iDoHunting.com: Is using an Outfitter your best option?

Just an awesome view!

Have you ever tossed around the idea of trying out a guide or an outfitter but often wondered if it would be worth the money and if you can really trust them? Many of folks have, and for the most part after checking around and doing a little background check, you can find a respectable outfitter that will treat you well.

It seems nowadays that we all live a very busy lifestyle. Most hunters who have the dream of shooting a nice buck are either in the predicament of not knowing where to go and what to do or they are so busy with their everyday life that they are not able to get out and hunt their hunting area the way they want to.

There are many folks today, that for as much as they learn and try their best, still have a hard time applying that knowledge in the woods. There are a lot of us that fall into this category, so if you’re reading this and it relates to how you feel about yourself, don’t feel alone.

And last but not least there are the hunters that have bit the big bullet and have made a purchase on some awesome property or have hooked up and got on a lease, but then later found that there’s more to this then they thought as far as maintaining the land, planting food sources – plots, trying to find time to travel back and forth while hanging stands and paying taxes. Most of the time I hear the stories about how their family life tends to run into trouble here and there and they get frustrated.

I have many times spoken with hunters from all three of these examples and they have asked me what my opinion is towards trying a hunting guide or an outfitter. The biggest concern is if the money is worth it.

Bluffs, Valleys and Food Sources

Well back in 2005 I asked myself the same question. I had invited some very close friends of mine to come and hunt with me in WI. At first we were just small talking about the idea and then it became a plan. Now comes the hard part, I knew that my old tromping grounds held some very nice deer but you really had to work at it because of the layout of the land. Yes, you could end up harvesting a nice buck but it was more of a season effort. My friends were only up for a week and I really wanted to increase the odds and be in a zone that carried a higher percentage of nicer bucks. So I started doing my homework and in turn I found a good option and located an additional property to hunt. Now things were looking great until another light bulb turned on. Stands! Yikes, I had to somehow get to the property and pre-scout, think fast and set up enough deer stands for 3 additional hunters and enough options to hunt a week moving around two different properties. Yes this can all happen, but in the back of my mind, my most important concern was that my friends (Jesse and Ginger) would have a great experience here in WI. These folks were driving all the way up from Georgia and I wanted to make sure my friends had a great time and the ability to build a lifetime memory.

This is when I tossed the idea around of hooking up with an outfitter or a guide. I wanted to hunt with someone who already had a good idea of what may be roaming in the area and someone who had already hung their stands in relation to deer travel routes and feeding zones.

I at this point got in touch with Butch Fox who owns and operates Bluff Bucks Outfitters. I told him that I had a few friends coming up and I asked him if he had any openings. My thought was, here at least we had a great opportunity to see some nice deer being in Buffalo County WI and after hearing all the stories about the monster bucks that roam the area.

I think what drew me towards wanting to hook up with Butch, was the fact that he has been in the area for about as long as I have been around. So the knowledge of deer habits and travel, with the fact that one of his highest priorities was not over booking to many hunters per week, and over pressuring the guides and the property hunted. For me being new to all of this, were the points that really told me this could be an exciting week, my friends and I should be in for a great trip.

What I was not ready for that added to the awe and great memories of the hunt, was the view, the hospitality, the people and the excitement of seeing monster bucks and hearing the valleys echo when a pair of bucks would go at it. Totally unreal!

The lodge a great place to hang out at afterwards

Let me back up, seeing nice deer – yes that was at the top of the list, but I never before that time seen so many different and awesome looking bucks on the move. That was so cool. Talk about being in a hunter's dream!

The View – wow! You swore you were on your own little side of the mountain. The view was really humbling to see being in a stand on the upper side of one of those bluffs and to look down in the valleys below in which seemed miles away. Or to glass across to another bluff - here again it seemed like a dream. To hear a big old buck grunting and thrashing thru the hillside while chasing a doe, or to see the lush farm crops, the memories last forever.

To save the best for last

The Hospitality - I really never ever expected all the individual catering. Everyone in camp, all the hunters not just us, were treated like kings. Every meal had something special to it. The lodging was always a site to see in its own special hunting camp way. The one on one bonding and respect you gained with your guide that you had while at camp was unique. Everyone was dedicated to hooking you up with a buck of a lifetime and a hunt that will live with you forever.

Butch pretty much covered every possible question there was to being there for the hunter in his camp – even right down to having an Archery Pro-Shop with a good selection hunting supplies and additional clothing – this comes in very handy at times which we all know too well.

A Great Hunt!

My friends and I really had a great time, and I think after the first night out, Jesse and Ginger were hooked for sure on the big Buffalo County bucks. All the memories and camaraderie cannot be expressed enough, all of this is what really makes for a great hunt and yes I did harvest a dandy 10 pointer which is the icing on the cake for a great week.

If you’re ever in the same predicament or you are experiencing some of the challenges that I listed above, this may be a great opportunity for you to have one of the best hunts ever.

Thanks to Butch and all the folks at Bluff Bucks Outfitters for a great time!

Jeff Heeg

Here’s a link if you would like to check to check Bluff Bucks Outfitters out some time

http://bluffbucks.net/