Outfitters - U Guide

Hockeybob

Active member
It’s still early but the dismal pheasant survival reports coming out of parts of SD should help the the outfitters who supplement pen raised roosters for their hunting grounds. More guys may opt for that next year.
I was on the U-Guide site and found this comment interesting by a dissatisfied group.
“We hunted Lazy 7 outside Highmore (Hyde County) 12/7-9. We saw only 6 roosters the entire time. 6 hunters (with decades of combined experience) and 5 dogs, two of which were bred and professionally trained at Tiger Mountain Pointing Labs (John Greer - Ellensburg, Wa). The experience was beyond disappointing, especially since this property was advertised as a tier 1 property and UGuide has done nothing to provide value.”
 
It’s still early but the dismal pheasant survival reports coming out of parts of SD should help the the outfitters who supplement pen raised roosters for their hunting grounds. More guys may opt for that next year.
I was on the U-Guide site and found this comment interesting by a dissatisfied group.
“We hunted Lazy 7 outside Highmore (Hyde County) 12/7-9. We saw only 6 roosters the entire time. 6 hunters (with decades of combined experience) and 5 dogs, two of which were bred and professionally trained at Tiger Mountain Pointing Labs (John Greer - Ellensburg, Wa). The experience was beyond disappointing, especially since this property was advertised as a tier 1 property and UGuide has done nothing to provide value.”

It appears this camp is no longer part of U-Guide - at least I couldn't find a listing for it on their web site...
 
I believe UGUIDE has proudly stated all along that he doesn't release birds. Speaking of UGUIDE, I would be interested in hearing what his take is on this storm, assuming he has talked to the various landowner partners of his or toured those properties himself...
 
It’s still early but the dismal pheasant survival reports coming out of parts of SD should help the the outfitters who supplement pen raised roosters for their hunting grounds. More guys may opt for that next year.
I was on the U-Guide site and found this comment interesting by a dissatisfied group.
“We hunted Lazy 7 outside Highmore (Hyde County) 12/7-9. We saw only 6 roosters the entire time. 6 hunters (with decades of combined experience) and 5 dogs, two of which were bred and professionally trained at Tiger Mountain Pointing Labs (John Greer - Ellensburg, Wa). The experience was beyond disappointing, especially since this property was advertised as a tier 1 property and UGuide has done nothing to provide value.”

you would think he would have offered you a comp hunt in light of your experience.....a little good will goes a long way, no?
 
Whether it's a UGuide property or not, let's be careful to not "bash" or criticize someone on the forum. If you have an issue with a guide or land owner then take care of it at the time. The forum is not a place to air dirty and past laundry. As for "experience" deserving better or getting comped then somebody owes me a gazillion birds and I should hunt for free forever...:p
 
you would think he would have offered you a comp hunt in light of your experience.....a little good will goes a long way, no?

I did not hunt at U-guide camps nor am I bashing hm. I’m just pointing out that a operation like this or any other outfitter is selling birds. Hunters pay for the expectation to shoot wild pheasants and when land is managed for pheasants the expectations can be to shoot a lot of pheasants.
With this terrible winter, some of the places (not U Guide) will have no choice but to supplement their land with pen raised roosters. Why would you pay to see very few wild birds.
My opinion is the pheasant game farm hatchery will be asked to produce lots of birds to be shipped to SD next year.
 
Whether it's a UGuide property or not, let's be careful to not "bash" or criticize someone on the forum. If you have an issue with a guide or land owner then take care of it at the time. The forum is not a place to air dirty and past laundry. As for "experience" deserving better or getting comped then somebody owes me a gazillion birds and I should hunt for free forever...:p

It doesn't appear "HBob" bashed, criticized or aired past laundry; just conveying someone's experience and adding what he would expect in the same situation/experience.

Friend of mine had a similar hunt in December, at a "camp", with the same bird yield. Birds get rather scarce late in the season...

Just my take.
 
I have been in the pheasant hunting business for 16 years. I have seen years when every hunter I had that season got their limit every day. 2017 was the worst season that I have seen in 54 years of hunting. All I can do is provide habitat. We have had a major ice storm, a significant drought and now the toughest winter
in 22 years. All that in 3 years. I can not control the weather. I spend about $15,000 a year on habitat. If the weather wipes out the pheasant crop I have still spent $15000. I still need to generate the same amount of income or I may as well do something else. All I can do is create habitat, I can not guarantee the weather. In 2117 I had hunters tell me that they would keep coming back because if they didn't I would quit trying and then where would we go. We are in this together. If I don't see hens around at breeding time I will release some hens and hope that helps.
 
I have been in the pheasant hunting business for 16 years. I have seen years when every hunter I had that season got their limit every day. 2017 was the worst season that I have seen in 54 years of hunting. All I can do is provide habitat. We have had a major ice storm, a significant drought and now the toughest winter
in 22 years. All that in 3 years. I can not control the weather. I spend about $15,000 a year on habitat. If the weather wipes out the pheasant crop I have still spent $15000. I still need to generate the same amount of income or I may as well do something else. All I can do is create habitat, I can not guarantee the weather. In 2117 I had hunters tell me that they would keep coming back because if they didn't I would quit trying and then where would we go. We are in this together. If I don't see hens around at breeding time I will release some hens and hope that helps.

Bravo...hope things improve...
 
Whether it's a UGuide property or not, let's be careful to not "bash" or criticize someone on the forum. If you have an issue with a guide or land owner then take care of it at the time. The forum is not a place to air dirty and past laundry. As for "experience" deserving better or getting comped then somebody owes me a gazillion birds and I should hunt for free forever...:p

no intent to bash anyone......just an observation on how the result could have been handled, from a good will point of view.
hope his business continues........and yes, all the pay to hunt ops will be buying a ton of roosters this fall, due to brutal winter.
the wild bird population will be in recovery mode for some time to come.
 
no intent to bash anyone......just an observation on how the result could have been handled, from a good will point of view.
hope his business continues........and yes, all the pay to hunt ops will be buying a ton of roosters this fall, due to brutal winter.
the wild bird population will be in recovery mode for some time to come.

No ALL the pay to hunt will not buying a ton of roosters. I may release some hens in the spring, but not roosters. An lot will but not all.
 
It’s still early but the dismal pheasant survival reports coming out of parts of SD should help the the outfitters who supplement pen raised roosters for their hunting grounds. More guys may opt for that next year.
I was on the U-Guide site and found this comment interesting by a dissatisfied group.
“We hunted Lazy 7 outside Highmore (Hyde County) 12/7-9. We saw only 6 roosters the entire time. 6 hunters (with decades of combined experience) and 5 dogs, two of which were bred and professionally trained at Tiger Mountain Pointing Labs (John Greer - Ellensburg, Wa). The experience was beyond disappointing, especially since this property was advertised as a tier 1 property and UGuide has done nothing to provide value.”


Sorry to hear about their experience. Our group of 10 have killed fewer birds last two years than in the past at one of his camps. We always have a great time. This past year I killed 2 bird in three days, but I ran 4 dogs and enjoyed seeing a bunch of birds shot over their points, by guys who don't have much opportunity to bird hunt. I'd quit going if he released birds, don't need to drive 8 hours for that.
 
Our group all sign up early and pay ahead knowing we are going regardless of the hatch and like many have fun no matter the number of birds seen or killed. As Haymaker pointed out, he has his costs regardless of bird numbers and comping a hunt isn’t fair for the farmer.
The word Value from the quote in the original post can come in many different ways. Being a good host that makes you feel like part of the family and or a good friend is a great thing and one way to add value. A host knowing that the stay Can be just as important to some as the hunt. On a down year, I know that a good host goes a long way, I have seen and been part of a place that has a bad host. I sure wish I could share more on my experience.
 
I'm sure anyone in the "wild birds only" pay to hunt biz are scared a bit right now...obviously their biz was affected after the drought of '17, and now this...I understand that many aren't in it for the sheer #'s, but many (me included) are reluctant to drop $1,000+ for a hunt just to walk on the prairie...lots of beautiful public land in Mn that I can do that on...
 
Man the storms, flooding, frozen February, seems like we can’t string two years together without chaos, 2017 drought.
 
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