Hamilton Hills Lodge

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: Donald Ayars on Jan 20 2009

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Game Quality: excellent

Accommodation Quality: good

Camp Condition: excellent

Food Quality: good

Guide Experience: excellent

Other Personal Experience: N/A

Overall Impression: Great Hunt/ returning for a second time

Recommend: 100% yes!

Reviewer Comments: Doug and Lyle run a great hunting outfit. They do all the work themselves other than cooking diner. The way they draw stands is 100% fair. It doesn't matter if it is you first trip or you have been coming for years. You don't have any input to what stand you will hunt. In the morning you hunt ridges over clear-cuts and food plots in the evening. All stand are chosen by Doug and Lyle depending on which way the wind is blowing. There will only be 4 hunters in camp. I hunted near the end of the season 1-13-09 to 1-18-09 and saw numerous does and 13 buck of which 5 were shooters and which I took 2 nice eight pointers. They require you to take mature 3-5 year old bucks. Any question email me at buckman*@hotmail.com.

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outfitter review submitted by: Derek Underwood on Jan 12 2004

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: Good

Accommodation Quality: Homey

Camp Condition: Great

Food Quality: Good

Guide Experience: TOP NOTCH!!!!!

Other Personal Experience: What other personnel?

Overall Impression: Awesome

Recommend: Absolutely

Reviewer Comments: This was my first paid gun hunt and my third paid hunt this season (I'm a bowhunter, too). The bottom line for me was the guides. Doug & Lyle (brothers) were born & raised there, and they know the land. After breakfast & lunch they would break out a deck of playing cards and say "high two go with Lyle, low two go with Doug". All four hunters would pick a card to see which selected stand they would hunt. The selected stands would already be written down on paper with two picked by Doug & two picked by Lyle. This simple method eliminated any possible notions of a hunter thinking that the guides were playing favorites. Then Doug or Lyle (depending on who you drew) would draw you a map showing you the layout of your hunting area, with the method(s) of approach and departure from the stand, close property lines (if applicable), typical movements of the deer, recent history of the stand, tempature and wind direction, etc. All 8 of my hunts had perfect wind! I wish I had guides like this for my bowhunting trips! I was always on my stand on time. These guys are on the ball. I saw at least 52 different deer in four days! You get one doe for your trip, and one buck a day. I took a delicious doe (the meat has already been processed), a nice coyote, and my first buck, a nice six point. I had a glimpse of a monster in the tree line during the same hunt that I took the buck. They have the deer population. Hamilton Hills only takes four hunters at a time with a hunter:guide ratio of 2:1! Four hunters for seventy something stands! Not much pressure there! Out of 4 hunters, there were 4 bucks taken and all got does. You stay in the old family farm house, sleeping in a large room with several beds. Doug & Lyle take turns cooking breakfast. They bring in a local lady (Esther I think) to cook traditional southern dishes as well. I saved my money all year to be able to afford some good hunting opportunities, and I feel like my money was well spent with the Smiths. I cannot say that for all the hunts I have taken. I highly recommend these guys for a south Bama hunting adventure. I know I'll be back.

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