Blackwells Guide Service

note: The following reviews predate the numeric rating system and are not included in this outfitter's overall rating.

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outfitter review submitted by: Todd Gantt on May 20 2004

Species Hunted: Deer

Game Quality: Poor

Accommodation Quality: Good

Camp Condition: Good

Food Quality: Good

Guide Experience: Fair

Other Personal Experience: N/A

Overall Impression: Fair

Recommend: NO

Reviewer Comments: Hunted with Blackwell's Guide Service in Sept 2001. Saw only 4 does and one small buck (4 point)during 3 days of hunting. Most were well out of Bow range and not shooters anyway. Stands seemed to be set up for gun hunters, food plots were nonexistant. Would not recommend to bow hunters.

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outfitter review submitted by: Brian Shuhart on Sep 18 2003

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Game Quality: Not what was given in the sales pitch

Accommodation Quality: Good

Camp Condition: Good

Food Quality: Good

Guide Experience: Good

Other Personal Experience: Good

Overall Impression: Made me reconsider guided hunts

Recommend: Not a chance

Reviewer Comments: It's been several years since our hunt but I think it took place around 1997. I should have known what to expect after the first morning of the hunt. I let a spike buck walk by at 10 feet. When I informed the guide, let's just say he was not happy. He was mumbling something about numbers as he left me behind in the woods. We had 5 in our group, so we got the private cabin, which included a private shower. One member of our group shot a decent six-point (the only deer he saw). The rest us only saw doe, spikes, and dogs. By the way, we found out (from an inside source) the display bucks they show at outdoor shows and in advertisments were killed by the Blackwells on private land customers don't get to hunt. This was my first guided hunt and maybe my last. Thanks for nothing Mr. Blackwell.

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outfitter review submitted by: Steve Angell on Aug 20 2001

Species Hunted: Whitetail deer

Game Quality: Poor

Accommodation Quality: Mediocre

Camp Condition: None

Food Quality: Mediocre

Guide Experience: What Guides? Had Chauffeurs

Other Personal Experience: The dog seemed fairly inttelli

Overall Impression: Would rather have been kicked in the groin!

Recommend: Not to my worst enemy!!!

Reviewer Comments: I must admit I am partly to blame for this bad experience as I hunted with this guide service last year and had only slightly better results, seeing one doe in 3 days of hunting. However, it was unbearably hot and dry last year and I gave the service a second chance. BIG mistake. It only got worse. I suspected trouble upon arrival when I learned that there were only 9 hunters booked for 3 of the 5 days I had scheduled for myself and my brother. This down from the 25-30 last year. Then I learned that game handling would this year consist of quartering your deer and icing the meat down in "your" coolers. For FIVE days?????The length of my hunt. That really wouldn't matter though in the long run. After hunting 10 hours a day for 5 days. Myself nor my brother had seen a single animal. If you combine these results with my results last year that comes to about 130 hours spent in deer stands with a total of one deer sighted. That was the head of a doe at about 300 yards which occured last year. Guiding consisted of driving you to your stand and leaving you there for 5 hours while the "chauffeurs" went to take naps or sit at the local country store. ALL stands were permanent ladder stands. No scouting was done over the course of the week and it appeared that the only scouting done prior to the season opener was to spread a little corn on the ground and plant a some food plots which showed little signs of interest from the local deer population. Results were much the same for the rest of the hunters. Out of 9 booked hunters and a few extra "lifetime members" (guess I am not the biggest sucker) there were 3 bucks killed all week. A spike and two 6 points. There is more but I tire of complaining. If you want more details as to my experience feel free to e-mail me. sangell@bellsouth.net In the owners one defense. I, and my brother, were given the offering of coming back for 3 days at no charge. At the moment, I would prefer run naked through a briar patch and then be given a nice bath in tabasco sauce. Additional warning! This service also guides in two areas of South Carolina, Illinois and Alabama!

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outfitter review submitted by: Chris Nichols on Jan 15 2001

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: Saw one doe approx. 65#

Accommodation Quality: Days Inn ?? I Guess it was OK

Camp Condition: Rented 15 Pass. Van

Food Quality: Local fast food

Guide Experience: They are not guides!!

Other Personal Experience: Clueless

Overall Impression: I will never hunt the south again

Recommend: Not even to an enemy

Reviewer Comments: We were told we would see 30 to 50 deer a day and dont take the first buck you see cause hes the little one, the big one will be behind him. Two deer a day limit-that is a joke -I saw one doe the whole trip. They put us in the woods in a tree in the worst possible spot for the wind and when the sun comes up there before your eyes is a handful of corn to bring'em runnin in. Oh yeah becase it is a mass production hunting camp you have to be awake at 3am, on the van at 3:30am, in your stand at 4:00am, so you can see the sun come up at 7:45am.Mike Blackwells logic is this= "Now I know the first guy is gonna be in there a little early but the last guy is gonna be in his stand just right!" People save your money and book a hunt with a guide who isnt a vulture. I happened to pay extra for a nice meal every night.Now I dont look for something for nothing but when I forgot a bag of my gear and asked that it be shipped back to me I was shocked there was a bill for shipping. The reason for be shocked is I left 2 days early and paid for meals and lodging but they could not afford to pay the $8. to ship my gear like a reputable and honest businessman would do. Consider long and hard before booking an attractive southern hunt which promises to have high bag limits and an affordable price. I should have just given $1200. to a hunting orginization.(I would have felt like I got my moneys worth by giving money to a good cause.)

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