Guide?
- Thread starter Darkcloud
- Start date
littlebighorn
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 5,331
DCloud,
I think you have to ask yourself what you want.
If you go guided you will likely get a bigger buck, but you will put in less time yourself and you will miss some of the adventure that comes with hunting DIY. If you don't have time to scout then a guide may be a good thing. But half the experience for many of us is the pre-season trips, etc.
If you are from out of state, then a guide is a big advantage.
Just my 2 pennies.
I think you have to ask yourself what you want.
If you go guided you will likely get a bigger buck, but you will put in less time yourself and you will miss some of the adventure that comes with hunting DIY. If you don't have time to scout then a guide may be a good thing. But half the experience for many of us is the pre-season trips, etc.
If you are from out of state, then a guide is a big advantage.
Just my 2 pennies.
I love the pre season scouting. I am also looking at the fact that this is the best deer unit in the state, with saying that, I would think that there is going to be a lot of guides down there during the hunt. Is it possible to get in on one of the giants, or is it going to be a circus fighting for position with all the guides. I drew an LE elk tag, and ran into this issue, but it was a unit with a lot of tags, but also a lot more area then the Henry's.
Even if I went with a guide, I would still scout just to see the mountain and not miss out on the experience with my friends and family. Just trying to cover all the bases. Any more suggestions or ideas are welcome. I am already going nuts just thinking of this tag.
Even if I went with a guide, I would still scout just to see the mountain and not miss out on the experience with my friends and family. Just trying to cover all the bases. Any more suggestions or ideas are welcome. I am already going nuts just thinking of this tag.
Zeke
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 10,605
Hey there local guy!
I was happy to see you draw a great tag.
Way to go.
LBH makes all the sense in the world.
Guided might get you a bigger buck if the inches are what matters most. DIY will get you closer to nature family and friends and you might just kill the biggest anyway!
Too must emphasis is placed on inches. Don't let the tape tell you if you had a good hunt!
With that said, if you lack time scout, don't have a network of family and friends, don't have the equipment etc, then guided is the way to go. Like you said, it IS a OIL tag!
Zeke
I was happy to see you draw a great tag.
Way to go.
LBH makes all the sense in the world.
Guided might get you a bigger buck if the inches are what matters most. DIY will get you closer to nature family and friends and you might just kill the biggest anyway!
Too must emphasis is placed on inches. Don't let the tape tell you if you had a good hunt!
With that said, if you lack time scout, don't have a network of family and friends, don't have the equipment etc, then guided is the way to go. Like you said, it IS a OIL tag!
Zeke
hogg_65
Active Member
- Messages
- 861
Go down and learn the mountain. The bucks are at all elevations. Dont put to much pressure on yourself. The guides cant get all the big bucks killed. I think that after the opening weekend after all the guided hunters leave, the hunting is better. I went to the Henrys on a Wednesday after the opening weekend of the rifle hunt in 2012 just for a day to ride around. I saw 1 hunter his dad and 2 guides, nobody else around. The deer were out and not to spooked. I saw a bunch of nice bucks and 3 Giants. I didnt get off the roads at all. At least 5 of the bucks i saw were bigger than the buck the guides had the 1 hunter take. It was a 180 ish 4x5. I would hunt the whole hunt if I had that tag, with no guide. Good Luck and congratulations on the tag
Darkcloud,
If you decide you would like a guide feel free to give me a call or send me an email. If you send me an email I can send you some of our scouting pictures and harvest pictures from the last 2 years. Last year I spent 78 days down on the henrys and we ended up killing our number 3 buck on the second day of the muzzy hunt he scored 217.
you can call me at 435-979-7227 or email me at [email protected]
www.hightopoutfitters.com
If you decide you would like a guide feel free to give me a call or send me an email. If you send me an email I can send you some of our scouting pictures and harvest pictures from the last 2 years. Last year I spent 78 days down on the henrys and we ended up killing our number 3 buck on the second day of the muzzy hunt he scored 217.
you can call me at 435-979-7227 or email me at [email protected]
www.hightopoutfitters.com
lundellhunting7
Active Member
- Messages
- 607
If I was going to go with a guide on that mountain I would go with Taylor Albrecht with High Top and if not him North Ridge Outfitters! I know both of them put in the work down there and have pulled some giants off there in the last couple years. Those two to me are the ones that will put in the time and give it 100% . The next 2 I would go for after them if they are booked are Wade Lemon then Mossback
Personally, I would go without a guide. Just me, my Dad and another friend if he wanted to join us. I like the challenge of finding a "big" buck.
Like said above, the scouting, learning the unit, camping and above all being successful on a big buck by myself is way more fun, even if I happen to sacrifice 20" of antler. With hard work, some time and a little bit of luck, you just may get a buck bigger than the guide. Never know...
A smaller buck by myself is a way bigger reward than a monster buck with a guide.
Mntman
"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
Let me guess, you drive a 1 ton with oak trees for smoke stacks, 12" lift kit and 40" tires to pull a single place lawn mower trailer?
Like said above, the scouting, learning the unit, camping and above all being successful on a big buck by myself is way more fun, even if I happen to sacrifice 20" of antler. With hard work, some time and a little bit of luck, you just may get a buck bigger than the guide. Never know...
A smaller buck by myself is a way bigger reward than a monster buck with a guide.
Mntman
"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
Let me guess, you drive a 1 ton with oak trees for smoke stacks, 12" lift kit and 40" tires to pull a single place lawn mower trailer?
highcountryhays
Active Member
- Messages
- 129
I hunted the management hunt last year, which is after all the other hunts. I had a friend with me that is a avid hunter and has a great skill in spotting deer. We had a great time. I shot the biggest management buck I saw, a 28 inch 4x3. But, we saw several 30 to 32 inch non management toads. One 4x4 typical that was probably 34 inches wide and easily would have scored over 200. We also saw a buck I will never forget. He was super tall, massive, 7 x 4 that I think would have scored over 210. With a little help you can certainly do it on your own and have a great time. Beautiful country and I would be glad to share what I learned about the area.
If you want to get one the highest scoring bucks on the mountain, you need the help of a guide. They usually have an army spotting and watching the top bucks.
If you want to get one the highest scoring bucks on the mountain, you need the help of a guide. They usually have an army spotting and watching the top bucks.
1911
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 6,197
Hire a guide. Get one who will whiten his teeth brighter than the noon day sun, take front and center stage on the dead animal, and give a soliloquy on video so mundane that it makes you want to suck start a pistol. Go with one who has well established marketing and can put some stupid logo all over your buck. Hope this helps.
deerslayer88
Active Member
- Messages
- 971
>Hire a guide. Get one
>who will whiten his teeth
>brighter than the noon day
>sun, take front and center
>stage on the dead animal,
>and give a soliloquy on
>video so mundane that it
>makes you want to suck
>start a pistol. Go
>with one who has well
>established marketing and can put
>some stupid logo all over
>your buck. Hope this
>helps.
>
Sounds like you hate Doyle lol. Never met the guy but heck he is popular to hate on.
>who will whiten his teeth
>brighter than the noon day
>sun, take front and center
>stage on the dead animal,
>and give a soliloquy on
>video so mundane that it
>makes you want to suck
>start a pistol. Go
>with one who has well
>established marketing and can put
>some stupid logo all over
>your buck. Hope this
>helps.
>
Sounds like you hate Doyle lol. Never met the guy but heck he is popular to hate on.
When you say it like that, I don't want anything to do with a guide. Lol
On a side note, I just got back from my first trip down, I know it's way early, but wanted to see what I was up against with the access points and what kind of conditions they were in. Saw lots of deer and even some buffalo, but I still have a lot to learn and see. I know of one guide that won't be getting a phone call, but as of right now, I think I will go at it on my own. Thanks for the info and input, if anybody has anything they would like to share through a pm I'm all ears, if not, I fully understand.
On a side note, I just got back from my first trip down, I know it's way early, but wanted to see what I was up against with the access points and what kind of conditions they were in. Saw lots of deer and even some buffalo, but I still have a lot to learn and see. I know of one guide that won't be getting a phone call, but as of right now, I think I will go at it on my own. Thanks for the info and input, if anybody has anything they would like to share through a pm I'm all ears, if not, I fully understand.
lundellhunting7
Active Member
- Messages
- 607
I should be down there a lot this year I would imagine I will let ya know what I see down there man! If ya need any pointers where to go other than the normal places..... I know where a couple good deer hang out during the hunt that didn't get killed last year.... As long as ya don't tell everyone where it's at ha
J
joey11
Guest
LAST EDITED ON May-27-14 AT 03:55PM (MST)[p]The guide i would hire has already gave you his info and somebody else recommended him as well, but I spent a lot of time down on the Henrys last year and every time we were down there we always ran into Taylor with high top. After the 3rd or 4th run in with him we stopped and talked to him. He is a great guy with a lot of info and knowledge about the unit. We were down there learning the area for my brothers cow bison hunt and Taylor would show us some of the pictures he had taken of some of the bucks and buffalo he was watching.
If i had a deer tag in hand i wouldn't hesitate to hire him or his buddy for my hunt sorry i cant remember his buddy's name but i do know he guides for high top as well and is Taylor's Brother i think.
Anyway we made 9 or 10 trips down and we only found the buffalo 3 or 4 of the trips, but every time we ran into Taylor he had new pictures of the buffalo he had been seeing and pictures of 4-5 old lone bulls he had been watching. After the big snow storm hit on the first hunters choice buffalo hunt we were going to hire Taylor for my brothers hunt. Because of Taylor's schedule he wasn't going to be able to take us so my brother turned his tag back in and he will draw it again in the next few years. After last year i am sure he will be hiring Taylor to guide it.
If i were in your shoes i would call and at least talk to Taylor or somebody at high top. when we were talking to Taylor it sounded like the prices were really fair. They did do things a little different where the hunter was responsible for his own food and lodging unless they added that into their hunt package but after he explained it to us it did make sense and it did cut down on the price of the hunt.
We also ran into Thomas Baker And Nadia i think they work for David Virostko from north rim outfitters and another guide i think his name was Cameron from mossback. Both groups were easy to talk to and they too were very friendly and i dont have anything bad to say about any of them. They did share some info and talked to us about past hunts but Taylor and his buddy seemed alot more personal and not as busy. It seemed like they were focused on one hunt at a time and only one hunter at a time rather then trying to move hunters through the line.
Hope this helps in your decision if your still trying to decide.
Joe
If i had a deer tag in hand i wouldn't hesitate to hire him or his buddy for my hunt sorry i cant remember his buddy's name but i do know he guides for high top as well and is Taylor's Brother i think.
Anyway we made 9 or 10 trips down and we only found the buffalo 3 or 4 of the trips, but every time we ran into Taylor he had new pictures of the buffalo he had been seeing and pictures of 4-5 old lone bulls he had been watching. After the big snow storm hit on the first hunters choice buffalo hunt we were going to hire Taylor for my brothers hunt. Because of Taylor's schedule he wasn't going to be able to take us so my brother turned his tag back in and he will draw it again in the next few years. After last year i am sure he will be hiring Taylor to guide it.
If i were in your shoes i would call and at least talk to Taylor or somebody at high top. when we were talking to Taylor it sounded like the prices were really fair. They did do things a little different where the hunter was responsible for his own food and lodging unless they added that into their hunt package but after he explained it to us it did make sense and it did cut down on the price of the hunt.
We also ran into Thomas Baker And Nadia i think they work for David Virostko from north rim outfitters and another guide i think his name was Cameron from mossback. Both groups were easy to talk to and they too were very friendly and i dont have anything bad to say about any of them. They did share some info and talked to us about past hunts but Taylor and his buddy seemed alot more personal and not as busy. It seemed like they were focused on one hunt at a time and only one hunter at a time rather then trying to move hunters through the line.
Hope this helps in your decision if your still trying to decide.
Joe
