Performance Outdoors

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: Wesley Bedwell on Nov 16 2009

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: Excellent

Accommodation Quality: Good

Camp Condition: Good

Food Quality: Good

Guide Experience: Good

Other Personal Experience: NA

Overall Impression: Excellent

Recommend: definately

Reviewer Comments: I had 3 opportunities and saw a Booner and took a 140 class buck home with me.

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outfitter review submitted by: Pernell Davis on Dec 17 2008

Species Hunted: Deer

Game Quality: Poor

Accommodation Quality: Dirty

Camp Condition: Poor

Food Quality: Horrible

Guide Experience: fair

Other Personal Experience: What other personal 2 guides

Overall Impression: Very Poor

Recommend: Never

Reviewer Comments: I waited three years to get an Iowa tag and I talked to Jake Roach about hunting in Iowa he told me that we would see alot of big bucks but he forgot to tell me he lost his best farm. Later the guide told me that they killed 60% of the buck on the farm they lost. He told me that in 2007 11 out of 16 hunters killed some awesome bucks. I saw 1 buck that might go 125 and that was the only buck I saw. In 2009 I know for a fact that they killed 3 out of 16 so we were very disapointed. The camp was a joke, rats and mice everywhere, food not ever put away. The guides were the cooks, one guide was 25 years old and the othe was 21 so the food was terrible!!! Jake nevered show up at camp he just collect your money in full before we arrived at camp. We had 4 farms to hunt and only two of the 4 were huntable. They only had 5 stands set up for north wind so they were hunted often. However he did invite 3 friends from college to hunt in our camp on differnt farm which we were not allowed to hunt and they killed 2 deer and missed 3 it seems like the people thats paid the $3500.00 would get the good farm. I have hunted with alot of guides and outfitters and Performance Outdoors does not take care of their clients at all.

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outfitter review submitted by: John Tondra on Jul 9 2007

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: Very Good

Accommodation Quality: Good, comfortable

Camp Condition: great

Food Quality: Good

Guide Experience: Good

Other Personal Experience: Good

Overall Impression: Very Good

Recommend: Yes

Reviewer Comments: Did not kill, but i was hold out for 150 and above. I missed a giant at 32 yards...this is a class A operation and would reccomend if you want to hunt in IL...They also have a camp in IA that i have not hunted but will when i draw a tag

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outfitter review submitted by: DAVE MARTIN on Jun 22 2007

Species Hunted: whitetail deer

Game Quality: very poor

Accommodation Quality: terrible

Camp Condition: terrible

Food Quality: terrible

Guide Experience: very little

Other Personal Experience: poor

Overall Impression: very dissapointing

Recommend: HELL NO

Reviewer Comments: VERY POOR ACCOMODATIONS, NO COOK AT CAMP 18 YEAR OLD GUIDES NO EXPERIENCE GUIDING! TOLD BY MULTIPLE GUIDES THAT THE STANDS WERE OVERHUNTED WEEK AFTER WEEK.ASKED TO BE MOVED ONTO NEW STANDS AND WERE DENIED. PRIME RUT HUNT ONLY ONE DEER OVER 120'' SHOT.OWNER VERY DISHONEST STEER CLEAR OF THIS CAMP PERIOD. OWNER WAS ASSAULTED BY ANOTHER CLIENT DUE TO DISHONESTY AND SCAM

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outfitter review submitted by: Steve Preziosi on Nov 23 2006

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: Excellent

Accommodation Quality: Good

Camp Condition: Good

Food Quality: Fair

Guide Experience: Great guys-hard working

Other Personal Experience: Very good

Overall Impression: Excellent

Recommend: Definately

Reviewer Comments: Had a six day hunt. Saw some of the largest deer I have ever seen in 25 yrs. of hunting. Saw at least 30 deer a day, half of them bucks. Saw five shooters ranging from about 180" down to 125". I harvested a 140" on my fourth day. Guides were excellent. They worked hard moving stands when we needed them moved. Great natured guys ,always had a smile on there face. We had six hunters in camp and we harvested two other deer, 125" on both. Great hunt, I will going back next year.

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outfitter review submitted by: Alan on Nov 22 2006

Species Hunted: deer

Game Quality: poor

Accommodation Quality: good

Camp Condition: good

Food Quality: fair

Guide Experience: no experience

Other Personal Experience: good

Overall Impression: not worth money

Recommend: NO

Reviewer Comments: I paid for a guided hunt and was assigned two guides with little or no experience. They were not familar with the tract I was hunting, and did not know the stand set ups. There were also allowed to get drunk at night then take me to the field at 5 am. A total waste of time and money.

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outfitter review submitted by: Bob Tunney on Mar 8 2006

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Game Quality: Poor

Accommodation Quality: Unacceptable

Camp Condition: Excellent treestands

Food Quality: average

Guide Experience: mine was 1st year guide

Other Personal Experience: head guide very good, others g

Overall Impression: very disappointed

Recommend: no

Reviewer Comments: This hunt began with a lot of promise, we booked as a group of 12 believing we had camp to ourselves as promised by Jake. When we pulled in to camp after driving 18 hrs one of the "senior" guides greeted us with a disdainful "you're kinda early aren't ya" and went back to working on his car. That set the tone. The accommodations were in a run down motel, paint peeling non-drinkable water in rooms (was it safe to use shower? who knows). Then a bunch of additional hunters showed up so we realized we weren't alone this week. Also we were told that with all the acreage we would have no problem with spots to choose. Well with the camp overbooked we had very few chances to move around until tags were filled. Again not what we were led to believe when booking the hunt. My guide was a kid out of guide school, polite but clueless. Generally I felt the guides were not supervised, and little coordination existed. One night i got back around an hour after dark and the guides had eaten most of the food, i settled for scraps. That has never happened to me on a hunt, guides always eat after hunters and managers ensure this. Not here. My guide would ask me where i wanted to hunt that day instead of suggesting areas that had been well scouted in advance. Around midweek, Jake showed up, we told him how unsatisfied we were and he shrugged it off. The properties i must say were great looking deer habitat, the stands i hunted out of were new and in very good condition (which i haven't always experienced elsewhere) and there was some decent sign. I saw 2 very small bucks and a doe in a weeks worth of hard hunting. My area and guide were terrible. Yes there are no guarantees in fair chase, but you want to believe that your guide knows the area well and can offer constructive advice. There were 2 huge bucks taken in my group and 2 other respectable deer but not what you come to Illinois for. I believe the properties have huge deer from the sign, but i am told by my guide we had over 100 hunters out there before us so the place gets pounded. When we pulled into the driveway, my hunting partners first words were "o my god we are at the bates motel" it looks that bad from the outside. I work hard for my money and cherish the available vacation time i get and commit to a hunt. In good conscience based upon my experience there I would never recommend this outfitter. It is too bad since the farms leased are in prime territory and have some great potential, but if they get overhunted then chances for success are greatly diminished. I realize these guys have to make a living, but other camps i have been to charge a bit more and deliver much more value for the dollar. And yes i have been on a hunt before in Wisconsin where i saw a fawn in a whole week and no deer taken but would go back there in a heartbeat as the facilities great, properties spectacular and the guides worked their butts off. So it isn't just the kill but the overall experience that makes or breaks a hunt.

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outfitter review submitted by: Steve Davis on Mar 6 2005

Species Hunted: Whitetail

Game Quality: Excellent (2) 160"-180"

Accommodation Quality: Hotel Room (owned by them)

Camp Condition: Good-- Farm House and barn

Food Quality: Average, delivered by local re

Guide Experience: All Hard workers, Great!

Other Personal Experience: Great

Overall Impression: Great Hunt-going every year

Recommend: Yes absolutly !!

Reviewer Comments: My 2nd time hunting with Performance, I was sick 2 days during the week and still had an opportunity at a 140" buck. I shoulder shot it and couldnt recover. I saw 2 deer that were easily 160-180", one at 20 yards and another at 75 yards. Great leases, and they are always aquiring new leases every year. Highly recommended, just dont steal my spot!!

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outfitter review submitted by: Lawrence Willey on Feb 23 2005

Species Hunted: whitetail deer

Game Quality: below average

Accommodation Quality: good

Camp Condition: good

Food Quality: good

Guide Experience: excellent - fair

Other Personal Experience: good

Overall Impression: dissapointed

Recommend: yes

Reviewer Comments: I HUNTED W/ P.O. THE 2ND WEEK OF NOV IN HANCOCK CO. OUT OF 9 HUNTERS 1 TOOK A REAL NICE 143" 8 POINT, AND I TOOK A DOE. I SEE QUITE A FEW SMALL BUCKS BUT NO SHOOTERS FROM STAND.THE ONLY MEAL THAT WAS PREPARED WAS DINNER WHICH WAS GOOD, BUT YOU DONT GO TO IL FOR THE FOOD. CAMP WAS NICE AND CLEAN. SOME OF THE STANDS WERE NOISY. I DID NOT SEE A DEER BIGGER THAN 80" ALL WEEK. I WOULD RECOMEND THESE GUYS THOUGH BECAUSE THEY HAD SOME REAL NICE PROPERTY, AND IT IS AFTER ALL HUNTING. I DID SEE A TELEPHONE POLE THAT WAS JUST SHREDDED, SO THERE WAS A COUPLE OF MONSTERS IN THE AREA.

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