Midwest Outfitters

Jim Boyd

Senior Member
Steven,

I personally think, for a great many reasons, that you are better off on a leased farm.

That said, if outfitter is how you want to proceed, I think you will get some great recommendations on this forum.

He will likely be along in a bit but @Jim Thompson can steer you well.

Good luck, brother!
 

Jim Thompson

Live From The Tree
Outfitters have their place and can be an incredible experience. Course if the deer or the weather or both dont cooperate it doesnt matter how solid the outfitter is you may as well be sitting in a middle GA pine forest on Oct 12th with a warm front coming in to push the warm front out :ROFLMAO:. The downfall is usually expectations of giant bucks. Yes they exist, but they aint easy and they aint behind every tree unless you are in a pen. You are paying for the entire experience. The land you may have never seen, the great cooking, the lodge (maybe), the camp of folks from all over the country, possibly a different style of hunting, usually seeing massive amounts of deer and more rutting activity than a couple of years in a SE state and yep the almost sometimes slight chance at seeing a giant and then a slim chance of getting a shot and then hoping like hades you can hold it together on a deer bigger than you've ever seen. Then of course when you make that incredible shot and he runs just out of sight and when yall track him he ends up being a 130" 2 year old 10pt that because of the giant swollen up midwest bodies and because of all the grunting and fighting and chasing going on you shot him by accident.

Yeah I've done that and I still loved the experience and still put him on the grill :p
 

Jim Thompson

Live From The Tree
Kansas is my #1 state for the full western edge midwest hunting experience. I absolutely love the way the land lays and the style of hunting. We've hunted with Steve Hall at www.kansasfarmlandoutfitters.com a few times and will be back this year if we draw.

Western KY is also hard to beat and Nick at www.riverbendwhitetails.com has some incredible diverse land and a huge population. I havent hunted there for maybe 7 or 8 years, but it's only 30 minutes as the crow flies from me and it's a freaking blast.

Ohio is sumn else. Especially the deep ridges and mountains. We hunted with www.sunfishvalleywhitetails.com about 6 years back and man what a good time! The mountain style hunting is different for me, but the OH genetics are BIG and they have them there.

All that said, most of the time we come home empty handed but had an incredible hunt seeing a giant or 3 and an opportunity or 2 but it didnt all come together. A few times we have had a bad time, but most of the time its because of weather or the deer just laying up.
 
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ssramage

Senior Member
Jim (both of you ?) thank you for the suggestions! The Midwest has been on my list for a while and I just haven’t made it yet. Going to start getting serious about it soon. Weighing public vs private lease vs outfitter. This definitely helps!
 

Jim Thompson

Live From The Tree
Jim (both of you ?) thank you for the suggestions! The Midwest has been on my list for a while and I just haven’t made it yet. Going to start getting serious about it soon. Weighing public vs private lease vs outfitter. This definitely helps!

A private lease will generally be more rewarding over time, but if you cant make multiple trips for scouting, stand hanging etc and are limited to 1 week then you will be about as well off with an outfitter.
 

Juan De

Senior Member
I have never been on a guided deer hunt . The only guided hunts I have ever been on are for waterfowl. A friend of mine that worked for an outfitter shared with me a piece of information once, now it’s second hand, I haven’t experienced it first hand, and just sharing it at face value so here it goes. He stated that the guys which were known to be good tippers seemed to get placed in strategic places and did really well. Again, just sharing what I was told and these hunts were not pin hunts.
 

Scott75

Senior Member
There are plenty of really good leases throughout the Midwest that aren’t going to cost you an arm and a leg and will offer full season access. As JT said if you only have 5-7 days I’d go the outfitter route to start with. If you can make say a 10 day or multiple runs it would be a lease no doubt. If you go with a lease narrow it down to the state & area you want. Get to know the guys who own land there & beat the bushes. You’ll get some to say no but you’d be surprised how many will welcome you in and be happy your there. They get a little money on the lease ( or alot depending on size) and you’ll have access to there land.
 

Jim Boyd

Senior Member
I have never been on a guided deer hunt . The only guided hunts I have ever been on are for waterfowl. A friend of mine that worked for an outfitter shared with me a piece of information once, now it’s second hand, I haven’t experienced it first hand, and just sharing it at face value so here it goes. He stated that the guys which were known to be good tippers seemed to get placed in strategic places and did really well. Again, just sharing what I was told and these hunts were not pin hunts.

I have never been on a guided hunt either but as is the case with most things, money does talk.

I don’t think you are talking out of school.
 

Jim Boyd

Senior Member
Jim (both of you ?) thank you for the suggestions! The Midwest has been on my list for a while and I just haven’t made it yet. Going to start getting serious about it soon. Weighing public vs private lease vs outfitter. This definitely helps!

The pluses, to me - are so many for a lease.

You know who hunted and when.

You know what was taken.

If you go and the weather is awful, you get sick, you have car problems - whatever, you can always bail and come back later.

And then if you move it to year after year on the same farm, many more benefits crop up: you know the land, you know the neighbors (good and bad, I have both), you can run year round camera surveys, you can leave your stands there - the list goes on and on.

If it is big bucks you are after, look at a BC or PY map of the Midwest, hard to go wrong in most any of the states.

There are, however, bad farms and bad deals in any of the states.

I recommend questions and more questions......
 

uturn

Senior Member
Good information here...I do both and will continue to do so! Lease and or go with an Outfitter.

Time is always a factor but I have leased land and stepped foot on it for the 1st time when I showed up to hunt! And then I’ve had some places or gone to hunt with them many times over the years!

I as well enjoy an Outfitter for what it is, good opportunity, lodging, meals and comradery and more!

I’ve had very good success at both but the best part has been the anticipation, the friends and memories each time and place even if I’m going back to where’ve I‘ve been before, lease or Outfitter!

And I have not always been happy with either but will continue to do both!

Its all about your perspective I believe!

Good luck with either you choose...or both!!
 

Jim Boyd

Senior Member
Good information here...I do both and will continue to do so! Lease and or go with an Outfitter.

Time is always a factor but I have leased land and stepped foot on it for the 1st time when I showed up to hunt! And then I’ve had some places or gone to hunt with them many times over the years!

I as well enjoy an Outfitter for what it is, good opportunity, lodging, meals and comradery and more!

I’ve had very good success at both but the best part has been the anticipation, the friends and memories each time and place even if I’m going back to where’ve I‘ve been before, lease or Outfitter!

And I have not always been happy with either but will continue to do both!

Its all about your perspective I believe!

Good luck with either you choose...or both!!

Every once in while, someone comes along with an excellent report and the right attitude!!!

Very refreshing!
 

South Man

Senior Member
Outfitters have their place and can be an incredible experience. Course if the deer or the weather or both dont cooperate it doesnt matter how solid the outfitter is you may as well be sitting in a middle GA pine forest on Oct 12th with a warm front coming in to push the warm front out :ROFLMAO:. The downfall is usually expectations of giant bucks. Yes they exist, but they aint easy and they aint behind every tree unless you are in a pen. You are paying for the entire experience. The land you may have never seen, the great cooking, the lodge (maybe), the camp of folks from all over the country, possibly a different style of hunting, usually seeing massive amounts of deer and more rutting activity than a couple of years in a SE state and yep the almost sometimes slight chance at seeing a giant and then a slim chance of getting a shot and then hoping like hades you can hold it together on a deer bigger than you've ever seen. Then of course when you make that incredible shot and he runs just out of sight and when yall track him he ends up being a 130" 2 year old 10pt that because of the giant swollen up midwest bodies and because of all the grunting and fighting and chasing going on you shot him by accident.

Yeah I've done that and I still loved the experience and still put him on the grill :p
Good point. I have spent a lot of money with outfitters and I can tell you that he Jim is exactly right. I have went with some big name outfitters and came home empty handed with nothing but memories. The big bucks are not behind every tree and some outfitter websites make it seem as if they are everywhere. Get plenty of references and talk to people who have hunted there and especially repeat clients as there is a reason they same people would be willing to re-book. I have hunted private and with outfitters and had a blast and I can tell you from years of experience that you will never be the same. There is nothing like hunting the midwest. It changes you man!
 
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