’m a DIY guy but sometimes I think it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

In my hunting career of over 60 years I have been on 3 guided hunts. The first one was in 1999, I hunted pronghorns with Table Mountain Outfitters. Scott and Angie were just getting into the business and I decided to give them a try. It was money very well spent! Now they are one of, if not the, biggest outfitters in the business.

My second outfitted hunt was pretty much a necessity, in 2018, I hunted Cape Buffalo and Plains game in Tanzania. There are no DIY options for that trip. I had a great time and shot some very fine trophies!

The last one was a bear hunt in Idaho with Cameron Outfitters. I didn’t get a bear but it wasn’t for lack of trying on their part! We hunted hard and saw a lot of game, just no bears. I would recommend them without any hesitation, a first class outfit!

I’m currently looking at another pronghorn hunt for 2027. I have hunted pronghorns many times DIY and had some memorable experiences and killed some great bucks but this will be my antelope swan song and I’m going to do my best to shoot a giant.

So how were your experiences?

 

[Leomar]

I’m definitely a DIY guy at heart but I’ve come to appreciate the value of guided hunts. When you find the right outfit, it really feels like a worthwhile investment. The first guided hunt I went on was a bit of a spontaneous decision and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed letting someone else take care of the logistics for a change. Instead of spending half the trip figuring out access points, scouting locations and learning local patterns, I could actually concentrate on the hunt itself. That made it all worth it for me. The most important factor is the guide’s attitude. When you have someone who truly loves what they do, the entire experience transforms. I’ve been on hunts where we didn’t tag out but I still left feeling like I got my money’s worth because we worked hard, explored new areas and I picked up a bunch of little tips I wouldn’t have learned on my own.