THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE
November in Saskatchewan can be a sobering experience. Three
hours had passed since Bentley Brown's guide, Chris Lavoie, positioned me in a
remote stand called Sunshine North. As the big spruce holding the stand swayed
in the wind I wondered if I'd be able to stay put for another seven hours. It
was near zero and my hands and face were beginning to feel the effects of wind
gusts close to twenty miles per hour. The conditions were better suited for polar
bears than whitetails. While surveying the forest around me, I rehashed the previous four days in my mind. The hunting had been incredible. Unfortunately, none of the twenty-seven bucks I'd seen were to my liking. Now, with just two days left in the hunt, I was facing the possibility of being skunked for the first time in five trips with Brown. As I watched
my blued gun barrel turn frosty white, I thought of what Bentley had told me the
night before about my hunting location. "We've seen some incredible sign
in the Sunshine North area so your chances are very good," he said. "My
advice would be to try sitting as long as you can." Through past trips with Brown, I'd come to respect his savvy and insight for hunting big-bodied whitetails. His comments allowed me to keep my hopes up in spite of the poor weather and the lack of deer activity during my first three hours at the location. Around ten-thirty it began to snow a little harder so I hunkered deeper into the sleeping bag I was sitting in. Because of the conditions, I couldn't imagine that any deer would be moving. I was wrong. Before the thought drifted away, my luck changed. To my left, about seventy yards away in open hardwoods, I picked up the movement of a deer walking through a stand of mature aspen and spruce trees. In spite of the distance, I was able to make out antlers silhouetted against the snowy backdrop. At the speed the buck was walking, there was no time to fumble for my binoculars and try to count points. Time was of the essence. The only thing that ran through my mind was that he was one big buck, certainly big enough for my book. In one motion I slid my frozen .270 into position, clicked off the safety, and put the crosshairs on the walking buck. Angling away at eighty yards he paused for a moment between two aspen trees. I squeezed the trigger. At the roar of the rifle the big buck jumped straight in the air and exploded into the thick brush. After getting my composure, I climbed from the stand and quickly found the spot where the buck had been standing. At first all I saw was a tuft of hair. Then, after tracking him for twenty yards in the snow, a good blood trail formed. Glancing ahead I couldn't believe the sight. Next to a big log lay one of the largest whitetail bucks I'd ever seen in the wild. I covered the next twenty yards in record time, knelt in the snow and ran my fingers over the massive antlers while a flood of emotions ran through my body. The buck was truly a Saskatchewan bruiser in every way. At noon Chris came to check on me. He, too, was amazed at the buck I'd harvested. After a sandwich and quick photo session we struggled to get the buck on the ATV for the long haul back to the trailhead. For a while it didn't look like we'd be able to get the big buck onto the rack of the four-wheeler, but we eventually pulled it into place. The sight of the buck hanging on the back of the quad was incredible. As I walked behind Chris and my buck, I couldn't help but think of what had taken place during the five previous days. Aside from the day's weather, the hunt had been nearly perfect. I'd experienced a great camp atmosphere, seen some gorgeous country and encountered many excellent deer. During the week all eight hunters in camp killed bucks, with the scores ranging from 147 to 189 B&C. Bentley Brown and his guides had gone the extra mile to make sure I went home with wonderful memories of my hunt. Where
to Go There are some places I love to go back to time and time again. South Texas is such a place. However, when it comes to my all-time favorite it's no contest. It's Saskatchewan. The alder swamps and spruce forests of this province is a place where the atmosphere of the hunt, the land, and the quality of the animals make the whitetail hunting experience special. This is also where you'll find Bentley Brown, one of the best whitetail outfitters I've ever known. Based in Turtleford, Saskatchewan, Brown's operation is located on the fringe of farm country. Nonresident hunters cannot hunt the farm zone, but Brown's area is close enough to it that the whitetails benefit from the agriculture. Because Brown's hunting area is so large (80,000 acres), the 30-35 bucks his clients kill each year have little effect on the deer population. Instead, wolves, coyotes and severe winters keep deer in balance with the range's carrying capacity. Based on hunter/outfitter surveys, the area has about 15 to 20 deer per square mile with an adult-doe-to-antlered buck ratio close to 1 to 1. So, everything about Brown's setupÑfrom the habitat to the deer herd to the bucks his hunters harvestÑis as good as it gets. I've hunted with Brown several times, and on each occasion, the experience was special and the bucks I harvested were real heart-stoppers. Brown's food, accommodations, equipment and guides are excellent. However, there are some shortcomings. November in Saskatchewan can be an endurance test for hunters. It's no place for a hunter who hates snow and cold. However, if you want to hunt some of the biggest whitetails on the planet, this is the place to go. Be
Educated When I began my career nearly twenty-five years ago my dream was to hunt whitetails throughout North America. I've been blessed beyond measure because I've been able to accomplish what I set out to do. For the most part, it's been an incredible run. Unfortunately, not all of the hunts were what they were cracked up to be because, in the early going, I made a lot of mistakes when it came to choosing an outfitter. As a seminar speaker I've come to realize that many deer hunters are where I was twenty years agoÑthey know what they want to accomplish but haven't a clue how to make it happen. Determine
Your Goal Where do you want to go? From East to West, there are many great places to hunt white-tailed deer. Unfortunately, not all regions have the same potential. Far South Texas has some of the biggest racked whitetails on the continent. However, most of these bucks are on large private ranches where hunts are short and very expensive. Saskatchewan is a whitetail paradise, but for some the thought of sitting in a stand all day in frigid temperatures is out of the question. Hunting in the Midwest can be a good as it gets, but finding a great place to hunt is getting more and more difficult due to the publicity that places like Kansas, Illinois and Iowa have generated. What are you looking for? The chance to pursue big-racked bucks and the experience of hunting away from home are often the reasons why hunters desire to take outfitted hunts. If a whitetail buck scoring in the 120 Boone and Crockett range is what you are looking for, then there are many places where it can be done. In the eyes of most, a buck scoring 140+ Boone and Crockett is considered a trophy any place in North America. But be forewarned, bucks of this caliber can be as scarce as hen's teeth in many regions. So, if this is your goal, you'll have to do your homework and ask the right questions if you want to have a realistic chance to hunt such an animal. How much do you want to spend? In most cases you get what you pay for when taking an outfitted whitetail hunt. If the hunt costs $1,000 for 4-5 days, the quality of the bucks may not be that great. In most cases, hunts for good quality whitetail bucks will range from $1,800-$3,500 for 5-6 days. It's best to be a little leery of "bargain hunts." Questions
to Ask Never be afraid to ask an outfitter what he knows about scrapes and rubs and buck behavior. You want to ask questions that show whether he knows the white-tailed deer as well as you do. Hunts are expensive, especially when you break the cost down into days and hours on stand. So, you can't afford to not ask the right questions. Tom Indrebo has been outfitting bow and gun hunters for nearly 20 years in famed Buffalo County, Wisconsin. His success as an outfitter has come from knowing his craft and the whitetail hunters he guides, as well. When I talked to him about the subject of outfitted whitetail hunts he said, "One of the most important things is for the hunter and outfitter to know as much as possible about each other. Most of the time I'm answering questions, but before I take a client I want to know something about what he's looking for in a hunt. "I tell him everything I possibly can about myself and the country I hunt, right down to how I hunt my hunters and the kind of stands I use. They know up front what I can offer and that my hunts are not guaranteed. Nothing can be guaranteed when you hunt wild, free ranging farm country bucks. Above all, I try to be honest with anyone who books with me and I expect the same from them." What kind of success does the outfitter have and what sizes are the bucks he's killing? If your goal is to bring back that trophy-racked whitetail then you need to know what kind of success the outfitter's hunters have had. If he can't tell you the average Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett score of the bucks his clients have harvested, look elsewhere. As mentioned earlier, Bentley Brown is as good of an outfitter as I've seen. Not only does he know the behavioral side of deer but he also knows how to hunt them. Brown keeps meticulous records of every buck his hunters kill. He records the Boone & Crockett score, live weight, kill location, date, time of day, what the deer was doing and the weather conditions at the time of kill. Be sure to ask the outfitter if he has a restriction on the size of bucks that can be harvested. If he doesn't then there is a good possibility that too many young bucks are being killed. Many of the better outfitters have restrictions or impose a penalty if a buck under a specified minimum size is harvested. This may sound like a negative thing, but try to put yourself in the outfitter's position. His region's buck inventory is his future, so he cannot afford to have a young buck killed just so a hunter can justify a hunt. What kinds of bucks are being seen? The better whitetail outfitters work at their craft 365 days a year. When they are not guiding hunters, they are scouting and know the quality of the bucks in their area. Ask them about their sightings and the prospects of hunting the deer they are seeing. What is the size of the outfitter's area? Are other outfitters in the same area? Can residents hunt the area? As mentioned previously, all regions of the country are not the same when it comes to the quality of whitetails. In order for an outfitter to have mature bucks in any number he must have an area large enough to allow for a good age structure. Though it doesn't apply everywhere, a general rule is that one 130-140+ wild free ranging B&C buck can be harvested for every 200-250 acres of land. This applies in areas where the habitat is very good and no bucks under 3 -1/2 years of age are being killed. Obviously, the ratio of trophy bucks to acreage varies from region to region, but this rule of thumb will at least give you an idea of a hunt's potential. In order to have trophy class bucks on the property requires that the outfitter have enough land under his control for it to happen. Generally this means that for every hunter (on a given week of hunting) there needs to be a minimum of 250-300 acres of huntable habitat. So, if a bow-hunting outfitter takes six hunters a week he should have a minimum of 1,500 to 1,800 acres of land that he can hunt. In addition, make sure that the outfitter has exclusive hunting rights for the land he hunts. Nothing is more frustrating than hunting an area along with local residents or the clients of another outfitter. I've experienced situations where both natives and other outfitters were hunting the lands I was hunting. Unfortunately, I wasn't wise enough to ask about this ahead of time. How many hunters does the outfitter take per week and per season? This is a critical question. If an outfitter has too many hunters for his operation, the hunt will be less than desirable. Too many hunters can mean that the area's deer will quickly become nocturnal, and there is a high probability that too many bucks are being killed. What types of stands are used and how often are they hunted? How about the little details (lefty/righty)? I can't begin to tell you the number of hunts I've been on where it quickly became apparent that the stands had been over-hunted. This happens often when an outfitter doesn't have enough land and/or has too many hunters booked. Whitetails quickly learn the patterns of the hunters using the stands. If bucks and does are circling the stand just out of range, it's a good bet that they've learned what's going on. Remember, sightings and kill opportunities are vastly different. You need to know about the number of deer that are seen within shooting range, especially if you are a bow hunter. From personal experience, and talking to hunters and outfitters, I believe that there needs to be a minimum of four stand locations for every hunter in camp. By way of example, Bentley Brown takes 6-8 hunters per week during Saskatchewan's five week rifle season and has a minimum of forty stand locations spread out in his hunting area to insure that no stand gets over hunted. Ask about the little things. Can the stand be moved if needed? Are the stands set up so that both right-handed and left-handed shooters can use them? I'm left handed and have learned the hard way that few bow set-ups are made so that they will work for a lefty. I've even had situations where an outfitter told me a stand would work for a left hander and found out when I climbed into the stand (with the guide long gone) that I couldn't pull a bow back. For this reason, ask if a small pruning saw can be used if needed. Also, find out if you can switch to another stand each day or during the day. A lot of outfitters try to make hunters use the same stand during the entire hunt. Don't spend your hard-earned money if you are forced to look at the same patch of woods for the whole hunt. How many guides are there per hunter? What kind of equipment does the outfitter have? Be sure to ask the outfitter how many hunters will be assigned to each guide. In many cases one guide for every two hunters is about right. If more than two hunters are assigned to a guide then logistical problems are a real possibility. If your guide has to take care of too many other hunters, there is a high probability that you will find yourself getting to your stand very early or too late in the morning and you may end up standing around in the dark for a long time at the end of the day. Make sure to ask the outfitter if each guide has a four wheel drive vehicle and an ATV. Each shift on stand is expensive, and you don't want to spend valuable time stuck or not being able to get in or out of the location you'll be hunting. Query the outfitter as to the kind of clothing you will need, as well as the required safety equipment and color clothing you must wear. Be sure to ask questions about the weather Ð especially the temperature conditions. It's better to have too much clothing than not enough. What kinds of accommodations are provided (food, phone, washer-dryer, etc.)? In some locations whitetail hunting can be a physical grind, especially in parts of Canada where few American hunters are prepared for frigid temperatures in November. I've seen physical meltdowns first hand, and they aren't pretty. For this reason, adequate accommodations are essential. You don't need a five star hotel, but the place you stay does need to provide a level of comfort that will allow you to recharge your physical batteries at the end of each day. I always ask about shower facilities, the policy regarding smokers in the lodge, and how the outfitter handles roommates who don't want to go to bed at night or turn out to be excessive snorers. It's also wise to find out if there is adequate access to a telephone as well as a washer and dryer. The food you'll be eating during the hunt is also important, especially if you have a medical condition that restricts your diet. Make sure the outfitter knows your physical needs so he'll have the types of food you can eat. It's up to you to alert him of any medical needs you have. Most of the better outfitters want to know if you have a health problem so that they can plan accordingly. What's the cost of the hunt? Where you plug in this question is up to you. However, at some point a guaranteed cost for the hunt needs to be known. Make sure to inquire about the required deposit and whether it's refundable should you have to back out of the hunt. In addition, fully understand the length of the hunt in terms of total days of in-the-field hunting. There are many outfitters who state that they offer six-day hunts when in reality the hunt amounts to a day less. An example of what I mean is when the first day of a six-day hunt consists of the outfitter picking the hunters up at the airport and having them in a stand in time for the evening sit. Then, on the sixth day the hunter only gets to hunt in the morning so that the outfitter can get the hunters back airport by late afternoon. This kind of arrangement is quite typical. I've seen expensive three-day Texas hunts that take in parts of three days but include only four sits (evening, morning, evening, morning). Are there any hidden costs? Hidden costs can get old in a hurry. Be sure to ask the outfitter for any extra expenses not covered by the cost of the hunt. For example, will you be responsible for motel accommodations and meals on either end of the hunt? Does the cost of the hunt include transportation from the airport to the hunting location? Are there any trophy fees or extra charges to get antlers or meat home? Also, inquire about tipping procedures before you book the hunt. Can references be provided (from successful and non-successful hunters)? References are a vital part of determining the quality of the outfitter and the hunt. Most outfitters are more than happy to provide a list of successful hunters they've guided. However, ask the outfitter for references of unsuccessful huntersÑboth those who returned for a second hunt and those who did not. Use the questions discussed in this article when calling references. Hearing what hunters have to say about the outfitter and the hunt are better than hearing it from the outfitter himself. There are many great whitetail outfitters in North America who go the extra mile to give their clients the "hunt of a lifetime." Unfortunately, there are too many who learn their craft at the hunter's expense. Learning how to separate the good from the bad isn't always easy, but when armed with the right questions the learning curve can be flatter and less painful. I only wish that I had known the right questions to ask when I began talking to outfitters many years ago. Hunting my farm is one of the joys of my life, but my hunting career would not be as complete if I didn't pursue whitetails throughout North America. For this reason, I'll continue to ask questions and continue to hunt with outfitters wherever the whitetail roams. CONTACT INFORMATION: Trophy
Hunts
Phone: 306-845-2444 |
