How I missed the buck of a lifetime

© By Othmar Vohringer

From the corner of my eye I caught some movement to my left. Lowering the binoculars and turning the head I saw a huge buck casually meandering across the gas pipeline right of way. “Where did he come from?” I mumbled to myself, surprised that I didn’t hear him walking on the frozen ground that close to me. The buck hasn’t see me hidden behind a tree and a few low growing bushes. At least that I did right. Quickly I dropped to one knee, removing the rifle from the shoulder and put it on the bipod all in one move. Then I picked up the binoculars again to check the buck’s rack. He was standing now about 50 yards from me sniffing the ground. Obviously a hot doe walked there and left her calling card.

I noticed right away that the buck had a huge set of antlers. I stopped counting by four. There were a lot more antler points sticking out everywhere. But four was all I needed to know to make sure he was legal to shoot. He was a monster and made my knees wobble. It was as a good thing that I was kneeling on the ground and not standing. I picked the rifle up and aimed at the buck’s vitals but could see through the scope that a few low hanging branches from a small pine covered the spot were I aimed at. If I move just a foot to my right I will have a clear shot. Just as I moved the buck noticed it and looked in my direction. I froze mid-movement. The buck kept looking at me not quite sure what I was. Then I moved another inch or two – I had to or risk getting a cramp in the leg – and that did it. The buck still didn’t know what I was but deemed it wise to get out of there. With one big leap he vanished from sight into the timber.

I never saw the buck coming out of the woodland on my side of the right-of-way-line, because I was looking trough the binoculars into the far distance down the slope. The spot were the buck walked into the open was just about 20 yards from my position, but I did not notice him until he passed my peripheral vision and was almost across the 45-yard clear cut. Would I have done what I always preach in my seminars and courses and looked first close around me and then slowly zoom out in the far distance I would have seen the buck standing just inside the tree line and could have been ready for him the moment he stepped out. Talking about preaching but not doing, how could I be that stupid and not following my own advice?

Because I disregarded my own advice and searched in the distance first, I missed the rare opportunity to shoot a big monster mule deer buck. Tow days since that blunder and I still could kick myself for disregarding the most basic rule of deer spotting. Don’t make the same mistake. Always look for deer in your direct vicinity first. Slowly and intensely scan the immediate area inch by inch all around you for any sign of deer. Then gradually increase the search yard by yard into the distance. But that just shows you. Even the so-called “experts” make sometimes mistakes that cost them deerly.

But all is not lost – at least I hope not. The buck is still in the area and I will be back on that spot by Monday or Tuesday afternoon, employing one of my scent strategies that have worked very well for me in the past. I will lay a scent trail, using doe-in-estrus-urine, in a huge figure of eight intersecting several deer trails on either side of the clear cut. On the narrowest point of the figure eight there will be several scent locations placed within shooting distance. The idea is that any buck walking along on any of the trails (click on image below to see scent trail layout) will pick up the scent and follow it to the edge of the timber and walk right into one of my shooting lanes. Depending on the weather condition and deer action I may even mix a few deer calls in or some light antler rattling to give the set up a bit more realism and emotion. This usually gets bucks fired up and forget about all caution.



Tags: Mule Deer, Trophy Buck, Binoculars, Hunting, scent Trail, Deer Scent, Deer Calls, Rattling Antlers, Hunting Tips

Getting Creative with BBQ Sauce

© By Othmar Vohringer

It is not often that I post videos on my blog but when my wife pointed the video below out to me on YouTube I was very impressed to say the least. Watch and Enjoy!

Whitetail Deer Passion 2008 Big Deer Contest - The Tyson Buck

© By Othmar Vohringer

Gerry Tyson from Minnesota sent me his Whitetail Deer Passion – 2008 Big Deer Contest submission entry. Gerry shows us a fine example of a Minnesota – another big buck state – deer that he shot with a bow on October 31 of this year.

To read the full story visit the Whitetail Deer Passion blog.

To take part in the Whitetail Deer Passion 2008 Big Deer Contest and become eligible to win a 2 disc DVD set of Whitetail Revolution read more about it here!

Tags: Trophy Buck Contest, Minnesota Trophy Deer, Bowhunting, Big Deer, Whitetail Deer, Whitetail Deer Passion

The Mentor

© By Othmar Vohringer

Kristine from Gun Safety Innovations issued a challenge on the Outdoor Blogger Summit (OBS) to write about a person that was influential as a mentor or inspiration for us to hunt, fish or to write a blog. This challenge is part of an ongoing series called “Write About the Good Challenge” whose purpose is to write about the positive things that happen in our lives or motivates us to carry on with what we’re doing as outdoor enthusiasts and blog writers.

It is difficult for me to choose one single person that inspired me to hunt. There have been, and still are, so many to be thankful for mentoring or inspiring me. Without a doubt if it were not for the good folks at Cimmaron Archery in Richmond, Illinois I would have never become a bowhunter. Their dedication, good will and patience renewed my will to become a bowhunter at a time when I was about to give it up. There have been many people throughout my life, and no doubt will continue to enter my life, that inspire and mentor me. As my late mother used to say: “Life is an ongoing learning process from the day we’re born to the day we die.” And, “Inspiring people are everywhere; you only have to keep an open mind.”

But since I have to make a choice as to who was my greatest mentor I will have to say that it was both of my parents- and I say “both” because they were a strong and undivided team, even in raising their children. Things like “go ask Mama”, or “Wait until Papa comes home.” were foreign phrases in our house.

Since both of my parents were enthusiastic outdoors people who hunted, fished and loved to hike in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland I was naturally raised to do the same. The passion for the outdoor lifestyle was consciously nurtured and encouraged from early childhood on and no doubt influenced me when I decided to found Othmar Vohringer - Smart Hunting Strategies through which I became able to apply another lesson I learned from my parents: “Share your knowledge freely with the less knowledgeable and those willing to learn. Knowledge is only useful if it is made accessible to many.”

My writing, blogs, seminars and other hunting related activities such as hunting courses, hunting strategy consulting and becoming a hunter education instructor of British Columbia are a direct result of the mentorship and inspiration of my parents. The people I have encountered in my life that further inspired or mentored me can also be seen as a direct result of the values and beliefs my parents instilled in me.


Tags: Write About The Good, Outdoor Blogger Summit, Hunter Education, Hunting Courses, Smart Hunting Strategies, Parents, Outdoor Way of Life

Hunting By The Moon Chart

© Othmar Vohringer

How many of you check the moon chart before a hunt? If my estimation is right based on what hunters tell me I assume that quite a few use a moon guide to determine the best hunting times.

At times I have been known to check the moon guide too. Although to be honest I never took it very seriously. The way I see it, every day a hunter heads out is a good day to hunt. More importantly, most of us have to go hunting when they have time and that might not be when the moon chart predicts good hunting.

Yesterday was no exception to this fact. Just out of curiosity I checked the hunting and fishing guide on my GPS. The results came up as “poor hunting day”. The information the GPS gathered is passed solely on the constellation of the moon. Yesterday the moon was a waning gibbous 73% full. As any old hunter will tell you this in not considered a hunting moon.

I went out despite of what the moon chart said, I always do, and as it turned out the deer sightings belied the chart said. In a one morning of spot and stalk hunting I have seen four does and two bucks. Unfortunately, we cannot shoot does here and the bucks have to have a minimum of four times not including the brow time and the two bucks I saw all did not fulfill the legal requirements. So no shots were fired.

I have been very encouraged by the deer sightings because it was a new location that I have never seen before and purely went by the knowledge of how deer use terrain and structure to navigate an area. I also discovered three locations (see aerial map image) that would make terrific bowhunting sites. Since our bow season is closed for this year I marked the spots in my GPS with a note attached “scout in June next year”. The activity of the deer, all of them were feeding in the late morning, has confirmed ones more my opinion that there is much more to deer activity that just the moon.

In fact I believe, based on years of experience, that the moon has very little influence on deer movement and activity. Deer activity is regulated mainly by weather, availability of food, the rut and hunting pressure. Which concludes me to advice that any day a hunter has time to go out is a good hunting day.

(This is a prairie like landscape with wide-open country and rolling hills. The deer use the narrow wooded coulees and ravines to travel from the bottomland alfalfa fields to the forests in higher elevation. On many places the wooded strips are not wider than 20 to 30 yards. This makes them perfect ambush sites for bowhunters.)


I would like to hear opinions and experiences from other hunters on this topic.

Tags: Moon Chart, Hunter Moon, Deer Activity, Best Times to go Hunting

Call to Ban Lead Ammunition

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Press Release

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Opposes Extremist Call to Ban Lead Ammunition

(Columbus, Ohio) – The United States Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) emphatically opposes the anti-hunters’ recent call for a nationwide ban on lead ammunition. Such a statement is an extreme policy proposal that is not supported by the facts.

On November 10, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) issued its call for the lead ammunition ban after the release of a report from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that had been conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It reported on the possible dangers of consuming wild game harvested by lead ammunition.

The report found that while the levels of lead in the blood of those tested who were frequent consumers of wild game taken with traditional, lead ammunition appeared to be somewhat higher than those not consuming wild game; none had levels approaching those that would be of concern to the CDC. In fact, in its own press releases, NDDoH indicated food pantries could continue accepting venison, provided the meat was appropriately processed.

USSA Senior Vice President Rick Story states, “HSUS should stop hyperventilating and actually read the report since it makes clear that the average level of lead in the people tested is actually lower than the level of the average American. That fact completely undermines its call for banning traditional ammo.

Story continued, “It should come as no surprise that America’s leading opponent of hunting, fishing and trapping has mischaracterized the findings of the CDC report. It will resort to any means necessary to deny the rights of sportsmen.”
While portraying its call for a lead ban as not being “anti-hunting,” HSUS’ track record makes clear that its true goal is to outlaw all hunting, trapping and even fishing. One way of accomplishing this is to push sportsmen towards higher cost products that will limit how much ammunition they purchase and the number of times they are able to participate in their sport.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org

Tags: Lead Ban, Lead Bullets, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Anti Hunters, Hunting Politics

2008 Big Deer Contest

2008 Big Deer Contest

© By Othmar Vohringer

The annual big deer contest has become a tradition here at Whitetail Deer Passion over the past three years. The prize for the winning entry is very special and has been provided by the good folks at Versus Country - home of the best hunting shows on TV.

The winning prize for this year’s contest is a 2-disc set of Whitetail Revolution with over three hours of pure hunting excitement and thrills to be enjoyed by the avid whitetail deer hunter. Whitetail Revolution features an all-star cast of North America’s top whitetail deer experts: Larry Weishuhn, Mark Kayser, Ron Spomer and Mike Hanback. These avid hunters travel to the far corners of the North American continent in search of the biggest whitetail bucks while demonstrating aggressive hunting tactics from rattling to spot-and-stalk to deer drives. These experts share their secrets and combined wealth of knowledge for more accurate tracking and rattling in the monster buck of your dreams. Besides the exciting hunts and know-how, Mike Hanback shares with you the locations and profiles of the continent’s best whitetail deer hunting locations. This DVD set is a must-have for every serious whitetail hunter.


The contest is open from November 12, 2008 and closes on January 31, 2009 midnight (Pacific Time Zone). Find out more about the contest here!

Tags: Big Deer Contest, Deer Hunting, Whitetail Revolution DVD, Versus Country, Whitetail Deer Passion, Big Deer Contest Rules

PETA Calls for “Under-18” Hunting Ban

Ones again the notorious PETA, in their usual fashion, exploit a hunter tragedy shamelessly to further their own political agenda. Painting all hunters with broad brushstrokes as potential criminals, killing animals and humans for fun. We need to stop these hateful attempts to discriminate against millions of law-abiding people by taking action. Please read the following press release and take a minute or two to contact the Governor of Arizona with your take on youth hunting and the importance the young generation has in our hunting community and the future of our cherished heritage.

(U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Press Release)

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) decries the most recent effort of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to ban hunting in Arizona.
On November 11, PETA sent a letter to the Governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano, urging support of legislation that would ban hunting by anyone younger than 18.
PETA is attempting to exploit recent November 5 news coverage of a tragedy in which an eight year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his father, Vincent Romero, and Timothy Romans with a .22-caliber rifle. The organization claims that the violent act was fomented by a recent family prairie dog hunting trip.
PETA told Gov. Napolitano that hunting teaches “children to see others as nothing more than living targets.”
“PETA always uses the most distasteful tactics to make headlines. In this case it is exploiting a tragic situation to advance its anti-hunting agenda,” said USSA Executive Vice President Rick Story.
“There is no reason to believe that banning hunting for youth would have prevented this act”, Story said. “A ban on hunting for those under 18 will prohibit thousands of law abiding, responsible sportsmen and their children from engaging in a time honored tradition”, he said.

To learn more about the USSA and how you can support this fine organization visit the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Website

To write a letter or email in support of youth hunting visit the website of Governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano

Tags: PETA, Youth Hunting Ban

Wild Turkey Conservationist Honored

© By Othmar Vohringer

James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D. (photo: courtesy of NWTF) was selected as the 2008 Alumni Fellow for MSU’s College of Forest Resources, an award given to those who have earned special distinction in their professional field.

Kennamer is currently the Senior Vice President of Conservation Programs for the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). During his nearly 30 years of service with the NWTF, Kennamer has worked with a wide range of conservation and sportsmen’s groups among them the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
as well as government agencies to ensure a robust wild turkey populations. Through those efforts, he is considered a leading architect of the wild turkey expansion from 1.3 million in the early 1970s to more than 7 million today.
Dr. James Earl Kennamer has been fascinated by wild turkeys since he saw his first wild turkey gobbler killed by his father 53 years ago on Fort Benning military base in Alabama. Six years later, he followed in his dad’s footsteps and bagged his first turkey. Then, in 1980, Kennamer left his tenured position as a wildlife professor at Auburn University to help the NWTF get off the ground. Since then, he has played an instrumental role in wild turkey restoration.

Tags: Wild Turkey Conservationist Honored, Wild Turkey Federation, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, James Earl Kennammer

Thick fog and icy rain equals spoiled hunting

© By Othmar Vohringer

On Friday evening my hunting buddies Ernie and Henry arrived in Merritt from the coast and we quickly loaded my gear into the truck and then headed out confidently to our hunting area. The weather forecast was perfect as reported on the Whitetail Deer Passion Blog and we had high expectations for this long weekend hunt.

All across North America a cold weather front had moved in that promised perfect hunting for rut crazed bucks but on the first morning we woke up to a thick fog, which knocked back visibility to not much more than 30 yards.
Still, since I hunt by the motto of: “You can’t kill a buck by sitting in camp or at home” I ventured out optimistically in the hopes of stumbling upon a buck that was equally limited by the fog to see as I was.

With the aid of the GPS, I headed out to my usual spot where I had seen many good bucks before. All around me unseen I heard deer running and blowing.
I should have given up the idea of hunting that morning and gone back to camp to wait for the fog to lift but the urge to shoot a deer got the better of me and so I pressed on in my quest of finding a big mature mule deer buck.

By mid afternoon the fog hadn’t lifted and the temperatures dropped to below zero turning the fog into ice droplets. I still couldn’t see much further than perhaps thirty yards. I lost patience – what good is it to hear deer moving around but not being able to see them – at least my prediction of prime deer movement had been right on. I returned to the camp and was glad to sit near the warming fire and sipping hot coffee.

There was still hope that the next day would have better weather conditions. With the temperature still dropping the bucks would surely be on the move again in search of does. Long before daylight I woke up to the beautiful smell of fresh coffee. It’s nice to have good hunting partners like Ernie- he’s the first one up and is usually the one who gets the stove going and the coffee made.

Stepping out of the warm wall tent I was disappointed to see that while the fog had gone and visibility was perfect, an overnight ice rain had turned the soft snow from the previous day into a sheet of crackling glass. Again the hunting urge – stubbornness may be a better description – led me to wander out to another hunting spot. Crunch, crunch. Each step I took made more noise in the still of the night than a bulldozer. Again I could hear deer in the dark and their vocal protests to my presence but it didn’t bother me because where I was heading there would be no frozen snow and it was about a mile away from camp. I walked along the creek bed to avoid crunching on the frozen snow but as I came upon my chosen spot I saw that it too was now covered in an icy sheet of white. There was no winning for me today so I went back to camp.

The next morning my partners had to go back home to spend Remembrance Day with their families which was just fine by me too. After two days of struggling with the weather I had had about as much as I was prepared to put up with. What good are the perfect hunting conditions if fog and ice make a mockery of it? On the way out I saw several grouse huddled together under a tree and thought I might bring at least something home. I aimed a .22 at the fattest of the birds and that was a good end to an otherwise disappointing hunting trip that started with high expectations. The good news is that the hunting season is still open until December 10 and the bucks are still in the area. To quote Arnold Schwarzenegger: “I’ll be back!” Maybe as soon as this weekend.


Tags: Hunting Trip, Mule Deer Hunting, Trophy Hunting Big Deer , Best Hunting Weather

What Your Mama Taught You About Hunting

The following article has been submitted by Marylouise owner of Easy Online Ordering website and author of the EasyOnlineOrdering.comWeblog.

Enjoy!

What Your Mama Taught You About Hunting

© By Marylouise

Most hunters do not realize that their mothers (not their fathers) were their first hunting trainers. Dads take semi-trained youngster to the woods for further instruction. I’ll explain.

Your mother warned ‘not to make a spectacle of yourself’ - an important hunting tip. Great hunters stay in the shadows, out of direct sunlight. There’s only one word for hunters who walk along the tops of hills with the sun behind them - busted!

Mama was right when she cautioned you to ‘quit wiggling.’ No matter how well you’ve camouflaged yourself, too much movement will give you away.

Hunters who stalk in pine areas store their ghillies in plastic bags, with pine leaves. Those hunting in dense woods often add a variety of leaves - so they will smell more natural.

Do you know what your Mom was teaching you when she chased you, waving your mittens? Having one’s hands & face (and any other exposed surface) covered is critical because your body reflects light.

When a duck is looking down at a marsh and sees a flash of light, he continues on to a safer place. Deer also have a knack for seeing a flash and knowing it’s time to move elsewhere.

Using camo and ghillie for concealment? Remember: “Child, go back to your room and take off that ratty shirt.” Worn or faded camo does you little good. When the contrast (lights vs. shadows) is gone, so is your protection! If your image isn’t broken up by the lights and shadows, you will be seen.

“Child, don’t be a show-off,” was just your mother’s way of reminding you that shiny objects are seen objects! Like your face - a thermos, riflescope, watch - has reflective properties. These items should be removed or concealed. Remember: Your solution must be matte (flat, no reflection) or it’s no good.

When Mama asked you to look at something “from a different point of view,” she was offering another hunting tip. Hunters are more successful when they are not at eye-level. Be up in a tree (12′ up), or sitting on the ground with your back to a tree. You want to see the “whites of his eyes” before your target sees yours! Be where he doesn’t expect you. I could go on, but I think I’ve proven that Mom was your first hunting teacher! It goes with my other hypothesis: Your Mother is Always Right.

Signed Mama

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About the Author:
Marylouise, author of the above article, teaches a variety of classes, mostly to seniors. She also owns Easy Online Ordering, an online dealer for Gerber, Leatherman, hunting supplies, hunting camo decals, etc. Marylouise also writes a blog, EasyOnlineOrdering.comWeblog.

Tags: Guest Blog, Mama Knows Best, Young Hunters, Hunter Education

If you would like to write a guest blog for any of my blogs and gain more exposure for you professional and/or outdoors related activities do not hesitate and email me.
Guest bloggers are welcome on Outdoors with Othmar Vohringer, Whitetail Der Passion, Wild Turkey Fever and the BC Fishing Blog.

Heading out Hunting this Weekend

© By Othmar Vohringer

In an hour I leave with a relative of my wife and a few friends for our November mule deer rut hunt. We’ll be back on Tuesday evening (November 11). I am very exited about this hunt. Previous scouting trips into the area the past week have revealed a lot of buck activity. New rubs – mule deer bucks don’t make scrapes – have appeared everywhere and old rubs have been freshened up. For good measure I placed several doe-in-estrus scent canisters around the area to hold the bucks and make them revisit the area often.

In addition a cold front has moved in last night from the pacific and heading slowly to the east of the North American continent. This front sure will get the bucks fired up and moving. Read more about it on Whitetail Deer Passion – This is the weekend to be out hunting.

Hope you all have a good hunting weekend and please be safe. See you all back here on Wednesday and hopefully I have a great story with pictures of a big buck to tell about.

Tags: Mule Deer Hunting, Hunting Camp, Deer Rut, Deer Scent, Cold Weather Front

The lure of a big buck

© By Othmar Vohringer

By the time you’re reading this I will be off again in the pursuit of a huge mule deer I have encountered a two weeks ago. After spotting the monster dozing in the shadow of big sage bush I stalked to within 150 yards of him. It took me almost two hours to cover the half-mile distance that separated me from him. The countryside these buck calls home consists of rolling hills in the grassland area of our province.

Big mule deer are smart and always bed down in a location that enables them to observe the area for along distance. It took all my stalking savvy, using every little advantage to hide my approach from the every alert eyes of that hunter wise monarch. Once in my final position I raised my rifle, the crosshairs of the scope centered perfectly. Instinctively the trigger finger bent when it felt right. The Weatherby Vanguard .270 barked loud into to silent wilderness sending a deadly Federal Premium 130 grain Nosler Partition bullet on its way.

The buck jumped up looked quick around and then in typical mule deer fashion made his way over the ridge. I could see through my scope that I missed him about ten inches over his back. How could that happen? I am not that lousy, in fact I am actually a very decent marksman. Then it seemed to come back to me that I just before the hunt dropped the rifle on the ground. Not much, it only was about a foot or two off the truck bed. Better check the scope and the zero.

Sure enough when I inserted the laser light into the barrel and aimed at a stone hundred yards away the crosshairs of the scope where off about three inches to the right and four inches high. Back to the shooting range and get that fixed right away. The rifle shoots dead on again and tomorrow (Friday) afternoon I am out in mister mule deer’s range until Tuesday night when I will come back home, hopefully not alone.

I am new to this mule deer hunting and there is much to learn. Mule deer are a very different breed from whitetails. I have been saying to my wife just the other day. “If I would be hunting whitetails for that many weeks that I am after mule deer, the freezer would be full and a rack or two would adorn my office wall by now.”

Here are a few pictures to show you what around here mule deer country looks like. Enjoy.

Rolling hills with ravines, over grown gullies, deep saddles and big dark old growth timber plus ever changing winds and thermals are an old mule deer bucks kind of paradise and a hunters nightmare.

Product Review Policy

© By Othmar Vohringer

There have been a lot of questions recently about product reviews on this blog from companies and some from my readers. As this site has grown to one of the most popular hunting blogs since I started it two years ago, so has the interest of hunting product and service providers - I frequently receive queries to review products and services. Some readers that write to me want to know on what I base my reviews. An often-asked question is “Do you test the product yourself or do you just post the information you’re provided with?”

This is a very legitimate question that I will gladly answer in the form of the following product review policy.

As a writer and hunter I have a responsibility to my fellow hunters and the company whose product or service I review. I am fully aware that a review may be the deciding factor for someone to purchase a product. To serve the readers and the product / service company in the best possible way I find it imperative that any product / service reviewed on this blog and my other outlets should be written from personal experience.

Therefore it is my policy to write all my reviews based on personal field tests. I strive to be fair in my assessment of a product. The things I look for are quality, usefulness, safety and fair pricing. My aim is to provide my readers with a qualified unbiased review based on real life testing, and the company with the best possible endorsement of the product. If a product does not measure up to my expectation or the promises advertised the review will not be published. I these cases the product will be returned with suggestions of how to improve it.

On the other hand, should I become aware of a product on the market that I feel is a danger to users, or simply a rip-off, I will publish a warning about said product.

Service Reviews:

Reviews of outfitters and hunting guides are a particular concern to me. There are so many things a hunter has to consider before he chooses the service of a particular outfit. Some of these are: what game would the hunter like to pursue and in what area? What are the client’s special needs and wants plus many other very personal aspects. Obviously I cannot answer these questions with my review of an outfitter or hunting guide. It should also be mentioned that there are always things that can and will go wrong which the outfitter or hunting guide has no control over.

What I first will review are the service provider’s reputation and professional conduct. For this I will conduct intensive research by local wildlife departments and former clients to ensure that the outfitter is legitimate and offers a quality service based on client satisfaction. I am aware that it is impossible to please all the people all the time in the service industry and I take this in consideration in my final review. The final step in the process of the review will be a personal hunt (field test) with the outfitter or hunting guide to obtain a personal impression of the operation and the service provided.

As with the product review, if I find an outfitter or hunting guide to be lacking in service the review will no be published. Instead I offer advice, based on years of experience in the service industry, to the outfit on how they can improve their service for their clients. Since choosing an outfitter is a very personal matter my reviews are to be regarded as a general guideline based on my findings and my perception of fairness. I cannot guarantee 100% success or 100% trophy harvest in any review of fair chase hunting outfitters. What I can do is provide information and point my readers in the right direction of a quality service.

I welcome comments on all my product and service reviews from readers with personal experience as well as any additional information they wish to provide.

If you wish to have your hunting product or service tested and reviewed please contact me.