Illinois Hunting Outfitter and Guide Reviews
Outfitter Review: Illinois Outfitters Plus - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Matt Fantz
Hunter: Joseph Cservak
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
This was my second year with Matt.Both years were very good.I saw alot of big deer both years.But this year I shot my biggest deer to date.There was six of us out there this year and four of us shot deer.The deer ranged from 130 inches up to 176 inches.We are all going back next year with a couple of more guys.I highly recomend Illinois Outfitters Plus.
Outfitter Review: Illinois Outfitters Plus - Il
Outfitter / Owner: Matt Fantz
Hunter: Garry Rhodes
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
This was my 9th year coming to Illinois for Trophy Whitetail. I've been to several outfitters in the past 5 years due to my outfitter moving and it was a rocky adventure to say the least. Ive brought as many as 9 guys with me to Illinois in the past and recently started using Matt (last 2 years). This year was by far the best year we have had out in Illinois to date. The weather was in the 30's everyday and the bucks were in full rut !! We had a total of 18 guys in camp for the week of Nov 9th thru Nov 20th and out of those 18 guys ... 13 killed bucks over 130's .. 5 being over 150's and mine being 178 inches. SO what does that tell you !!If your looking for an outfitting service thats going to pamper your every move ... Then this camp is not for you (maybe they do provide this type of service) but if your looking for an outfitter that knows his property's and what type of deer they hold .. This is the place .. I seen more bucks in this trip then in the past 5 years combined .. Yes the weather was good and the bucks were in full rut but you still have to have the property to hold them .. and Matt does !!Matt and his guides go out and beyond to help put these trophy bucks in front of you but you still have to be a hunter. As for the accomodations ,, You stay in a comfortable farm house but you have to provide your own food.In closing, If your looking for a hunt with a great chance to kill a trophy buck here it is !!
Outfitter Review: Illinois Outfitters Plus - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Matt Fantz
Hunter: John Marley
Animals Hunted: deer
This was my first year on this hunt. The weather was in the single digit temps., snow and windy and I still saw 31 deer and 3 shooter bucks on the first day. I harvested a 140 inch 10 point. This was my first hunt with Illinois Outfitters Plus and 3 out of the 5 guys that went on this trip got a 130 inch or bigger deer and all 5 had the opportunity and this was the later muzzleloader hunt in December. I am from Ohio and have hunted for over 30 years and harvested quite a few bucks over 140. I have already booked my trip for me and 9 of my buddies this year and plan to go back year after year. I would highly recommend this trip to anybody who wants to hunt Illinois.John Marley
Outfitter Review: Illinois Outfitters Plus - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Matt Frantz
Hunter: Marc Cutinella
Animals Hunted: whitetails
06 was my second trip out to matt. Don, my guide, sat me in a stand,my first afternoon, where i hunted the last afternoon last year. after about an hour and a half, i drew back on my first buck. being the first afternoon, i let him walk. 2 days later, i killed a 157 inch 12 pt giant! Marc N.Y. state
Outfitter Review: Illinois Outfitters Plus - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Matt Fantz
Hunter: Dennis Hanners
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
I have hunted with Matt for 4 years now and have always had a great hunt. This year was the toughest year so far. The weather was very warm for the second week in Novemeber. Still saw lots of deer and several shooter bucks. I missed one nice buck early in the hunt but was lucky enough to get a second chance later in the week. Have already booked for 2007 and I will recommend Matt's hunts to anyone.
Outfitter Review: Samson's Whitetail Mountain - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Jerry Stafford
Hunter: Phil Little
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Jerry Stafford has a first class Whitetail Hunt!!We saw several nice bucks and I shot the buck of a lifetime scoring 193 7/8. The accomodations and food were first class. They even took us on a pheasant hunt one day between the morning and afternoon hunt. Plan on hunting hard and seeing lots of trophy whitetails.
Outfitter Review: Oak Ridge Outfitters Inc - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Andy Fessler
Hunter: DAVE FOYER
Animals Hunted: Deer
I met ANDY in ERIE,P.A. at an outdoor show. Where we talked over the piticulars etc. unfortionatly i was booked with anOTHER outfitter. I ALSO HAD HUNTED THE SURROUNDING AREA PREVEIOUSLY WITH OTHER OUTFITTERS. DO TO AN UNTIMELY PASSING OF MY HUNTING PARTNER I PANICKED AND BOOKED WITH ^%*$# OUTFITTING. THEN I SAW THIS OUTFITTER REVIEW WEB. SITE. I WANTED TO PUKE...AS I SAID I HAD HUNTED PIKE CO. FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. ALL BY THE WAY WERE ALL GOOD HUNTS. I GOT IN TOUCH WITH YOUNG ANDY AND HE SAID HE COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT I WAS WORKING IN ILL. I CALLED AND ASKED IF I COULD SEE WHAT THE LAND HAD TO HOLD. ANDY WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO SHOW ME AROUND.HE DIDN'T HAVE TO BUT HE DID. I SAW PLENTY OF BIG BUCKS. I WAS NO STRANGER TO PIKE CO. HE HAD WHAT HE SAID. ANYWAY I RANG HIS PHONE OFF THE WALL WANTING TO KNOW WHAT HE WAS SEEING. HE WOULD LAUGH AND SAY THRE WILL BE BIGGINS LEFT FOR THE SECOND GUN SEASON. I FORGOT TO SAY I HAD ONLY HUNTED THE FIRST GUN SEASON. AND USUALLY SAW 10 TO 20 BUCKS A DAY WITH GOOD SUCCESS. THE BIG DAY FINNALY ARRIVES WITH THE WEATHER ABOUT TO GO INTO A DEEP FREEZE AND HIGH WINDS TA BOOT. THE HUNT CAME OFF WITH A LAST MINUTE KILL OF A DECENT BUCK. I HUNTED DAYLIGHT TO DARK. I SAW PLENTY OF DEER THE BIG BOYS DIDN'T MOVE MUCH IN 2FT OF SNOW BUT THEY DID EVENTUALLY. ANDY AND HIS WIFE RUN A SMALL OPERATION,CLEAN,&GOOD FOOD. HE DOESN'T OVER HUNT THE LAND HAS GOOD TREE STANDS ETC. ALSO HE WILL GO OUT OF HIS WAY FOR YOU. AND TRUST ME THIS HUNT WAS VERY COLD AND WINDY THE OTHERS I WAS IN CAMP WITH ALL GREAT GUYS (HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN) WERE IMPRESSED AS WELL. THE WEATHER WAS TERRIBLE AND WE HUNTED HARD. YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR PART AS A HUNTER ALSO STAY THE COURSE HUNT ALL DAY!!!! MY BEST DEER MOVEMENT WAS 9AM TILL 2PM IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A GOOD HUNT AND RELIBLE PERSONELL I WILL RECCOMEND ANDY.
Outfitter Review: Knupp Outdoors - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Dave/Scott Knupp
Hunter: Andy Belk
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Terrible hunt. The "guide" (the guy giving tour of the properties) on the first day did know where the camp was located and gave wrong directions to the farm we hunted. Stands have not been moved in years. No pre-scouting report, no topo maps provided, aerials without a refernce scale, road map without road names. Too many hunters for amount of land. Outfitter claims to have strict policies in regards to pressure but there is nobody in camp to insure these rules are enforces. Outfitter was on vacation the week we hunted, but did call and check in twice. We hunted the first full week of Nov. and there no rebook hunters in camp although we told rebooking rates were 80%.We were told success rate was around 30% and 75% oppurturnity rate on 125" plus deer. When we left on Nov. 11 no hunter had taken a deer exceeding 125", except a buck the guide took in the early season. I hunted 5 1/2 days and had one deer (a spike) in bow range the entire hunt.
Outfitter Review: Illinois Outfitters Plus - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Matt Fantz
Hunter: Mrs. Teri Bagents
Animals Hunted: Deer
Was told by the booking agent Barry Estes that his wife would be on hunt but this was not true. Found out the day we met for the trip she went one week ahead of scheduled hunt. Would not have gone knowing I would be the only woman,Guide did not show us areas we could hunt, we were put in the same tree stand for three days and had to request to be moved,we were thengiven bad information about type of stands and inacurate locations of stands.When I did harvest a deer no one came out to load the deer until coyotes had eaten a large part of the carcass.Owner of Outfitter Matt Fantz was unavailable to discuss problems with during our stay.Husband hunted on another outfitters land because we were not shown boundries of land.No food sourse. Corn had been plowed up. Last day of hunt found corn poured out. Would not hunt over baited field.
Outfitter Review: Tall Tine Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Joe Gizdic
Hunter: Bill Martin
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
Joe has a no frills approach that gets the job done. His guides know the areas/farms well and stand placement is top notch. There are huge deer here you just have to put in the time.My freind has been 2X and myself 1X, I'm taking my wife next time.
Outfitter Review: Oak Ridge Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Andy Fesler
Hunter: Gary Galford
Animals Hunted: Whitetail deer
This is a small family run outfitter in Pike county. Outfitter runs only a limited amount of hunters on his land. Does not run high number of hunters like other outfitters. Deer were not spooked and did not look at stands as I have experienced with other outfitters in Illinois. Best hunt I have found in Illinois! This outfitter does have the big bucks and wants you to kill one. Not just show them to you without a chance for a shot.
Outfitter Review: Harpole's Heartland Lodge - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Gary Harpole
Hunter: Kevin
Animals Hunted: whitetail
Hunted Nov. 17-19 gun season. Lost count of amount of deer I saw!!! Guide was great and eager to help. Seemed knowledgable about his "farm". Food was excellent even though on two nights the second helpings were hard to get due to too many people and not enough food. Lodge was spotless and very comfortable. Tagged out on 128" 8 pt. with 10" G-2's on the last day. Brother in law shot 142" 12 pt. Would definitely go back again.
Outfitter Review: Knupp Outdoors - IL
Outfitter / Owner: David/Scott Knupp
Hunter: Chris Williams
Animals Hunted: Eastern Whitetail
Was very excited to go on this hunt initially. I do not define a good hunt as a succesful hunt. Total of 8 guys in our camp and all 8 of us are equally dissapointed. There were some nice deer spotted, I personally was not one of the lucky ones, actually I think most guys say some nice deer. Arived in camp, quick aerials photos and some real quick words about the hunt and land. Took a tour not more than an hour, only half of the hunters were in the vehicles with the guides. The hunters drove and followed the others. Dropped us back off at camp to go hunt and we never saw a guide again for the entire trip. Talked to him a few times on the phone and did not get much help or advice. We felt we were mislead and feel we did not get what we paid for according to Knupp's website what it states about their hunt. Hunt was a do-it-yourself with preset stands. Way to many details to get into and we are hunters that really do not ask for much, or expect very much. That is why we bought a Semi guided hunt instead of a fully guided. If we had known it was a do-it-yourself with preset stands then it would have been ok with us. No shooting lanes, stands in bad locations. Have been hung for the last five years and owner admitted he has not sit every stand. To this day owner offered no resolutions to our comlaints and just defends himself instead of trying to set things straight. Do your homework and choose your hunt wisely, whether it is with Knupp's or somebody else.
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Tim Loe
Animals Hunted: whitetail deer
Bowhunted semi-guided with Tom's outfit 2nd week of November, 06. Weather didn't cooperate but still had shot opportunities at 135-140 class deer. Tom has a 140 minimum so no shots were taken. Only saw one shooter that week but I know they are out there. One deer was taken that week, a 156 ten point. The big boys just weren't cooperating. Accomodations and food were outstanding for a semi-guided hunt. Tom makes sure everything is taken care of so you can just concentrate on the hunt. Plan on going back.
Outfitter Review: Illinois Trophy Bowhunters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Steve Phelps
Hunter: KEVIN RABBITT
Animals Hunted: WHITETAIL
PAID FOR 3 DAY GUN HUNT. GUIDE PUT ME IN MIDDLE OF COW PASTURE. 1ST MORN SAW 2 FAWNS AND 14 COWS. AFTERNOON FARMER DROVE TRACTOR UNDER ME AND STARTED POUNDING FENCE POST IN 75 YDS AWAY. BACK AT CAMP GUIDE LEO SAID HE KNEW FARMER WAS GOING IN THAT AREA CUZ HE "HAD STUFF TO DO". MORNING TWO IN SAME STAND WAS 0 DEER. GUIDE TONY ADV THAT AFTER 1 1/2 DAYS OF STAND HUNTING THEY DRIVE PROPERTIES WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW. I FOUND THIS OUT WHEN I ASKED ABOUT MOVING MY STAND FOR LACK OF DEER. LEFT AFTERNOON 2CND DAY.
Outfitter Review: Illinois Trophy Bowhunters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Steve Phelps
Hunter: David Johnson
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
My "Guides" name was LEO and he was the biggest loser scumbag I have ever met. Absolutely not a bowhunter! First night in camp he tells us he doesn't hunt deer sign, pay attention to scent control, or worry about wind direction. This man is not a guide. He is only interested in hunting for himself and could give a rats behind about providing a service to his customers. Wouldn't tell any of us what deer were in the area, where the bedding areas were, what to expect in each area. He only wanted you to tell him what you saw and when you saw it, so that he could then hunt that deer. This camp has been in operation for 17 years and they still haven't hung even a towel rack on the wall in the bathroom. Even a hook to hang your towel would be nice. Beds were constructed 2 x 4 lumber with no mattress. I think after seventeen years they could have hit a few garage sales and picked up something you could actually sleep on. You were allowed to hang one stand and were expected to stay in it for 6 days! Any real bowhunter knows that is a recipe for defeat. Never Again!
Outfitter Review: Performance Outdoors - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Jake Roach
Hunter: Steve Preziosi
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Had a six day hunt. Saw some of the largest deer I have ever seen in 25 yrs. of hunting. Saw at least 30 deer a day, half of them bucks. Saw five shooters ranging from about 180" down to 125". I harvested a 140" on my fourth day. Guides were excellent. They worked hard moving stands when we needed them moved. Great natured guys ,always had a smile on there face. We had six hunters in camp and we harvested two other deer, 125" on both. Great hunt, I will going back next year.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacey Ward
Hunter: Taylor Williams
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
This was my 2nd trip to Pike Co and Hadley Creek and my 2nd review on this site. The weather was as bad as last year but the deer were still on their feet. I saw over 100 8 pt or better. I had 2 150 class animals in bow range and several 125-135(hunted 140" farm) that I let walk. I missed a huge 150" 9 on the last evening of the last day when my arrow hit a vine. Out of 11 guys in our group 6 bucks were killed with the biggest being a 150 class 8 that was killed in the pouring rain.The food was good last year but Stacey and Michelle really raised the bar and they expanded his lodge to make it much more comfortable. Looking forward to going back next year.
Outfitter Review: Timberland Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Ben Plattner
Hunter: Julius Simonelli
Animals Hunted: White-tailed deer
I spent nearly two years arranging an archery whitetail hunt for myself and two other friends with Timberland Outfitters at Duck Creek Station in Canton, Illinois. Here I provide a review of our experience.Everything Ben Plattner, owner/proprietor of Timberland Outfitters had told us prior to us arriving in Canton, Illinois had been exactly what we wanted to hear: Exclusive access to a full 6,000 acres of huntable land teeming with giant bucks, guides that do everything they can to put you on deer and that do not hunt while clients are, a smooth running operation with basically no problems.Upon our arrival, I called Ben to notify him that we were there. He told us that he would like to put us up at the local motel rather than for us to stay at his lodge. I was a bit perplexed and thought it very odd to have such a significant change in plans at the very last minute. I told him that if he thought it best for us to stay at the motel that we would do it. Thank God we did. When we saw the lodge we couldn’t believe how atrocious it was. Folks, it doesn’t get much worse, that building is uninhabitable and in my opinion needs to be torn down. I can see why he didn’t want us to stay there, we wouldn’t have been able to even if we wanted, as it was filled to capacity. 8 people including 2 of the guides were staying in the dilapidated 3 bedroom, one bathroom old farmhouse and an additional 3-4 people were in campers outside the house, but all used the single bathroom within the house which incidentally must have been leaking for ages since the ceiling in the kitchen was collapsing with the bathroom right above it. Furthermore, the house was an absolute safety hazard. The chimney probably hadn’t been examined or swept in years and the guides told us this was the first time in who knows how long that a fire was burning in there. Moreover, the wiring of the house was far from up to code. One of the guys in my party is an electrician and he couldn’t believe how dangerous the situation was there. He said the wiring was downright hazardous and that the multiple space heaters plugged in everywhere created the perfect conditions for a disaster. He pulled Ben aside and warned him of the situation; hopefully something will be done about it before it’s too late. If you go, ask to stay at the motel in Canton, you won’t regret it and the Outfitter seems pretty accommodating to do so. Enough of that though, let’s get to the nitty gritty and talk deer hunting, after all that’s the reason we went in the first place. The first day of the 5 and ½ day hunt would be an afternoon hunt. Prior to heading out we received an orientation and learned that there would be 11 hunters at Duck Creek that week. Seven of the guys were together in one party. We quickly learned that the group of seven were close with Ben Plattner and had gone on a scouting/shed-hunting excursion at Duck Creek the prior spring to learn the lay of the land and pick spots for the following season. In fact, they requested and received exclusive access to two of the five quadrants set up at the property. The two quadrants they selected were the most heavily timbered areas of Duck Creek and after one look at aerials of the property it became glaringly obvious that that area had the best potential on the property. Especially for guys like us who like to sit dawn to dusk this was disconcerting. I asked Ben why he didn’t let us know that half of Duck Creek’s huntable terrain would be off limits to us and he replied that after the first couple of days of hunting we would be intermingled and all would have to opportunity to hunt the other quads. This NEVER happened, no one other that the select group who were obvious friends of Ben had the privilege to hunt that area. Even one of the guides told us that he was pissed about the situation and felt it was wrong to limit 28 stand sites to that group and not give us access to any of them. Especially since many of those stands were great morning stands and there weren’t that many other good morning spots on the property. So we hunted the other, less timbered quads and I must say the hunting there was quite good, especially in the afternoon. I saw 130”+ deer in the evening nearly every day, the morning hunts however weren’t that good since most of the spots were field edges. One morning, a guide told me to hunt a particular stand; I questioned his decision based on my buddy’s observations from that same stand. My friend told me that all the deer he had seen always came from a particular direction, the same direction in which the wind was blowing towards that morning. I told the guide that I’d probably get winded if I sat the stand and he immediately copped an attitude with me. He started yelling and berating me since I questioned his stand choice. He told me not to worry about the wind, that “Illinois deer are different” and bucks during the rut don’t spook if they would smell me. I thought to myself that this guy really had no clue what he was talking about, but rather than arguing, I had to tell him to calm down and that I would sit the stand. Once on stand guess what happened? The deer started coming from the direction my buddy said and you guessed it, I got winded. Shortly thereafter, another group of deer started coming from the same direction and I got winded again. Imagine that, the deer actually could smell me even during the rut lol. I was quite pissed that the guide forced me to sit a stand when the wind was wrong for it and I wasted a perfectly good morning because of this. Later that evening that same guide drank way too much and nearly got into a fist-fight with another guide. The next morning that guide was supposed to take me and another guy from PA to our stand sites. We arrived on-time to the lodge but could not wake him up no matter what we did. Eventually, another guide managed to get the still drunk/hung-over guide out of bed. Before we left for our stands this guide said that we were wasting our time hunting that morning as it was windy. We didn’t travel 900 miles to sit in the lodge, we were there to hunt from dawn till dusk. The guide finally got his act together and delivered us to our stands, though we got to them late. I felt bad for the other guy he was taking because he was supposed to hunt a stand that you can only access by boat in the AM so as not to spook deer off the fields, but because the guide overslept it was too late for that. So the PA guy had to settle for a lesser stand from which he didn’t see squat.On to the topic of extra hunters and guides hunting. Guess what? The guides do hunt, despite being told by Ben Plattner otherwise when we specifically asked him prior to booking. Apparently some of the guides trade their pay for hunting days on the property. In addition, there was a videographer on the property who also was allowed to hunt and who traded videography services to promote the outfitter’s business for hunting time on the property. This videographer was given exclusive rights to almost a third of one of “our quads”. We did not find this out until we asked about hunting a stand marked on the map and we were told that this stand was not “in good shape”. Well it turns out 2 of the videographer’s stands were on either side of that particular stand which is why we couldn’t hunt it. Furthermore, on the last day of our hunt, which was also the day before gun season, 3 gun hunters who arrived at the lodge early, were allowed to bow hunt on the property prior to the first day of firearms season. Because of this we could not hunt one of the stands we wanted to because these guys were occupying them. One last thing to note is that all of these extra hunters were allowed to hunt only on “our quads” and not the quads in which the select, preferred group was hunting. Despite the shortcomings, my buddy nailed a 130” class buck one day and I hit a 150-160 class one evening that we didn’t recover. The shot was a little low resulting in a single lung hit. I called the guides after hitting the deer and they came out about 45 minutes later to start tracking it. Knowing the hit was low, I told one of the guides that we should let the deer sit for at least a couple of more hours, but the guides felt that the blood trail was heavy enough to yield a dead buck. So we got on the trail and sure enough we pushed the deer out of the woodlot it had run into. After that we lost the blood trail. We went back the next morning, but couldn’t find any evidence of where the deer went.Near the end of our hunt I was told that Ben Plattner wanted to have a word with me. I assumed we were going to discuss my “run in” with the guide. Well the only thing on his agenda was to express his concern about any write-up I might do on the various internet sites I frequent. So rather than being concerned with improving his operation he only cared about what I might say on the internet.The morning we left Timberland Outfitters and were at the lodge saying good-bye to everyone, the guide who I had problems with comes up to us to see us off. He then starts accusing my buddy of walking around one day after he had dropped him off near his stand site. My buddy replied that all he was doing was looking for the stand he was supposed to hunt. The guide then called him a liar. At that point, I truly thought my friend was going to right hook that guide, but he collected himself and realized that a fool such as that certainly wasn’t worth it. In short, I think that Timberland Outfitters at Duck Creek station has great land with an amazing potential for world-class bucks. On a 1-5 scale with 5 being the best, I would rate the land a 5 for quality of the deer, but the service and everything else gets a mere 2 (my buddy would have given it a 1 and that’s the guy who shot the 130”). Timberland needs to work out the kinks in their operation at Duck Creek. I think the Outfitter, who also runs a very different operation in Cass county, appears to have grown too fast and thus does not have the control over his second operation that he should. Nevertheless, with some better help and if he would be more up front with clients regarding many issues, this outfit could turn out to be a fantastic deer hunting destination.
Outfitter Review: Performance Outdoors - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Jacob Roach
Hunter: Alan
Animals Hunted: deer
I paid for a guided hunt and was assigned two guides with little or no experience. They were not familar with the tract I was hunting, and did not know the stand set ups. There were also allowed to get drunk at night then take me to the field at 5 am. A total waste of time and money.
Outfitter Review: Knupp Outdoors - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Dave/Scott Knupp
Hunter: Brian Etter
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Stands have been sitting in same tree for the last five years. Alot of stands did not have proper shooting lanes. Ex.One stand had a trail to my right 10yds, but was completely obstructed.You will be given aerial photos of the farms with stand locations numbered. We got an hour long tour of the hunting area. Did not see an Outfitter the rest of our hunt. Very little input on stratagies, what stand to hunt morning, evening, etc. We did get a reccomendation to hunt a certain farm. Dave said the farm had only been hunted once. We found out the reason for the low hunting pressure on this farm. A beagle lead us to our stands the morning we tried to hunt this farm. Lead us, not followed us to our stands. Proceeded to chase two deer out above me, then sat for fifteen minutes at the base of my buddies stand.I saw several pope and young bucks on one farm. Including a 160" class 10pt. Dave has some good areas. IMO he just needs to change a few things.
Outfitter Review: Trophy Tracts - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Todd Chapman
Hunter: Kevin Briner
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Semi Guided, Not much information offered. All the deer were on the neighbors property. Plan on hunting fence line and hope the deer come over the fence. Dogs came in to hunting area and chase all the deer out.If you want to stay at the camp. Mice and dirty condition are there. They do have hot showers. If you need help don't count on Todd. Todd caters to his Tenn. buddys. Seen more deer to the hunting property then on the land. Hunting Dates were 22 Oct. to 27 Oct. E-Bay bought hunt. He might return your phone call if he feels like it.
Outfitter Review: Bay Creek Outdoors - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Dean Ottwell/Curt Smith
Hunter: Ed Moore
Animals Hunted: whitetail
Hunted with them 3 years in a row, have seen some real good deer on their farms, shot a good 8 point last year.They realy work hard to put you on deer, will hunt with them in Nov.
Outfitter Review: MWTO - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Greg Gurreri
Hunter: Brad Smithwick
Animals Hunted: White Tail
I booked my hunt with MWTO at a show in NC. I was told it was a fully guided all inclusive hunt. I was told I would be the only one to hunt my stand when I got there. When we arrived we had to fix all of our meals except for supper and even that was terrible. We had to drive ourselves to our stand. My stand had been hunted so much that there was a mud trail leading to it. I shot a 9 point buck with distinctive points from 10 yards. It was raining so we had to track him right away. He tried bedding down three times so I knew he would bleed out soon. He finally crossed a property line and I was told we could not follow. I entered a doe pool while there and was told by the guide at my camp that I won. When I left a message about the doe pool with the head guide he never returned my calls for 5 months. I didn't receive the money until I confronted him at the 2006 hunting show where he wrote me a personal check for my winnings. I inquired about my buck and he said they looked but never found it. 6 months later I saw a very similar looking deer pictured on the web site being held by the guide, not the person who shot it. Though I have no proof I feel that it is my deer pictured on the web site. You don't forget a deer with distinctive points like his from 10 yards. Considering what I was told the hunt would be like and how it actually turned out I was so dis-satisfied that I left 2 days early. It was apparent to me that they were more interested in making money and getting people through than providing a quality hunt.
Outfitter Review: River to River - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Chris Shores/Todd Poe
Hunter: Carl Helman
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
These guys had my group of 3 in for the opening week of archery. The temperatures were high, and it was clear skies and full moon. Despite the "less than perfect" weather conditions, these boys put us on some really good deer movement which I didn't think would be possible with it being so warm.We sighted shooter bucks from most of our stands.All three of us harvested; Two 140 class bucks and one doe. These boys made sure we had everything we needed and seen that we felt at home.These guys are real hunters not just some escort service. I will be going back at least once a year!
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Jonathan Gregory
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Archery
I just returned from a five day hunt with Tom Ware of Bucks Beware Outfiiters. This was one of the best guided hunts I have been on in the past ten years. Very few outfitters know their deer like Tom and his guides. In a non-rut week when temperatures reached all time highs, out of six hunters, two had shots at 140-class or better deer. I was one of the two. Unfortunately,I was unable to retrieve my deer after trailing solid blood for over 400 yds. Looking back, my shot selection should have been better and I am miserable for it. Tom and his guides worked hard to help track this deer and were very patient about the situation. The stand sites were awesome in both location and condition. The food was excellent, the lodge was perfect and the most important part- the attitude of the staff- was second to none. I will be back next year!!!
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacy Ward
Hunter: RICH
Animals Hunted: WHITETAIL
5 UEARS AGO THIS WAS A FIRST CLASS OPERATION, I PRESUME DUE TO INFLATION AND THE WHOLE PIKE COUNTY HYPE, THIS OUTFITTER HAS GONE STRAIGHT FOR THE MONEY.NONETHELESS, HIS GUIDES ARE VERY FRIENDLY, AND HELPFULL, BUT WHEN I INFORMED ONE OF MY GUIDES ABOUT A NICE 150 -160 CLASS, I WAS MOVED OFF THAT FARM AND HE SHOT IT THE NEXT DAY!WHAT THE CHANCE ONE OF THESE GUIDES ARE GOING TO PUT YOU ON A TROPHY WHEN THEY GET TO HUNT THE SAME PROPERTY!OVERCROWDED, SEPTIC TANK SMELLS, 30 GUYS, 2 BATHS IN ONE CAMP!COME ON, GIVE ME A BREAK, IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY, DO YOUR RESEARCH AND GO SMALL, I ADVISE ANY EXPERIENCED TRAVELING HUNTER, SPEN YOUR MONEY WISELY AND STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE, PERIOD.
Outfitter Review: Trophy Bowhunters of Illinois - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Vic Eltora
Hunter: Paul
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Spent three years with this outfitter. Each year got progressively worse. "Guides" don't do a thing. Shot a nice ten pt on the first day of my hunt at 12 noon. They wouldn't let me track it till the next morning. Had to wait until 11 am because the guides were out hunting. Found my deer two hundred yards from where I shot it and all that was left was the head. The coyotes had eaten the entire deer in one night. Next year The tree my stand was in was spray painted w/NO Tresppassing" all over it. Evidently it was on someone else property. Last year I just finished hanging my stand and another hunter walked up to me to inform me that I was tresspassing. Went back to camp and questioned the outfitter and Had to go back in the dark and remove the stand. Never again!
Outfitter Review: Performance Outdoors - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Jake Roach
Hunter: Bob Tunney
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
This hunt began with a lot of promise, we booked as a group of 12 believing we had camp to ourselves as promised by Jake. When we pulled in to camp after driving 18 hrs one of the "senior" guides greeted us with a disdainful "you're kinda early aren't ya" and went back to working on his car. That set the tone. The accommodations were in a run down motel, paint peeling non-drinkable water in rooms (was it safe to use shower? who knows). Then a bunch of additional hunters showed up so we realized we weren't alone this week. Also we were told that with all the acreage we would have no problem with spots to choose. Well with the camp overbooked we had very few chances to move around until tags were filled. Again not what we were led to believe when booking the hunt. My guide was a kid out of guide school, polite but clueless. Generally I felt the guides were not supervised, and little coordination existed. One night i got back around an hour after dark and the guides had eaten most of the food, i settled for scraps. That has never happened to me on a hunt, guides always eat after hunters and managers ensure this. Not here. My guide would ask me where i wanted to hunt that day instead of suggesting areas that had been well scouted in advance. Around midweek, Jake showed up, we told him how unsatisfied we were and he shrugged it off. The properties i must say were great looking deer habitat, the stands i hunted out of were new and in very good condition (which i haven't always experienced elsewhere) and there was some decent sign. I saw 2 very small bucks and a doe in a weeks worth of hard hunting. My area and guide were terrible. Yes there are no guarantees in fair chase, but you want to believe that your guide knows the area well and can offer constructive advice. There were 2 huge bucks taken in my group and 2 other respectable deer but not what you come to Illinois for. I believe the properties have huge deer from the sign, but i am told by my guide we had over 100 hunters out there before us so the place gets pounded. When we pulled into the driveway, my hunting partners first words were "o my god we are at the bates motel" it looks that bad from the outside.I work hard for my money and cherish the available vacation time i get and commit to a hunt. In good conscience based upon my experience there I would never recommend this outfitter. It is too bad since the farms leased are in prime territory and have some great potential, but if they get overhunted then chances for success are greatly diminished. I realize these guys have to make a living, but other camps i have been to charge a bit more and deliver much more value for the dollar. And yes i have been on a hunt before in Wisconsin where i saw a fawn in a whole week and no deer taken but would go back there in a heartbeat as the facilities great, properties spectacular and the guides worked their butts off. So it isn't just the kill but the overall experience that makes or breaks a hunt.
Outfitter Review: Harpole's Heartland Lodge - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Gary Harpole
Hunter: Mike Bommer
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
I have hunted with Heartland Lodge for the past 4 years. Last year I harvested a 141" 11 pointer that field dressed at 240 Lbs. I had to watch him come in for about 25 minutes as he rubbed every tree he passed, chased smaller bucks off, chased does and made scrapes. By the time he finally gave me a shot, he was a mere 7 yards away and only went 30 yards after the shot. I shot this deer on the first morning of my hunt at 8:30, only 2 hours after I got in the stand. It was the second buck I have taken with them, the other was 3 years ago, it was also an 11 point but scores 159 and some change. The lodges are beautiful, very comfortable and the food is outstanding !! I would recommend this outfitter to anyone that asks.
Outfitter Review: Ashlenz Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Kevin Ayo
Hunter: Chris Jackson
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I hunted during the first shotgun season with Ashlenz. The quality of the land that these guys have is amazing. The camp wasn't the Ritz but i was there to hunt and see deer, and that's what i did. The stands are a little high but Kevin made sure i knew that before i even got there. Plus they have over 100 ladder stands and box stands with shooting rails. The guides are easy to get along with and very knowledgeable. Kevin, the owner, is a serious hunter and a great guy who will try to get you anything you need. I saw four shooters within 100yds but i was waiting on a giant i saw opening evening. Everything was great. I have already sent my deposit for next season. To the guys with the negative posts about Ashlenz, what the hell are you talking about? I hunted there, there were no disappointed hunters in my camp. Get over it you bunch of sissies.
Outfitter Review: Ashlenz Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Kevin Ayo
Hunter: Ray Gaubert
Animals Hunted: Whitetail deer
This year I bow hunted the second and third week of November then gun hunted both of the shotgun season. During the bow hunt I had a 170 class buck within fifty yards and on another hunt I had three different 140 class bucks within 50 yards. I passed on several 130 class deer during the two week hunt; all within bow range. The first shotgun season I seen several good deer just not quite big enough. I ended my hunt the first day of the second season when I took a 140 inch eight pointer, not what I go to Illinois for but I rushed the shot in some pretty thick stuff. I've been hunting Illinois the same amount of time each year for at least ten years, the pass four years with Ashlenz. These guys know what it takes to get close to a mature deer, hunting the wind. In the four years I've hunted with them I've had close encounters with three 170 class bucks and several 140 to 150 inch class bucks. I've killed 164 inch twelve pointer and the 140 inch eight pointer I killed this year. Their stands are high, thirty feet plus, when need be but I am able to climb and hunt ever stand I've been brought to and I am not comfortable at heights either. I never once been put on a stand that the wind was wrong for and if it changed during the hunt, I was given other stand option to move to. They will not hunt a stand if the wind is wrong for it which prevents blowing the big boys out the area.The camp was adequate with comfortable beds and room to store your equipment. There was a sulfur odor to the water used for showering but they supplied plenty bottled water, gator aid and soft drinks. The food was actually very good, fried fish, roasted chicken and usually three or four side items. I personally don't care if the camp or food is not the best as long as the effort is put into the hunting. I bow hunted with Hadley Creek the five or six year pry to hunting with Ashlenz. I started hunting with them the first year they started guiding and watch them turn it into a numbers game. The camp was nice with good food, but the hunting fell apart. In six years of hunting two weeks every year I never seen anything near the 150s and only killed one nine pointer scoring 141 inches. I was put on stands with the wind wrong or well warned trails leading to them to many times . Several times the guides could not even find the stand and other times I was put on stands twelve foot high in the wide open with no chance of ever drawing back even if I did get a shot opportunity. Any serious hunter knows you got to hunt the wind first and second you got to be concealed to be able to make the shot. Like I said earlier, I've hunted with Ashlenz for four years now and I will continue to return as long as they keep providing quality hunts.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacey Ward
Hunter: Taylor Williams
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
We knew Pike County had the deer and after some research we found that Hadley Creek had 20,000 acres in "The Land of the Giants".As soon as we pulled into Barry, Il. the rains came and for 4 days it rained and the wind blew 25 mph. It was miserable but you can't kill'em in camp and as rough as it was the deer did move a little. I saw P&Y class animals every day and 3 B&C class bucks. Everyone in camp saw shooters. A buddy watch 2 150s try to kill each other at 50 yards, another fella saw a 160 breed a doe out of range and several shot opportunities were blown. We killed 2 bucks in camp a 145" 9 and I killed the smallest of the 3 "Booner" class bucks that I saw- a 178" 12 that tipped the scales at 300lbs. It is fair chase.Stacey and his guides were better than any I've met.Most had B&C class animals to their credit and guaged their success by your success. Who wants to hunt with a guide who doesn't hunt?Even though not everyone in camp got a shot, everyone is going back and odds are the weather couldn't get any worse.
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Bart J Besaw
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Excellant opportunity to bag a trophy here I saw the biggest buck of my life here just not close enough for a shot. Stands were comfortable accommodations were outstanding Tom Ware seems to be doing all the right things to be the best outfitter in this highly competitive county. Absolutley recommend this outfitter for the buck of a lifetime.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Stacy Ward
Hunter: Jeff Labuda
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
I thought this was a good hunt but quality of deer suffering from overbooking. I hunted Nov 6 to 12 (Rut)and saw numerous deer and several spikes and three points everyday. I saw three 120 to 130 inch bucks for the week, but nothing in between those and a three point. The camp I hunted in was very clean but overcrowded. I stayed in a cabin with three other hunters and only three beds. I slept on an air matress that went flat in the middle of the night. The other camp had 14 hunters and only two bathroom/shower facilities. Many of the hunters showered at night to avoid fights. Not good for hunting trophy whitetails. I hunted with a different guide at a different farm everyday. This was nice because you weren't stuck with a bad guide or bad farm all week. Each guide had 300 to 400 acre farms and guided for 2 hunters plus himself 6 days a week. The guides seemed like excellent hunters and went out of their way to accomedate you, but most of them were only their for a few weeks so I don't know how they knew their farms. They basically drove you to the farm and showed you a tree to climb in. My stands were typically located in a small wooded ravien that ended 60 yards infront of me and was surrounded on three sides by vast picked agricultural fields. I typically hunted within 30 yards of a fence that I presumed was a property line and didn't know if the adjacent property was managed for trophy whitetails or not. Most people in camp saw a shooter deer, but none of the 18 hunters in camp harvested a deer over 130 inches on a rut hunt. I overheard one guide say he was guiding three hunters a day, six days a week, for six weeks and they only harvested one buck so far. I don't know how they claim 65 percent of their hunters kill a 130 inch deer or better.
Outfitter Review: Pioneer Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Brian Hill
Hunter: Bret Yates
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
This is an affordable hard core working man's hunt. The outfitter supplies hunters with a piece property, and general knowledge of what the deer are doing and the quality of the bucks on the property. You hang your own treestands and set your own agenda. I know this may sound a little primitive for the TEXAS TOWER hunter or the hunter that doesn't know how to hunt. But the satisfaction of the kill is much greater. You can expect to see Pope & Young animals on a daily basis, and an occassional Booner. We have bowhunted with Pioneer Outfitter for the last four years with a 70% success rate, including 10 bucks nearing or surpassing the 150" mark. This outfitter knows his land and his deer.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek - illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Stacy Ward
Hunter: Revel Rawlings
Animals Hunted: whitetail deer
This was my first experience of an illinois whitetail hunt and i wanted 140 or better. Over the course of the week oct31-nov4 I saw 37 rack deer. 2 over 150 2-3 over140 lots of others. Had a 150 inch deer chasing a doe very close but i couldnt get him to stop with a good shot at vitals. Last day of my hunt I got an opportunity at a 130plus 9pt. Made a bad shot and we werent able to retrieve deer. You will hunt stands that have been hunted before but that will be the case wherever you decide to book. Everyone was very nice and i felt that they tried to put you on a good stand. Only one deer taken out of my group that was in camp. 120 plus. Lots of opportunities during the week.
Outfitter Review: West Central Illinois Deer and Turkey - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Curt Reznicek
Hunter: Dan
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
I could write pages about this guy. From what i've read on this site I guess he's a lot like some of the "fly by night" outfitters out there. He made us all kinds of promises, but kept very few of them. In 2004 we hunted a new farm that he got and we saw quite a few deer. He told us nobody had hunted the farm before us. About a month before we went out this year he called us with a problem that "we" had. He said some guys from LA we coming back that were there in 04 and they wanted to hunt the same farm that they hunted in 04. It was the same farm that we hunted and they were there before us. The problem that "we" had, was that he booked us both for the same farm on the same week. We told him that we didn't have a problem, he did. We were going to hunt the same farm and he would have to put them on another farm. That is what he did, but we believe he was pissed and hunted the crap out of "our" farm before we got there. Two of us saw more deer in one day in 04 than all 3 of us saw in 5 days in 05. In 05 he had us in a rather nice little house. The only problem was that there was a farm hand living there that he forgot to mention. Now, the farm hand was a nice guy, but he did have a bit of a drinking issue at night. He came in a couple of nights at like 1 or 2 in the morning, with friends one time and were gonna have a party. We had to change that plan. Curt promised us one price the first year we went. He told us if we would come back he would hold that price for 4 years. He increased it by 33% at the end of the first hunt. We said no problem, it wasn't a lot of money. The price was the same for 04 and 05. Then at the end of the 05 hunt he increased it by another 33%. We're not going back. He ran about 50 hunters thru less than 2500 acres in 4 weeks. The stands are over hunted, and when a hunter burns out a stand he doesn't have any alternative for you. He doesn't check on his hunters every night to see how they are doing. When we got there in 05 he told us that he had gone from 125" minimum to 130". Not a big deal but it would have been nice to know ahead of time. He also suprised us with this $100 deposit because people were leaving trash in the woods. He would check on the stands when we left and get the deposit back to us by the first week in december. It is 1/14/06 and we haven't got it back yet, even after my brother has called him twice. He's not saying that we left a mess, he's just being a jerk because we're not going back in 06. He told my brother that if he stopped bugging him about it that we might get it back quicker. He also said to him "I didn't know that $100 was the only thing between you and your next meal". Childish. Basically he's putting too many people thru what little land he has, making all kinds of promises that he doesn't keep. Just and assembly line hunting operation. He doesn't care about his clients as much as he does that almighty dollar. He is a man with no integrity in my mind.
Outfitter Review: Illinois Ohio Valley Trophy Hunts - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Jarod Jackson
Hunter: Lincoln Miller
Animals Hunted: Deer
This was my first guided hunt and it was a memorable one. Archery hunted Nov. 6 - 11. With over 12,000 available acres to hunt, only 11 hunters were in camp. 3 of us hunted on ~3,000 acres for the 1st 3 days and I saw plenty of 140-150 class bucks - just not close enough. Plenty of sightings even though the temps were 70 & 80 degress for 2 of the 5 days. Guides are knowledgable, but not in an arrogant way, and are willing to take suggestions. You won't find any people any more friendly or hospitable. My brother-in-law and I did the fully guided hunt, but will try the semi-guided hunt the next time (and there WILL BE A NEXT TIME). These folks have a great thing going because they treat people the way they want to be treated. The area (and the properties we saw) is just beautiful whitetail habitat. Can't wait till next time.
Outfitter Review: Tall Tine Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Joe Gizdic
Hunter: Geoff Wilcox
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Joe runs a great bowhunt camp, not fancy lodging, but land, stands, guides, and hunting was great, saw alot, saw big dear. Joe is honest and works hard for you. Had a good time.
Outfitter Review: West Central Illinois Deer and Turkey - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Curt Reznicek
Hunter: Dan
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
We hunted with Curt for 3 years. The first year was pretty good. Saw a few deer and one nice buck. The second year we had a new farm and saw a lot of deer that would have potential the following year. The third year we hunted the same farm as the year before and saw very few deer and no shooters. We found out that he was lying to us about how many hunters were hunting the farms. Not enough stands to rotate. Hunt the same stand for 5 days and not see anything after 3 when it burns out. The first year we stayed in a house that was filthy, and we ran out of water 3 times. The second year the house was ok. The third year we had a little house on a farm that was quite nice but we had to share it with the farm hand that got drunk about every night and came stumbling in around 2 am, once with friends to have a party until we put a stop to that.When we got there in 11/05 he told us that he had gone up on the minimum antler size from 125" to 130". Not a big deal, but would have been nice to know before hand. He also told us that he would have to charge us a $100 deposit because people were leaving trash in the woods. He said he would check the stands sites and get the money back by the first week in December. I'm writing this on 1/3/06 and he hasn't sent it yet. Just a bunch of excuses.I could write pages on his lies but the bottom line is that he has no integrity and he's now running an assembly line hunting operation. He has gotten the last of my money.
Outfitter Review: Illinois Outfitters Plus - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Matt Fantz
Hunter: Barry Estes
Animals Hunted: Whitetail & Turkey
This is a semi guided hunt with lodging included. Meals are the responsibility of the hunter. All hunts are on private property and are not over hunted. I have hunted here 3 years and I have taken 2 P&Y bucks and 3 does. I have seen some unbelievable bucks and large numbers of turkeys. I plan on going back every year as long as the Good Lord allows me too.
Outfitter Review: Trophy Tracts - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Todd Chapman
Hunter: Edd Valentine
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Hunted the Dec. 1 - 4 shotgun season. 11 hunters on this hunt. Not one buck taken by anyone - NONE seen! I did not see one buck in four day of hunting. He had way too many hunters for his properties. Best I could determine, he had 13 stand site, so you were pretty much stuck with the same stand for the entire hunt. Many stands sites were located on property lines - some within site of road and houses. You had to provide your own stand at most of the sites.
Outfitter Review: Rodhouse Rut-n-Strut - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Matt Rodhouse
Hunter: Brian Pangburn
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I liked everything except for the weather which noone could control. We had high 70's and low 80's all week but we still saw some great deer. We also had a full moon which also did not help our success. There lodge is great, the food was awesome and the guides worked there tails off tring to put in posistion for a shot.
Outfitter Review: Rivers Bend Trophy Hunting - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Joe Smith (head guide)
Hunter: James Cook
Animals Hunted: Whitetails
This was my second hunt with Rivers Bend in Southern Illinois. I bow hunted the last week of November between the two shotgun seasons. The overall experience is hard to describe. I had several opportunities at 120" class deer. The first afternoon in stand I videoed a 165" at 80 yards. Unfortunately, I shot a deer on the third evening of my hunt which we were unable to recover. On this night, I had three shooter bucks within 50 yards of my stand. When I released the arrow there were eight bucks and 12 does within 80 yards of the stand. I have dreamed for many years of hunting in Illinois and have spoken with many outfitters. I decided on Rivers Bend, due to their relationship with Realtree Outdoors,and have been more than satisfied with this choice. Joe Smith and his son Matt will go out of their way to make your hunt a success.
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Todd
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Great property,hardworking guides, and great trophy whitetails.
Outfitter Review: Ashlenz Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Kevin Ayo
Hunter: Pat Caro
Animals Hunted: Whitetail deer
I booked a gun hunt after several conversations with Kevin.I was told he had 80% opportunity on 135" class deer. I also asked on several occasions if he had ladder stands as I am not comfortable hunting out of lock ons. I was assured he had over 85 ladder stands and it would be no problem. I arrive for my hunt and am put up in a 100 year old dirty farmhouse with 1 toilet that I have to share with 9 other guys. You cannot drink or brush your teeth with the water because it is so full of iron. The shower is completely disgusting and you stink more when you come out of the shower than when you go in due to the water.You have cereal for breakfast have to pack your own lunch and the evening meal is brought in my a local vendor but is always cold until it gets to you.Now for the hunting.. first off all of the guides hunt ! If fact, I had to drop Kevin , the owner, off at his stand on the way to my stand on the opening morning !!! I was stuck in a shooting house in the middle of a field for the first two days. The largest buck I saw was about 110" I then had to ask to be moved on the third day and was placed approx. 100 yards from another hunter and never saw a deer the entire day.Hunters stay away , this guy is a crook and according to his "guides" who talk way too much he is also a poacher!
Outfitter Review: Ashlenz Outfitter - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Kevin Ayo
Hunter: Ron Yeager
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I have hunted with Illinois Monster Bucks for 2 years, Hunting Unlimited for 1 year, Hadley Creek for 2 years and this by far was the worse hunt I was ever on in Pike County and I even killed a buck and a doe!My buddy and I decided to try a gun hunt in Pike instead of a bow hunt like we have the last sevral years. The treed stands are very high 30 - 40 FT. and set up for bow hunters not gun at that time. They are very unsafe stands and I'm not afraid of heights either. The stand dropped two inches when I sat down and I about had a heart attack! The opening morning I had a guy sit in front of me 80 yards away on his own property. I called my guide and he moved me to a ladder stand with no seat. At 4:48 pm the first night a game warden proceeded to give me a fine for having a loader fire arm after sunset and not dark like I'm used too. The outfitter never told us that but it is partly my fault also because I should know the laws before I hunt a different state but I asked everyone back in camp and they all said Kevin never went over that in the meeting and that they all didn't get out of their treestands until 5:15. The guides didn't even know that! I killed a 125 inch buck the next day because that was the biggest buck I saw and I was upset with the outfitter for the way everything was going. I felt unsafe in his tree stand (which my buddy almost fell because of the way they had it set up so he decided it was safer to hunt on the ground)I never had a problem with treestand at other outfitters. He hunts property lines of other posted land and they guides don't tell you that when you are going to your stand. Kevin told me that would confuse the hunters and his guides don't have time to tell everyone the boundry lines! If you kill a deer in IL on someone else's property they will hammer you! What a CLOWN! The guides are kids from Louisiana and he's from there also. I don't care what he has on his wall but that doesn't make you an outfitter. The only big buck killed was by one of the guides from our camp the other two were like mine 120's. The place was dirty, the showers were clogged, the toliet over flowed and clogged. They even ran out of water so you couldn't flush or take a shower until someone went to get water. The young guides fought between themselves and would clean my doe I shot the last day. That poor deer laid there all day with the guts in her. Kevin was supposed to cape my buck out for transport back to PA because of CWD. I reminded him twice because we were leaving that night. He took his daughter hunting instead which is fine because I believe everyone should spend time with their kids but get what needs to be done first! Remember I'm on a guided hunt! So many other things I could tell you that happened. If you want e-mail me I can tell you more.Boys these aren't guided hunts at all in IL. They hang these stands in advance and let them hang all year long. The GUIDE takes you to a spot and says theres your stand and that's it! Heck I believe all of us could be better outfitters and guides than the rest of them.Even some guys videoing for the Drury brothers left and went with a different outfitter because there were hunter's behind every tree and no deer! I'd like to see all 6000 acres he has!HORRIBLE!
Outfitter Review: Webster Groves Outfitters - illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Patrick Webster
Hunter: Jay Phillips
Animals Hunted: whitetail
After booking a consecutive hunt with outfitter from past season, less than two weeks prior to hunt Patrick Webster (owner) bumped our group to a goat pasture of a place instead of the farm we hunted the year prior and it was all over greed.This was nothing other than a bait and switch for profit. Will never book again with this guy and definately don't recomend him to anyone.
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Rich Manry
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
Tom's an ethical guide and does what he needs to do to put you on quality bucks. He has great land and quality stands in hot locations. If it means anything...2006 will be my fourth year going to BB. You won't find a better guide than Tom Ware. I've seen his ethics tested and he is as honest as they come. My encounters with big bucks have been many! My rating of A++
Outfitter Review: Illinois Wildlife Connection - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Ryan Michl
Hunter: William R. Wolfe
Animals Hunted: White tail deer
I saw a few deer but my impression that the main thrust of this operation is to make money! According to Gary Michl "The guides are extremely well paid", this made me feel good when I have over $400 a day into this trip and am not seeing squat! My advice is ask more pointed questions and assume nothing! Like how many deer are killed with bows? How many of the heads and pictures used on your web site actually came from your property? Out of eleven hunters one guy harvested a nice buck, I saw two nice bucks on someone else's property as we rode into our stand locations. The weather was great frosty mornings, no wind but no bucks either. Maybe I just had a poor experience but it won't happen again at this outfitter!
Outfitter Review: West Central Illinois Deer and Turkey - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Curt Reznicek
Hunter: Mark
Animals Hunted: Whitetail deer and Turkey
Curt's handle is "Well Put Ya On Em"......It should be "We'll Put Ya On".We hunted with this joker for three years and his success rate and promises are poor, poor, poor. He promises you a low impact hunt with stands that are not hunted hard. The truth is he is overbooking his land and overhunting. If you run into a problem on the farm you are hunting, he has no other stands to put you in. Generally, you have about 80-120 acre farms for 1-2 hunters with 3-5 prehung stands. You burn them out quick and there is no rotation of stands or farms.His places to stay are marginal.When we 1st hooked up w/ him three years ago he was at $750 for a 5 day hunt and his statements were that he wanted return clients and he wanted to keep the hunts affordable. He quickly went up to $1000/week and now he's jumping to &1450/week including the marginal lodging. We asked about a discount for next year and he said no discounts 'cause he can fill his spots. So much for client loyalty.Anyway, his success rate this year was one skinny 10 pt 125 1/8" buck, two missed shots on about 140" class bucks and the tally was at 37 hunters the week after we were done hunting. He claims his success rate and costs are in line w/ an Illinois rut hunt in November.You be the judge but he's got the last of our $$$.
Outfitter Review: Trophy Quest - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Shawn Taylor
Hunter: John Henry
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I, and several friends, have now hunted with Shawn at Trophy Quest for the past two years during the rut (November 11/12 thru 15/16). We all saw good bucks and a fair amount of deer; more in 05 than in 04. When we weren't seeing deer out of one stand, Shawn moved us to other areas / farms at our request. In 04, most of the big bucks we saw were on the hoof with a couple being killed by others in the camp. In 05, everyone saw big bucks on the hoof and several bucks ranging in the 140,150,& 160 range were killed by hunters in the camp. If you expect to see bottle-fed monster bucks, or "livestock" every hour on the hour on a penned hunt, then go somewhere else.If you want a legitimate crack at a big buck on a fair chase hunt in prime Illinois farmland, and you're patient, then this is the place for you. On the last day of our hunt in 05, several of us saw the biggest bucks we've ever seen on the hoof within close proximity to our guys' stands. The big bucks are there; no doubt about it. We all saw them, on Trophy Quests' leases, both years.The cabins and the lodge are new and comfortable. They are also very clean, warm, and just fine. Both years, the food was excellent and plentiful. The guides, including Shawn, went out of their way to get our guys out to the different farms and explained in detail how to find the hunting locations. When we were done, they were there to pick us up. We never expected them to take us by the hand to get us a 'guaranteed' kill. They did a great job for us. We hunted with Shawn at Trophy Quest for the first time in 2004; went back in 2005 because of 2004; and because of our experiences during both prior hunts, we're going back in 2006. Shawn and Joy Taylor made us feel like we were their friends rather than customers.
Outfitter Review: Timber Oaks - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Remely
Hunter: shawn scaittone
Animals Hunted: whitetail
I was told the average deer sighting was 12-15 deer per sitting. The average sighting was 3.1 deer per sit with our group of 6 hunters. Keep in mind some of these deer were 400+ yards away. A bit far with bow. I was also told that the success rate was 60%, reality...20-30%. The blinds were "commericial" blinds. We finially started to see deer as soon as we didn't hunt their stands. I had shots @ 120" deer but I didn't travel 1000 miles to shoot 120" deer. Licence were almost $500.00. I did shoot a nice doe!!
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacy Ward
Hunter: KEITH WEST
Animals Hunted: DEER
THIS WAS THE 2ND TIME I HUNTED THERE AND DID HARVEST A DEER AGAIN.THE FOOD WAS VERY UNSATISFACTORY FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS PUT OUT. AS FAR AS GUIDES GO THEY WERE VERY FINE PEOPLE BUT I DO NOT THINK IT IS RIGHT FOR THE GUIDES TO HAVE THERE BUDDIES FROM BACK HOME THERE HUNTING AND FOR THEM TO BE HUNTING ALSO. I THINK THAT TAKES AWAY FROM MY HUNTING THAT I HAVE PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR. I WILL NEVER GO BACK. IN RESPECT TO THEM I WAS THERE FOR A RUT HUNT AND IT HAD NOT STARTED AT THAT TIME BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD CONTROL ON THAT.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacy Ward
Hunter: Anthony Grosso
Animals Hunted: whitetail deer
I've have hunted with Stacy Ward for the last three years and will hunt with him again this Nov.2005.Every year that I hunted with Hadley Creek I have seen more deer than I can count with many bucks in the 140+ class.I can't imagine where you can hunt whitetails and have a better opportunity than with Hadley Creek.I have hunted all over the USA and Canada and Hadley Creek is one of the best outfitters that I have hunted with.Anyone having a problem hunting with Stacy needs to understand that this is hunting not killing and nothing is guaranteed.All they can do is put you in a position to be successful (and the rest is up to the hunter,the weather and the deer)which they do extremely well.I can't recommend this hunt enough for someone who is willing to put the time in and wants an opportunity to take a record book deer.
Outfitter Review: Tall Tine Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Joe Gizdic
Hunter: G. Wilcox
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
Joe isn't going to wine and dine you, but he and his guys will work hard to get you in the right stand to shoot a big deer. They are a class act and have great land and stands to hunt. The camp is clean, and food good, nothing fancy. The hunting is great. 10 guys in camp Oct. 21-27, all had opportunities to work deer. Couple guys missed. I got a 130" deer and one other guy too. I saw a giant, but wouldn't come close, almost everyone saw bigger deer but couldn't close the deal. I would recommend Joe for a great chance at a big Illinois buck.
Outfitter Review: Bucks BeWare - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Bob Abshire
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
This was my first guided hunt and I was able to get three other people in with me. We had a fantastic experience. Tom and his guides are true hunters and even better truly good people. We bowhunted the last week of October 2005, the rut switched on for hunt mostly just the younger bucks (130 class and under)pushing the does real hard so kept down the total deer sighting a bit, but for every 2 does I saw at least 1 buck, he has an excellent buck-to-doe ratio. He is now enforcing a 140 class minimum on his 6500 Acre lease and I truly believe with that ground and Tom's knowledge and hard work and his guides hard work and knowledge, there will be some real exceptional bucks coming out of here in the near future. Out of the 4 hunters in my group, as a group (rough estimate but close) we saw 12-15 bucks over 125; and 10 -12 bucks over 140. My self and the three other hunters in my group did not harvest a deer (we had one guy miss a 154 on the first night) Two guys from other group of 4 havested a 140 and a 142 respectively) Tom and his business is a special place. A first class detination in the heart of Pike County with a great Guide and world class hunting. I will be back.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacey Ward
Hunter: Jeff Brown
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I am a veteran of many different hunts in many different states. I have seen the good and bad of the outfitting business. This was my third hunt with Hadley Creek, and even though this was an early season hunt (October 9-14, 2005) I saw lots of deer and several good bucks. I had been on a November rut hunt with them the previous season (saw 45 bucks!) but my expectations were lower for the early season hunt this year. The weather was warm (70's) and we had an east wind, which really seems to suppress movement. But nevertheless I saw many does and immature bucks. I saw three different 130-class bucks within shooting range and a 140-class buck out of range. I killed a 130-class 8-point on the last day. In my opinion the stands are positioned very well, and hunted lightly because there are so many (more than 1,500!) spread over dozens of different farms. We hunted great food sources (standing corn, acorns, food plots) and heavily used trails to/from bedding areas. There are no sure things in hunting, but this operation certainly gives you a good opportunity to encounter huge bucks. I will certainly be back...
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Stacey Ward
Hunter: Mark Fabrizi
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
This was my 1st outfitter hunt. I hunted the 2nd week of Oct 2005. As soon as I arrived at Hadley Creek and meet everybody and saw the camp I knew I was going to have a great time. Everything is top notch. I saw some great bucks and alot of deer.Didnt work out for a shot but the deer are there. I look forward to going back again.
Outfitter Review: Trophy Quest - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Shawn Taylow
Hunter: Robert
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Nothing that was promised prior to hunt was delivered. Wanted us to sit in the same stand all week. My stand was placed in a very uncomfortable tree and you could drive a truck to it. Owner was arrogant and rude. Totally different than when I met him at an outdoor expo. Cabin wasn't finished. Raw insulation in the ceiling. Had to go to his personal house for meals. Lodge that was promised was shut down by the county for code violations during construction.
Outfitter Review: Woods-N-Water - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Blaine Burley
Hunter: Todd Passer
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I booked a hunt in Illinois through Blaine. He painted a very rosey picture of the hunt and the potential for a very big buck! Out of 3 days of never leaving the stand I saw one modest 6 pointer and several doe. The size of the property was no where close to what was advertised. Using Blaine was a complete waste of money!!!
Outfitter Review: Illinois Wildlife Connections - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Ryan Michl
Hunter: Bryan Sawyer
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
For starters I hunted the last week in October the 2004 season. It was a full moon that week and I don't like hunting a full moon however I was advised by Ryan to hunt that week other than the 3rd week in Nov b/c he was booked the first two weeks on Nov and the pressure would be low at this time. This was a bowhunting only outfitter but after I got there and asked a few questions I found out that the deer on his website was killed by family members in shotgun season on the property that is bowhunting only. I told Ryan before I got there that I didn't want to hunt a farm with standing corn and I got there to hunt the only farm with standing corn. The guide I had didn't know the weather either. When the weather man said a north wind he thought the wind was blowing into the North so for the first couple of days this guy put me on the wrong wind until I convinced him he was wrong. What few deer I did see they acted like they where really spooky. The other guy that was hunting the farm with me didn't see but 1 deer a yearling doe and went home 2 days early b/c he had enough. I would not hunt there again under no circumstances, and as for the owner Ryan if you like giving your money to a snotty nosed brat then sign up with him.
Outfitter Review: Hunting Unlimited Inc. - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Larry Hanold
Hunter: donld kolodziejczak
Animals Hunted: deer and turkey
Larry did every thing he could to find game but the weather didnt help cold and rain ...my guides was great TIM did every thing he could to get us to the turkey ..i will be back for sure..
Outfitter Review: Adams Pike Outdoors - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Neil Meyer
Hunter: Andrew Gomeringer
Animals Hunted: deer
A group of us hunted with neil last season. He told us that we should see some good bucks on our hunt, and that we should be seeing 15-25 deer a day. That should have thrown up a red flag for us, but we bought into it. When we arrived he was singing a diffrent tune. He stated that these deer are very hard to hunt and you arent going to find one behind every tree.(no kidding). We were put in a motel with 4 other groups that were hunting with him. After the 2nd day of seeing very few and small deer, the group's of hunters staying at the motel began comparing notes. Many guys including us had hunted both days from sun up to sun down and seen nothing to speak of. The 3rd day of our hunt we had a guy sighting his gun in on our property. That did not go over well with us. By the 4th day many guys left knowing that there was little to no chance with this guy. I would never hunt with this guy again.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacey Ward
Hunter: stephen
Animals Hunted: deer
I hunted during the RUT, i never raised my bow in 6 days of hunting. The guides could care less which way the wind is blowing when they put you in your stand.All of the stands were grossly OVERHUNTED! We had one hunter get in his stand, and after 15 or 20 minutes saw some blood on the ground,got down to check it out and found a blood trail and footprints, only to find out later that someone had killed a deer in that same stand the AFTERNOON before. This is nothing but a "production line operation" of taking your money, putting you out on a stand reguardless of wind direction or previous hunting pressure and sending you on your way. We too had one of the guides kill a deer which i think is wrong, and all of the guides also stated that they only do this so they can hunt during gun season, Stacey does not pay the guides any money, just hunting rights later in the season. The camp i was in had 14 hunters (they have 4 total camps with this many hunters EACH WEEK)and there were only 2 deer killed, and this was DURING THE RUT! Please look elsewhere if you want to kill a trophy deer and get your moneys worth. THe food also sucked!, i think they bought supper at the local supermarket deli, cold cereal for breakfast, and if you were lucky, bad sandwiches for lunch. HUNT HERE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND YOU WANT TO THROW AWAY OVER 3,000 DOLLARS.
Outfitter Review: Harpole's Heartland Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Gary Harpole
Hunter: Kenneth Wiesen
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Hunted the 3rd week of October, weather turned very warm,Rut was just starting to kick in when it turned warm. Saw lot's of big rub's and scrape's. Saw 2 buck's in the 140 class, and one in the upper 150 to 160 class. saw lot's of deer, buck's where to far to shoot with a bow. Would like to go back for the shotgun season. Only complaint the treestand's where set-up with the deer coming in from behind you.
Outfitter Review: Performance Outdoors - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Jake/Justin Roach
Hunter: Steve Davis
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
My 2nd time hunting with Performance, I was sick 2 days during the week and still had an opportunity at a 140" buck. I shoulder shot it and couldnt recover.I saw 2 deer that were easily 160-180", one at 20 yards and another at 75 yards.Great leases, and they are always aquiring new leases every year.Highly recommended, just dont steal my spot!!
Outfitter Review: Hunting Unlimited Inc. - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Larry Hanold
Hunter: Alex Cameron
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer/Eastern Turkeys
I hunted turkeys in the spring of 2004 and worked probably a dozen different gobblers and heard too many to count. I shot a twenty-one pound bird with a 10" beard and 1 3/8" spurs. While there another hunter shot a bird with a 10 1/2" beard, twenty-five pounds, and 1 3/4" spurs!! I was fortunate to get my hunt on film by having one of Larry's year round guides film me. Where else will you find an outfitter with a guide who lives on the property year round to hunt turkeys, plant food plots, and scout deer. By the way, deer were abundant (found a shed from previous fall). I am coming back this spring (2005) and bringing two others with me to film and hunt for gobblers again! GREAT PRICE AND GREAT HUNT.
Outfitter Review: Adams-Pike Outdoors - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Neal Meyer
Hunter: S. Levulis
Animals Hunted: whitail deer
Neal states that he manages for whitetails, but the fact is he's always drunk and will not help you look for your deer. Your 100% on your own. My father shot a 140 class whitetail and he didn't help us at all, too drunk on our beer, we got lost in his woods all day tracking the deer, it started to get dark so we had to back out. This was the most awful hunt you can imagine, we left after 3 days couldn't take 2 more days of it. Don't waste your money.
Outfitter Review: Hunting Unlimited - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Larry Hannold
Hunter: S. Levulis
Animals Hunted: deer
This is the case of out of state guides who have no idea where the deer are because they just get there 1 week before you. We went early season october 3-8 and it was cold too. While everone's on the food plots we're in the woods seeing nothing, heck 2 deer sighted not able to shoot, in two whole days. Bottom line great accomidation but poor animal quality. He's too busy working on his grapes rather then his hunters, and so are his guides. Not reccommended
Outfitter Review: Performance Outdoors - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Jacob Roach
Hunter: lawrence willey
Animals Hunted: whitetail deer
I HUNTED W/ P.O. THE 2ND WEEK OF NOV IN HANCOCK CO. OUT OF 9 HUNTERS 1 TOOK A REAL NICE 143" 8 POINT, AND I TOOK A DOE. I SEE QUITE A FEW SMALL BUCKS BUT NO SHOOTERS FROM STAND.THE ONLY MEAL THAT WAS PREPARED WAS DINNER WHICH WAS GOOD, BUT YOU DONT GO TO IL FOR THE FOOD. CAMP WAS NICE AND CLEAN. SOME OF THE STANDS WERE NOISY. I DID NOT SEE A DEER BIGGER THAN 80" ALL WEEK. I WOULD RECOMEND THESE GUYS THOUGH BECAUSE THEY HAD SOME REAL NICE PROPERTY, AND IT IS AFTER ALL HUNTING. I DID SEE A TELEPHONE POLE THAT WAS JUST SHREDDED, SO THERE WAS A COUPLE OF MONSTERS IN THE AREA.
Outfitter Review: Pioneer Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Brian Hill
Hunter: Charles Hannah
Animals Hunted: whitetail
Saw lots of deer. good hunting spots, great time.
Outfitter Review: Illionios Trophy Bowhunters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Steve Phelps
Hunter: Ed Stein
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I hunted there in 2001 and shot a 120 10pt. Went back in 2003 with 9 hunters and one of us shot a buck,a 115 8pt. They book to many hunters and they do not rotate their stands at all. I know the stand I was huntig was hunted the 2 weeks before I got there. The acomadations stink. Foam rubber mattres in your bunk bed. Our guide was a real creep.His name was LEO. He checked in with us the first two days and then after that we had to hunt him down. The guides hunt the same land that your hunting. I think this is the way they are paid. If you do hunt with them ask for Jerry Davenport for your guide. He was one of the good ones there.They do have some nice farms but overall PEEUUUU.
Outfitter Review: Eagle Lakes Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Ted Sprague
Hunter: Sean Stafford
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
His deer management is the best in the area. He implements a 130" minimum. Saw lots of deer in the 150"-160" range with a few going up to the 190" range. Catered meals, new lodge, tons of stand locations. If you want a great hunt with knowledgeable guides, lots of opportunity, and a wonderful hunting experience.
Outfitter Review: Ashlenz Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Kevin Ayo
Hunter: Bryan
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I hunted Ashlenz in early Dec. My first intention was to shoot a 140", but after seeing the quality of the deer, I set my goal on at least a 160" deer. My guide was great, and the hunt as a whole was 1st class. I can't wait till next season. Thanks Kevin
Outfitter Review: Trophy Tracts - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Todd Chapman
Hunter: Luke Stewart
Animals Hunted: deer
I have hunted there 3 years.I missed 2 bucks and killed a 156 inch p/y in 2004.Saw many more.Several over 170 inches.One non-typical with points going everywhere.Probably scores 230-240.Its still there.I saw it again in Dec.04
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Stacy Ward
Hunter: Ray Smith
Animals Hunted: White tail Deer
Our group hunted the last wk of oct.Stacy,s so called guides are trading their time delivering hunter,s to and from stands for hunting privledge,s.We felt that this hunt was merely an assembly line for hunters.Land is overhunted and if you did see a good buck they would move you to a new farm and guide.We will never hunt with hadley creek again.
Outfitter Review: Heartland Lodge - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Gary Harpole
Hunter: mike cox
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
Myself and 2 partners went on the late season Black Powder hunt at Heartland. There were 15 hunters in camp and nobody shot a deer. I think there were only 2 mature deer seen in the 4 days and NO shooting opportunities. That is 15 hunters and no deer. I personally saw 6 deer in 4 days while on stand, 1 spike and 5 does, one of which was wounded and they told me to not shoot wounded deer. My guide, and I use this term loosely, continually set me up with the wind at my back in BowHunting stands 30' high. On two occasions I was set up looking into other property and expected to hunt across the fence. I am very disappointed and will not reccommend or return to Heartland Lodge. Good folks, but very clearly set up for bow hunting. All of the farms we were on were hunted hard before we got there. I felt like we were just late tip money for the guides. Sad way to end a season.Mike Cox
Outfitter Review: Fox Creek Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Von/Becky Miller
Hunter: Jerry Warren
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
Being a veteran hunter i know how some hunts can be. Fox Creek Outfitters was one of the best hunts i have ever been on. The game and location made me sure that i had picked the right camp. Von Miller the owner was a very nice man, his wife and kids were a pleasure to be around. The cabins were well keep and and me a sense of comfort being in the woods at night. I would deffinetly chose this hunting again
Outfitter Review: Trophy Tracts - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Todd Chapman
Hunter: Kelly Heath
Animals Hunted: whitetail
I am extremely happy with my hunt.I did not take a buck home but did manage to miss 2 bucks.It was my fault but I am planning to return next year.I saw numerous trophy class bucks in my 6 days there.He can put you on them.
Outfitter Review: Golden Triangle - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Mike Pavlick
Hunter: Chris Daniels
Animals Hunted: Whitetails
I hunted the first gun season and saw a lot more deer than I expected -- 10 bucks the first day. Three were respectable 8 points but not the kind you go to IL for. I was placed in a stand that was within 75 yards of another property and had other hunters within sight most of the time, which was somewhat of annoyance. The second day was a total bust -- one small buck and a few does. The third day I saw a shooter buck but I blew the opportunity. Overall, I saw a lot more deer and a lot smaller bucks than I expected. I also was surprised to have so many other hunters so close by. Most of the stands that I hunted seemed like they were set up for bow more so than a shotgun hunt. Three or four bucks that were killed by others might have gone 140 to 150, but nothing spectacular. Several 8 points that would have been better bucks next year were taken by other hunters. Haven't decided if I will go back next year; they should put in place some antler restrictions to improve the herd. They also need to change up the stands a little for gun season.
Outfitter Review: Hunting Unlimited Inc - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Larry hanold
Hunter: Jeff McAdams
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I had an excellent hunt. Seen lots of quality deer there. Staff is Great. I rescheduled in 2005 and will be bringing 3 others with me.
Outfitter Review: Hunting Unlimited Inc - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Larry Hanold
Hunter: Deborah Knoff
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
I have bowhunted at Hunting Unlimited Inc for 4 years in a row and the wonderful hunts keep bringing me back for more in 2005.Honest, Down to earth, Knowledgeable, hard working outfitter and guides. 100's of Excellently placed comfortable stands. Great quanity of deer and awesome quality bucks abound.I would fully recomend them to any bowhunter looking for a Top Notch Illinois Bowhunt.I did in fact take my 1st buck ever at Hunting Unlimited....... was an awesome hunt with them... they treat you like a beloved family member and want you to be successful in takeing a Quality Buck.... Because they want you to come back again and bring your friends.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacy Ward
Hunter: Gary Jenkins
Animals Hunted: whitetail
I saw a lot more spikes than last year. The weather was warmer than hoped for and my deer sightings were not as good as last year.Stacy runs a first class camp and his guides try to put you on deer.Some of the other hunters saw deer in the 135 to 175 class.My largest deer sighted in two years was about a 140 class.The 3 other hunters with me saw better deer than I did.There are definitely some 170-200 class deer there.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Stacey Ward
Hunter: Ron Yeager
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
We hunted the second week (6 day hunt)of November. Weather was warm so deer movement was slow. I passed on 130 class buck on the first day wanting to take something larger. I did see one buck that went high 150's. My buddy saw three - four bucks in 150 range but too far for a shot. I saw deer on every stand except one morning stand. Guides worked hard for us and tried to put us in the best situations. I took a 120 the fifth day (shame on me) of the hunt. The guides can't help the weather but they did try hard to put us on deer.(That's hunting)This was my second hunt in a row with Stacey and Rod and I am already booked for next year. The big boys are there and hopefully next year I will have a chance to take one of them. You can't go wrong going with Hadley Creek.
Outfitter Review: APO Outdoors - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Neal Meyer
Hunter: Doug Feusse
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
My Brother and I just returned from a hunt with Neal Meyer of Adams-Pike Outdoors. We hunted an 80 acre farm and were not guided. We saw two bucks total, one while hunting and one while scouting. I was lucky enough to take the only buck I saw which was a 128” 9-point. I was happy with it. The weather was bad most of the week and the deer were just not moving. Hunters who hunted other spots saw mare deer than we did so I think we just got a poor location to hunt. This hunt was very inexpensive and over all I think it is a good deal! My brother got skunked!
Outfitter Review: Trophy Quest Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Shawn Taylor
Hunter: curtis mclosky
Animals Hunted: whitetail
promised 2-3 stands, got one. asked for stand to be under 20ft, got 22ft. 3-d target range turned out to be 2 block targets. 3 hunters had to wait 2hrs for their cabin to be finished so they could move in. guide didn't speak to me for 2 and1/2 days. no one saw shooter bucks other than 3 guys from a big name bow company. was promised the smallest parcel would be 470acres, my spot was supposedly 100acres, closer to 40. no one else hunted in stands, grunt call was found first day.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacey Ward
Hunter: Erik Ungewitter
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
We went on a bad weather week. I personally saw several good bucks on the way in and out of stand. The weather was not very good for deer hunting. The wind was wrong and it was too warm. It is not exactly what I expected. Many of the guides guided for hunting privilages. It seemed like they were using us hunters to do their scouting for when they were going to hunt. 2 of the guides shot 2 of the 5 deer that were taken out of 48 or so hunters! I didn't like that at all.But, the sign was there, and I saw 3 bruisers. I would go back, just later in the season when the rut is on hard.
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Junior Cole
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
Had a really good experience with Tom. He put mein great stands in prime locations. I saw plenty of deer and took the biggst buck of my life, a150 class 11 point that was 20" inside. The accomodations were nice and the food was good. I would recommend this hunt to anyone!
Outfitter Review: Trophy Tracts - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Todd Chapman
Hunter: brad moss
Animals Hunted: whitetail deer
been there twice and taken two bucks.one scored 162 w/bow and the other scored 148 w/bow
Outfitter Review: Baycreek Outdoors - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Dean Ottwell, Curt Smith
Hunter: Randy Ragland
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
Very nice guides and great hunting.I am definately going back this year.
Outfitter Review: Coal Creek Farms - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Pat
Hunter: Bowhunting North America Videos
Animals Hunted: Russian/Euro hogs
This is a smaller hog hunting operation & maybe not to somes liking (approx 200 acres)but Pat has a excellent strain of mean/quality russian/European hog. I hunted there making a video & included them as we are trying to show all assorted facilities to suit every persons needs & budget. They run a very good hunt & facility & are super nice people. Bowhunting is a challenge even thou the facility is not large. I plan on going back in the future. You will enjoy the time you spend after a hog with Pat.
Outfitter Review: Trophy Tracts Inc. - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Todd Chapman
Hunter: BRAD MOSS
Animals Hunted: WHITETAIL
I HAVE HUNTED WITH SEVERAL OUTFITTERS THAT PROMISED MORE THAN THEY COULD DELIVER.WHEN I HUNTED WITH TROPHY TRACTS I NOT ONLY PAID CONSIDERABLY LESS MONEY FOR THE HUNT BUT RECIEVED THE BEST WHITETAIL BUCK OF MY LIFE.THERE WERE 5 OF US BOWHUNTING THAT WEEK.4 OF US TOOK THE BEST BUCK OF OUR LIVES.
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Stacey Ward
Hunter: Ron Yeager
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
I have been to Illinois four other times on poor hunts. Hadley Creek is somewhat expensive but the hunting is the best in the country. I did have reservations about paying more for a hunt and the amount of bucks they were putting on the ground. Stacey told me they don't even put a dent in the deer because they have over 18,000 in property and he is not joking. Shame on me because I missed 4 bucks with my bow, 125,two 130's and 150+. I rebooked for 2004 and I already am looking into 05. I can't say enough about this guy and his hunts. I hunted a different farm every day on a 6 day hunt. My buddy saw two b/c bucks and he harvested a 141. Stacey and his staff are the best in the business and I will anyone that. You can't go wrong when booking with HadleyCreek.
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Mike Weigelt
Animals Hunted: Whitetail
My first outfitted hunt was the best it could be without harvesting an animal. Would have had a shot at giant double drop tine buck had I not been eating a snickers bar at 10:30. Turned my head to look around before I got up and he was looking at me at 22 yards. He saw me grab my bow and just slowly walked out of my life. I never sat down the rest of the trip. I arrowed a nice 10 point later on but lost the blood trail. Tom and his guides helped me look for this deer almost the whole next day and they continued to look after I had left for home. Tom was great about it and was very supportive. Tom is just like one of the guys and really makes you feelat home. Can't wait till next year, 282 days to go!
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: John Kilgore
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
Muzzleloader Season up north can be a very tough propositon especially the middle of December.I hunted with Tom Ware owner of Bucks Beware and he and his staff are top notch wonderful people that give 110% of themselves.Even though I did not harvest an animal,I did see a couple of huge bucks and several deer each day. Tom will be at the top of my list when choosing an outfitter for next season.Thanks, John Kilgore
Outfitter Review: Hadley Creek Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Stacy Ward
Hunter: KEITH WEST
Animals Hunted: WHITETAIL
EVERYTHING THERE WAS BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE HOPED FOR.THIS WAS MY FIRST GUIDED HUNT AND I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT I WOULD GET IN TO.I WAS TOTALLY RELIEVED FROM THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE CAMP TO THE FINISH.THE GUIDES WERE SOME OF THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE MOST COURTEOUS PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET.THE ACCOMADATIONS AND FOOD WERE BAR NONE.THE HUNTING AREA WAS EXTREMELY GOOD AND THE PEOPLE WILL WORK WITH YOU IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.I AM SOMEWHAT SLOW IN MY PHYSICAL MOVEMENT DUE TO A SLIGHT HEALTH PROBLEM AND THEY DID ANYTHING POSSIBLE TO HELP ME.THE STANDS AND SHOOTING HOUSES WERE TOP OF THE LINE.I WILL BE GOING BACK IN 2005.
Outfitter Review: Timberoaks - Illinois
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Remley
Hunter: Michael Cameron
Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer
I booked a bowhunt Nov 3-7 2003 with this outfitter.After arriving at camp on the afternoon of the 2nd on Nov the guide took 4 of us hunters to the spots we would be hunting in the morning....After walking a short distance from the road in our street shoes and guide wearing his leather sole work boots we get to the tree stand and contaminate the area with human scent.A red flag went up about the guides experience......After a few days into the hunt I realized the outfitter only had 5-6 treestands in place and would set up a treestand and hunt it the same day.After hunting hard 11 hours in the treestand each day I only saw a a few deer and no bucks.By the fourth day of my hunt I was so disgusted with the lack of profesionalism and the lack of fresh undisturbed stand locations.With six others hunters in camp that week it didn't take long to burn out an area.Since this the outfitters first year in business no references were avaliable and I place the blame on myself for not going with a reputable outfitter with references.
Outfitter Review: Bucks Beware Outfitters - IL
Outfitter / Owner: Tom Ware
Hunter: Ed Griffin
Animals Hunted: WHITETAIL DEER
This was my 3rd trip to Bucksbeware and as always I had a great week of hunting. The rut action was a little slow with warm weather but I was still able to see Pope and Young class bucks everyday. I passed up many in the 120-130 class range and was looking for a B&C class trophy on this trip as I took a 168 class trophy last season with Tom. Tom runs a first class opearation and works hard to put you on trophy class deer. Tom is willing to work very hard to provide you with the best opportunity to harvest a trophy animal and is willing to go the extra mile to make sure that everyone has a great time whether you are a single hunter looking for a hunt of a lifetime or a small group.Tom will meet your every expectationDon't waste your time in large multi operation camps in IL that treat you like a number. Tom's camp is only 8 guys and his stands are never over hunted. His strict managment policies ensure that only mature bucks are harvested and with his doe harvest numbers the herd is just about a perfect 1 to 1 ratio. If you want big deer you have to go were they live in IL and thats PIKE COUNTY!
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