"How to Book a Super White-tailed Deer Hunt” by John E. Phillips
Day 1: How to Begin the Quest to Book a Super White-tailed Deer Hunt
Editor’s Note: How does a sportsman know how to pick the best hunting operation where his chances of bagging that deer of a lifetime reasonably can come true this year or next? Some top-notch lodges still may have some hunts open that you can book for this year, or you can start now to plan your trophy deer hunt for next hunting season. To find the answer, I went to the men who should know best. Each of these men either owns, manages or guides at a successful hunt-for-pay operation where I either have taken or seen trophy deer. Some of them asked to remain anonymous.
  The rain was pouring-down outside my window. That weather, combined with the chilling wind that blew the sheets of rain against the panes, made me glad I was in my easy chair in front of the fireplace. After finishing-off another outdoor magazine where I read of high adventure and successful hunts, I began to thumb through the back pages and looked at the advertisements for hunting operations throughout the nation, some of which read:
“… Trophy deer;”
“… 10,000 acres to hunt;”
“… 40 to 50% success ratio;”
“… Our hunters kill trophy deer;”
“… If you want to bag a big buck, hunt with us;”
“… Enjoy fine food and excellent lodging;”
“… Hunt some of the most game-rich lands in the U.S.”
I looked at the pictures, dreamed of the hunts and imagined taking whitetails with antlers 24- and 25-inches wide and tines that stretched skyward 12 to 14 inches in the air. With my eyes closed, I leaned back in my easy chair and decided that my dream hunt would be worth whatever these ads said I had to pay to take that buck of a lifetime.
  Then I began to wonder. Every ad said that I could bag a big buck. Each ad said its operation had the most deer. All the ads boasted of extremely-high hunter success, good lodges and great food. How did a sportsman know how to pick the best hunting operation where his or her chances of bagging that deer of a lifetime reasonably could come true? To find the answer, I went to the men who should know best. I asked them these questions.
* How would you go about selecting the best hunting lodge from which to hunt, if you were given a week at any hunting operation in the nation and enough money to pay for it?
* What would you expect from the lodge you chose?
* How would you hunt?
* What do you think your odds should be of killing a big deer?
* How would you decide to return to that same hunting operation at a later date, if you failed to take a buck?
For more deer-hunting tips, get John E. Phillips’ Kindle eBooks "How to Hunt Deer Like a Pro,”
“How to Hunt Deer Up Close: With Bows, Rifles, Muzzleloaders and Crossbows,” and “PhD Whitetails: How to Hunt and Take the Smartest Deer on Any Property,” or to prepare venison, get “Deer & Fixings.” Click here on each, or go to www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks, type in the name of the book, and download it to your Kindle, and/or download a Kindle app for your iPad, SmartPhone or computer.
About the Author
John Phillips, winner of the 2012 Homer Circle Fishing Award for outstanding fishing writer by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors. Click here for more information and a list of all the books available from John E. Phillips.
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