manboy

too all who say an atv puts alot of polutions into the air! one ? for u do u ride your horse to the mtns? or do u drive? thats what i thought! so to use it polutes the air come on give me a break!

skeeter 7MM

For me a horse would be useless in Saskatchewan, seeing where I often use my quad I need to duck down and then often get twacked by limbs. We don't have mountains in my province so i use my ATV in the forest/fringe areas. I distance my self from the logging road hunters when in the forest as well, instead of staying on the semi road allowances I go deep into the forest looking for lakes/swaps/natural meadows to find my quarry by ways of topo maps and scouting. Once I locate such areas I leave my ATV at distance and use my boot soles to get into my preferred location. So once again my ATV is not for ripping up the country side but rather a mode to allow me to get off the beaten path and transport stuff to the location. In many cases where we set up camp is miles from our trucks and trailers, so hoofing all the gear required to deal with moose would not allow us to distance ourselves from the majority of bush hunters like we do.

Shatodavis, as to the guides wanting you to harvest smaller animals for less work involved, not sure where you have hunted but being I guided for a number of years in my case nothing was further from the truth. I was not only judged on my reports for service but also the quality in which was harvested, my outfitter's would much rather see lower success rates with high scoring animals than vice versa. Personally if I was going on a guided hunt as a client this is also what I would expect, in most cases where the trophy is a big part of the goal your expectation must be met in work ethic but equally must be realistic in harvest..not every hunter will drop a B&C Animal that is a fact! Guys with topo maps I can also say nothing pee'd more than a new client trying to tell me where he should be set up. I am paid to know where to go, I had back ground area knowledge and spend countless hours before his arrival scouting the woods/locations. I would say humor me, this is what I am paid to do and it is in my best interest to put you on a good animal...it may not happen today, it may not happen tomorrow or it may not even happen all week but rest assured I will do everything in my power to make you go home satisfied! Never once did I not get a positive review. To those who were vets to hunting sask. and/or the area sure I would take suggestions, quite frankly when things aren't going right out of the box thinking is required and welcomed.

ShatoDavis

I re-read my post that you are commenting on. I made it sound way worse than it actually is. I don't go in with a chip on my shoulder. I don't tell the guides their business. But, I do go in informed and if I think that things are a little fishy I tell them what I think. I'm not politically correct. If I think someone is full of carp, I tell them so. If I think someone is a Jacka$$ I tell them they're a Jacka$$. I don't beat around the bush. It definately rubs some wrong.

Skeeter don't take offense. But, If you get pee'd off if someone brings a topo then I don't want to hunt with you. Maybe, You don't do things the way I described but I assure you that other have and do. I once had a guide tell me that we couldn't go after a certain elk that we had spotted because in his words: "we might blow them off the mountain and not see them again." It would have been a tough stalk but it was do-able. Well, it was my last day of the hunt so what that told me was that he wanted to leave them for the hunters that where coming in behind me. He had been upset with me all week because I had passed on a rag horn. We had hunted where he had wanted to in the beginning.. It was an easy area, he could have got a truck to within a couple hundred yards of the carcass. I had asked a few times about an area I found on the map. I knew it was in his area. He was reluctant to go. He didn't want to hunt the area because he had more clients coming in.

I also had a guide get lost on the mountain. He was certain that we needed to go straight down a drainage. I told him that it led to a vertical drop that we couldn't navigate. I said that we need to crest a ridge and go down the other side. He, like you, said: "I'm paid to know this mountain" Well at dark we came to the vertical drop. We spent the night there. The next morning we went the way I wanted to go the evening before. I'm not complaining, it happens. I'm just pointing out that even guides are fallable.

I'm upfront with my outfitters when I book. I explain to them that I look at the guide as a hunting partner. We discuss our strategies, we discuss our routes, and we decide whats the best course of action. Sometimes we disagree. I say that it is no one else's responsibility to take care of me but me. Some get that stuck in their craw. They want to be in charge. They want to point and have me follow. Well, thats not me and I don't work that way. I don't book with those guys. I have experience too, I'm no Dude ranch hunter. If an outfitter is too wrapped up in himself to listen then I find another. Most times by about day two the quide realizes that I'm no city slicker and we end up being good friends. But, some get rubbed wrong from the beginning and never like me.

skeeter 7MM

shatodavis, I realized my response was pretty wishywashy - unclear as well. I agree it is imperative for you"hunter" to reserach and get as much information/education on what your hunt will encompass. However for someone who's only actual area knowledge is coming from a 10 year old topo map, I don't feel they have any right to instruct the guy who has been tromping the area and finding how it now relates to the game his clients are chasing. If he is experienced his opinion is of worth but often with changing conditions it may not be entirely accurate. In most cases guys just wanted to know where they were hunting, back up plans, how other have faired and other particulars. I was simply saying having someone come in trying dictate the hunt is frustrating from the other side when we bust our tails to ensure we can answer his question after sight in takes place. I personally felt that it was in my best interest to put forth the same effort for each client to make their hunt pleasurable, rewarding and successful. This included being frank and realistic, I expected the same in return from my hunters as well.

As to you follow I lead, you also must realize the gamit of hunters a guide faces in a given year, their can be a stark difference week to week. I would approach unless I previously guided them in the same manner, until I got a feel for what they were like personally. I certainly am not the type to command over others, I have no problem with authority either giving it or taking it but I also don't expect to be treated like someone lower just b/c I am working for you! Mutual respect, we are all in the same fratenity, just from different landscapes.

I know their are many guides that do not put forth the same effort and also tip chaser guides as well, knowing a hot hand is coming will hold out on the big lay down. I never was one though treated everyone equal you had just as much right as the next guy in my books, is all I was saying. Unfortunately due to the tip being a big part of the wage for a guide some do look ahead vs whats in their hand, I found out/learned early on in life don't ever judge a book by it's cover!

To bad about some of your experiences and I am sure you realize not all are equal in any business.

BTW no offense was taken, just trading thoughts/experience. I see no harm in debating and discussions with fellow sportsman. No worry about ever having me as a your "Full of myself" guide as I am no longer in the biz. Why, I have a family and couldn't give them what they wanted/needed being a guide. For the work it is horrible money and a hard life, the only thing I truly miss is the hunters (well 98% of them).

NVMIKE

To put it simply, animals are part of nature, that includes horses and us. That is why we hunt, to be part of that, not to bring as many mechanical contraptions as possible w/ us to help us CONQUER nature. I do use ATV's, but where the road stops, so do I except to retrieve game AFTER the hunt.

huntnmuleys

nvmike, after you kill your game you drive your atv in when there isnt even a road?????????????????


hope im misreading this
brad

manboy

nvmike, i sure hope u don't go around the gates to get game out! how is another hunter to know that u went for game? come on do a little work for a change!

James B

Manboy. Who appointed you dictator of hunting? Why don't you live up to the standards you set for yourself and let other hunters do the same? What the "H" is your problem?

NVMIKE

Girlyboy,uuhhh I mean manboy -where I hunt there are no gates to go around.
huntnmulies - yes, Bill Clintons B.S. roadless crap can kiss my $@!%&* wilderness is off limits though.

manboy

so little mike johnson= let me get this straight, u tell one guy do not try a drop camp until u have years of practice cutting, and 1/4 an elk. but then u drive your atv down to the elk across the hills![:@]not even caring that u are hurting the rights to use an atv to hunt with?[:-] so if u like to hunt and drive your atv where ever u like, just remember u are the 1% we all talk about![:'(] just get off the lazy butt and move the animal to you!