Turkey Outfitters....Arghhh!

[Farmboy27]

This is always what scares me about booking a hunt. I always worry if I'll be able to do things my way or be babysat and spoon fed the whole time. That being said, I totally understand the outfitters for doing what they do. They deal with all sorts of people all the time. I'm sure they have people who tell them that they're experts and don't need help and are really just beginners with the "I killed 2 birds at home so I can kill birds anywhere anytime" mentality. They make their living doing this and every unsuccessful hunter is potentially a bad review and black mark on their season. But I do agree that if they say that you can hunt the way you want then they should stand by their word.

[Dtrkyman]

Little perspective from the other side, I have guided turkey hunts over the past 15 years, I used to have large groups of non guided hunters and thought it was great, easy money.  My guided hunts were primarily guys who had little to no experience, and trust me guys everyone is an expert that shows up to hunt, however if guys were up front about what they wanted I never had an issue with letting them do there thing.

Keep in mind many of these self proclaimed experts were begging for help 2 days into a hunt when they had yet to connect, yet covered up in birds, hell I a client yell at me for calling to a bird too much after he shot it, I was literally laughing at him while he complained about my calling while his bird was still flopping around in the pasture.

If you book an unguided hunt I don't see where there is a problem, and if you pay for a guided hunt and do not need a guide then your just wasting money!

[MK M GOBL]

Did some guiding early in my turkey hunting career, things were always made clear on what you were paying for

Fully Guided (Included everything from a place to stay/eat/sleep to after the hunt was done)
Guided (I was there to do everything on the hunt other than pull the trigger)
Semi-Guided (You were put on land, shown boundaries, given tips on where birds were have been)
Un-Guided (You had land access, and boundaries of property...)

MK M GOBL

[Marc]

If a hunter specifically states what he is looking for in a hunt,...and the outfitter agrees to provide that, then he should do so.  If the outfitter cannot provide the type of opportunity the hunter is looking for, then he should just say so and the hunter can look for something more suitable.  Misrepresentation of what an outfitter is providing on a hunt is not acceptable, and it is especially not acceptable when the hunter spends a great deal of time and money to get there and the outfitter changes the agreed-upon parameters of the hunt.

I have done a number of guided fly-fishing trips and a few waterfowl hunts...  I have learned to email the outfitters as to my expectations.  When they respond to the email stating that my requests can be met, it is tough for them to argue that they never said any such thing when I pull out that printed copy of the email they sent...  (I have had that exact situation occur).

[catman529]

I've never messed with an outfitter, but my guess is that a lot of their customers are clueless and just want to experience turkey hunting. So they are used to leading people around by the hand and doing all the calling. I wonder how many experienced turkey hunters most outfitters will take in? Maybe it's not many... I don't really know.

[Marc]

I've never messed with an outfitter, but my guess is that a lot of their customers are clueless and just want to experience turkey hunting. So they are used to leading people around by the hand and doing all the calling. I wonder how many experienced turkey hunters most outfitters will take in? Maybe it's not many... I don't really know.

Having utilized and coming to know some hunting and fishing guides (never turkey thought), most say it is about 10-20 percent proficient clients, maybe 20 percent somewhat proficient, and the rest would completely flounder without guidance.

In contrast 80% of clients will profess to be very experienced and proficient...

With fishing guides, most have been very proficient...  With hunting guides I have seen some degree of variability...

My main goal with a hunting guide is to get access to a good location, and be put in an area with birds...  Myself and the guys I hunt with prefer a "hands-off" guide, and many do not care for that at all.

[mudhen]

Maybe because they don't want someone wondering all over their property or properties pushing the birds off on neighboring properties? And maybe they've been told this by others in the past and those persons didn't get a bird then they get on the web and run down their opporation?

90%+ likely this...

Everyone is an expert until they can't locate birds...

The only real remedy is to find good outfitters and stick with them...

[mudhen]

Maybe because they don't want someone wondering all over their property or properties pushing the birds off on neighboring properties? And maybe they've been told this by others in the past and those persons didn't get a bird then they get on the web and run down their opporation?

90%+ likely this...

Everyone is an expert until they can't locate birds...

The only real remedy is to find good outfitters and stick with them...