Buck Country Outfitters

Submitted by: CHRIS SHARP

Review Submitted: Sep 9, 2011

Hunt Date: Sep 3, 2011

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Days Hunted: 5

Hunt Type: Guided

Primary Terrain:

Method: Bow

Price Range: 1000-1999

BUCK COUNTRY OUTFITTER VELVET HUNT 2011

IF YOU ARE A HUNTER AND ARE LOOKIMG FOR A QUALITY HUNT THIS IS A GOOD ONE. THE ONE THING I CAN SAY IS YOU HAVE TO HUNT, NOT EXPECT TO WALK OUT 40 YARDS IN THE WOODS AND HAVE 20 BUCKS COME BY A HOUR. 3 OF US BOOKED THIS HUNT AND 2 OF US CAME BACK WITH 2 DANDY SHOOTERS WHILE THE 3RD HAD A CHANCE AT 3 BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONNECT ON 1. THE HUNT WE TOOK WAS EARLY SEASON VELVET HUNT WHICH WE KNEW GOING INTO THIS WAS GOING TO BE A TOUGHER HUNT THEN IN LIKE THE RUT DUE TO TIME, FOILAGE ON TREES AND WEATHER.WE RAN INTO 100+ HEAT AND DOWN TO UNDER 60. GOT IN TO RAIN AND WIND SO WE SEEN ALL YOU COULD BUT SNOW. THE 8 POINT I GOT TO ME WAS A BUCK I WILL NEVER FORGET SAME FOR MY BROTHERS 9 POINT. THE STANDS ARE OF SAFE QUALITY EASY TO GET IN AND COMFORTABLE. AND LOCATING THEM WERE EASY TO FIND. LODGEING WAS A+, FOOD WAS A+ SLEEPING ACCOMADATION WAS A+. KEN THE OUTFITTER WAS A GREAT GUY WITH MULTIPLE STANDS TO HUNT. AND WITH ONLY 5 DAYS HE PUT HIS TIME AND EFFORT INTO TRYING TO GET EVERYONE TO FILL THERE TAGS WITH THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY. AND A VERY GOOD GUY TO TALK TO WHEN YOUR BACK AT CAMP. WITH HIM PUTTING HIS TIME AND KNOWLEDGE INTO THE LAND AND YOU ARE WILLING TO LISTEN AND TAKE HIS ADVISE AND PUT A 110% INTO THE HUNT U HAVE A CHANCE AT A GOOD BUCK. A LITTLE LUCK IS ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE TOO... I CAN SAY AFTER 3 DAYS AND SEEING A COUPLE DEER HE SAID TO GO TO ANOTHER STAND HE HAD AND I WALKED OUT WITH A DANDY 8 POINT IN VELVET. BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT AND IF I DIDNT GET THAT BUCK THAT WEEK I WAS ALREADY SET TO BOOK FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, CAUSE THE BUCKS ARE THERE. ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN HUNTING ANY WHERE THE GUIDE IS SELLING YOU A HUNT NOT A DEER. LISTEN TO KEN AND PUT YOUR TIME IN AND ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

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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: T. West on Sep 29 2009

Species Hunted: Whitetails

Game Quality: Good

Accommodation Quality: average

Camp Condition: average

Food Quality: average to good

Guide Experience: Good

Other Personal Experience: n/a

Overall Impression: good for the price

Recommend: yes

Reviewer Comments: I hunted Sept 09 with Ken and Pat Willis of Buck Country Outfitters. Pat Willis is nationally known with a former outdoor TV show and several hunting videos to his credit. He has been interviewed for hunting articles by some of the more famous outdoor publications. OK. To the hunt. We hunted the early season opener in Kentucky. This was booked as a fully guided hunt with the proviso that once you are shown your stands you are responsible for getting to them. Most of the stands are set up with speed rails and quality hang on stands. We hunted the full moon which did not help. The accomodations are two man rooms with six bowhunters in camp. Pat and Ken have rifle farms, but there is also a large acreage bowhunting only area with a 130 inch minimum. The area is planted with food plots and has a large number of mast bearing trees. Acorns were dropping everywhere which also made this bowhunt tough. The winter before there was a bad ice storm which knocked down trees everywhere. Pat and Ken claimed they were using chain saws all summer just to be able to get to some of their stand areas. They also stated that they just didn't seem to be able to put out the usual number of trail cameras this year. I think perhaps these gentlemen didn't get out and scout enough because the deer just were not hitting the food plots. Deer sightings were few and far between. I was extremely lucky to have seen many more deer than anyone else in camp. This was not because of any special hunting prowess on my part. The other hunters in camp were all excellent bow shots and experienced hunters. It was just dumb luck for me. I saw a number of does and small bucks. The last night of the hunt I elected to go back to a stand where I had seen a small five point and a doe previously. That was the night. I saw a 150 class buck across a field. The plot I was hunting over suddenly had ten deer in it, including 5 bucks. I managed to kill a 9 pointer and was darn glad to get it. A tough hunt had come to a close. The fee for the early season hunt is 1000 bucks. If you come during the rut it is 1800 dollars. There are definitely some monsters on these properties and the acreage is all connected. It is several thousand acres. The accomodations are small two man rooms. Absolutely nothing fancy. The lodge is a small house, nothing elaborate. One bathroom for six hunters is kind of tough. There is a washer and dryer for your use. The food consists of pastries and cold cereal for breakfast. Lunch is cold cuts for sandwiches. Dinner is hit and miss. One night there was a pot of chilli for six guys. Another night there was chicken and biscuits (good meal) another night hamburgers, another night a ham dinner which was fantastic. Ken's wife Missy does most of the cooking and if she isn't there that night you will definitely miss her. A super nice lady. Ken is a great guy and one of those people you can't help but like. Pat is more the salesman. Bottom line: would I recommend the place? Yes. If I go back I would prefer the rut. There are some huge deer there, no question. I saw two shooters personally and the 150 I saw convinced me. Let's face it, bucks that big are just not that plentiful. If I managed to see that when the hunting was tough, during 80 degree days, what would I see during November? I may have to go back and find out someday.......

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outfitter review submitted by: Kevin "Curley" Davis on Jul 7 2009

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: A+

Accommodation Quality: A

Camp Condition: B+

Food Quality: A+

Guide Experience: A+

Other Personal Experience: NA

Overall Impression: A

Recommend: Excellent

Reviewer Comments: I have hunted with Pat and Ken, since 04', and have shot only one buck, But have passed on several bucks each and every year. The camp is very clean and comfy. Ken's wife makes all of the evening meals and you could not ask for better food. The lodge is a old wood frame house that is in great shape. They are a mostly bowhunting only outfit, but do some gun hunting on other farms. They have about 3200 acres that they run their bowhunters on and only 6 to 8 a time. You will not be over crowded and they try as much as possible to keep the stands fresh. Anyone from the south will not see the deer they do at home, but the quality of deer are great. The largest I have seen is 160"ish and have seen several 120-135". These guys will work their hardest to get you on deer. They both are very experienced bowhunters and know how to get you close. The cost of the hunts are as reasonable as you will find and the deer are as good as anywhere in the Midwest.

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