BLACK_PREDATOR
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Living the Dream
The sound can send quills and chills down your entire body, the smell is burned into your nose for life, the dust and environment can literally be tasted, the size and majesty is truly eye popping, and then in the end to hold it, feel it,?and of course respect it?.Nothing brings all the senses together like hunting a trophy rut crazed bull elk.
Not everyone has experienced a face to snout encounter with a loud, trophy, rut crazed Bull Elk. But most of us at some point in our hunting career (regardless of the species) have had one or more of our senses triggered in some way that it doesn't matter what it takes, we are doing it again next year.
That's hunting right? We might spend the entire season hunting, glassing, and hiking. Along with 100?s, if not 1000?s of dollars in fuel, food, gear, etc? Never to see a single animal, or at least not one big enough to shoot at.
That is, until that last 5 minutes of light roles around, and your vision is starting to blur and water from spotting and glassing for hours and hours. Just then as the sun is fading and another season is about to end, there he is. On a ridge that is over a ? mile away. At first, it's just a glare of his antler, and then the entire animal comes into view. Our adrenaline takes over and all of our body?s senses immediately start collecting and harnessing data. Time seems to freeze as the image burns into our head and heart. Then, in that moment, we assure ourselves that it's all worth it, and that no matter what, we are going after the ?dream? AGAIN next year.
Well for me I gave up on the dream a few years ago. I decided I am the unluckiest person (other then my brother Todd) that there is when it comes to drawing a ?dream? tag. So I figured since I was already spending hours and days out in the mountains, looking, scouting, and filming elk and deer, and I was clearly never going to draw and live my own dream, that I might as well be helping some lucky hunter live theirs.
For a year or two I tagged along and helped local guys that had drawn out, but soon realized that they had all the help they needed from their own family.
From then on we (my brothers and I) started looking at the draw results for our area and in talking to a few guys realized that many people that drew for our local area, had never been here, or were only vaguely familiar with the area. That was all we needed to hear. We began offering our assistance, and most guys were happy to take it. Most were happy to pay a little for our time and knowledge; others said we should be charging more.
Finally my brothers and I decided that we would make a go at it. Outfitting and guiding that is. But in our minds it was hard to charge somebody for something so fun and exciting, something that we would be doing regardless if we were helping them or not. We started out charging pennies by the hour, literally. One year we helped a guy kill a 370+ bull in two days for $200.00. What a bargain right!
As the seasons, and bucks and bulls went by, we began to be a little more known for our expertise and services in the areas and units surrounding us. We soon had guys that had drawn or bought tags for these areas calling and being referred to us. With the demand higher we decided we had better figure a price that we could all agree with. We decided that we would make it worth our time and expenses but still charge well below the ?normal? guiding rate. Plus we always throw in the bonus of filming the hunt with professional cameras and equipment to give them a great keepsake from their hunt.
Our goal was to be able to make the average hunter, the guy that had been putting in 10+ years of their life, the guy that couldn't afford the ?$ big name guides $?, be able to afford us. Not only afford us, but also have one of the most memorable and successful hunts they have ever been on. This system has worked great for us. We have been able to help some great ?average guys? take some awesome, better then average animals.
The past few years we(my brothers and I) at Black Timber Outfitters have been ?living the dream? though many hunters and sportsmen, and along the way have made some great new friends.
We have harvested and film some monster bulls ranging from 340-390 B&C, while passing on and filming dozens more. We?ve also helped many guys take their first muley, and others take there biggest to date.
Many of our past hunters have begged to come back in future years. They want nothing more then to just be in camp. Offering to cook, wash dishes, scout, or even work as a free pack mule, what ever it takes just to be part of the experience again. Their senses have all be aroused, and they're ready for more. They understand that their dream has just ended and will do anything to be a part of another.
I still put in each year for my local hunts, and have become accustomed to seeing the words ?unsuccessful? but I don't let it effect me anymore. I know that come each fall I'm going to be a part of living another successful season of fulfilled dreams.
enough said.
any questions?
Travis Black
Black Timber Outfitters
Blanding, Ut.
The sound can send quills and chills down your entire body, the smell is burned into your nose for life, the dust and environment can literally be tasted, the size and majesty is truly eye popping, and then in the end to hold it, feel it,?and of course respect it?.Nothing brings all the senses together like hunting a trophy rut crazed bull elk.
Not everyone has experienced a face to snout encounter with a loud, trophy, rut crazed Bull Elk. But most of us at some point in our hunting career (regardless of the species) have had one or more of our senses triggered in some way that it doesn't matter what it takes, we are doing it again next year.
That's hunting right? We might spend the entire season hunting, glassing, and hiking. Along with 100?s, if not 1000?s of dollars in fuel, food, gear, etc? Never to see a single animal, or at least not one big enough to shoot at.
That is, until that last 5 minutes of light roles around, and your vision is starting to blur and water from spotting and glassing for hours and hours. Just then as the sun is fading and another season is about to end, there he is. On a ridge that is over a ? mile away. At first, it's just a glare of his antler, and then the entire animal comes into view. Our adrenaline takes over and all of our body?s senses immediately start collecting and harnessing data. Time seems to freeze as the image burns into our head and heart. Then, in that moment, we assure ourselves that it's all worth it, and that no matter what, we are going after the ?dream? AGAIN next year.
Well for me I gave up on the dream a few years ago. I decided I am the unluckiest person (other then my brother Todd) that there is when it comes to drawing a ?dream? tag. So I figured since I was already spending hours and days out in the mountains, looking, scouting, and filming elk and deer, and I was clearly never going to draw and live my own dream, that I might as well be helping some lucky hunter live theirs.
For a year or two I tagged along and helped local guys that had drawn out, but soon realized that they had all the help they needed from their own family.
From then on we (my brothers and I) started looking at the draw results for our area and in talking to a few guys realized that many people that drew for our local area, had never been here, or were only vaguely familiar with the area. That was all we needed to hear. We began offering our assistance, and most guys were happy to take it. Most were happy to pay a little for our time and knowledge; others said we should be charging more.
Finally my brothers and I decided that we would make a go at it. Outfitting and guiding that is. But in our minds it was hard to charge somebody for something so fun and exciting, something that we would be doing regardless if we were helping them or not. We started out charging pennies by the hour, literally. One year we helped a guy kill a 370+ bull in two days for $200.00. What a bargain right!
As the seasons, and bucks and bulls went by, we began to be a little more known for our expertise and services in the areas and units surrounding us. We soon had guys that had drawn or bought tags for these areas calling and being referred to us. With the demand higher we decided we had better figure a price that we could all agree with. We decided that we would make it worth our time and expenses but still charge well below the ?normal? guiding rate. Plus we always throw in the bonus of filming the hunt with professional cameras and equipment to give them a great keepsake from their hunt.
Our goal was to be able to make the average hunter, the guy that had been putting in 10+ years of their life, the guy that couldn't afford the ?$ big name guides $?, be able to afford us. Not only afford us, but also have one of the most memorable and successful hunts they have ever been on. This system has worked great for us. We have been able to help some great ?average guys? take some awesome, better then average animals.
The past few years we(my brothers and I) at Black Timber Outfitters have been ?living the dream? though many hunters and sportsmen, and along the way have made some great new friends.
We have harvested and film some monster bulls ranging from 340-390 B&C, while passing on and filming dozens more. We?ve also helped many guys take their first muley, and others take there biggest to date.
Many of our past hunters have begged to come back in future years. They want nothing more then to just be in camp. Offering to cook, wash dishes, scout, or even work as a free pack mule, what ever it takes just to be part of the experience again. Their senses have all be aroused, and they're ready for more. They understand that their dream has just ended and will do anything to be a part of another.
I still put in each year for my local hunts, and have become accustomed to seeing the words ?unsuccessful? but I don't let it effect me anymore. I know that come each fall I'm going to be a part of living another successful season of fulfilled dreams.
enough said.
any questions?
Travis Black
Black Timber Outfitters
Blanding, Ut.
