Don Lott Outfitter and Guide

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: John J. Montefusco Jr. on Jan 28 2005

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: VERY LOW

Accommodation Quality: motel

Camp Condition: Stands thrown up and noisy

Food Quality: NA

Guide Experience: 0

Other Personal Experience: 0

Overall Impression: Terrible

Recommend: absolutely not

Reviewer Comments: This was one of the worst experiences ever and I have hunted throughout the US and Canada for various species. I am a Life member of SCI (and certified scorer), NRA, NAHC, QDMA and have never seen a bigger joke in my life. 13 hunters with 2 guides and it turns out that one told us privately not to refer to him as a guide as he was not licensed in Kansas. We were supposed to be on private, scouted ranches. Upon arrival and settling into motel (that was OK)they had to be harangued into taking the hunters to zero the rifles. They said they have never had to do that before. As a hunter who works very hard to give hunters a good name, I found this irresponsible. First day in the stand I heard a shot so close I thought I was getting shot at. Turns out the "ranch hands" were roaming in P/U trucks and shot a deer two 200 yards up the same draw I was watching. Anyone who has ever hunted midwest flat land knows that the hunt is over at that point. The week stayed like this. Some of our party had no stands and they just put them on the ground someplace. Additionally, the hunt was almost cancelled as the outfitter botched the tags. He said not to worry if some of us didn't draw (1st rifle) as he had landowner tags. Turned out not to be the case and he somehow procured them at the last minute. Midweek we found out one of our guys was hunting out of zone. Needless to say, I would certainly steer clear of this mess.

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outfitter review submitted by: Robert L. on Jan 17 2005

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: 115 inches & smaller

Accommodation Quality: below average

Camp Condition: There wasn't any

Food Quality: average, when available

Guide Experience: avg., 1 guide for 13 hunters

Other Personal Experience: ?

Overall Impression: very poor

Recommend: no

Reviewer Comments: I hunted the rifle season in 12/04: Don Lott promised that if I could shoot straight I'd tag at least a 140 buck; biggest I saw was 115. The landowners from whom Mr. Lott leased hunting rights were out hunting the property I was on and drove quads & trucks close to my stand several times; then proceeded to shoot a sub-100 inch 8 pt. within 300 yards of my stand. Mr. Lott had one guide for the 13 hunters he had booked the week I was there(Mr. Lott himself never showed up). The guide (Jeff) said all the other guides had recently quit (for reasons unknown). There weren't enough stands for all hunters, so many had to sit on ground without a blind. Half the hunters had to make their own way to their hunting sites; the guide said it was too muddy to take his truck into the interior of the hunting areas, so most hunted within 200 yards of busy roads; there were no quads, or any other machines to move hunters around. This was the poorest excuse for a guided hunt that I could possibly imagine.

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outfitter review submitted by: Joe Menza on Apr 25 2000

Species Hunted: Whitetail, Turkey

Game Quality: Excellent

Accommodation Quality: Very Comfortable

Camp Condition: Excellent

Food Quality: Excellent

Guide Experience: Excellent

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Overall Impression: Very Satisfied

Recommend: Definately

Reviewer Comments: I have hunted with Don Lott and his family for almost 15 years. I have never missed their Spring Texas Turkey hunt and in that time and have experienced "great" to non other than "incredible" results. I have also been down for whitetails about five of those years and have taken some beautiful 8, 9, and 10 point bucks, one which I am awaiting the mount. But it's not just the hunting, my father, brother and I look forward every year to spending what has always been the highlight of our year with Don, Brenda and the "crew", on some of the finest West Texas expanse there is. "****", says the Guys From NY

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outfitter review submitted by: Richard E. on Dec 31 1999

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: Poor.

Accommodation Quality: Good.

Camp Condition: Good.

Food Quality: Good.

Guide Experience: Not sure.

Other Personal Experience: N/A

Overall Impression: Not good.

Recommend: No.

Reviewer Comments: Mr. Lott led me to believe that I would have an opportunity to select which buck in the 120-140 B&C range I would like to take. Other hunters in camp were \"promised\" the same opportunity. Needless to say, this was not the case. Six hunters took a grand total of two bucks; neither of which was anywhere close to the 120-140 B&C class. But after four days of hunting and seeing 4,5,& 6 point bucks that were very small, when you see an average 8 pointer...you lower your standards some. Mr. Lott never showed his face in camp. He would call from time to time and say he would be there the next day. He always seemed to have an excuse. Finally, on the next to last day of the hunt, he talked with the oldest hunter in our group and asked him to \"keep an eye on the boys.\" He was referring to our \"guides\" who were 22 & 23 years old. (One of the guides enjoyed shooting at rabbits on the ranch roads while picking up hunters each night.) That really boosted our confidence in Mr. Lott! I would certainly recommend Don Lott\'s operation to anyone that would gladly spend $2500 to go to Texas to eat and not care if they shoot a deer. But if you are after the \'hunt of a lifetime\' and take your deer hunting seriously, this is not the hunt for you.

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