I am looking for a duck and Canada goose hunting guide. I used to hunt with a guide in these areas before but he does not hunt anymore. If anyone hunts in these area and willing to take me i will pay a reasonable amount.
I am looking for a duck and Canada goose hunting guide. I used to hunt with a guide in these areas before but he does not hunt anymore. If anyone hunts in these area and willing to take me i will pay a reasonable amount.
Just wondering what do you consider "reasonable"?
I think anywhere from $ 75 to 150 is reasonable, depending upon the setup i know there are people out there which charge $ 400 per hunt to me that is not reasonable.Quote:
Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers
Quote:
Originally Posted by mishraz
ok I wasn't going to reply but I can't hold it in. You want someone to guide you on a duck or goose hunt and only pay max $150. That will not even pay for the gas needed to get there. If you want to pay $75 or $150 go to a game farm and shoot some chuckar. I think you can get a guided hunt at Ruffwood for that price.
IMO this is more than reasonable for a hunt if a group of guys were already going hunting and didn't mind having an extra guy (new guy) along for the hunt....Quote:
Originally Posted by mishraz
Personally, I would have a hard time taking the money in a situation like that, but then again, If I did do it, it wouldn't be for the money..
Best of luck....
Wow you guys must not have been on a lot of guided hunts, $150/day is nothing, sometimes that can be the tip!!!!
to find anyone that IS really good for those $$'s is an unreasonable expectation.
Frosty.
$150 a day is on the low end for sure, maybe you can leave your name for with a bunch of guys to be on the last minute list! I wouldn't take you out for a buck fifty on the chance that I dont like ya or ya make targets out of my decoys.
$150 a day keeps unlicensed (most of Ontario guides) hacks in business. You pay them to go hunting, but they are already going...
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Originally Posted by Jay-Bird
Yeah thats 100% right J, but you are not the focus, which for me is the point of being guided, if the hunter enters into this kind of deal you should expect to be just one of the guys along for the ride, I'd rather give the $150 to a farmer!
and what's wrong with that? You can easily spend 150 in gas getting ready for a hunt and if your a lone hunter would be a way to recoupe some of the expense. Not a business but a way to supplement your hobby.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay-Bird
Hey that's not fair....I only charge a timmies....and half the time I forget to collect..Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay-Bird
Or u could use it to buy more decoy's
there is a guide up in the cornwall area that charges 1200$ for a three day hunt .that gives you a idea what this kind of thing cost to go fully guided .I can agree that if you can hook up with a few guys that are hunting and thy are willing to let a newby join them .150 $ would be a deal .Dutch
10 years ago or so, I was paying $300 for a half day (dawn to noon) for a guided goose hunt (4 guys) at Ingleside. I'd throw in a $100 tip too. You can probably get a hunt in the 100-150 range if you have three or four guys chip in 100-150 each. The guy was a full time goose / turkey guide - that's the only job he had.
unfortunately Jay most of the established Ontario Waterfowl Outfitters have been petitioning the MNR for years to put regulations such as the Western Provinces have in place in regards to outfitting but the government has no interest in doing so.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay-Bird
If I still had a field avail, I'd take ya.....for free. Good luck pal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fratri
Agreed 100% I have put out time and money scouting, decoys, trailer,blinds, training dogs, attaining fields.....if I'm going and have room and someone wants to just show up and hunt not a problem I would collect why not...and if a newbie he/she would also be the main focus for their safety and the safety of others and for him/her to learn...saying that I am taking out two newbies opening morning free of charge...Every morning I go over safety and shooting lines...its a must!
I am not sure where and how most you guys spend your money and honestly it doesn't not matter to me!
I currently hunt with guides who hunt 6 days a week take minimum of 6 people and shoot their limit every day. Those guys charge $ 80 / person and I am completely happy with my setup and have been hunting with them for over 2 years.
There was a guy of this caliber in Brampton too he just does not hunt anymore this is why I posted.
(AND IMO only newbies go with guides seasoned hunters have their own equipment and resources ...)
I guess most of you are happy spending 400+ on single goose hunt.
$$$=decoys, ammo, blinds various hunting itemsQuote:
Originally Posted by mishraz
as far as $400 per day not in a million years.....not to often we don't shoot limits...
That is exactly my point 300 - 450 is what a regular licensed outfitter charges. So 150 x 6 is still pretty reasonable if you ask meQuote:
Originally Posted by CamoIsMyColour
I believe they are charging that much because they are paying for the land they are taking guys out on...they have to "buy"Quote:
Originally Posted by mishraz
up the land so they have enought to hunt on a regular basis...I dont pay for land and have literally thousands of acres to do so...christmas time my farmers get gift bags suited for him and her and are more then happy most of them refuse it but I leave it anyways...I have taken guys out for $$ before why not as mentioned before I have shelled it out for dekes and fuel and what not I would just put it back into my gear and dogs...
Thanks for rubbing it in ! I have sufficient land for deer and i take care of the owners too you have to. Goose is a different game it requires more scouting more work over all. I have not done any effort for a goose hunt as i only do it a once or twice a year. Anyway good luck this year!Quote:
Originally Posted by CamoIsMyColour
Quote:
Originally Posted by mishraz
hahaha I didnt mean it that way we just hunt a lot and are in various fields all the time and one of my farmers owns well over half the land we hunt hes a cash cropper with a ton of land...we hunt every chance we get right through till janurary....good luck to you as well..
Who are the guides you currently hunt with and which ones have you hunted with in the past????Quote:
Originally Posted by mishraz
You get what you pay for .
Most reputable guides with insurance and licences are charging anywhere from 250 to 400 per hunt .
Especially Milton Toronto area , to is like pulling teeth to line up land , i spent two weeks in Milton knocking on doors and only got 3 farms to hunt ,
Mojo who is your insurance policy with when you guide what liability coverage do you have and who is listed as third parties on your policy ?
Didnt know you had to have a guides licence in ontario ?
Dont you guide for Delainey ? Does he have insurance you are listed on ?
I know what we need for dog clubs and events I can imagine insurance would not be cheap ? That could jack the price up. Per hunt.
Pm has been sent to ya .
We have great liability insurance , which Delaney carries. I am listed on .
as for guide licence you are correct Ontario doesn't offer nor inforce guide licences , but we are all licenced in different provinces to guide. So we are licenced guides not a fly by night guide business
OK I know I'm slow late at night but I think I got it. Seems to me that a bunch of guys who hunt, take out people who have no access to land and charge them $150, that is NOT guiding, when I go on a guided hunt, I pay a respectfull amount considering that this "job", is the guides means to make a living, but I expect to be treated like a valued customer, a customer who can decide whether or not to come back, whether or not to recommend the guide to anyone else.....what tip to leave etc etc.
I have some very generous friends that I enjoy to hunt with, but I don't pay them cash.....they are not running a sideline business, sure we can all help with expenses and help to remunerate land owners, but I believe, with the flash in the pan popularity that waterfowling is receiving right now, there are a lot of people who really don't know what a guide does, or is capable of, if at least they are considering themselves "guides"....
I have no problem with guys willing to pay $150 for a hunt if they can't or won't put some effort in time or equipment, in order to tag along with someone already going on a hunt, but DUDE! That's NOT a guide or guiding.....
Time for a new verse of Duckstar!!!
^^^
You mean the last time we hunted the guide didnt charge you? Frig....I got ripped off lmao
S.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinker
LMAO Sinker....
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Originally Posted by Frosty
And he genuinely is good enough to guide and charge good money too......
I'm surprised you two didn't expect me to clean 40 geese too!!!!!!
I thought thats what I was paying for until you made me clean them all!!
You four are bad . LOL Sinker . Saw you catch your first whitey , laker , and ling out of the same hole .. that I can vouch for but I have yet to see your first duck dropped . LOL
Kidding aside folks . Shane knows his stuff . Look for the tall hill billy guy . Good for waterfowl for sure .You can always tell a good guide from the run of the mill . How you ask ? Because he eats them too .
TD
3 Black Dogs brings up some important questions -- hope this helps you -- a farmer can be sued if he accepts money for a commercial hunt on his property-- he must be able to prove that he was under the first party umbrella of the first party [the insured outfitter]--the second party is the insurance company --the third is the person suing-- farmers should have a certificate of insurance from the outfitter with their name on it proving they are under the outfitter's umbrella for a certain amount/hunter
More money does not necessarily mean a better hunt....
The best hunts of my life were FREE!
I've never hunted with a guide though.
S.
There's lots of wanna be guides on Kijiji.
to be fair the outfitters who charge $400 - that usually includes accomodations and a meal (even a crummy continental breakfast). just the hunt would cost less, but probably not a lot less.
the OP is throwing it out there - seeing whats out there in the marketplace. nothing wrong with that at all. maybe he will luck out and find someone to take him out.
good luck to everyone on the duck opener.
Im also looking to hunt duck/geese with someone this year. I've already got burned $400 for a guided hunt that only grossed a single duck in the span of 4hrs. Honestly i'm just hoping theres someone willing to take me on for a hunt with them which I don't mind paying however it must be plausible to say the least. I have all my own gear and am willing to drive up to 2.5hrs from Toronto.
BTW the guide that I went with (will not say the outfitter's name), only gave us a half day's hunt and there was no accommodations or meals etc. just he say she say that they were some of the best guides in the business. They did not even offer a discount for a 2nd trip either. PM if anyone is willing to take me out with them.
Cheers everyone, and happy hunting!
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?
most assuredly TR. if they decide to come after all and like I said we get skunked I still charge but will do the reduced rate deal.Quote:
Originally Posted by TurkeyRookie
I have not been to Luther but i have heard good things. I only do a duck hunt occasionally and don't mind spending the money with a guide as long the guide is honest and doesn't treat you like an ATM machine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cintax
Can't ask for any better than that!Quote:
Originally Posted by bardern
If I lived in Toronto, and just had to hunt waterfowl, I'd probably invest in a boat and use up my vacation days in the fall to travel to some ducky destination in Ontario during the peak season. If I didn't have vacation time like that, I'd probably not take up waterfowling. But being the wing shooting type, I'd make some shorter trips up north for grouse and rabbit, with my principal investment being an upland dog of some sort.
Personally, I like the aspect of hunting, not shooting. So I'd never consider a guide. I would just feel like a trigger man since it's the guide who it technically doing the hunting.
Yeah and I bet gas was .70c/litre. The guys charging this much are trying to make a living too and believe me, there's not much profit in it....Quote:
Originally Posted by mosquito
Quote:
Originally Posted by mosquito
LMAO, You should definitely go do it then, you have an obvious insight into that business, let's see how you make out.
Do the guys you know who do it seem like millionaires to you??? The ones I've met don't seem that way. Honestly. To think that a guide actually makes $5k out of every $10k he turns over is ridiculously optimistic.
Sure you can write off expenses, but if expenses come close too close to your gross income, well there's no business in that is there......
I will let you in on a little trade secret. Top line and bottom line are two different things.Quote:
Originally Posted by mosquito
Well there you go, you wouldn't give up your steady stream of income to earn $40k in three months (best case, your numbers), which are not right by the way, but using those numbers you wouldn't do it..........but you believe that they are charging too much, the ones that are worth their salt, work hard dude and there is risk, no doubt, you make it sound like they are ripping people off!!!
You know how much you are paying, up front, if you do your research you know what you will be getting, up front. People pay it, I've paid it, don't know why you would criticize that.
So.....does anyone know a good guide??
S.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinker
Not for $150 a day LOL, point taken though.....
If I can guess the outfitter you are talking about, will you tell me????Quote:
Originally Posted by Radartrap
I don't remember his name from what I heard he moved out west to Alberta working in oil.