Eagle Lakes Outfitters Inc

Submitted by: BUCK KILLER

Review Submitted: Sep 14, 2011

Hunt Date: Nov 1, 2017

Species Hunted:

Days Hunted: 10

Hunt Type: Semi-Guided

Primary Terrain: Farmland

Method: Bow

Price Range: 5000-6999

WANTED TO CLEAR SOMETHING UP I SAID!

HEY PPL I READ WHAT I WROTE AFTER BEING SO FUSTRATED BOUT THE HUNT AND EXPIERIENCE I HAD, I WANNA CLEAR UP THAT I PROBOBLY SHOULD NOT HAVE CALLED TED A DRUNK....YES HE ALWAYS HAS BEER IN HIS HANDS, BUT ITS NOT MY PLACE TO JUDGE HIM OR SAY THAT...FUSTRATION GOT THE BEST OF ME,...SO TED IF YOU READ THIS! IM TRUELY SORRY FOR SAYING THAT..MY OPPOLOGIES. GO OUT TO YOU ITS JUST MY OPINION AND NOTHING ELSE!...I TRIED TO EDIT THE POST BUT IT DOESNT LET YOU....SO ONCE AGAIN SORRY FOR JUST THAT ONE STATEMENT......PEACE OUT... HEY THE ITALIANS SAY HELLO!

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Submitted by: BUCK KILLER

Review Submitted: Sep 14, 2011

Hunt Date: Nov 1, 2011

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Days Hunted: 10

Hunt Type: Semi-Guided

Primary Terrain: Farmland

Method: Bow

Price Range: 4000-4999

EAGLE LAKES .....IS ALL ABOUT MONEY!!! AROGANCE!!

HELLO, I ALSO HUNTED THIS PLACE FOR 3 YEARS! THIS WAS WHEN TED WAS JUST STARTING TO BE KNOWN...WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE IT ALL LOOKED VERY NICE ..THE LAND WAS BEAUTIFUL, I HAD THAT FEELING THAT POSSIBLY I WAS GONNA SHOOT A NICE BUCK, FROM THE DEER I SEEN HANGIN ON THE MEAT POLE, THEN IT WAS TIME TO CHECK OUT THE LODGE..WELL! THIS IS WHERE IT STARTED TO WORRY ME...THERE WAS NO ROOM TO STAY THERE CUZ IT WAS OVER CROWDED, AND NOT ORGANIZED AT ALL, THEY STUCK US IN A LITTLE HOUSE NEAR TEDS HOME, WICH WHEN I GOT THERE I SAID OK THIS IS NICE, WE HAD IT ALL TO OURSELVES...WHAT COULD BE BETTER RIGHT?..( HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!) WHEN WE GOT THERE...THE MOSSY OAK TEAM WAS STILL THERE...THE PLACE WAS A MESS..AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE, BUT OF COURSE TED LET THEM STAY EXTRA DAYS...WHY?? OK HERES WHY...CUZ ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY!...AND MAKING VIDEOS FOR TELEVISION! THATS WHY!...AT THAT POINT WE WERE LIKE OK NOW WHAT...WHERE DO WE GO? WHERE DO WE HUNT? YOU WOULD THINK THAT AFTER PAYING ALOT OF MONEY THAT MOST PPL CANT AFFORD. TED WOULD COME GREET YOU...TALK TO YOU....LET YOU KNOW WHATS HAPPENING IN THE AREA, ?..LMAO....I DIDNT SEE HIM MAYBE 2 TIMES THE WHOLE TRIP...THEY THREW US IN AN OVER HUNTED STOP, AND THEY PUT THE FILM CREW WHERE THE HOT SPOT WERE,...MAKES U WONDER IF OUR MONEY ISNT GREEN ENUFF...NOW ! WHEN THE MOSSY OAK TEAM LEFT, HERE COMES THE BIG SHOTS! RALF AND VIKIE! OH SO CUTE! WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY TOOK OVER FROM THAT POINT ON....THEY HUNTED THE BEST SPOTS AROUND!...WHY?? CUZ OF MONEY! AND VIDEO FOR TELEVISION,...IF THEY SHOOT BIG BUCK ON VIDEO! WELL TEDS PLACE LOOKS GREAT RIGHT?...WELL THATS BUNCH OF BULL CRAP!...HE IS SO ARROGANT, AND SUCH A DRUNK THAT YOU DONT EVEN EXSIST WHEN YOUR THERE...ONCE HE HAS YOUR CASH...YOUR NOTHING!...THATS HOW THEY MAKE YOU FEEL WHEN YOUR THERE...SAVE YOUR 5000 OR 6000 DOLLARS AND GO TO A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL BE TREATED LIKE A HUMAN BEING, THIS PLACE IN MY OPINION! SUX AND I WOULD NEVER PAY HIM A SINGLE PENNY AGAIN!...NOR WOULD I RECCOMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE..UNLESS U WANNA FEEL WHAT 3 OF US DID!...LET ME ADD..MY FRIEND SPENT OVER 30 THOUSAND DOLLARS HUNTING THIS PLACE FOR SEVRAL YEARS!...HE FINALLY SEE'S SOMETHING WORTH SHOOTING, WELL GUESS WHAT? RALF AND VIKKIE WERE THERE NEXT MORNING AND SHOT THE BUCK 100 YARDS FROM HIS SATND!...WTF IS THAT???? HOW MUCH DOES HE NEED TO PAY HIM?? AND HOW MUCH IS RALF AND VIKKIE PAYIN HIM??>..LMAO THEY PAY NOTHING! ITS ALL ABOUT VIDEO AND CASH!!! YOUR PRESENTS THERE DONT MEAN CRAPOLLA! UNLESS YOUR A SO CALLED PROFESIONAL!...WICH I FRANKLEY DONT THINK RALF AND VIKKIE ARE, I THINK THEY ALSO ARE PART OF THE ARROGANT TEAM! STUCK UP! AND THERE SHOW IS A CROCK OF BULL! THE MORE VIDEO THEY TAKE! THE BETTER HIS PLACE LOOKS! TILL U GET THERE!...OH BY THE WAY! IF YOU SHOOT A DEER THAT ISNT CLOSE TO WHAT HE WANTS U TO SHOOT?....U HAVE TO PAY HIM AN EXTRA 500 ! SO KEEP THAT IN MIND ALSO....AND BRING YOUR OWN FOOD, CUZ BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE LODGE? THE FOOD IS ALL GONE BY THE PPL THAT GET THERE FIRST! WHAT A JOKE THIS PLACE IS!...THE TRUTH HAS BEEN SPOKEN! I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER NOW! PHEW! IM NOT THE ONE TO TALK CRAP ABOUT PPL OR PLACES BUT WHEN YOU GET TREATED LIKE THIS! IT SEEMS TO BUILD UP INSIDE AND MAKE YOU WONDER WHY MONEY HAS SO MUCH POWER OVER PPL....GD LUCK TO ALL, I HOPE THIS OPENS SOME PPLS EYES! AND DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE GOIN THERE AND WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY!... LIKETHIS OUTFITTER SHOULD BE CALLED( BUD LITE LAKES!! )EVERYTIME YOU LOOK AT TED HE HAS A BEER IN HIS HAND,DOESNT KNOW IF HE IS COMMING OR GOING...BUT WHEN HE SEE YOUR CASH! HE SMILES....GOOD LUCK IF YOU CHOOSE THIS DUMPING GROUND, DONT SAY I DIDNT WARN YOU! RIP CARMINE

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Submitted by: Tony Steinberg

Review Submitted: Jul 24, 2011

Hunt Date: Apr 11, 2009

Species Hunted:

Days Hunted: 5

Hunt Type: Guided

Primary Terrain: Farmland

Method: Bow

Price Range: 2000-2999

Ted is only interested in your money. Eagle lakes is all about Ted and his wife Tina shooting big bucks. He is not good with people, not a very good quality for an outfitter. When I arrived, I came into the lodge to pay my balance and receive instructions about my hunt. I sat at the table with Ted and one of his guides. The guide did all of the talking, Ted never said a word to me. I saw a few deer but no shooter bucks. Not reccomended!

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Submitted by: Tammy Sargeant

Review Submitted: Mar 28, 2011

Hunt Date: Oct 21, 2010

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Days Hunted: 6

Hunt Type: Guided

Primary Terrain: Any

Method: Bow

Price Range: 2000-2999

T. Sargeant

I have hunted at Eagle Lakes Outfitters in 2009, 2010, and have booked a hunt for 2011. The hunting at Eagle Lakes is excellent. I have taken does each year, but have not shot a buck. I have been in camp when bucks over 130in have been taken. Last year durring my six day hunt I think 4 bucks over 130 were harvested. Eagle Lakes is run by Ted and his wife Tina they do an awsome job! They are both concerened with whitetail management, hunter safety, and providing a comfortable stay for the hunters. They also actively encourage women and children to take part in hunting. All of the guides employed by Eagle Lakes are knowledgeable, professional, and accommodating. The staff at Eagle Lakes work hard all year round to provide hunters with the best oppertunity to take a 130 class buck or larger. At Eagle Lakes they have decided not to book over 30 hunters a week, that sounds like a great deal of people, but they have 11,000 acres available to hunt on. Eagle Lakes has many return customers because it is a great place to hunt!

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Submitted by: Art DeFusco

Review Submitted: Jan 1, 2011

Hunt Date: Oct 19, 2010

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Days Hunted: 28

Hunt Type: Semi-Guided

Primary Terrain: Farmland

Method: Bow

Price Range: 5000-6999

overpressured/overhunted, Gone Down Hill

I've had been Hunting with Eagle Lakes Outfitters Pike County Illinois for 9 yrs. I was one of the first Clients they had. Ted and his wife Tina became personal friends over the Years. I remember Ted took pride in stating that they only Hunted 16 People a Week , to minimize Pressure and provide a Quality Hunt. It Was The Best, then came the Film Crews, and Television Exposure. The 16 a Week turned to over 40 a week, during peak rut., the hunting started in Oct and the Stands were Overhunted. It never really affected Me though, You see , I hunted in the Bottoms on His Private Ranch, Only Ted,Tina, some Immediate Family and Film Crews were allowed to Hunt there, I was Priviliged because I had been with them for so long and they allowed me to hunt the same Fingers Year after Year. My spot was about a Mile or a bit less from "Teddy Land "( Still on his Private Ranch in the Bottoms, named after him By the Louisiana Group that goes there), thats where most of the Film You see when You Watch TV is Captured, strictly for Ted, Tina, Family and Film Crews. Worked fine with Me, Hell I was almost a mile away with my Own unpressured Spot. This Year it changed, I started hunting My spot Oct. 19th, I like to stay a Month, gives me time to pattern and hopefully see something I can concentrate on, I waited all year for this ( as most of us do ), and the first two weeks started out great, saw many, had my eye on two-3 imparticular and passed 150's holding out, then came the Overbooking Weeks, They had so many Hunters, there were no places to put them, they had to place 5-6 in the Bottoms, virtually surrounding Me. I had complained to Ted, He assured me that it would only be for 6 Days then they would all be gone. I was patient, I sat in my stand watching Pickups dropping hunters off and picking them up. Finally the hunters left. Unfortunately ,Ted wasn't seeing anything in "Teddy Land" big enough for Him, Tina or Ralph and Vickie, the film Crew( who happened to be there the last week of archery into the first gun), to Video. The big bucks were down my Neck of the Farm. For the first time I've been hunting there I saw Ted, give no consideration to the fact that I was hunting my spot that cost me 5,000.00. He Immediately, Placed the film Crew, in the finger 300 yds to the south of me. He and Tina Hunted the fingers to the southwest of me, Keep in mind that I'm hunting a Food Plot, the Deer that i see mostly all come from the fingers the Film Crew ( bedding area finger) and Ted and Tina were hunting. ( I took Frank a guide there a week before, stopped and told him to glass, the finger , i told him it was a bedding area, he did and sure enough, there were 5-9 Deer there includeing 2 bucks that he could see all bedded down, just bringing this up to prove my point that it was in fact a bedding area ). Hope I didn't lose anyone, anyway, the deer stopped coming into my food Plot, I was being cut off as another guide who works there told me ( I don't want to mention his name ). A Year of waiting for what I Live to do went down the drain, the last 2 weeks of archery (peak of the rut and into the first 3 days of gun) I saw practically Nothing, Deer pattern had changed, Ted,Tina and his Film Crew, were Seeing them, Videoing them, Shooting them, and doing a number on my hunt. I Now realize that Ted didn't view me as a friend or a Client, first of all You don't do that to friends, and second of all I thought the Outfittter was working for the client, trying to get him a shot the Big buck, No Way, Ted moved in from "Teddy Land" and virtually cut me off. Ted's only concern for the last few years shifted for Quality of Hunt for clients to Quantity of Hunters for his pocket . His biggest priority is to get video footage, get on TV and Pack the Camp to make Money. To wrap this up, I hunted until to the first day of gun, Ted Shot Two big Bucks that day a few hundred yard away fom me, ( gotta laugh) , I know I would have seen them or got a shot, After all I spent a month there watching them, getting ready for this. I packed my gear and left the following morning , after having a long chat with the guides( who are all great guides and my friends). They All Agreed with me that it wsn't right and that the outfitter should be working for the client and not favoring himself or the the film crews.ere, figure that one out. By the way, all of you fellow hunters who see the vids on TV of Eagle Lakes Outfitters, YOU DO NOT GET TO HUNT THOSE SPOTS, that is srtictly for Film Crews and TED, Beware!!!!! I Work Hard for my Money and Live to Hunt, most Hunters do, This is not the place it is built up to Look like, I'm booking somewhere that doesn't have film Crews on it from now on. Pardon my typing errors I'm still pissed off.

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