Water Valley Lodge
Water Valley Lodge
Rated 4.25 out of 5.0 based on 29 Outfitter reviews.
Contact: Jake Utsey
Location: Gilbertown, Alabama
Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer, Wild Boar, Turkey Eastern, Quail
State(s) Hunted: AL
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note: The following reviews predate the numeric rating system and are not included in this outfitter's overall rating.
outfitter review submitted by: Albert Ban on Jun 12 2006
Species Hunted: Deer and Hogs
Game Quality: Abundant
Accommodation Quality: Excellent
Camp Condition: Excellent
Food Quality: Very Good
Guide Experience: Excellent
Other Personal Experience: Very Good
Overall Impression: Excellent
Recommend: Yes
Reviewer Comments: I would highly recommend this outfitter for a first class hunt!
outfitter review submitted by: Ronald Grenadier on May 18 2006
Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer & Hogs
Game Quality: Good
Accommodation Quality: Superb
Camp Condition: Superb
Food Quality: Superb
Guide Experience: Excellent
Other Personal Experience: Excellent
Overall Impression: Very Good
Recommend: Yes
Reviewer Comments: Jake runs a 1st class operation in all aspects of the hunt. I would recommend him highly. My situation was difficult as I decided to bow hunt for deer and hogs in last November, 2005. As with many hunts, weather plays a very important role in hunter success. The first 5 days saw temperatures in the mid to high 80's, which was 20 to 30 degrees hotter than normal. Nothing was moving because of the heat. Only the last two days, animal activity picked up as the weather turned cooler.
outfitter review submitted by: Kelli McCleer on Apr 19 2006
Species Hunted: Wild Turkey
Game Quality: great
Accommodation Quality: very nice, very clean
Camp Condition: nice
Food Quality: great
Guide Experience: very helpful and friendly
Other Personal Experience: friendly, very accomodating
Overall Impression: great
Recommend: yes
Reviewer Comments: Water Valley Lodge is a very nice place for any hunter, group of hunters or a couple hunting together. The facility accomodations are very clean and nice. The owners, guides and staff exhibited their wonderful southern hospitality and were very nice to my husband and I. We went during turkey season and plan to go back next year. Our guide was great and helpful. This was my first turkey hunt and I couldn't have had a better time anywhere else. The food was very good also. Everyone there makes you feel so comfortable, It was great!!
outfitter review submitted by: Chris Davis on Jan 8 2006
Species Hunted: Deer & Hog
Game Quality: Above Average
Accommodation Quality: Excellent
Camp Condition: Excellent
Food Quality: Superior!
Guide Experience: Excellent
Other Personal Experience: Excellent
Overall Impression: Extremely pleased
Recommend: Very much
Reviewer Comments: From arrival to departure...the Utseys' make you feel right at home & welcome at their establishment. Jake & Steve are very knowledgeable and always have time to answer any questions you may have. They're very receptive to suggestions about the area & stands you'd enjoy hunting. Food plots are well planted & all stands are well positioned for optimal viewing. From my experience, having visited twice, I've seen an abundance & variety of opportunities at choice game. The dining is top knotch with excellent meals. Individual cabins are very comfortable...recreational area with widescreen TV and pool table for your enjoyment! Personnel prepares your game in well equipped & extremely clean shed. I would redcommend this lodge to anyone looking for an exciting, yet afforadable hunt! Already booked my 3rd trip for next year and taking my wife along.
outfitter review submitted by: Paul Burnthall on Sep 9 2005
Species Hunted: Whitetail
Game Quality: Very Good
Accommodation Quality: Excellent
Camp Condition: Excellent
Food Quality: Excellent
Guide Experience: Very Good
Other Personal Experience: Very Good
Overall Impression: Excellent
Recommend: Yes, without a doubt
Reviewer Comments: I have been to several outfitters within the south for whitetail hunts and Water Valley Lodge is the best. Both Mr. and Mrs Utsey could not be any better. They welcome you as if you were an old friend. The accomodations were great. The private bedroom and bathroom was a nice touch if you are hunting alone. The food was great. The lounge area was a great place to get away and just relax. One of the biggest things that impressed me was the quality of the game. In my mind Water Valley Lodge is the best Whitetail hunting within the state. I would recommend anyone who is looking for a great experience to seriously consider Water Valley Lodge for their next hunting trip.
outfitter review submitted by: Steve Abston on Aug 26 2004
Species Hunted: whitetail deer
Game Quality: Exceptional
Accommodation Quality: Excellent-true southern hospit
Camp Condition: Excellent
Food Quality: Excellent
Guide Experience: Very professional
Other Personal Experience: very professional
Overall Impression: Excellent
Recommend: YES
Reviewer Comments: The company I worked for scheduled several hunts with Water Valley Lodge for our clients. We enjoyed each hunt and left with some really nice trophies. The guides were professional and friendly, always giving a 110% effort to make our hunt enjoyable and successful. The atmosphere at the lodge was warm, comfortable, and had the feel of a true sense of southern hospitality. The food and service were exceptional. We never failed to see a large quantity of top quality deer on each hunt. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at sabston@ebesco.com and I will e-mail pictures of recent kills.
outfitter review submitted by: Jay Corte on Jul 16 2004
Species Hunted: Whitetail, hogs turkey
Game Quality: great
Accommodation Quality: first class
Camp Condition: everything was top condition
Food Quality: excellent
Guide Experience: great guys
Other Personal Experience: good
Overall Impression: great hunts every time
Recommend: yes I would
Reviewer Comments: The Utseys are my friends and take good care of me and people I send. Water Valley is a first class operation and it is a very relaxing place to stay. They have good tracts of land that offer all types of hunts.
outfitter review submitted by: Jesse Jay Baker on Jul 14 2004
Species Hunted: whitetail
Game Quality: good
Accommodation Quality: very good
Camp Condition: good
Food Quality: excellent
Guide Experience: expert
Other Personal Experience: good
Overall Impression: great hunt
Recommend: yes
Reviewer Comments: I have hunted at Water Valley for years. It is a great facility that is always improving. I have always had good hunts and enjoy hog hunting during deer season. Turkey hunting is great as well. Jake and Pia are good kind people and have always treated me like a friend.
outfitter review submitted by: Ian Palmer on Jul 3 2004
Species Hunted: whitetail/hogs
Game Quality: sometimes great and sometimes poor
Accommodation Quality: well designed
Camp Condition: good
Food Quality: good
Guide Experience: good
Other Personal Experience: dont know
Overall Impression: good
Recommend: yes-I bring clients
Reviewer Comments: I have hunted with Jake for many years. Water Valley has always been a good place to hunt. We dont always have a successful hunt but the chance is always there. The fields are large and numerous. It would take may hunts to see all of them. I like having private bathrooms and I also like having the bunkhouses separate from the dining hall and the lounge.
outfitter review submitted by: Kris Stewart on Apr 7 2004
Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer
Game Quality: Mature Bucks...Healthy Does
Accommodation Quality: Excellent
Camp Condition: Like New
Food Quality: Excellent
Guide Experience: Competent & Courteous
Other Personal Experience: Great Cook! Friendly Staff
Overall Impression: Great Place...Good Value
Recommend: Yes...
Reviewer Comments: I was looking for a place not too far from my home where I could take my 10 year old daughter on a deer hunt. I was concerned about a "hunting camp" atmosphere and told the Utsey's as much when I first called them. They assured me that I need not be concerned about people misbehaving at Water Valley . They also said they would take good care of my daughter. WOW! Did they ever! Everyone there was so welcoming and friendly. She saw lots of deer each time she went out, many of them bucks. She was nervous about killing one that was too small and wouldn't pull the trigger on several bucks that she saw. Finally they took her to the six point area where she killed a nice 10 point! And she shot a doe as well. I really can't say enough good things about our trip to Water Valley Lodge. Our room was extremely clean and we had a bath all to ourselves. We thought they were giving us special treatment because of us being female and all but it turns out that every group has private accommodations there. My daughter is a real pickey eater but it never mattered there. She ate everything that came out of the kitchen. Needless to say, the food was excellent! Can't wait to go back!
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First Page
Contact: J. Paul Taylor
Location: Midway, Alabama
Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer, Turkey, Quail
State(s) Hunted: AL
Utah Hunting Information
Utah has recently been outstanding for trophy elk, but the best tags take many years to draw. Utah does have conservation tags available for purchase that allow hunters to bypass the drawing. Given the high demand for these premium tags prices can be high. In the past Utah has been a top trophy mule deer state but recently only a handful of units consistently produce B&C caliber deer.
New Mexico Hunting Information
New Mexico is one of the top destinations for trophy Elk and Antelope hunting. Draw odds can be tough depending on the unit but landowner tags are also available for those who don't draw. Mule Deer are plentiful but generally of average size. Only a couple of units and reservations consistently produce big muleys.
Alberta Hunting Information
Alberta is a large, diverse province with rolling prairies, farmland, river bottoms, Boreal forests, and large expanses of the northern Rocky Mountains. Many species of big game, waterfowl, upland game and predators inhabit Alberta. Long known for monster whitetails, Alberta also is home to big mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, black bear, cougar, Canada moose, and bighorn sheep. In fact, 7 of the 10 largest bighorn sheep in Boone and Crockett record book are from Alberta. In addition to big game, Alberta offers some top notch bird hunting. Serious waterfowlers know about the large flocks of ducks and geese that call Alberta home or migrate through.
