I was a "guide" for 15yrs. I never over charged and I Had 1 rule if "no" shoot "No Pay"
I never gave back money and no 1 ever "left" disappointed!
I gave it up now, Just do it with friends and ppl I meet on boards that are active on em.
You can learn alot about ppl by the way they "post"
Play safe shoot straight.....flip
I am sorry to hear that, Although hunting is always a gamble sometimes it pays off, there are lot of wanna be self proclaimed guides out there...Quote:
Originally Posted by executioner
I used to hunt with a guide who never charged a cent unless it was a successful hunt. And I dont remember a single occasion where we did not have a great day on the field. He was so confident in his abilities that he was able to provide such guaranties. Maybe it was you.Quote:
Originally Posted by flippin
I don't think it is reasonable to expect any guide to "guarantee" there will be birds. If they know the game then you will likely have a successful hunt but I guess success means different things to different people. As for the high cost of these waterfowl hunts, there are high costs involved to supply the experience. Typically it starts with leasing land rights and then the money tied up in huge amounts of quality dekes. Many times the cost of a couple quality dogs and the list just goes on. I looked around for a Spring hunt and $400 seemed like the rate. Add in the travel costs, gas, tips, and hotels etc and it just became too pricey for my pocketbook. Not saying it wasn't worth the money just too much for my budget.
To the original question: If you have equipment there is public hunting at Luther Marsh and Tiny Marsh.
I mainly guided cooksbay an keswick/willow beach areas.
flip
Quote:
Originally Posted by mishraz
You both should check out Luther Marsh. It's open to duck hunting now, and its $15 admission (honour system). I hunted there on Saturday and we had a great time. There are plenty of places to hunt in there. Lots of small ponds off the main marsh too. I'd bring chest waders because some places are deep. If you have a canoe or boat, there are islands in the main marsh you can get to.Quote:
Originally Posted by executioner
Been there last year however the amount of people that showed up day after day had me feeling uneasy as I'm still a newbie (less than a few years) when it comes to duck hunting. Didn't want to do some I should be and kept on my toes so that I wouldn't step near someones blind or "area". I've been knocking on a few doors for farmland access so hopefully it may pay off eventually.
I wasn't going to get in this but Terry makes an excellent point as to charges and costs of guiding. No I will not take a client out for less than the going rate of $250 per hunter. I have to account for the fact that I spend at least $80 a day scouting, have 12 dozen avianX decoys, blinds, calls, dog etc etc. I have rare occasions where yes we do get skunked, but hey it happens, on those occasions I still charge full up but will take that group out again at a later date with a rate that just covers my expences.Quote:
Originally Posted by terrym
I hunted with a guy in Milton probably with the same guy. We got a few birds he didn't feel it was right to charge us. We did end up giving him some money for his time and fuel. On the other hand we have gone out with a few other guides and had a horrible time. From no even a bird coming into a field to chasing down a goose with a broken wing in front of cottage owners to being to told shoot at any cormorants. So in short my best experience with a guide was the one that charged the least.
That seems absolutely fair.Quote:
Originally Posted by bardern
On the other side, if during your scouting (the couple days before clients arrive) and you aren't seeing anything, is a call made to give them a heads up and let them decide? hold off until another day and re-schedule, or, come and take your chances?