Guided Hunt Success/Harvest Ratio

[Bljc34]

I have a question for people that take guided hunts.
I have never been on a guided hunt for 2 reasons. 1. Never really been able to afford it until recently and 2. The fear of not being successful or having to pay for a bad experience. I understand that you really have to do your research on the outfit that you choose to reduce these fears but if I can only ever go on one guided hunt, I would still have them.

The question is, What is your harvest ratio on the guided hunts that you have taken? Also, how many hunts have been with great vs terrible guides?

Thanks

 

[WCB]

I've been on both sides of this coin.

Being a client I have been on 7guided hunts (1 Africa, 1 New Zealand, 2 MT Mule Deer, 1 Texas Aoudad, and 2 times in one year with the same guide wolf hunting in Alberta). Take Africa out as I was 12 but still shot stuff and we hunted common stuff so no issues with success.

If you count animals targeted vs killed I am 4/8 or 4/7 depending if you count both trips to Alberta separate. Only hunt I did not have an opportunity at an animal was in Albert Wolf hunting. Also, have not missed on a hunt but have passed chip shots on smaller or young animals. So I will say 100% on shot opportunity overall.

One guide was ok/good no complaints I killed my animal and was very happy. The rest have been great.

Remember YOU the CLIENT are a big part of this factor. Know your abilities and be realistic. I have been in camps where guys have had great guides but them as clients couldn't physically (or mentally) hunt correctly/hard enough for what the situation demanded. Not the guides fault but the guys couldn't understand how others were having great hunts and they weren't. Then in private would question the guides ability.

Also, be prepared even if you do your research for a different experience not necessarily bad. One deer hunt had some weird circumstances out of everyone's control that led to our guide having to leave after day two and basically was self/semi guiding from there. Hunt was still great and killed my biggest muley to date. I know from guiding at least 50% of guys would have thrown a fit and ruined their own hunt.

As a guide I had one guy leave with one unfilled tag. Including missed shots well over 100% shot opportunity. All on good representative or better animals for the area (elk, whitetail, mule deer, antelope). Not sure if the clients considered me great or terrible but everyone that came back requested me specifically even the guy that left with an unfilled tag.

If you hunt you know it is not guaranteed. Realize a free range guided hunt is hunting. I've worked harder on some of the guided hunts than 90% of guys have on their DIY hunts and still came up empty.

 

[Nickziegler]

7 guided hunts for me.
Ontario black bear- not successful
British columbia mountain goat- successful
Colorado mountain lion- successful
Kodiak alaska blacktails- successful
Africa- successful
Wi black bear - successful x2
Also have trips coming up to NZ and Newfoundland as well as a DIY Wy antelope.
All outfitters and guides have been great.
Do you research and you shouldn't have any issues. With that if you can't afford to come home empty handed you probably shouldn't do the hunt.

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[Rich M]

Let's back up. What do you want to hunt for? Private ranch hunt vs public vs mountain hunt....

Do your homework and ask em what their success rate is - most guides will tell you.

If the guide is booked for the next 2 years, it might say something about the operation. If he's begging you to go, ask yourself why.

 

[TheGrayRider]

All of the guides I have hired worked extremely hard. However, overcoming disappointment on an unsuccessful, guided 10 day backpacking sheep hunt was a tough pill to swallow.

Felt like being runner-up in a state championship game. So close yet so far. Made me a better hunter and much more appreciative of the outdoors and the opportunities we have in our country.

The assistant guide worked very hard, and we saw numerous rams during the hunt - just nothing totally legal and full-curl.

Perform your due diligence, get in the best shape you can, buy the best equipment you can afford, and finally, only spend your disposable income. No guarantees in free-Range mountain hunting. Best of luck!

 

[Doc Holliday]

I have been on 3 hunts where I paid an outfitter, all successful and very different from each other:

1 whitetail hunt in Kansas on private land... I would say more semi guided. The only guy in camp who didn't kill was drunk every day and was just hiding from his wife. I now own a small farm in GA with deer, so dont plan on ever paying for a whitetail hunt again. This was a $2,500 hunt, the lodging and food were terrible, but I didn't expect much in that dept.. the "guides" were 20 somethings who smoked pot every night. Killed my personal best whitetail.

1 sheep/caribou hunt in NWT - people not successful on this hunt could be out of shape, not be proficient with their weapon, or just have bad luck. This was an epic adventure that kicked my ass and changed my whole outlook on life.. .I wish I had the coin to do it again. Because of the way the Canadian government regulates their concessions...hunts and outfitters in this category are generally going to be top notch across the board...its more about showing up in the best shape of your life and being able to shoot a long ways. Friends for life with guide and outfitter.

1 elk hunt in Montana on private ranch - gentleman's hunt, easy living, lots of elk. You would have to either be too picky or be a bad shot to not be successful. I will probably not do a hunt like this again until I am older and no longer able to go into the mountains. Awesome guides and cook. Friends for life.

(I have a drop camp archery elk hunt scheduled for this Sept in a Colorado OTC unit.)

 

[wind gypsy]

Everyone has something different they are looking to get out of a hunt.

I have done one guided hunt (dall sheep) with a top notch outfitter, my guide and packer were fantastic - treated me like a friend rather than a client and were good at what they do. I shot a sheep that exceeded what I was hoping for. At the end of the hunt, i still felt less fullfilled than I have on my typical annual general tag elk hunts. Cant escape the feeling that while the experience was awesome, the success was bought rather than earned through decisions, research, and perseverance.

That said, I'll still probably hire a guide again someday but I know that some of the things that make hunts rewarding will be traded for convenience and better odds of success.

 

[dtrkyman]

From a different point of view, I have guided whitetail hunts in the Midwest for 15 or so seasons.

My clients went 0 for 13 one season, that’s right 13 arrows launched and zero deer killed


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