--Jim
To me, turkey/WT deer isn't an even swap.
So what is an even swap hunt?
What ya got?
You have some valuable info there. I wish I would have known about some of those places earlier in life !!
The other thing I'd mention is be careful. Ask every question you can think of. I had a swap hut go bad. Got a guy a few shots at bull elk, which he missed. After one day of hunting he realized that elk hunting was harder than it looks on tv and went home leaving me solo. Then the killer Kansas deer lease he had to trade was lost when the landowner sold out to someone else so I got nothing in return.
So.... what do ya' got???
Last year I offered anyone on the hog site a pig hunt. I had zero takers.
I'm skeptical about offering a public land deer hunt that in 4 trip I have shot two bucks that both grossed over 170.
If you are looking to break even what would be an even swap for elk OTC in Colorado?
I am trying to help a friend locate potential reputable swap sites.
My friend may have a swappable item. I agree that the swap items are valued only by the two parties involved in the swap.
Not that it hasn't happened I guess since it's what's on the inside that's important. ;-)
So Buff... what is his swappable item?
Please answer your own question.
What is an even swap for you to share your OTC elk camp or even just a decent OTC location and advice for the rest of the country who doesn't have anything but turkey and whitetail hunting opportunities to offer?
I'm not trying to stir things up...just really curious.
I think you hit on the reason I moved from the midwest to live in Colorado :)
I really dont know what an even swap would be until someone offered something up that they would feel an equal value.
Lets review:
Moose - check Elk - check WT - check MD - check Turkey - check Bear - check Caribou - check
I would rather be more selective and hunt sub-par game with a good friend and have great memories than antlers on the wall
Great OTC elk = permanent private quality whitetail and turkey hunting
Of course, I'm talking about high quality OTC elk and high quality deer. Everybody has access to good opportunity deer hunting
Unfortunately for me I live in OK, I always make it clear they are welcome to hunt here with me, but honestly I don't even have "great" hunting for deer/turkey/hogs here. I can offer average hunting. I certainly don't feel that is an "even trade" for some of the hunts I've been on.
I have been invited on outfitted/guided hunts (paying my own way of course) that I probably would have never had an opportunity to do without the invite as well. I always feel somewhat unsure of how to thank guys for that as well.
I guess to me a nice card, or a small gift after getting home goes a long way. I always go out of my way to pay for more than my share of the food/gas/etc. (yeah, I know that can be considered "payment" for guiding in some states, but come on...).
So who wants to trade a sheep hunt for a 110" Oklahoma whitetail? ;)
--Jim
And I'm pretty sure Rick doesn't shoot any 110"s ;) Didn't you take Aaron's spot on the lease?
I've learned that there is no such thing as "permanent" or "guaranteed". That's why I have over 50 stands spread out on over 20 private properties all of which can be considered quality at any given part of the season. Some places even go dry for a year or two depending upon crop rotations and other factors but I maintain them waiting for conditions to get "right".
I don't hunt public or lease but instead I depend upon landowners trusting in me and allowing me on their ground. Therefore, I lose ground (usually NR leases) and gain ground as time changes. Being a land surveyor has helped me gain access as much as anything.
My "friends" can and do hunt with me any time I go out and good "friends" are always welcome under my roof.
Personally I'll just keep taking guys hunting that I think are good guys and helping guys out that I can in the hope that someday the good karma I build will help me out if I need it. You can never have too many friends or too many places to hunt.
I do not necessarily agree with this statement.
A High quality hunt is a high quality hunt.
I drive 1500 miles for the potential to hunt elk on public land and it could turn out to be conflicted with other hunters.
This scenario does not add up to hunting managed private ground in the midwest where access is limited through a locked gate where you could potentially have a 180-200 class whitetail show up.
"I never swap. I invite people to hunt with no strings attached."
This is probably the best statement of the year!
The last two years I have taken 2 young Army Captains and called in their first gobblers. One was 10.5 beard, 1.5 inch spurs, and 22.5 lbs the other had 4 beards for a total of 35 inches, 1.25 hooks both of which were bigger than anything that I have killed in Georgia. As they say in the add "Priceless, I feel better doing those two hunts than killing my last ten gobblers.
A wise man once told me to not take anyone in the woods if I did not want to see them to kill more than I wanted it for myself.
Agreed that if this was a private land hunt with limited access things would be different.
As far as my opinion, I feel a deer hunt of the highest quality, is worth every bit as much as an elk hunt of the highest quality. Actually I started to write a few more thoughts, but in the end, I believe hunts of equal quality are probably a better indicator, than the actual game sought.
There is actually a farm in North Carolina that charges $950 a DAY for a turkey hunt. I think that is extremely overpriced, but I am certain that the owner must add a lot of value to the hunt to demand that cost.
As for a trade, I have wanted to swap a hunt for a while, but the biggest problem is, other than a local hunting lease that offers average hunting overall, most of my hunting endeavors are done on a permission basis, or a low odds draw tag, or on public ground and because details can vary greatly annually, I wouldn't want to take something and not be able to provide something in return, such as Mule Power mentioned about the great deer lease available, but then the owner decided to sell. As it stands, I have access to property in Kansas and over the years, I, and my family and friends have taken about 20 bucks, with most averaging around 135, and the biggest being 193. The farmer always allows me to bring others if I ask, but just last year, he lost about six hundred acres. Granted we didn't utilize the lost property very much, but the point is, who knows what can happen from year to year.
I generally hunt public land in areas (most are limited draw units) that I have scouted and have done well in the past. I have spent years getting to know honey holes, access, quality critter locations, and have put on miles of boot leather finding these areas.
For those that hunt public land and offer swap hunts I share 1 word of caution....Be aware that those you take hunting may keep GPS coordinates of some of your favorite "secret" spots! I told a particular elk hunter after agreeing on a swap that he would agree not to return to the spot without me. A couple years after his successful hunt I found sign of a spike camp (with trash) in the same remote area we camped. The area was so remote that there is no way anyone else would have camped in the same spot! I was pretty upset and quit offering swaps for around 10 years after that situation! Anyway, I believe swap hunts are great as long as agreements and details are worked out and hold true!
Deer for deer or elk is pretty easy to set up. Been trying to find a moose swap but that is much harder to find.
I'll swap you a trophy Florida whitetail hunt and all the hogs you want to shoot :)
I typically have a lease that ranges anywhere from 140 acres to 385 acres that is adjacent to a small parcel (35 acres) that I own with a one-room sparsely accommodating hunting cabin on it.
My property and the leased land has about 1000 acres of public land on 2 sides. I would guess that the hunting is average. No AG fields, just big woods. Climbing stands are best. Sometimes it's cold and snowy and other times it's warm and sunny. I've missed huge 10 pointers, taken a couple really nice 8 pointers and I've also taken does and lesser racked bucks. In NYS archery is antler or antlerless. I consider anything with the bow a trophy.
I've never been on a hog hunt. I've never had the meat and would think that would be a great adventure. However, I'm thinking that guys who hunt hogs probably feel that they don't have much to offer.
I guess that goes along the lines of "depends on what each person considers equal or fair".
I just want to hunt with a celebrity. Guitar playing motorcycle painting grizzly whispering elk slayer. ;-)
For me I'm getting close to retiring soon & the thought of enjoying new experiences in the outdoors through a few swap hunts has crossed my mind. Me I've lived in Idaho my whole life. Started bow hunting mid 70's. I've done my share of hunting in several states, most western & a few in the mid west. Had the fortune to draw a lot of great tags in the last 35 years. I was a hard core bow hunter for 30 years, but honestly it's not that important to me anymore but still enjoy it.
I like to hunt solo but enjoy some good company at times. lol I'd say the hunting I enjoy the most these day's are wolf hunting, running bear with my dogs & enjoying the premium tags I draw. Been very lucky lately 4 sheep tags 5 years all filled hunting solo.
I'd enjoy sometime spent chasing hogs, gators, crabbing, salmon fishing, deep sea fishing, or any other fine adventure. To me it's more of an enjoying the activity with some one that understands it. Than collecting animals.
If I've peaked your interest shoot me a PM.
Mark
For trade uh... maybe a good morel mushroom hunting spot. :-)
Mark got me thinking too... I'd love to do some crabbing or lobster trapping. They both go good with my elk meat!
I would do a lion hunt if a guy is interested
Mule Power you can come up and pick all the morrels you want. I'm slipping and sliding on those things when I get out of the boat to check bear baits all the time. I do take the time to pick 20 lbs or so a year.
I took a couple of out-of-towners to this spot to hunt turkeys a couple of weeks ago. we were walking the creek bottom when one of the guys was suddenly gone. Looked back for him and he was on his knees cutting as fast as he could. Took some home with him to Minn. I think he enjoyed those as much as the two turkey breasts he took home!
People would call in with stuff like, "I got two puppies and a lawn chair I'll trade for a used mattress or a fuel pump for a '92 F-150". Great entertainment.
As far as trade hunts I've been burned before, by someone I considered a very good friend. I don't do them either. If I take someone hunting or go with them, I figure it's as a friend.
The guys I hunted with in Australia, whom I met through Bowsite, were totally awesome and stone-cold killers. They asked for nothing in return except the fun of hunting with a Yank who shared their passion. If they ever want to come to the States and hunt elk, I'll absolutely set them up with a good hunt.
Unbelievable trip!
But next year I could do a, say Thursday thru Sunday, you leave Sunday afternoon after a few hours of fishing, spring turkey hunt (Mornings) then afternoon trout (local steams in Northeast Pa) or Delaware River shad fishing.. We would most likely stay in my motor home. Turkey would be on private ground.. No Sunday hunting in Pa. My place is 20 miles northeast of Scranton.
Let me know if anyone is interested... Ed
I may have to put my guides I charge for a week and give this a try before it's "One of the things I should have done".
King salmon up by Queen Charlette Islands in another thing we want to do.
Winter caribou is a meat hunt that works for bow about every 2-3 years - and you cannot tell in advance. 100% for rifle if you are willing to skidoo off into the wilderness.
I wish I had something else to offer! I can get moose tags over the counter, hunt every day during peak rut, but hunting pressure in very high, and archery success very low.
As far as alligator hunting, I have all the gear, and have hunted alligator a few times, but definitely not an expert, basically a boat with all the equipment and a bit of knowledge of a few destinations.
I really don't have anything in particular I would like to do, but as has been mentioned, the making of a new friend is great, a good hunt in return would be a bonus.
I do have enough points to draw an Iowa deer tag, but as also been mentioned, I'm not certain that anyone would want to trade an Iowa whitetail hunt for an alligator hunt, but you never know. Also, I would appreciate information about free range exotics in Texas, it could be as little as information or contact information, to access.
Beyond the couple things mentioned, I do have sole access to approximately 2,000 acres in Kansas, but the draws are over and we would most likely be looking at 2016.
Basically if anyone is interested in either of these, or need information on how to hunt alligators or hogs in South Carolina just send me a PM.