Hunting Outfitter Recommendation

I am from Northern Maine and have been hunting all of my life. I was looking into trying either a late season hunt out of state or start planning one for next year. Not looking to spend a fortune but I know they are not cheap. I figured I would ask for everyone's opinion before digging any further. Thank you in advance.

 

I have hunted with 7J Outfitters since 2010 out of Wyoming. Google them and call them they run a very good operation and a game rich environment.

 

Two suggestions, since your looking at whitetails.
First would be January cous deer hunt in either AZ, NM or better still mexico. This is fun hunt, I prefer spot and stalk however hunting water is also very productive.

The second is an outfitted hunt in the deep south, Mississippi or Alabama. While you won't get the high end potential like the midwest and the upper midwest, it will be made up in numbers and sightings of deer. Comeing from maine this will be a huge difference, just the densisty of deer alone will be 180 compared to anyplace in maine.

 

That sounds awesome. I have heard that the deer population is good down there, is it common to find bigger racked deer down south? Coming from Maine I am trying to avoid hunting directly over fenced deer, would like it to be a little challenging atleast

 

Well I live in Mississippi and go to Wyoming so go figure I am the one that recommended 7J. Haha

 

Southern deer are very challenging to bow hunt. They can be killed but they seem to be born with the inclination to look up into trees. Most southern states have very long gun seasons.

They won't have antlers as big as midwestern deer because their bones don't grow as big as cold-climate deer. Each type has evolved to withstand different stress periods. A southern deer's major stress period is the summer. He needs smaller bones to survive the heat.

 

That us understandable. I have gotten big deer on cameras every year, but the same thing here, the deer are smart enough to know where to look and when to move. Definitely makes it challenging but that just makes it much better. I would like to find a place where it doesn't cost me and arm and a leg.

 

Ohio might be a good compromise. There's a good population of deer, a good number of large bucks, and the out of state tags are over the counter (no draw) at a very reasonable cost. It was $150 last year when I hunted there, but I think they increased it to $175. Still a great offer.

 

Iv been with Rack Nine Outdoors for a couple of years. Just retuned from 5 days in Georgia and already booked again for a week in Alabama next month and a week in KY in October.

 

Do you do a DIY public hunt or do you guys use an outfitter?

 

Actually, I was hosted by one the members here on the forums when I hunted Ohio. It was private ground with a crap-load of deer! I saw more deer in five days there than I would see in three years here in Pa.

 

Thats crazy. I would much rather do that than to go with an outfitter as it adds a little more difficulty. I have heard of many good stories of both Pennsylvania and Ohio. Both are on my hunting bucket list. I have always always heard good things about Ohio. I looked into being able to maybe hunt leased land but come up blank. Were you successful on your hunt in Ohio?

 

Outfitters cost an arm and a leg. Typical market price for any state is $400 to $600 per day.

A DIY costs far less but you will have to make multiple scouting trips to be able to formulate several plans of where to hunt. Time and travel money can be costly as well. But I know a lot of hunters who make it happen and hunt out of state every year without an outfitter. They come home empty handed frequently, too. But they are after a certain kind of deer and don't mind eating a tag.