Just how I see it

[checkerfred]

I Feel the same way. I’d rather hunt public and kill basket racks than hunt a paid outfitter hunt for just a trophy. For me and the public I hunt, just seeing a buck can be tough sometimes. Some areas are low population too. I get more satisfaction by the hard work required.

I do have some private land but it’s not primo managed land. Just some small acre lots that I have permission to hunt. Just as hard as public land to hunt for me

[tgreeno]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not judging anyone. I could really care less what others do. I've said nothing negative about other people.

I was just giving some insight on what makes me tick!

I have hunted some public land in my past. Mostly little 30-40 acre patches of woods, with some deer traveling thru.

[SmallJawNH]

Is there a part to it where some satisfaction comes from success in spite of other hunters? Figuring out what others couldn't or wouldn't bother to? People I've talked to so far in Texas look down on public land which actually motivates me to work even harder.

[Dewey]

I have done two guided hunts for bear and would do it again. Both hunts were a great experience. As I look at both bear mounts on my wall I remember the experience just like I do with any of my many buck mounts.

I get much more satisfaction doing things myself but that doesn’t mean I won’t consider a guided hunt on another species other than deer in the future.

Every single buck I killed was done the hard way and on public land. I don’t see that ever changing. I enjoy putting everything I have into hunting whitetail. If I ever kill a Booner it will be paid for with blood, sweat and maybe even a few tears.

[Boogieman1]

Easy for me to answer, I couldn't afford to shoot a doe with an outfitter. The full experience is what keeps me coming back, the scouting, the picking the perfect tree, learning the wind pattern and determining why and when to strike. You take any of those away it just feels more like shooting than anything else.

[Rob loper]

Not my cup of tea, but to each their own. One thing the outfitter can't do is take the shot for them. So they at least deserve some credit for that when successful. Some people have lives that are short on time and long on money. At least they're out hunting and not at an antihunting rally. I just don't want them telling me how great of a hunter they are. When in actuality they're more of a shooter.

Good point stash and true

[Sailfish_WC]

I've never considered using an outfitter up to this point.

Doesn't matter to me what someone else does or doesn't do either though. Can't worry about who does what, buys what, shoots what, etc

[Swamp_donkey]

I've never hunted with an outfitter as I enjoy the challenge of figuring out a piece of land and how the deer use it. Have hunted out of province with friends before (public and private) but never paid to hunt anywhere. In the future if I decided to hunt a state or province where I had no connections or needed a to buy a tag through an outfitter I would most likely look at doing a self guided hunt. So basically just getting access to an area to hunt. Not sure if that'll ever happen but I don't think I'd likely want to go sit on a bait pile in a prehung stand someone else setup and scouted. Having guided a decent bit I realize it still comes down to the individual with the fishing rod or gun or bow or whatever to take advantage of the opportunities they are presented with. But like I said previously. I like the challenge of figuring things out so I can take all the credit

[Babshaft]

Not my cup of tea, but to each their own. One thing the outfitter can't do is take the shot for them. So they at least deserve some credit for that when successful. Some people have lives that are short on time and long on money. At least they're out hunting and not at an antihunting rally. I just don't want them telling me how great of a hunter they are. When in actuality they're more of a shooter.

Perfectly put!

[Edcyclopedia]

Now I'm not talking about guys, who are putting in the work and creating good hunting habitat on their own lands. Scouting those bucks, and killing them there-selves.

It is different - I call this growing their bucks instead of buying their bucks

I'd do it either way.

Probably only buy the buck once.

If I could afford land and grow them I'd do that too...

However there is nothing like taking on 10-20k acres of public land.
I'm a descendant of the Crocketts (black sheep of course), EDDY Crockett STYLE

[Edcyclopedia]

dbl post

[mnswamphunter]

I agree. It is about the hunt. The most memorable seasons for me is the one that I am engaged in the scouting, prep and hunting all year. The seasons that I am too busy and as a result I just was able to hunt the season for a few days. These are the seasons that fade into the back ground.

[Rich M]

It is about what you want to get out of it.

My idea of hunting is to relax, enjoy a few long weekends in the woods, bring home a deer or two. I don't find fulfillment in scouting year round, hunting every day possible, and basically making a job out of it.

[JoeRE]

How I see it is do what you enjoy. Maybe that is all some people want, a $5000 outfitted hunt every year in prime big buck country. Its not for me at all, and I would happily explain why, but I will give them a pat on the back if they are having a lot of fun doing that and conducting themselves with decent ethics. Better than no hunting at all.

Rich M., you are doing what you enjoy. Way to go, that's what its all about!! I see some people making themselves miserable every fall, burning themselves out. Man that has to be a crappy life.

I sometimes think hunters act like a pack of starving dogs. As times get tougher we start eating each other alive. Yea I sometime feel that urge too....but its pretty sad.

What I do is enjoyable to me because I am a little nuts. A little off the end of the bell curve. If you think everyone around you is crazy...probably the opposite is true That means most people would not find it fun, and I have no problem with that.

[Redman232]

Most of the private I hunt has way, way , way more pressure than the public land I hunt, but it's closer to home so I hunt it more(We counted 14 stands on 1-80 acre parcel while rabbit hunting a couple weeks ago). No matter how much I scout and prepare beforehand, after killing a mature buck a part of me knows that there is still a lot of dumb luck involved. We are hunting an animal with free will, so all the stars still need to align to make it happen. I've never hunted with an outfitter so I don't know for sure how I would feel after killing a buck with one, but for the right price I would probably do it. I can't imagine having the same satisfaction as one I've "earned", but I would do it for the experience. If i won a high fence hunt I might even consider that, again just for the experience. I really enjoy chasing different animals in different habitats and circumstances, and I assume others are the same way. As long as your being ethical and enjoying yourself I'm good with it. I think the most important thing is being humble and honest with yourself first and foremost and then obviously with others as well.