guide or no guide

[antlerfreak]

i want to know what you guys have to say about my situation i have a friend not a close friend but someone i known since high school anyways this guy kills bucks every year and seems to always get drawn for the late bull hunts and tags out my situation is i have been hunting for 6 years now and only killed a javelina so i run into my friend and tells me that hes starting up his own guide service and would take me out for my hunt for 300 hundred dollars. i dont know what guides charge for coues hunts but i would really like to tag my first buck what do you guys feel about guides or is it a better satisfaction to kill a buck on your own

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Heat]

If you are paying anybody for guide services, be sure they have a guide's license! I would just forget what your buddies tell you and hunt for yourself. Your success down the road will be even sweeter.

[antlerfreak]

my friend told me if i do decide to hire him i will have to fill out a contract and he has to send it to game and fish anyways thanks heat

[Becker]

As heat said, you have to have a guide license to guide. BUT You also have to have permits for the different agencies depending on what land you plan to be hunting. FS or BLM lands all require a permit in order to guide on them. Last I knew the only land you don't need permits for is state land, but I am not up and up on the rules anymore. They also require you to have insurance (liability). So I would be careful. Most legit guides are charging anywhere from 2500 to 4500 dollars for guided coues hunts. I know a few that do day rate stuff, but they have to cover their bottom lines with all the required permitting so it stacks up quick. I know guys that piggie back off others permits but they still have to buy into the permits soooo.....I'd be hesitant and make sure he has all the right paperwork. Although I'm not sure if caught if any of the blame would actually fall on you. Most likely they would go after your buddy. Maybe some others can expound some more there.

[CWpredator]

If you're looking for help on your hunt but don't want to deal with hiring a guide just get a couple of buddies to go with you and help glass and such. More sets of eyes on the hills the higher the chances of finding your buck. that saves you the money of hiring a guide and will be a great time. No permits required doing that...

[John O]

If he's really your "Buddy" he wouldn't be asking you for money. I suggest you take the time to find some real buddies, or just hunt on your own. Aside from hunting with my kids, my best days in the field have been on my own. Good luck!

[GWHunter]

Antlerfreak... what kind of optics do you have? Here is my thought. Most people I run across who struggle to take a deer usuaaly have crappy optics. Their is absolutely no substitute for quality optics. I learned that the hard way. Spend that extra $$$ on a pair of high end optics. You will be amazed at how many more deer you will see with a pair of swarovski or eqaul optics.

[lefty]

WHY WOULD YOUR "BUDDY" CHARGE YOU $. I COULD SEE YOU DRIVING,PAYING FOR GAS,BRINGING THE FOOD AND SUCH BUT TO CHARGE YOU $ SCREW THAT. GET SOME REAL "FRIENDS" AND DO IT THAT WAY. LIKE SAID BEFORE GET SOME GOOD BINOS A TRIPOD AND GLASS GLASS GLASS,YOU'LL FIND ONE.

[twigsnapper]

Here my 2 cents and its just a guess.

 

Being new to the guiding game the guide/friend just wants to take some guys out for a discount and have them kill big bucks or bulls so he can use the pics to show the he had "clients" with success. Not such a bad deal if you ask me. Better then putting up pics of your buddies hunts that were not guided and claiming to be a guide.

 

Anterfreak sounds like you could use some pointers. Your buddy slash "not a close friend" slash new guide, needs a client.

 

I say spend the $300 and learn as much as you can from the "guide". It will make you a better hunter for sure.

[capoeirajosh]

Yeah, if he is your "friend," he shouldn't be charging you. I wouldn't charge my friends.

[cactusjack]

What hunt do you have? You might get some "new buddies" to help you get going.

[firstcoueswas80]

As heat said, you have to have a guide license to guide. BUT You also have to have permits for the different agencies depending on what land you plan to be hunting. FS or BLM lands all require a permit in order to guide on them. Last I knew the only land you don't need permits for is state land, but I am not up and up on the rules anymore. They also require you to have insurance (liability). So I would be careful. Most legit guides are charging anywhere from 2500 to 4500 dollars for guided coues hunts. I know a few that do day rate stuff, but they have to cover their bottom lines with all the required permitting so it stacks up quick. I know guys that piggie back off others permits but they still have to buy into the permits soooo.....I'd be hesitant and make sure he has all the right paperwork. Although I'm not sure if caught if any of the blame would actually fall on you. Most likely they would go after your buddy. Maybe some others can expound some more there.

He's not the guide, so the responsibility is not on him.

 

For $300, it is worth getting bloody... You will most likely learn a lot, and gain a lot of confidence and be able to do it yourself down the road.

[twigsnapper]

"not a close friend but someone i known since high school"

 

Did I miss something?

[huntjunkie]

/>If you are paying anybody for guide services, be sure they have a guide's license! I would just forget what your buddies tell you and hunt for yourself. Your success down the road will be even sweeter.

+1

[couesmagnet]

Antlerfreak most if not all guides will charge at least 2500 for their services. If your buddy is trying to make a living from guiding, then in order for him to put food on his plate then he needs to charge something in order to justify being in the field with you and not someone else. What he is basically saying to you is i wish i could go as friends together for free, but in order for him to skip guiding another hunter he needs to charge you a very small fee of 300 dollars to do it. I would completely disagree with everyone that says this guy isnt your friend. If this guy is willing to make next to nothing at 300 dollars, and skip making much much more money guiding someone else,than that would be a sign to me that he is actually a much better friend than you are being told he is on here. Be careful not to let other people who are quick to skin any cat that doesn't fit their liking affect how you look at your friend. You know the guy in a much deeper way than just this post, so go with your gut on that judgement and nothing else. I'm a guide off and on and a lot of my friends are 2, and i wish i could call some of them and ask them if they would skip guiding other people for 400 to 500 dollars a day to come hunt with me for 300 for a week. I would gladly force 300 or more down their pockets for the friendship donation to my hunt along with all the help they would give me also. Having someone with you on the hunt glassing with you is priceless. Pay the 300 dollars to him, and thank him for being willing to sacrifice more money to be able to spend time with his buddy and thats you antlerfreak. Go get um and post some pics of your buck.