Whitetail Hunts
2001
We started our Saskatchewan Hunting camp in the summer of 2001. The very first week of the season we had a group of 4 from Louisiana that went 4 for 4. Ron Baxter was the luckiest of the bunch, harvesting an awesome 11 point buck which gross scored 174". I do not know who was happier, he or I. It was a great way to start out and just the beginning.
Gary Hart took a fine 5x5 that gross scored 150" and Randy Lowe took a 127" 4x4. Pat Baird's buck was pretty small so not pictured but he made up for it in later years
Gary Harts 2001 5x5
Randy Lowe's 2001 4x4
We took several other bucks that year, 9 out of 16. Our success rate ended up right at 56% although opportunities were 69% thanks to one guy who missed two different shots at great bucks. The average score ended up at 137.
2002
The following year was even better. Fall 2002 we had 16 hunters. Out of the 16 hunters 7 bucks were taken with an average score of 145". Gary Hart was back and took a beautiful 167" buck, also 165", 150" and 144" bucks were taken.
Gary's 167" buck
Rusty John's 165" 5x5
2003
The fall of 2003 was once again a great year with many nice bucks taken. I was fortunate enough to take my best buck ever, a 172" gross typical which made the B&C record book awards program with a net score of 164 4/8". We had a 47% success rate with an average score of 148". Opportunity was 53% thanks to one big buck that was missed clean. 15 hunters took 7 bucks.
The Hestir clan from Arkansas, Dad and three sons, hunted with me Thanksgiving week and son Rusty took the second best buck of the season a 168" 5x5.
Our third best of the year was taken by Steve Dougherty during the final week. What his deer didn't have in score it made up for with mass and character.
2004
I might of thought it couldn't get any better but fall 2004 proved me wrong. It was an incredible season. Our success rate jumped to 65% and we took the best two bucks ever. Return hunter Randy Hestir took an amazing 5x5 which would have easily netted book had he not had a recent fight breaking a couple inches off the left main beam and left G-3. As is gross 177" net 169". Also return hunter Mike Shankle took and incredible 6x6 grossing 175"
Randy Hestir's 177" 5x5
Mike Shankle 175" 6x6
There were many other fine bucks taken. Check out the whitetail trophy galleries to the left to see them all.
Fall 2005 was a bit of a letdown after so many great years. Several feet of rain accumulated in our area between July - September flooding many of our hunting areas. Then unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow just kept things from getting better. Return hunters Mike Shankle and Steve Malone had a lucky day and harvested some fine bucks but overall it was slow.
Mike Shankle (left) & Steve Malone with their fine bucks
Our success rate fell to 33%. Hopefully the good news is that some of these fine young bucks will be better next year.
2006
I'm sorry to report that we let the big bucks go another year during the 2006 season. While I think we had more deer than ever the big bucks were very nocturnal. Extensive logging,while helpfull in the long run, are having a noticably negative affect. We also dealt with lower than average temperatures which was very hard on the hunters. Then if things were not bad enough we got hit with so much early snow that we could hardly get around. I used the scouting cameras very little due to the extreme cold but where I did showed the nice bucks were there , just very nocturnal.
Keith Cosby of Louisianna took the best buck of the year with this heavy horned 9 point.
2007
2007 will go down as the year of lots of deer and no hunters. I tried to take advantage of the break and learn more about hunting the deer during the various weeks. I did have one bowhunter during the first week of November but unfortunately he became ill and had to leave early. I think the stress of to much going on back home got to him. On his third day, Nov. 7th, he rattled in a buck to a buck decoy I had placed for him. I guess I should have put larger antlers on the decoy because the buck that came in charged in, smashed the decoy, and left in the blink of an eye leaving my poor bowhunter a bit rattled himself. I had also rattled in a nice buck on Saturday November 3rd that I let walk only because he was a main frame 4x4 and it was the beginning not the end of season. On my next trip checking scouting
cameras I found that I had several photo's of him.
I was also finding photo's of a couple of other bucks that had my attention. One was a 170 class 5x5 at Garden who I had gotten a couple of photos of in 2006 and the other a 160 class buck at Big Valley.
I decided to hunt for these bucks dependent on wind direction. On November 9th I had a Northeast wind which wasn't good for either but it was supposed to change to Southeast in the afternoon so I hunted Camp 10 until 2PM then moved to Big Valley and walked into the stand. At 4:30 PM the buck I
was after showed up.
.
Several days later when I checked the camera I found that on the 8th he had become quite visible and had daylight photo's of him on the 8th and 9th. We had gotten a pretty good dump of snow. That combined with the nearing rut apparently increased daytime activity because I started seeing it at several sites.
I booked very few hunters this year but if I had I think we would have had a great hunt. Scouting photo's revealed many nice bucks in the 150- 170 range and out of the 5 hunters I had all saw nice bucks. Unfortunately this did not turn into trophy photos after missed opportunities.
Clients fly in to Saskatoon, rent a vehicle and head to camp. We are a 3 hour drive North. In the bear and deer hunt contracts are details on who to contact for travel arrangements.
Hunt packages include:
*All meals including snacks and sack lunches to take to the blinds.
*All guide fees (tipping is allowed)
*Transportation to/from stands once a day
*Clean bedding & clean, comfortable lodging
Not included:
*Transportation to and from camp is not included. Clients fly into Saskatoon normally the Saturday prior to their hunt and fly out the Monday after their hunt. A commuter flight is available to get clients to Prince Albert but must be scheduled properly with flights to Saskatoon as they only run twice a day. Hunters who want to be picked up by us must get to Prince Albert where we will be willing to pick them up. Prince Albert is approximately 1-½ hours from camp and Saskatoon is 3 hours. It is a beautiful, scenic drive, which will allow clients to unwind before and after the hunts and allow us the time to properly prepare for the upcoming hunts. We get discount on rentals in either P.A. or Saskatoon for our clients and will provide you with the appropriate information as well as the contacts for other hunters in your week so that you can share rental costs. The total rental cost should not exceed $375.00USD.
*Alcohol
*License fees, allocation fee, habitat fee and G.S.T (Approx. $500.00 USD for whitetail and $300.00 USD for bear).
Pricing:
*Bear Hunts spring or fall - $2750.00 USD (+ license fees and GST)
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*Whitetail
5 1/2 day hunt - $4000.00 USD (+license fees and GST)
9 day hunt - $5000.00 USD (+license fees and GST)
12 day hunt - $6000 USD (+license fees and GST)
New for 2009 the option to hunt for $2500.00 with trophy fees:
Up to 145---------------$ 1750.00
145 1/8 to 165-------$ 1550.00
165 1/8 up--------------$ 1250.00
Gross scores
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Deposits: A 50% deposit is required to lock in your hunt dates. Hunts are not considered booked until deposits are received. There are no refunds on deposits unless you find a replacement for your spot. The balance of the hunt is due 60 days prior to your scheduled hunt.
Whitetail Deer hunt schedule
Arrive on Sunday noon, depart next Saturday afternoon, 5 1/2 day hunt
Archery/Muzzleloader - Last two weeks of October Rifle - all of November, first
week of December
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South Bay Outfitters
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Established 2001
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Weyakwin Saskatchewan
Outfitter Andy & Mary Milam
Camp phone # 306-425-7658
April 15- June 30--Sept 15 - December 15
Home / office
830-833-5764 / fax 830-833-5386
saskoutfitter@yahoo.com
