Hunting Trip recommendations

[HunterMan]

Looking for recommended outfitter for a trip any place besides Florida.

[GobbleNut]

Wow,...you have "narrowed it down" way too much for us in terms of recommendations!   

Kidding aside, I suspect your choices are endless.  I would recommend that if you are going to spend your money on an outfitter, do it for a hunt where it is necessary first.  There are plenty of places where hiring an outfitter is akin to throwing your hard-earned dollars out the window. 

On the other hand, there are also many places where the public-land hunting is so poor that you would most likely be better off spending those dollars to have a quality hunting experience.  Research will help you narrow down those places.

Then again, the flipside of that is that some of those quality, private-land, outfitted hunting experiences are nothing more than spending your money to, in essence, kill a "barnyard gobbler" that is equivalent to running down to your local grocery store and grabbing one out of the frozen food section.  If it is important, make it clear that you want to "hunt" a turkey,...not just "shoot" a turkey when dealing with any outfitter. 

Now, I recognize here that I have provided you with no real "concrete" information in terms of where to head.  Hopefully, though, I have given you some hints that will keep you from saying to yourself,..."Now why did I spend my money on THAT hunt?"  (Been there,...Done that)   

[eggshell]

Yup and yup. If you look at Texas or the west southwest the first question you need to ask is do you use feeders and the second is do you hunt from blinds. Yes to either is a bad omen

[culpeper]

I have been to a couple in northwest Nebraska, and suspect many are the same around the country, but both were more of a DIY such that the outfitter had great cabins and took you out on an all day scouting trip and showed where traditional roost site have been over the years and gave you a good sense of habitual travel routes...those Merriams can REALLY TRAVEL.  After that, the hunting was up to you.  This was exactly what we wanted.  They aren't hard to find, just takes some research.

[TurkeyReaper69]

If you want to go on an outfitted hunt and not just kill a bird, I would have to recommend Bent Creek Lodge in Alabama. I can't speak from experience as I have never been on an outfitted hunt. But I know that the guides at Bent Creek are some of the best turkey hunters you'll find and if you pay attention to what they are doing you are liable to learn a thing or twenty. 

If I ever went on an outfitted hunt, this is where I'd be heading. I encourage you to check them out.

Also, If you have deep pockets or are able to set aside a lot of cash to hunt perhaps check out the Parker Ranch in Hawaii.

[bbcoach]

As Gobblenut stated, Look for a semi guided hunt if possible.  With a semi, you are shown where the birds are and you hunt them.  This way you get to do your own calling and use your woodsmanship to kill a bird.  I've killed birds in South Dakota (snow hunt) and Kansas in the midwest, along with Florida and several local states.  Pick a couple of States with different topography and enjoy the TOTAL EXPERIENCE of your hunt, not a guide calling in a bird on the first morning, boom and your done.  My 2 cents.

[Hook hanger]

Virginia more turkeys than you could imagine!

[joey46]

Yup and yup. If you look at Texas or the west southwest the first question you need to ask is do you use feeders and the second is do you hunt from blinds. Yes to either is a bad omen

Agree 100%.  So many now are nothing more than sitting in a blind at a food plot.  Even at my age that is not acceptable.  I'm constantly on the look out for well established private land outfitters that do no more than allow access and point me in the right direction. 

[slicksbeagles1]

Mexico Gould's hunt El Halcon is first class