Paying a guide

[Couesnut (Guest)]

I just have to respond to the many comments about Trophys being bought & not earnd.
This is still America, there are many of US that work our ass off to EARN every penny we have. If i choose to spend some of it on the services of others, i would have still worked for it.
If you don't have the money but would like those services, you can work harder & save.If you don't want to thats you're choice.
This is still America...

 

[BearDown]

I agree. I think especially out of state hunters for places like AZ should hire a guide instead of wasting a tag because they have no idea where to go.I think most people how ever get sick of guys like Chuck Adams who has this claim to fame for being such a good hunter, when all he's ever done is been hand held on every hunt.Is that his choice,deffinetly this is america and I'm sure his guides bust there tails off every year for him.Do I look up to the guy? No deffinetly not, I think my old man who has only shot mediocre bucks is a much better hunter in my mind.He always took off into ares that he found himself and took all of his bucks with a 54 muzzelloader he made himself!He was also hunting with it durig ganeral hunts where everybody else was using a high power and I can't remember a time when he did'nt come home without a buck!Trophies are in the mind of the beholder and I don't care what anybody say's,if you scout for it and harvest it on your own, you have to be alot more proud of it!

 

[Bura Nut]

I sure dont think it helps our sport by downgrading another hunter. Also there are the guys/gals that make their living off guiding the more affluent and the monies generated towards wildlife far outweigh any personal feeling I have about their skills or lack thereof. Basically its an ego boost for people to say how their skills are as good or better than anothers. I think its a personal preference thats best left with the individual to decide. The ones that know they are a better hunter should not worry about it and go out and continue to kill big deer the way they want to.............. Allen Taylor......

 

[BearDown]

Allen what are you talkin about? Nobodys puttin down anybody,I'm just sayin killin a trophy seems to be the thing,right? People exploit that and receive money and endorse products,right?Whats that doin for the sport? Does'nt that tell kids if you don't shoot a big one then don't even talk about it?I have plenty of freinds that are guides and I think what they do is great. The thing is every year they tell me about one of the many office type loosers that they take out that could'nt hit a broadside of a barn, yet they still expect to get somethin great because they hired a guide!Just because you have money , does'nt make you a great hunter!And for killin somethin big with a guide great, but give the credit where the credit is due and don't bore me with how hard you had to work for it;ie Chuck Adams!!!!!C'MON MOOSIE I'm puttin your boy down again, lets here it!!!!Heh!!Heh!!!Heck come to think of it you are right Allen I'am puttin people down, welcome to America!

 

[Bura Nut]

I wasnt saying you said anything wrong. I have seen this same discussion turned a different way about 6 months ago here where others were downtalking people who use guides. My general theme was that it is non-productive for hunters to take one side or the other publicly because groups like PETA use any and all angles to make hunters out to be bad. I personally have thoughts like yours and also have many guide friends who for the most part are the ones who bagged the animal even though they didnt pull the trigger. I dont have the money to pay for guides, I saved up one year and used one once at the young age of 40. I just didnt want to see this thread turn into ammo for PETA or the likes.........merry xmas....... Allen Taylor......

 

[BearDown]

Merry Christmas buddy I hope I was'nt to obnoxious!I agree as hunters we should stick together for the sports sake! Its funny how one sport can be so diversified as to the way one person goes about there way and another a totally diferent way.I dont think any other sport can bring out so much emotion between people. I like everybody else find my love for hunting to be a very personal and meaningful thing.My beleifs have been engraved in me by my father, but as I've got older I started opening my mind more and it was'nt until a few years ago that I even started hunting with a high power rifle.Up till then I was raised on muzzleloaders and archery only.Anyways I do beleive that the only way this sport can survive is for us to stick together. But you know sometimes its just plain fun to stir up some chit!!!!!!LOL

 

[Bura Nut]

Stirrn up chit is what life is all about......LOL......you make a very good point about someone out of state coming here to AZ after drawing a premium tag like the Kaibab. If they dont have local knowledge helping them then they really would be smart to use a guide whether this person is a guide or his skill level is better than his guide, knowing the area is very important and how to hunt the area. I saw some guys from out of state this year hunting the Kaibab and their approach/tactics were all wrong and when we talked with them, after three days they hadnt seen a deer. I wouldnt waste a premium tag by not using the guide in that situation. I would have to get a second mortgage but what the hell...........LOL.......Merry xmas........ Allen Taylor......

 

[freedivr2]

First off, Merry Christmas fellas......

As far as a guide goes for a trophy animal for out-of-staters.....what's their OTHER option? Scouting? Nope, no chance for that. Most of us who hunt out of state simply can't scout a variety of areas ahead of time, there's just no way to do that. Do the locals in Colorado, Idaho and Utah use guides when they go to Alaska, Washington, Nebraska (or Africa)? Yep. It's either that or walk around aimlessly and maybe get lucky but probably not..........

There's also guys who have paid their dues so to speak, over the years, and are now with bad hips, bad knees, etc., and they simply can't spend a lot of time in the field. For this group, again, that's their only option.

Do I personally prefer to use a guide? Heck no. I'd rather do it myself, ya feel much better when you do connect. My only problem is that being out of state, I gotta have some guidance somewhere, be it a helpful hint from a local, or just point me in the right direction because I don't have the option to scout before the season.

The only thing I DON'T have a high regard for is a local guy, young enough and in good health who is just to lazy to make an effort to get in shape and burn some boot rubber, in favor of paying a guide to lead him by the nose to a good shooter. To me, that guy's not a hunter, he's just the shooter...the guide is the hunter.