Guides-and using them

[AverageJoe]

Just depends on what is the most important factor of the hunt. If a trophy animal is how you judge your hunt, hiring a guide is not a bad idea. If the hunt itself and the personal hard work put into it is the more important factor, go DIY.

[kidso]

I like to do things on my own, but like Coues N' Sheep said, sometimes laws require you to hire a guide...like grizzly bear or brown bear hunting in Alaska as a non-resident. I want to predator call a grizz and a brownie up in Alaska and the only way to do that legally is to drop some serious coin on a guide. Do I think I could do it alone...certainly! However, paying a guide to tap into their knowledge of an area you are unfamiliar with and who knows the behaviors and patterns of the critters you are targeting in that area is priceless.

[Guest 300ultramag.]

Kidso-

 

 

http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID59/19.html

[100%DIYazCOUES]

Well my name on here pretty much says how I prefer to hunt.for me,the scouting,work,hunting,headaches,deerless days,failures,successes,processing my own

meat.. are all equally valuable aspects of hunting.and when they all come together,the satisfaction I feel is unbelievable, and its why I hunt. I would feel like I was cheating myself out of that satisfaction if I was having someone else do any of those things for me.hunting is most rewarding for me doing it all,putting in all the effort myself,from start to finish.

Having said that,I have zero problem with people hiring guides if that's how they want to hunt.I can also see it for people hunting a different state or country.

[mattys281]

Ive considered hiring one in the past simply for the educational value. Cameron Hanes made a good point in his book that you can learn more about elk during one hunt with a professional guide then you can in years of bumbling around the woods on your own. So on that note, id still like to hunt on my own, but if theres a pro on here thats willing to take me scouting, I dont mind payson ng a reasonable fee for a good education. Specifically i wouldnt mind some help with muleys and elk. Coues deer are easy!

[twowindy]

I have guided for money and just to help out friends and family.Every one has their own opinions on this .Some people don't feel comfortable doing it on their own.They might not know how to take care of an animal once it is down or they might just want some help.Most of us on this site have friends or family we hunt with but there is a lot of people that don't have some one to go with.I say to each his own.I will say that scouting to me is as much fun as the hunt and if you hire a guide you are missing out that part of the hunt.

[azhuntnut]

I think it all comes down to the person making the choice. I have guided guys in the past that were plenty capable of doing it on there own, but didn't feel they could make it happen and some just didn't have time to scout. I have one client that I have guided five years in a row for archery javelina. He tags out each time and says I will see you next year. I do my best to make sure everybody has a great time and tags an animal. I enjoy taking care of my lawn and all the other work around my house, but I no problem hiring a professional to do it for me. I hired a guide 22 years ago for my first wt hunt since I had no clue how to hunt them and where to hunt. David

[firstcoueswas80]

You can't replace experience. No amount of summer scouting can ever replace the amount of experience a guide/outfitter has in an area. Knowing what and where the animals go after opening day is, imho, what a hunter pays for.

[BeardownAZ]

I gather 3 things from the opinions on here. One, some people want more than anything just to be able to fill there tag regardless if its them doing the work or someone else. Two, some people want the experiance of the guide to learn off of and pay the money for a "apprenticeship" kinda learning. Three, Some places require it to hunt there. I like the idea of number 2 the best. Learning is something that pays back for years to come. Number three is a requirement in some instances so no opinion on that. I guess I see experiance coming from participation not hiring someone to do it. You cant buy real world experiance. It has to be lived. A guide has that experiance from going out, scouting, hunting. I like the idea of the scout for you thing I seen awhile back. Cheaper, and gives you a starting point that still requires you to do the work and ability to practice your hunting skills while not having to be gone every weekend if work or home life is a little too busy to get out. Utlimately I will always be a DIY as thats where I get my satisfaction from. Unless I go to to Alaska, or Africa(after the Ebola apocalypse).

[mattys281]

Im much the same. I like the satisfaction/frustration of doing things 100% on my own. But..... as I get older, my income level has increased to allow me to afford much more than I used to be able to, but the trade off to that is a lack of time, as stated by others. I get that angle. My job takes about 50 hours per week, my small business gets me for another 20-40, im married, have a baby, a thirteen year old thats also busy and wants to go hunting to.... as much as the proud, stuborn, pigheaded twenty-something version of myself who cringe at the idea, the mid-thirties version of me sees the merit of hiring some help to get more productivity out of my very very limited time. I can see me giving it a try at some point in the years to come, although it will most likely be on an out of state hunt.

[Irish Rob]

I have been on both sides of this coin... and after being forced to go on guided/outfitted hunts (due to state or country laws) I can tell you that it is a BLAST!! There is sooo much less stress... no logistics to worry about.... No, "What are we gunna do tomorrow now that our Plan A is shot to He!!"... no drama.... Just focus on what you are there for: The Hunt! It is something I would pay for every year if I had the time or the money! It is similar to me paying someone to work on my cars so that I can Drive Them! Many can't afford the time off work or away from their businesses to have a good enough grasp on the unit and the animals in it to have a really good quality hunt.... for many it is financially less damaging to hire than to take that time away from day to day life... and lets face it, the tags come way to far and few between to not Maximize each and every opportunity. Soooo many guys turn it into something it is not.... and unless you have tried it (and had a good experience) you really are in no position to judge it....I have been blessed to go on some AMAZING guided/outfitted hunts and I try to be the guide that I would want to guide me. I guide because I love hunting, finding, and putting my hands on BIG critters it is also why I would hire at the drop at a hat!! There will always be haters but the Truth is... KNOWING is half the battle... because "thinking" is really what spawns the haters.... IMHO.

This is me. I DIY my deer hunts, I know the country and the logistics are basic. I hire for elk, I don't live up north, a well fitted out 7 day camp can be big logistics, and I get two weeks off a year. I trade money for precious time. OBTW still only 50 percent success, but a good hunt with good company every year. It's still "hunting" not "shooting".

[KeithV]

Bear Down, this topic has been an interesting read. I was fortunate to grow up here in safford where the hunting and outdoors were just a few minutes away. I also had a father that got me out in the hills at a very young age i know a lot of the country around like the back of my hand. Therefore the thought of hiring a guide never ocurred to me but< I can see the point if someone grew up in the city or didnt have anyone they knew that hunted. The knowledge i have recieved from my dad and his friends was priceless. On any given day I can be behind glass and looking at deer after work and do exactly that a lot of people dont have it that way. If im not successful its my own fault for not being in shape or hoping I find him closer tomorrow haha. I love being out there and teaching my kids as well.

[johnnie blaze]

I see it as selling your soul. All the time spent on the mountain that PH's do, is sold for a price. Im a charity guide, but I do it with friends that show a unique interest in the sport. If it is truly.that enjoyable... do it fo free...surely any animal deserves hard work by the one who takes its life. PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT! ;-p

[Explorer]

You don't know where/how to hunt. Pay a guide. You don't know how to pick up women/ get a date. You pay a pimp to find find you one. Same thing in my book. Cept guides are legal.

[mattys281]

You don't know where/how to hunt. Pay a guide. You don't know how to pick up women/ get a date. You pay a pimp to find find you one. Same thing in my book. Cept guides are legal.

Maybe just me but I dont see a problem with hiring a pro in either situation. Both will likely send you home knowing some new tricks! Hopefully you wont need a shot of penicillin after using the guides services though.... and if you do, post that story on a different forum please.