How You Will Be Deer Hunting
This is not a canned, fenced, or guaranteed hunt. You will earn your trophy and we expect you to hunt as hard and diligently as we work to put you on them. We like to book true hunters who realize that they are here for a trophy, but who also measure the quality and experience of a hunt by more than just the kill. If you come with this attitude, you will not be disappointed.
For each hunting trip, your guide will provide you with the best information on how we do our hunting and the most effective techniques. We know your hunting time is precious, so we make sure each hunter is fully prepared for the day ahead.
Hunting strategy is discussed and stands picked according to the wind, weather, and recent animal signs. Some stands are easily reached by ATV, while others require long walks after the trail ends. Your capabilities and wishes will be discussed beforehand.
We hunt from dawn until dark along key runways, scrapes, travel corridors, and feeding areas out of ground blinds, ladder stands, and some portable lock-in stands. We arrange heated blinds when the weather gets too cold. While some stands will be overlooking fields or cuts and could require long-range shooting, most stands are situated in the bush where shots average 40-100 yards. This maximizes contact during the bucks’ daytime movements through cover. Most stands will also be baited to keep does in the area. This keeps the bucks competitive, coming in from other areas, constantly checking for does in estrus, and very receptive to calls and rattling.
Your guide will check on you at noon by radio. If you shot or killed a buck he will track and/or retrieve your animal and transport you to camp for congratulations, field dressing, pictures and care of your game. If you are still hunting, he will be scouting, setting and baiting stands (as he did in the morning), until he comes to pick you up at dark to take you back to the lodge for another great meal (you will not go home having lost weight), and a recap of the day’s hunt. After that, it’s back to your room for a good night’s sleep, because 4:00 AM will come again soon enough!
Items To Bring:
- License or hunter’s safety card, proving past hunting experience, that we can keep or photocopy. Without that, a license cannot be issued. No exceptions, it is the law – Very Important!
- Warm Clothing, hats, and boots. Layered clothing and felt-lined boots are essential. Do not underestimate needs: you will be on a stand from daylight until dark, with average temperatures from 30 degrees down to -20 degrees. The colder the weather, the better the hunting, so come prepared to stick it out. If you are just trying to survive the day, you aren’t likely to kill a big buck.
- 50% non-camo blaze orange jacket or vest and hat – Very Important!
- Backpack to carry clothing in to stands to prevent sweating.
- Weapon of at least .25 caliber for rifles, with a good partition style bullet. We prefer you use .270 to .300 caliber; these are tough, big-bodied animals that can take a punch. For muzzleloaders, we recommend .50 caliber (scopes and in-lines are legal) and 50-pound bows or 150-pound crossbows (legal).
- Personal safety strap – Very Important!
- Small portable propane heater, if you want one in your blind, and hand warmers.
- If you have a climber or strap-in stand, bring it. Sometimes we find a hot setup while scouting, and, to minimize human scent and activity, we may want to stick you in the next day before light, rather than going back in again to set a stand.
- If you smoke, bring along a nicotine substitute to get you through the day. No smoking allowed on stands – Very Important!
- Scent free bag for hunting clothing during transportation, meals, and lodging.
- Scent lock suits are excellent because our wind directions can shift several times a day; but do not use scents, either sex or cover-up, without guide’s consent.
- Grunt Call.
- Soft case for transporting weapon to and from stands during darkness hours – Very Important!
