Indiana Hunting Outfitter and Guide Reviews

Hunter Rating

Submit Date: May 11, 2013

Outfitter Review: Twin Creek Outfitters - Salem IN

Outfitter / Owner: Randy or Jaime

Hunter: BROOKS SEXTON

Animals Hunted: Turkey - Eastern

I EMPLOYED THE SERVICES OF TWIN CREEK OUTFITTERS AFTER LENGTHY CONVERSATION WITH RANDY BENNET (THE OWNER) AT WHICH TIME HE GUARENTED WITH 100% CERTAINTY THAT I WOULD SEE LOTS OF BIRDS, HAVE A 90% CHANCE OF A SHOT WITHIN 60 YARDS, AND A 70% CHANCE OF HARVESTING A BIRD SUCCESSFULLY. (HE COULDN’T ACCOUNT FOR MY MARKSMANSHIP). THE FEE FOR HIS FULLY GUIDED THREE DAY HUNT WAS 500.00. I CONTACTED RANDY SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE MY HUNT DATE, THE LAST TIME BEING THE MONDAY BEFORE MY SCHEDULED ARRIVAL THAT THURSDAY EVENING. I ASKED RANDY IF THE BIRDS WERE WORKING OR NOT AT WHICH TIME, HE ASSURED ME EVERYTHING WAS COMING TOGETHER AS HE HAD EXPRESSED IT WOULD PREVIOUSLY, AND THE CONDITIONS SURROUNDING MY ARRIVAL WOULD BE NEAR PERFECT. I ARRIVED AT THE LODGE LATE THAT THURSDAY EVENING PREPARED FOR AN EXCITING WEEKEND TO COME. FRIDAY MORNING ROLLED AROUND AND MY GUIDE AND I MADE OUR WAY TO THE AREA I WOULD BE HUNTING. WE SET FROM ROUGHLY 6AM TO 12PM WITH NOT SO MUCH AS A GOBBLE. WE RETURNED TO THE LODGE, AND AFTER A FEW HOURS WE RETURNED TO THE SAME AREA, AND SET UNTIL DUSK WITH NO INDICATION THAT THERE WERE EVEN TURKEYS IN THE AREA. IT WAS DURING THAT EVENINGS HUNT THAT MY GUIDE DISCLOSED THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION. MY GUIDE TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE FIVE HUNTERS FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEKEND (OPENING WEEKEND) THAT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AS WELL. THIS INFORMATION WAS COMPLETELY CONTRIDICTORY FROM WHAT RANDY HAD TOLD ME JUST A FEW DAYS EARLIER. I KEPT MY COMPOSURE AND DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING, BUT WAS UNSETTLED TO SAY THE LEAST. THERE WAS LITTLE TALK ABOUT THE DAYS FAILED OUTTING AT DINNER, JUST THAT I HAD WITTNESSED SOME STRANGE COINCIDENTAL EVENT. I WAS REASSURED THAT THE NEXT DAYS HUNT WOULD BE MORE TO MY EXPECTATION. THE NEXT MORNINGS HUNT HAPPENED MUCH THE SAME AS THE FIRSTS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MOVING TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION, STILL WITH NO BIRDS, OR ANY SIGN THERE OF SOMETIME AROUND 9:00AM. I TOLD MY GUIDE I WAS READY TO HEAD BACK TO THE LODGE AROUND 10:30AM, AT WHICH TIME I INFORMED HIM I WOULD NOT BE GOING BACK OUT. I HAD NO REASON TO ASSUME THAT SUNDAYS HUNT WOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT. I SHOWERED, PACKED MY THINGS, AND WENT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH RANDYS BROTHER JAMIE. I TOLD JAMIE I WAS DISSATISFIED WITH MY EXPERIENCE , AND WAS HEADING HOME EARLY BECAUSE I DID NOT ANTICIPATE ANY DIFFERENT OUTCOME WHETHER I STAYED FOR THE FULL TIME OR NOT, AT WHICH TIME HE SMILED SARCASTICALLY, AND TOOK MY MONEY. I GAVE HIM THE REMAINDER OF THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT OWED, AT WHICH TIME HE GAVE ME $100.00 BACK IN CONSIDERATION OF LEAVING EARLY. I PAID RANDY BENNETT A TOTAL OF $400.00, AND HE DID NOT MEET EVEN ONE OF HIS OWN GUARENTEES FOR HIS SERVICES. RANDY DID TRY TO CALL ME SOMETIME DURING MY COMMUTE HOME, BUT ONLY TO OFFER HIS CONDOLENCES FOR MY DISSATISFACTION. I EMAILED RANDY AND EXPRESSED MY DISATISFACTION WITH HIS SERVICE AND REQUESTED A $300.00 REFUND. I FIGURED HIS ROOM AND BOARD WAS WORTH A LITTLE SOMETHING, AND THAT A $100.00 WOULD COVER THAT. RANDY NEVER REPLIED TO MY REQUEST. I UNDERSTAND THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HIRE AN OUTFITTER YOUR ARE NOT GUARNTEED SUCCESS. I FORMED MY EXPECTATIONS BASED ON RANDYS CLAIMS FROM OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS DURING WHICH HE ASSERTED OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHAT I COULD EXPECT DURING MY HUNT.I WOULD STRONGLY DISCOURAGE ANYONE FROM EMPLOYING THE SERVICES OF RANDY BENNETT, AND OR TWIN CREEK OUTFITTERS,I FEEL AS THOUGH HE WAS DECEITFUL, AND INCONSIDERATE OF THE SITUATION.

Hunter Rating

Submit Date: Sep 3, 2012

Outfitter Review: Midwest Woodlots, LLC - Pierceton IN

Outfitter / Owner: Ken McIntosh

Hunter: michael shaw

Animals Hunted: not specified

Could have been a great hunt, however we were asked to change our booked dates for a week later hunt, due to the booking of a larger group than ours. Sat in the same stands as the hunters a week earlier had killed a deer out of. Saw alot of deer, no trophy bucks within range for the four of us.

Outfitter Review: Rivers Bend Trophy Outfitters - IN

Outfitter / Owner: Joe Smith

Hunter: kevin stone

Animals Hunted: whitetail deer

I was lied to about amount of property,lodging,number of hunters to be in camp.The owner never came to camp during our hunt,I believe he knew we were not happy with all of his lies.

Outfitter Review: Rivers Bend Trophy Outfitters - Indiana

Outfitter / Owner: Joe Smith

Hunter: Richard Jones

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

This hunt was totally misrepresented by the website as well as the owner via phone. Our group was lied to about the amount of property we had to hunt on. We were led to believe we were staying in the lodge that was on the website. We ended up staying in a rat hole farm house. No trophy bucks were seen,or killed. Owner never showed up to meet our group of five. We were sure that was because he knew he had lied and mislead us. We were lied to about the number of hunters that were going to be in camp on our week. The owner's son who was the head guide kept a blood hound in the farmhouse with us which ruined scent control. The head guide also hunted while we were there but never put any of us in the stands that he hunted. Aerial photos were hidden from us prior to arriving. This information was told to us by the other two guides who quit the day our hunt was over because thay did not want to work and continue to lie for this outfitter. The dvd that was mailed to us was misleading. Our whole group was rotated in and out of the same stands all five days. I could go on and on. Outfitters like this need to be shut down and prosecuted.

Outfitter Review: Ultimate Outdoor Adventure, LLC. - Indiana

Outfitter / Owner: Keith DeHaan

Hunter: Jeff Wilson

Animals Hunted: Waterfowl

Arrived at hunt location late both days. No blinds or cover set up. Deeks were in thick lilly pads and could not be seen. Birds wouldn't land in thickly covered lilly pad water at our front. Had to cut brush for blind on second morning because of no cover. Very poor situation with an unexperienced owner. When I asked the owner if he wanted to know what I thought of the hunt he said "don't care"!

Outfitter Review: Whitetail Bluff - Indiana

Outfitter / Owner: Rodney Bruce

Hunter: Ben Mcdaniels

Animals Hunted: Whitetail Deer

I had an opportunity to hunting with these guys before they actually formed their hunting club this year. I knew they hunted only big bucks so I jumped at the chance to go. I saw several deer but we were after one in particular. They told me the we was looking for a big bodied big racked buck and I would know him when I saw him. They were right, the buck slipped around me and all I could tell was that he was the one they told me about. The buck continued on and the guy I went with killed him. He had twelve points and scored in the 160's and field dressed 208 lbs. These guys are downhome country that know what "The Hunt" is all about. You will be glad you went. The deer we took is on their website (whitetailbluff.com)