Outfitted Hunt from Hell in Kansas! Please read

[bpfarm]

Hello Fellow Hunters,

I wanted to post this and see if anyone had hunted with or heard of Hickory Creek Outfitters in SE Kansas.  www.hunthickorycreek.com  If so,  please let me know of your experience.  My father and brother in law went there for a 3 day semi-guided hunt last Thursday.  They asked for cash payment in full before hunt began.  Now the owner of this outfit is Jeff Brondige.  Besides speaking with him on the phone, we never saw him.  He had hired 2 goose guides from Colorado and Texas to heat up canned food (our homestyle meals) and drop us off at hunting areas (the guides didnt even know exact boundaries of property and even advised us to trespass if we heard a turkey).  In 3 days, I never layed eyes on a mature bird.  Saw a total of 8 jakes and 2 hens.  We shared camp (trash ridden building without A/C) with 4 guys from Alabama that were having similar luck.  My poor brother in law paid for the "guided experience" $900 and never saw a single turkey while hunting.  Obviously these properties had been hammered with hunters the entire season.  Local farmers and cafe owners had never heard of the outfitter.  I should have done more research and gotten legitimate references.  I just wanted to give ya'll a heads up before you invest your $$ and time.  I get one trip each spring and it was just wasted.....Bummed out in Louisiana.  There's always next year.

[Dray223]

YOur not alone bud, we had the same experience with woodland guides. Ours was a little better then yours but not by much. Its a shame people will basically steal your hard earned money like that.

[mnbeardbuster]

That sucks. I've been hunting with another outfitter in SE KS for the last 6 years that I first found on Ebay. Before my first trip I was nervous as I was also bringing my son, who at the time was 7 on his first hunt. I was new to turkey hunting. Since that first trip I have also brought my daughter on several hunts along with my son. I want to try a NE outfitter for some Merriams, but my time and money is valuable and I know what I'm getting where I'm at now.

[Jay]

Never use a guide unless you get references from the hunters on the Turkey Sites. Your story is very common. Just about anyone can open up a guide service, who has a little land. You paid $900 a piece for a 3 day hunt? If that's true I need to start guiding in Kansas, when I retire next year.

[mountman62]

have hunted with an outfitter in south central Kansas since 2002, before he was an outfitter, we have even tested some new ground for him, always stayed in a tent, popup, or motel, but he has a lodge for his customers, but I know he was pretty booked this year, I have missed only 2 years, this year being one of them du to a sedding conflict, but he is an awesome guy

[870FaceLift]

Thats a shame and I'm sorry to hear about the money down the drain.  I, too, would like to hunt NE Merriams next year, but am scared to book.  That is a long way to go to get hosed.

[BowBendr]

Looks like HoggleGobble had a killer time there....it's odd to see such differing reviews.....


http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,36597.0.html

[AUDoubleBeard]

Looks like HoggleGobble had a killer time there....it's odd to see such differing reviews.....


http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,36597.0.html

I agree, but who knows!

[lightsoutcalls]

Sorry to hear about your experience. 

   I had a similar experience hunting feral hogs in AR.  The "outfitter" sold hunts on ebay.  His place looked nice enough.  He advertised that he baited the hunting spots daily, which he did.  After we paid cash up front, he took us in on 4 wheelers and dropped my buddy and I off at bait sites about 200 yards apart.  As he dropped us off, he told us about the property borders and where his land connected with national forest land.  He then proceeded to tell us that there was an abundant acorn crop on the ground and the hogs would likely be staying up in the mountains on the national forest land.     Seriously?  AFTER he took our money he told us this?!  His horses wandered in and out of our "bait sites" all morning, snacking on the slop he poured out of the buckets when we arrived. 

    There are some real doozies out there.  Money is too hard to come by to hand over without checking into the operation before you book a hunt.  I learned the hard way.

[hunter22]

Three of us hunted with this outfitter in May of 2012. Out of the six tags we had only one was filled. In three days of hunting I never heard or saw a mature gobbler. I am an experienced turkey hunter and have killed around 100 gobblers so I am no rookie hunter. I called in a few jakes and hens on the hunt. I have been on several out of state hunts and this one was by far the worst for me. They will never get any more of my money.   

[Jay]

Three of us hunted with this outfitter in May of 2012. Out of the six tags we had only one was filled. In three days of hunting I never heard or saw a mature gobbler. I am an experienced turkey hunter and have killed around 100 gobblers so I am no rookie hunter. I called in a few jakes and hens on the hunt. I have been on several out of state hunts and this one was by far the worst for me. They will never get any more of my money.

I'm guessing he overbooks in relation to the size land he has. So, by the time you got out, probably a high percentage of what was mature Gobblers were dead. Season opened mid April, and by the time you got out 15-20 or even more hunters could have pounded this property already leaving mostly Jakes. There are some who only book a certain # of hunters per year, that they are SURE have a great chance of getting their Tom. Those are the long time outfitters people go back to every year.

[bpfarm]

I agree about the overbooking. All the birds were no doubt in freezer bags before we arrived. I also love how he promotes on the website about only taking a very limited # of hunters to ensure unhinged property and abundance of birds.

[BigGobbler]

 A good reliable guide service will not ask for ALL the payment up front before the hunt! And if they are any good they have repeat hunters booking hunts before anyone else gets a chance. I say show me the game and you get the rest! Do your research before you book! $900 Kansas? Wow could of got a guaranteed hunt for that much! Did they offer another hunt in the future?

[bpfarm]

Check out their website. Said near 100% on first bird 50% on second. I don't need 100% but its misleading and makes one think they will " be in the birds"

[HoggleGobble]

Looks like HoggleGobble had a killer time there....it's odd to see such differing reviews.....


http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,36597.0.html

I did enjoy the trip. We had terrible conditions with the winter storm and heard several gobblers everyday. We didn't pay until the end, and had great accommodations. It was a lodge type place with a great big bass lake if you wanted to fish in it. We saw probably 15 long beards, and I think we killed number 24, 25, and 26 for his season (at that time). I thought that was a little high, but he has no complaints from me. That sucks that it turned out that way for you. We actually had Jeff at camp and never saw those other guys. Hopefully the next place you go will be better!